Klark teknik 76KT

[Tubetec]

I noticed the 76KT comes in at an amazing 225 euros from Thomann ,
Ive always been a big fan of the original 1176 ,
I was wondering if anyone here has tried the Klark Teknik and what they think about it .
I know the original unit can be used in stereo with an interface box added on ,
has anyone attempted to stereoize the KT units?  for the sake of the handful of extra components KT would have done well to include the stereo mod ,

I watched a few reviews and it seems to do what it says on the tin , some like it some dont ,but thats always the way .

 

[scott2000]

I wonder how the 1176ish guitar pedals out there  compare as well..

 

[JMan]

I know the original unit can be used in stereo with an interface box added on ,
has anyone attempted to stereoize the KT units?  for the sake of the handful of extra components KT would have done well to include the stereo mod , 

I’m curious what you mean by “the original can be used in stereo.”  It’s a mono compressor.  The stereo adapter that UA sells is meant to facilitate the linking of two separate mono units — the adapter is intended to overcome the fact that any two given units are unlikely to have closely matched FETs to one another.  Purple Audio’s version of the 1176 solved this problem in a different way, by implementing an active link that eliminates the need for the adapter.

Whichever option the KT uses (I don’t know, but I’d guess the former), it is still a mono unit, and you’d still need to link two together for stereo operation.  There’s not a “stereo mod” that I know of that would turn a single mono unit into two-channel stereo.  Unless the “mod” is building in an entire second channel.  ;D

 

[BerndVP]

I own a 76KT, it has no connection to get a stereo pair, so, is the question: is it possible to mod the unit to do it ?

 

[JMan]

I own a 76KT, it has no connection to get a stereo pair, so, is the question: is it possible to mod the unit to do it ?

Oh, wow, it doesn’t have a link option at all?  That does seem strange...wonder why.

 

[gyraf]

..because it never actually worked in the first place..

/Jakob E.

 

[Tom snich]

Hi Peoples

I have two kt76's. One of the meters on one of them does not behave like the other 76 i have (bought second hand) . If i use the trim pot on the back i can set it to 0db, but when i disengage GR and engage it again, the needle does not return to 0db. It is either 2db behind 0db or it falls past 0db by 2db, i adjust the trim again but i just go round in circles...
My question is: I have opened up the kt76 and there are some trim pots inside, does anyone have experience with these trim pots? is one of these trim pots also related to the meter in any way, and can be adjusted to make the meter work properly.
Cheers
Ben

 

[richiyobs]

i get same problem on 2 x KT2a..... but only at turning on, after a bit the needle stays at 0dB
i don t know if it could depend on poor quality capacitor used or bad trimmer
any advice should be cool on what to check

best

 

[vintagelove]

i get same problem on 2 x KT2a..... but only at turning on, after a bit the needle stays at 0dB
i don t know if it could depend on poor quality capacitor used or bad trimmer
any advice should be cool on what to check

best

Hi, the 2a takes some time to stabilize the meter, you'll find that somewhere in the manual. Don't worry about it.
Hope that helps.

 

[drtechno]

..because it never actually worked in the first place..

/Jakob E.

I've been thinking of making a link circuit to work off and on. I might do that when I get around to the KT76 mod

 

[JohnRoberts]

Oh, wow, it doesn’t have a link option at all? That does seem strange...wonder why.

It's difficult to insure decent channel to channel tracking when using crude gain control elements. With poor tracking a stereo image can wander in use.

JR

 

[drtechno]

It's difficult to insure decent channel to channel tracking when using crude gain control elements. With poor tracking a stereo image can wander in use.

JR

The original stereo link was a joke, using a battery in the circuit really made me wonder what they were trying to accomplish there.

 

[JohnRoberts]

The original stereo link was a joke, using a battery in the circuit really made me wonder what they were trying to accomplish there.

I suspect they were trying to satisfy customer requests.
====
I was only involved (indirectly) in one vacuum tube limiter (VCL/2) that was designed as dual mono. When customers asked for stereo linking capability, I had an engineer put it on the bench and tracking was unacceptable. That is the nature of the crude gain control technology. Sometimes the manufacturer just has to say no.

JR

 

[drtechno]

I suspect they were trying to satisfy customer requests.
====
I was only involved (indirectly) in one vacuum tube limiter (VCL/2) that was designed as dual mono. When customers asked for stereo linking capability, I had an engineer put it on the bench and tracking was unacceptable. That is the nature of the crude gain control technology. Sometimes the manufacturer just has to say no.

JR

To do a stereo link correctly from two mono units I was thinking you have to combine the two signals, then put it through its own detector circuit, then back out. So for a real stereo link unit, it would be another rack unit with a set of the buttons. and a switch to change it back to the two mono units from stereo linked.
So I don't see where their old circuit really worked.

 

[JohnRoberts]

To do a stereo link correctly from two mono units I was thinking you have to combine the two signals, then put it through its own detector circuit, then back out. So for a real stereo link unit, it would be another rack unit with a set of the buttons. and a switch to change it back to the two mono units from stereo linked.
So I don't see where their old circuit really worked.

I am repeating myself, but you can send the same gain control voltage to two crude variable gain elements and get different results. Of course the stereo link combines the two control voltages to be the same. This only works usably with premium gain control elements like VCAs that track each other.

[edit- for today's TMI back in the late 70s before good quality VCAs were inexpensive and widely available, I experimented with trying to linearize a LDR (light dependent resistor). I sourced a LDR with a center tapped resistance element. Placing one half of the resistance in a NF op amp circuit, I could vary the light current with the op amp to force a desired target resistance. The other half of the variable resistance could be used in a shunt leg to form a variable audio attenuator. This mostly worked but was not very fast, etc. Around then there were several competitors starting to sell VCAs to compete with DBX/THAT VCAs. I started designing in Paul Buffs VCAs. /edit]

JR

 

[drtechno]

I am repeating myself, but you can send the same gain control voltage to two crude variable gain elements and get different results. Of course the stereo link combines the two control voltages to be the same. This only works usably with premium gain control elements like VCAs that track each other.

[edit- for today's TMI back in the late 70s before good quality VCAs were inexpensive and widely available, I experimented with trying to linearize a LDR (light dependent resistor). I sourced a LDR with a center tapped resistance element. Placing one half of the resistance in a NF op amp circuit, I could vary the light current with the op amp to force a desired target resistance. The other half of the variable resistance could be used in a shunt leg to form a variable audio attenuator. This mostly worked but was not very fast, etc. Around then there were several competitors starting to sell VCAs to compete with DBX/THAT VCAs. I started designing in Paul Buffs VCAs. /edit]

JR

I know what you are getting at, but you don't need the vca range for a limiter as you have to have with a compressor. But all of this would have to be in a separate enclosure, that would house all the stereo alignment. Because I don't think you can integrate it easily in both devices then choose master-slave because I would think you would want the vca be controlled with L+R summed on a stereo limiter.

 

[JohnRoberts]

I know what you are getting at, but you don't need the vca range for a limiter as you have to have with a compressor. But all of this would have to be in a separate enclosure, that would house all the stereo alignment. Because I don't think you can integrate it easily in both devices then choose master-slave because I would think you would want the vca be controlled with L+R summed on a stereo limiter.

As I said I abandoned the approach because VCAs with predictable gain laws were becoming available.

JR

 

[abbey road d enfer]

The only way to make 1176's to work in stereo mode is to use them in M/S; then the stereo image is reasonably stable.
That's how Rein Narma solved the problem in the Fairchild 670.