Building my first GSSL, need some help

[ruckus328]

Hey guys, I've been a reader of this forum for a little while now, I just want to say in advance a big "Thank You" for all the great info I've picked up here.  I finally have the time to build my first GSSL, but I'm confused on a few things and was hoping one of you might be able to point me in the right direction.  I have a fair electronics understanding and I layout PCB's for a living, so I don't forsee me having any problems with this project, but I didn't want to just assume anything or re-invent the wheel which is why I figured I'd just ask you guys.  I've searched and searched the forum to find these anyswers, but anything that got me close was a broken link.

I'm planning on building a pretty standard unit for my first build: Chef's control/main board with turbo & CRC boards.  No high pass filter (for this one, but going to on the next).  Using the behringer 1mA meter.  I'd like to make the turbo switchable so will be using an 2 illuminated pushbuttons (one for turbo, one for bypass), and a front panel Power Button with seperate LED.  My questions are:

1) As far as I can tell there's no provisions to power the LED's on the pushbuttons, I will need a small power supply and pull the power for that off of the transformer output.  It looks like alot of people are doing this.  Does anyone know where I can find a schematic for the power supply circuit?

2) Far as I can tell there's nowhere to wire in a pushbutton power switch on the control/main board, but there is a "power on" LED wiring point on the control board, correct?  If that's so, no big deal, I can just daisy chain the line-in wires to a 2A switch, but I just wanted to be sure.

3) I've seen some guys use the bypass switch to control a relay to do the actual audio bypass.  I would like to do this as well.  Does anyone know what I should do here or what to use?

4) Can anyone recommend a transformer?  Digikey is out of the "Amveco Magnetics 62063" transformer and they don't have an exact equivalent.  Mouser is pretty much useless.

5) I'm going to use the THAT2181AL08-U Trimmable VCA's for the audio but it looks like I have to use the 2180 "Pretrimmed" VCA's for the sidechain and turbo board, correct?

Thanks!

 

[radiance]

Hey guys, I've been a reader of this forum for a little while now,

Well, in that case you must have seen this thread:
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=47.0

...which is where all gssl questions are asked....

 

[Holger]

...which is where all gssl questions are asked....

..and most of them answered... 

 

[livingnote]

Yup. But I did send you a mail. PCB designer, cool.

 

[nickeveslage]

What illuminated pushbutton switches are you talking about? I've been doing a lot of digging looking for an illuminated pushbutton switch that would be capable of it's normal function as well as illuminating when engaged.

Would need a 3p3t correct?

 

[gyraf]

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=47.0

...which is where all gssl questions are asked....

 

[desol]

For the transformer you could try: http://www.avellindberg.com/index.html

 

[nickeveslage]

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=47.0

...which is where all gssl questions are asked....

...but not where all GSSL questions are answered clearly, or sometimes even at all. Just for the sake of playing nicely, I'll rummage through it. Again. Then probably again later when I don't find the answer to my question in that thread. Then I'll just stick with a toggle switch.

 

[livingnote]

No way man!

Search function and then do what I did...torture the living daylights outta that thing until
you solve your own prob, and it goes ka-boom in your head, and you feel like a million dollars.

I know it sucks, but it's totally awesome.

Nothing beats a problem you've solved yourself

It's how support threads even come to happen.

 

[nickeveslage]

With all due respect, I've squeezed about all I can out of the search function as far as the information I'm looking for.

Nevermind, but thanks anyway. Don't worry about it 

 

[livingnote]

Well...what are you working on?

 

[Biasrocks]

Most of these answer can be found in the META thread.

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=110

1) As far as I can tell there's no provisions to power the LED's on the pushbuttons, I will need a small power supply and pull the power for that off of the transformer output.  It looks like alot of people are doing this.  Does anyone know where I can find a schematic for the power supply circuit?

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=30896.msg375090#msg375090
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=33712.0

2) Far as I can tell there's nowhere to wire in a pushbutton power switch on the control/main board, but there is a "power on" LED wiring point on the control board, correct?  If that's so, no big deal, I can just daisy chain the line-in wires to a 2A switch, but I just wanted to be sure.

This is simply a LED indicating that the power is on. You want to connect your mains in to a separate power switch as indicated.

3) I've seen some guys use the bypass switch to control a relay to do the actual audio bypass.  I would like to do this as well.  Does anyone know what I should do here or what to use?

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=34803.0

4) Can anyone recommend a transformer?  Digikey is out of the "Amveco Magnetics 62063" transformer and they don't have an exact equivalent.  Mouser is pretty much useless.

If you read the GSSL thread, you'd realize that you could use a slightly smaller transformer. 500ma is the minimum recommended size.

62053 is the next size down, 94 in stock.

This is still overkill in the power rating department.

5) I'm going to use the THAT2181AL08-U Trimmable VCA's for the audio but it looks like I have to use the 2180 "Pretrimmed" VCA's for the sidechain and turbo board, correct?

The manual for the turbo board that I have (4/12/2008) specifies a 2150 which is not
pre-trimmed.

These questions really do belong on the GSSL thread.

Mark

 

[nickeveslage]

Well...what are you working on?

I'm going to keep trying to figure it out for myself as you suggested. Thanks though. I'll be back if I can't get it sorted out by myself after a while. For real, thanks.  ;D

Just want to make sure you guys realize that there is zero animosity (except for in my iTunes library. Great Sevendust record).

 

[livingnote]

Aaaaah nothing against getting pissed hitting the wall and tossing it, eh?

We all know that one

 

[nickeveslage]

I think it's safe to say that I won't be tossing it against the wall. The unit works great and sounds fantastic. I'm just working on the cosmetic side now. Trying to plan it out.

I'll be sure to upload pictures if I ever decide on a style for the look of the thing.

 

[livingnote]

Sure - don't worry, the wall part comes when it does, even if it's just in your mind.

You come from the build part, after enough insanity I actually started designing from the outside in.

Which, maybe not in the sense of Covey, but...if you have your box such that it looks like it should
with all the stuff around it, it becomes infinitely easier to design your motor in there, because
you can't force things backwards.

So there now we have Igor designing his whole front panel thing, knowing with closed eyes how
easy it will be to brutalize the rest in there somehow, and then just clean things up so that the
signal flows naturally.

You kinda get that way after a while...

 

[ruckus328]

Sorry guys, I didn't know everything SSL related should go in that thread.  Will post there from now on.  I have read quite a bit of that thread but 205 pages and 6 years worth of info makes for some difficult info finding.  Just when I almost would find what I was looking for I'd dead-end with a broken link.  Anyways, thanks for the help, I ended up answering alot of my own questions over the weekend too haha.  Nick, check you PM's.  Thx again everyone.