He-69 build/support thread. PCB's/kits-available!

[Igor]

The boards sent within a week after your request.
Mm.. well, visualize... better to say, I feel schematics as chess play, billiard, strategy, whatever, when I offer DIY projects, I not always have tones of time to make best readable documentation and expect people understand it; 20 minutes of meditation with schemo is enough IMO to get catch what's going on here. Every my project which have more than 1.2 revision was built and checked at least 2 times by me and the docs were checked twice at least and readable for me. Anyway, will keep this in mind and do my best to describe all possible stuff in docs. For last month, I abandoned support threads by simple reason - have no time. Well, will have a free week soon!

 

[Grummy77]

Yesterday I went from being super pumped to super disappointment. I got a pair of LL1517 trannies in the mail. They were the last piece of the puzzle for my two he69 builds. As far as I could tell I had two complete he69's with THAT1246 inputs and the transformer output option.  ;D  They both pass audio well.

But that's where the good times stop rolling  :-[. I can't seem to get the EQ love. It's as though they are locked in bypass. I can hear at least one relay switching when I flick the from XLR-Bypass-INS. However byp & XLR seem to both be bypassing the EQ section. INS doesn't pass audio (but that I expected since I don't have a pre connected there).

Igor or anyone else have suggestions of where I should start troubleshooting first. Perhaps I mis-wired the bypass switch? or am using the wrong relays?

Cheers. 

 

[Grummy77]

After reviewing the schematics and testing I came to the conclusion that the centre pin on the bypass switch should be connected to [byp#1]. it seems to be switching correctly. Unfortunately when not in bypass the audio doesn't seem to make it past my ll1517. Using a scope I was able to trace a sine wave to the opamp output just before the ll1517. I wonder what I screwed up there.

Hoping I won't need to pull out the transformers cause I imagine that to be real fun like.  :-\

 

[Grummy77]

Imma F#@&ing moron!!! 

Totally installed the ll1517's upside down. The label on them is basically upside down compared to the ll1724's. I need to pay more attention when I do this stuff. I was pretty careful the entire process. I think I just got too excited at the idea of getting to finally finish and hear.

That's what I get. Yeesh.

 

[zayance]

Oh good that you manifested yourself, tottaly forgot to warn people here.
The relays part number Igor wrote on his BOM (farnell code) seems to not be a good one, has a relase voltage of -3V.
I told Igor, but too busy as always so.....
Better go for 12V relay options and check datasheet to make sure release voltage is a positive one, because most 5V Relays with Coil resistance over 200ohms will have this same spec. from what i found out.

 

[Axelerator]

hi together, just want to ask for some opinions for my eq´s still on the bench (being quite a chess newb after all this years..!)
anybody has theirs working ?
sounds how with helios to maybe 2520 style ?
..as i have 4 set´s i thought maybe try two different drivers for my lundahl outs...
axel

 

[Grummy77]

anybody has theirs working ?
sounds how with helios to maybe 2520 style ?

I've "sort of" got a pair working over here. I'm pretty sure I've made some errors along the way. I'm basically the poster child for how to not take your time and have patience. I was pretty careful up until I figured I was almost done. Then the anticipation got the better of me. The two I made have the THAT line driver input and the Lundahl output. So far I've just been using Igors Opamp. I do have a pair of Whistle Rock 918's that have been optimized to run off +-24v I do have some GAR2520's, GAR1731's but I don't want to fry or shorten their life running them on +-24v. I have a movie and a first season of a new TV show on my plate right now so I don't have the time to do my needed troubleshooting. Although I have some issues. I effing LOVE them so far. So quick to dial in. They almost take the skill out of EQing. I usually don't track through EQ but I do with these now for certain sources. voice & acoustic guitar. When I get a chance to compare the OpAmps I have here I'll post. Might be a smart Idea for me to work out what my issues are first though.

My first issue which isn't as huge of a deal is they have very little headroom compared to the rest of my gear. I need to take signal down below -20 or I hear audible distortion (although I've had some success with a little of this distortion already). It is possible that this is normal I s'pose.

The other issue I have is in the bottom end. No matter what the settings there seems to be a permanent 50hz Low cut filter happening. It's a very smooth cut but It will prevent me from being able to use it on a drum bus, or mix bus. Other than those two issues it seems to behave as should. I compared with some of the Helios Type 69 graphs I've seen on line here and it seems to be doing comparable things (outside of my permanent 50Hz cut)  :-\

That said I almost don't want to change it. As it has become my favorite vocal sweetener. Especially for BG vocals & BG vocal bus. So quick to dial in. Also when running it a tiny bit hot the distortion it adds is kinda rad.  ;D

My deadlines end in September, so I can get back to messing around with this stuff then.

