D1176 - Dual 1176 in 1RU with no wiring!

[home_listening]

Was sick of wiring up 1176 comps and wasting room in the rack so I drummed up a PCB based on the classic Gyraf design. Fits into the Frank NRG enclosures (300mm depth). Also has the link circuitry on board.

PCB isn't 100% correct and required a few small changes (hey it is Rev.1 after all) but it is passing audio cleanly, compressing appropriately and generally sounding good. Haven't had a chance to put it through its paces in the studio and the system in my workshop isn't anything to write home about.

Features:

Hardware Bypass
GR disable
6 Ratios (the Greyhill switch I used had the positions)
Meter switching is +4 and GR (didn't see the need to add the +8 metering)
Link circuitry for the two compressors (a la Hairball/Mnats)

Have to say thanks to Gyraf and Mnats.  The AXT systems website was also a great resource. Definitely not a revolutionary project (after the GSSL this has the be the most mature studio DIY project around) but a form factor that works for me.

Not sure if I'll sell boards as I think the 300mm x 400mm boards will cost a fortune to ship around but that is a decision for the future... after another revision for sure.

Later!

 

[home_listening]

Photos added, excuse the oversized images (I'm IT illiterate) and the messy build, the prototype was stuffed with whatever I had around the house

 

[Spencerleehorton]

bravo, lets hear some audio files!!!

 

[john12ax7]

Looks nice.  I'm guessing that was an expensive pcb to get made?

 

[home_listening]

bravo, lets hear some audio files!!!

Will work ever stop? I'll make some recordings asap

Looks nice.  I'm guessing that was an expensive pcb to get made?

Surprisingly no! $99.49USD for 5 pieces and $47.74USD for shipping to Australia. I have been prototyping with a very, very cheap pcb house, easyeda, before getting better boards for my main runs. Honestly, the boards are fine. Don't hold up to rework all that well but they are just so reasonable.

 

[warpie]

Very nice

 

[ruffrecords]

Surprisingly no! $99.49USD for 5 pieces and $47.74USD for shipping to Australia. I have been prototyping with a very, very cheap pcb house, easyeda, before getting better boards for my main runs. Honestly, the boards are fine. Don't hold up to rework all that well but they are just so reasonable.

Are you just using EasyEDA for PCB fab or are you using it for board layout as well?

Cheers

Ian

 

[home_listening]

Are you just using EasyEDA for PCB fab or are you using it for board layout as well?

Cheers

Ian

Hey Ian,

Just for the fabrication, I honestly haven't researched it extensively but my impression is most of those online/browser based tools would drive me up the wall!

 

[Potato Cakes]

I appreciate the power transformer warning on the board. If someone doesn't pay attention to that then they are asking for "bang bang."

Interested to see what happens with future revisions.

Thanks!

Paul

 

[warpie]

What VU meters are these? Sifam?

 

[frazzman]

Looks great.
The most cumbersome part of building an 1176 is all the damn offboard wiring.

If you decide not to get boards made, any chance you feel like sharing the board layouts? Could be a good DIY one to play around with and adapt to other form factors.

 

[j.frad]

Great idea!
Is it possible to have a 2:1 ratio and skip the 6:1?

 

[weiss]

great build. would also be interested in the files!

 

[ArnoldLayne]

I second that !
Or would happily join in a group order 

 

[vizcities]

I’m also interested!

 

[dmp]

Having built and used a matched pair of 1176 I think leaving off 'all buttons' is a travesty    ;D

Having a  matched quad of FETs is necessary for a successful stereo build. 

 

[home_listening]

What VU meters are these? Sifam?

Nissei Meter TN-42 - basically a sifam AL19

 

[home_listening]

Looks great.
The most cumbersome part of building an 1176 is all the damn offboard wiring.

If you decide not to get boards made, any chance you feel like sharing the board layouts? Could be a good DIY one to play around with and adapt to other form factors.

Yeah I had built a few up a few mnats rev J in the past and decided never again!

 

[home_listening]

Having built and used a matched pair of 1176 I think leaving off 'all buttons' is a travesty    ;D

Having a  matched quad of FETs is necessary for a successful stereo build.

This was a commission so was building to a spec - but yeah its a nice feature. FETs were very closely matched!

 

[home_listening]

I’m also interested!

Thanks for the interest (from all). I'm not going to sell these or put the designs up - they need another revision which I'll never get around to doing. Moreover - single giant pcbs just isn't a particularly good mechanical design. The PCB is simply too big and just doesn't need to be. If I were to do this again it would be two separate modules, if anyone asks me to build another 1176 for them I'll go in that direction.