GSSL HELP THREAD!!!

[PeteC]

So,  main board finished tonight all except 7812 and 7912 which i think i need to reverse vs the 78L12 pinouts.  Holes too small on pcb so need to find a very fine drill to widen.

cant find any pcb connectors to fit the pcb headers yet - but sure i just need to search harder on supplier websites.

All progressing well.  Ive checked every joint and component as it went in so hopefully minimal troubleshooting

cant wait to get this finished now.

PS - Am I alone on this thread now.... its very quiet ......

cheers
Pete

 

[okgb]

Mine is 5 down on the pile but i want to do the whole deal
turbo , sidechain  and all that

 

[PeteC]

Dumb question probably - but I'm struggling to find an answer searching through the whole help thread.

I'm building a plain vanilla GSSL for starters,  then adding the mods as I go - starting with just the HPF sidechain first.
Then super turbo second sidechain etc etc

but for now I cant understand clearly whether to include the small wire link on the control pcb at point "A" for the bypass switch or not. 

I am following the original 2Pos rotary switching shown on Gyraf's schematics.

Both boards are now fully populated apart from this wire link.  And I'm ready to start installing everything into my rack case.

Any help much appreciated
cheers
Pete

 

[mitsos]

I had my gssl open yesterday but I don't remember anything about the link. But to save yourself having to undo anything, search for a link by SSLtech titled something like "upgrade your gssl for free" where he shows the proper way to wire the bypass switch. I believe I posted a link in this thread a few months back. 

 

[PeteC]

thanks mitsos I look for the thread

Rgds
Pete

 

[mitsos]

Found the link:
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=34219.0

my mistake, it's called improve your GSSL for free

 

[PeteC]

found it - many thanks

looking at it again it makes sense to me now that its EITHER the wires to the 2 POS rotary switch ( which will have the same shorting effect as the wire link on the pcb ) OR make the link on pcb and leave the bypass switch out altogether.  Good tip on reversing the wires and grounding though to minimise the distortion so thanks for the link to the thread - I'll wire it that way suggested by SSLtech.

cheers
Pete
 

 

[PeteC]

Hi

is anyone able to supply Turbo or SSC pcbs in the UK to save shipping costs etc ?

or is it possible to have the pcb layout to etch my own ?  - recognise that this might not be possible if its someones intellectual property

Rgds
Pete

 

[myker]

hey guys, this thread has become very long and i think i have read the first 80-100 pages and i have used the search function and have never had good results with that.
so I'll just ask: has anyone had an issue with the input and meter just clipping out and taking like 5 seconds to recover only to do it again the next transient? even if I adjust the output of my 192 output to -30....
I have gssl with turbo from expat and am using 2180's with the adjustments recommended from ThatCorp for the "202" position as well as in the side chain.
test tones from pro tools are caught by the threshold but fast transients just overwhelm the input...

also, I just reheated all the solder joints and checked all resistors and caps with the schematic, everything looks good. but just turning the threshold knob causes the needle to peak...
boo!

i apologize if this has been asked before....
-mike

 

[mitsos]

hey all,

finally getting around to fitting a switchable ext sidechain input, and I think I have the wiring figured out, except one thing..  I am going to do it according to a diagram from harpo, see attached.  But since I have a balanced signal coming in, I'm unsure what to do with pin 3? Ground it? 

thanks for any tips!

 

[PeteC]

have decided to add a HPF sidechain board which I will make on stripboard for now, and add Turbo later once I can get some help on sourcing Turbo board.

Cheers
PeteC

 

[Harpo]

finally getting around to fitting a switchable ext sidechain input, and I think I have the wiring figured out, except one thing..  I am going to do it according to a diagram from harpo, see attached.  But since I have a balanced signal coming in, I'm unsure what to do with pin 3? Ground it? 

just for reference, discussion starting here

Hey all, there is probably a very simple answer to this, but I can't find it.. How do I set up a mono ext sidechain input for a GSSL with turbo?

maybe this way

for interfacing your external sidechain input with a balanced signal feed, you'd probably use a balanced line receiver or transformer in front of the scribble in order to keep the connection balanced. Case not, a connection from XLR-pin3 to 0V reference voltage should work, but will be single ended and might cause a ground loop if cable shield and reference voltage is tied together in different spots/devices.