Cheers.

 

[Axelerator]

ok thanks for your informative answer here...
maybe i will go with some +/- 24volt opamps , i will use the eq´s mainly for tracking my synths and drummachines which have quite loud outs around +4 db.
hmm... anybody else with the 50 hz cut issues ?
there are frequencies below i really like in electronic music..!!
greets
axel

 

[nielsk]

Getting close to firing this up, what is R15 w/ HE amp?
How about R1A & R2A?
Using TX-2 12 volt relays, I have 50 ohms in R17...

 

[Grummy77]

Getting close to firing this up, what is R15 w/ HE amp?
How about R1A & R2A?
Using TX-2 12 volt relays, I have 50 ohms in R17...

R15 - Off the top of my head I can't remember (plus who knows if I even did it right? )
I think Igor has the info for that in his BOM doc. according to his BOM it's dependent on what output transformer (or weather you're using one). I believe you need to have a ratio with R12. So you need to figure out both R12 and R15 together.

R17 - Is dependant on what Relay's you are using. The info on how and the formula for that is in Igor's "SCHEM_PS_RELAYS" document. That one you need to reference your Relay data sheet to know what digits to throw into the formula in order to calculate R17.

Hope that helps.

Cheers. 

 

[nielsk]

Thanks for the reply, the schematic notes for the HE amp to use 47K for R12, so obviously there is an established value for R15... it just does not happen to be documented.
I get it about R17, what is the deal on R1A & 2A?

 

[Grummy77]

Not sure about R1A & R2A. I built mine to run off of 24v and I thought those were only for 16v. I thought I read Igor explai the 16vsetup somewhere on the forum here.

 

[ramshackles]

Hi
I'm putting together my shopping cart for this EQ, but I can't seem to find a good match for the 10 way pcb-pcb connector. Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

Cheers

 

[Igor]

http://il.farnell.com/multicomp/2212s-10sg-85/socket-pcb-1-row-10way/dp/1593464
http://il.farnell.com/multicomp/2211s-10g/header-1-row-vert-10way/dp/1593417
http://il.farnell.com/samtec/ss-110-t-2-n/receptacle-2-54mm-thru-hole-10way/dp/1668209
etc etc

 

[Igor]

Are there people who finished their EQ's? Anyone?

 

[Grummy77]

Haha. I have but I unfortunately messed something up. Got busy, so I haven't had the time to troubleshoot. I am able to use it but it has some issues. I've had great success using it on a stacked BG vocal bus.

The actual EQ curves do what I would expect them to based on Helios type 69 plots I've seen on line. With one side effect that on mine there seems to be a low cut filter happening at all times from about 40-50hz or so.

The issue that sucks most for me is I have no headroom coming out of the DAW I need to drop the level by 15-20db or it get pretty distorted. Especially when I start boosting (which is nice to do with this EQ). It might be my power supply though too. It puts out 24v but just barely. I'm wondering if it just sags under +-24 once I start powering the EQs. Do you know off hand if that could be cause the lack of headroom I'm experiencing?

I also think I gently fried some components. On my Power Supply, on these EQs, and on my RACKIT. . when testing them I think I actually shorted the +24 & -24 sockets on the HE69s (both of them). It was safe to say I was swearing up a storm that day. I did see some smoke. But didn't see exactly from where. My RACKIT's out of commish and the power supply no longer gives me phantom Power and my +-24v looks extra squiggly on the oscilloscope. I've just got around to ordering news caps 337s & 317s for the power supply & RACKIT. hopefully that's all I'll need. But I did also order new fresh electrolytic caps for the HE69s too. Hoping that's all I fried. I might order a Beecher transformer for the powersuplly too. But I'm also just considering buying one off the slick CAPI floor supplys that Jeff has and calling it a day.

Honestly I should have upped my DIY chops before attempting these. I have been learning exponentially from the process though. If I pretend this was school, then it's an inexpensive coarse.

Cheers.

 

[whomper]

Are there people who finished their EQ's? Anyone?

Waiting for Grayhills. Should arrive in a week if all goes well

Looking to finish the two HE-69 by end of next week, so will report then. Hopefully it will go smoothly.

 

[tonycamp]

Does anyone know the final cost for this build, i'm trying to budget, and it's taking me forever to figure all these kits out!!

thanx for your help

 

[Grummy77]

All said and done I think I was in a good $900 -$1000 total for my pair. This was using the THAT IC on the input and the Lundahl tranni output. If I can work out all my bugs it'll have been well worth it.

 

[Igor]

Grummy77: fix the fried stuff and let's fix the rest together!