D-LA2A Support Thread

[curranm]

OK- it is a connection issue with the FUCKING molex connectors??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!? I have rebuilt the connector 5 times now and I need to know what FUCK I am supposed to do to make these things work better. What tool or part number do I need to put these together more easily. I am very angry right now and I am sorry for swearing but god damn it this is so frustrating to be messing with stupid molex connectors for this many days?!?!?!??!?!?! the pins go in all the way or part way or click into place HOW do I know they are seated properly, they keep bending the connector on the board and they are incredibly hard to push into place. or they don't stay in the connector at all and pull out with no effort what so ever. this is nuts..................I have channel one passing audio but I cannot understand this calibration information in the doc. I am sending a 1k sine wave into the channel with the thing in bypass. when I turn it on and run the sine wave through the comp WHAT are the actual steps, the VU needle pegs and I do not understand how to set the gain and GR knobs to begin the calibration process, If I turn the GR knob all the way up it compress' the signal down BUT it also saturates the signal and I cannot get it to actually reduce by 5db because I do not understand the basic steps for getting the vu to track. madness claims me

 

[saxmonster]

Molex's are a pain if you don't have the tool.  They should be easy to snap together once they are built.  If not they are not built right.  They should go together easily and snap together tight.  You might have to redo both ends with new clean parts.  You could always solder the wire to the pcb part of the molex and just use shrink wrap to cover them and make them look nice.  Just won't be able to remove them as easily.

 

[jipsu]

Molex's are a pain if you don't have the tool.  They should be easy to snap together once they are built.  If not they are not built right.  They should go together easily and snap together tight.  You might have to redo both ends with new clean parts.  You could always solder the wire to the pcb part of the molex and just use shrink wrap to cover them and make them look nice.  Just won't be able to remove them as easily.

I used this "solder + shrink wrap" method to connect the cable to the molex terminal heads (or what the hell you call them).
So I could use Molexes without a proper tool to attach them to the wire and changing the wires is easy!

 

[curranm]

I unmounted the PCB and hard wired channel 2 it passed signal as did channel 1. I thin mounted the PCB in the chassis wired the xlr for channel 2 and it passed signal. I clipped channel one in and out xlr and then channel 2 stopped passing signal. Channel 1 passes signal

 

[offthewallstudio]

... you should be able to pass audio with the unit power off I believe.  I can't remember if that is true.  So if I doesn't pass audio when the unit is off then something is wired wrong on the bad channel.  Just the bypass does the same thing I think just with the power on.  Don't quote me though

This is true

hello Volker.  I am just about done with the d la2a. Is there a way to test this without my real expensive tubes in it to make sure it wont fry anything?  The pcb is fully stuffed . I am now going to wire up the power transformer and hook everything up. Any tips to test and for safety is much appreciated thanks!

 

[saxmonster]

I unmounted the PCB and hard wired channel 2 it passed signal as did channel 1. I thin mounted the PCB in the chassis wired the xlr for channel 2 and it passed signal. I clipped channel one in and out xlr and then channel 2 stopped passing signal. Channel 1 passes signal

Is there a short on the bottom of the pcb?  Is it touching the bottom of the case at all?

 

[curranm]

I have the PCB mounted in there w metal stand offs

 

[saxmonster]

Is the pcb flexing causing a short between two solder points.  Is it bridging anywhere?  Why would it work when unmounted and then when mounted not?  Seems like something is shorting somewhere when installed.

 

[curranm]

It must be shorting some where. I think only checked the channel with it out of the chassis before mounting it. It worked until I plugged in the channel 1 w the molex and then channel 2 dropped out

 

[saxmonster]

Check for continuity between the channel one molex pins and channel two molex pin.  Touch one on one side and then test that to all three on the other.  Then go done the line to the other two.  There should be none but maybe there is and you might be able to trace that.

 

[curranm]

I will do that.  could I have goofed up my start ground? between the two channels and the relays?

 

[jipsu]

I was wondering... Has anyone made a sidechain mod for the d-la2a ..?
If not, would that be possible to and extra inputs at some point before the t4b and use a switch to control which inputs are used?

 

[curranm]

alright! did continuity test last night and found that the + pad on the channel is open, I either flex broke it or over heated it and ruined the trace inside when I pulled the molex out of it. SO now I am gonna need to jury rig this ( I hope I dont need a new PCB.) suggestions at this point on how to wire it up would be great!

 

[[silent:arts]]

Output + - Pad?
Easy.

 

[curranm]

no it is the input pad, there is no continuty between them so I am assuming it is the input

 

[[silent:arts]]

if there is no continuty between input + and output + and can be either side.
however, input looks the same.

 

[curranm]

so I will just hardwire to the pin of the relay.

 

[Ericbazaar]

Hi,
here is my DLA2A! Frontplate is my own Design, all Metalwork by myself. Looks a little bit like a 670 Comp, i like this Millitary Look. Compressor works fine and sounds great, thanks for this beautiful Projekt.

with a right click and open in new tap you can see the pictures better!

Best
eric

 

[XAXAU]

What is the difference the D-LA2A and the D-AOC?

 

[curranm]

got the unit to pass signal on both sides, it was a bad relay messing with the adventure. NOW the question is I think I have the compressor working on one side BUT the gain and GR knobs on channel 2 are not responding at all, whether I have the compressor in or bypassed. how does everyone else wire the pots to the molex? shield/wiper/signal? left too right?