 

[mitsos]

Hey Harpo,

thanks for the feedback. This complicates things a bit since it'll most likely be used with balanced outputs from a DAW.  A receiver is easy enough. I might just do it with a 5534, but I want to avoid breadboard atm,  8) so I'll check if I have a suitable 1:1 trafo lying around..  thanks again!

 

[PeteC]

now finished everything except a bit of internal hook-up wiring then ready for testing this weekend.

cant wait to hear this in my 2-buss 

Pete

 

[PeteC]

All finished early this morning......

what should i test before i plug in all my IC's ???

Many thanks
Pete

 

[PeteC]

OK

done anyway ....

everything up and running and just run my first test on master bus in mixbus - excellent

very slight hiss when make up vol is maxxed out but otherwise sounds great !!!!!

WHOAAAAA !!!!!

Rgds
Pete - another new GSSL owner !!!

 

[Harpo]

hey guys, this thread has become very long and i think i have read the first 80-100 pages and i have used the search function and have never had good results with that.
so I'll just ask: has anyone had an issue with the input and meter just clipping out and taking like 5 seconds to recover only to do it again the next transient? even if I adjust the output of my 192 output to -30....
I have gssl with turbo from expat and am using 2180's with the adjustments recommended from ThatCorp for the "202" position as well as in the side chain.
test tones from pro tools are caught by the threshold but fast transients just overwhelm the input...

also, I just reheated all the solder joints and checked all resistors and caps with the schematic, everything looks good. but just turning the threshold knob causes the needle to peak...
boo!

i apologize if this has been asked before....
-mike

If you'd said, which type of pegging/miswired meter (whatever FSD value uA or mA) you used or what parts you changed, (FI 470R resistor, connecting to pin3 of sidechain-VCA changed to X ohms, or leaving out 47R resistor between pin4 of sidechain-VCA and 0V, ...), you might have a better chance that someone could help you or narrow it down.
You'd have to read the THAT appnotes in context with a GSSL, coming with different supply voltages and some inconsistencies between schematic and pcb. Also some parts changes didn't find their way into the schematic (FI the latest schematic showing a THAT2181 sidechain-VCA with surrounding parts still ment for a DBX2150 or 2159 VCA from a previous revision).

 

[MikeClev]

Nice work Pete...! They sound very yummy don't they? Did you manage to get a turbo PCB?

 

[PeteC]

Thanks MikeClev,

no turbo board found yet unfortunately - and I cut the fascia for the switch too - so at moment I have a hole there waiting for the Turbo option! 

I've started knocking up a HPF board to add to the unit next  - and will try to get hold of the turbo board or even the layout to make my own pcb.  I might not need turbo with the HPF anyway.

In meantime the standard GSSL is more than enough - and beats my plug-ins hands down !!!

Make up gain hiss seems to have gone now that everything has been put back in the box.  I had HOURS of filing for the meter window - I managed to get hold of two discontinued RS 1ma FSD meters on ebay - but they are rear panel mounting and I had to cut out an exact rectangular window in 4mm Aluminium faceplate with just hand tools - it seemed to be the longest part of the whole job - certainly the most tedious.  Still - worth it for a studio quality stereo compressor i think !

I now have a spare meter so better build a second GSSL.....

Cheers
Pete

 

[greyskull]

Hi Guy's!
Excuse my very wet behind the ears ness here!

Can anyone recommend or supply me with a BOM for England For the Gssl?
I tried some of the others but struggled with a lot of the parts with most of the usual suspects as far as suppliers go over here (farnell, r.s etc)

Thanks in advance

Guy