Mixer Console build

[Humner]

Any updates on this beauty?!

Will post some pictures and updates very shortly!

I can't believe its been a year since I was posting in this thread. A lot has been done, but still so much to do!

 

[Fsharpminor]

Looking forward to the update!

 

[Humner]

Here we go. Some quick and dirty photos of its current state.

Still loads to do, but on the home stretch. I'll be doing a youtube video showing all its functions etc and how it all works, going through all the specs etc.

You will probably notice things look rather different to how it was early on, there have been many modifications made and not just to how it looks.

Enjoy!

 

[zamproject]

Here we go. Some quick and dirty photos of its current state.

Hello Humner

Great work !
What about a fader automation for this beast ?
Best
Zam

 

[iprovlek]

This looks amazing Humner!!!


Great great great work!!!

 

[Rocinante]

I'm speechless.  Bravo!!!!
Looks just amazing.

 

[Bo Deadly]

I agree this is really sweet. This is why I love DIY electronics. There are a lot of things that you could have done in a half-baked way but you didn't. It's got a nice meter bridge, a coherent look, all the critical circuit blocks, an arm rest ... it's a legit console. That's the spirit! Make sure you finish it, debug it and make it work perfectly and then never sell it.

 

[ruffrecords]

Beautiful construction. Congratulations! Isn't it amazing just how much work there is in designing and building a mixer!!!!

Cheers

Ian

 

[Spiritworks]

Very nice.

 

[ln76d]

I love it!

 

[Rocinante]

I love the green led=add and red=cut.

 

[grievousangel]

Excellent work! I have a few questions to pass to you (and others) if OK. The pathway to such a project requires much passion.

I'm from analog and tape pl;us digital as arrived in an excellent position to promote the craft of pro audio creation and capture, as the technologies are friendly.

I completed a build years earlier (like early '70s) based around Opamp Labs. Around 2005 I mod'ed a Tascam M700, then a  M5000-AF (40 channel dual In-line post production console) updating to better caps and using BB ICs in  place of the stock Philips ICs. A good upgrade with similar current draw. Much bigger, sweet sound. Anyways ...

I am in the early planning stages of a console build. Thinking using DIY Series 500/51x stuff where I can place in vertical channel strip topology with maybe (4) 500 buckets over each other, with some being custom as needed. I do like the concept of a dual in-line channel.  Custom stuff like Aux Sends, Solo, Bus Assignments, etc. are troubling though.

Module legends or labels?
Did you use DIY kits, etc?
Metal work?
PSU? BTW ... I still have the HUGE Tascam M5000 Power Supply Unit (+/-30VDC, +5VDC, +48VDC, +/-15VDC) with large ampere numbers! Could be utilized!

Suggestions and advice?

Thanks,

Billy

 

[japasetelagoas]

Here we go. Some quick and dirty photos of its current state.

Still loads to do, but on the home stretch. I'll be doing a youtube video showing all its functions etc and how it all works, going through all the specs etc.

You will probably notice things look rather different to how it was early on, there have been many modifications made and not just to how it looks.

Enjoy!

This is truly amazing! Awesome job, you have a fan in Brazil.

 

[grievousangel]

Love the knobs! Source?

Billy

 

[warpie]

Love the knobs! Source?

Billy

Sifam

 

[Humner]

Sifam

Yep. I bought most of them from the main Australian distributor for SIFAM, but also check out https://www.selcoproducts.com/knobs - if you are based in the US. I also bought from Selco and they were also really good to deal with. They happily completed a small order for me under there minimum order requirements.

Module legends or labels?
Did you use DIY kits, etc?
Metal work?
PSU? BTW ... I still have the HUGE Tascam M5000 Power Supply Unit (+/-30VDC, +5VDC, +48VDC, +/-15VDC) with large ampere numbers! Could be utilized!

Suggestions and advice?

Thanks,

Billy

To answer your questions.

CNC Aluminum Panels for the channel labels/legends from another GDIY member here who is based in Perth(Australia).

No DIY Kits used here. This was all "designed" from the ground up. There is nothing special or new about the signal flow in my mixer, I have kept it simple and it works well. Out of all the reading material, "Small Signal Audio Design" (Chapters 16 and 17 specifically) by Douglas Self was the biggest help, I used/adapted a few of his ideas.

For metal work of the main frame I used AutoCad to design it and then sent this off to water jet cutters to cut 5mm aluminum, then used common angle brackets to fix it all together. 5mm may have been overkill, but all I can say is that it is solid as a rock. Part of my original design brief was to create something that 1 person could move/transport (that is after the modules have been removed) – and I was able to test this when I moved and it was a success. So I'm rather happy with this regard.

I built a power supply based around powerone/condor open frame PSU's. At the end of the day this option ended up being the easier way to go. However I would definitely consider using your Tascam power supply, that will give you one less thing to worry about, and if it doesnt work out, then you could look into building your own etc.

Suggestions and advice?
Don’t undertake a project like this if you think it’s a money saving exercise. When I started planning this project I started putting away a small portion of my take home pay (automatic each month) to a separate bank account dedicated to this project (and still do). Spend as much time as you can planning before dropping money, but also know that no matter what happens you will change your mind on something and you will be making modifications before you even finish it.

It will take up a lot of your time. I was pretty much living and breathing this project for a while. I have a day job in IT, so I dedicated my Saturday and Sunday mornings to the project but that is not to say I didn't spend entire weekends and weekday evenings working on it.

I'm at the tail end of the project now, but it is slow progress as I have basically finished the 24 input channels and I am able to do mixes on it, so in stead of finishing it, I'm mixing on it!  Once I do finish it I plan on creating some youtube videos to go into depth of the features etc - I think this will probably help answer more questions people have of the mixer.

 

[Humner]

Here are some mixes I've done so far.

Signal Flow is 2 x Motu HD192 > "The Mixer" > Otari 5050 on Ampex 632 > straight back into the DAW off the repro heads. Maybe a little limiting afterwards? I can't remember, I don't recall smashing it too much before making these MP3's

http://www.thraxeh.com/Music/desktapemixes/to_be_desktapemix.mp3

http://www.thraxeh.com/Music/desktapemixes/flesh_desktapemix.mp3 - the warble at the start is just me messing with the pitch control on the otari

Getting away from a screen and a mouse/keyboard is really where its at - that's the kind of workflow I like, let your ears (not eyes) doing the listening and your hands do the mixing!

Should be noted the noise floor on these is the tape, not the mixer! The Otari is not maintained that well, its more used as an "effects box" than anything else.

Speaking of which, the mixer has a pretty damn good noise floor, from my last batch of testing I'm getting -107dbfs coming into my DAW with all 24 channels engaged to a group and faders on +10. Its a quiet desk.

 

[r2d2]

Wow…..

what a work
so much compliments for the construction !!!

but personally with all that money and the  time required ,
i prefer to buy an used desk like midas Heritage , or an Mci , or Amek , calrec ,  etc… (also with some "refresh"/repair to do)
but (80-90%) ready to make music ,
and start to play ,rec,mix etc… in max 1 week…. ,

just different pint of view…

ayway mor compliment

 

[warpie]

Hummer, how much did the whole thing cost? It's OK if you don't wanna say but I though I'd ask anyway 

Really looking forward to watch the youtube videos!

 

[ilfungo]

GREAT WORK Hummer!!!
Can you share your console block diagram?