New GSSL Layout Proposal - Anyone Interested?

[Igor]

for me on gssl without turbo and without dbx 202 it's not like the real console or gfx 384

Turbo is already inside.
Well, let's do provision for 202's...

Also don't know if he was planning on incorporating all of the features that I was.

I think, even more.

All boards will be components on top side, double sided copper with plated thru holes, values and Reference designators silkscreened on board.

Like always.

Jumper wires eliminated

Yep, this is hard to design dualsided board with wirej umpers

Off-board (slightly redesigned) Power supply with incorporated bridging and rail filtering

Yep.

Smaller main board (50% - 75%) smaller than current design.

Yep.

Designed for use with THAT2180/2181 VCA's.

And 202's, if there will be 10 votes on this thread
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=38924.0

Second sidechain incorporated directly onto main board

yep

(with connector provisions to bypass)

yep

Some resistor value modifications allowing for standard 1% metal film values, eliminating any higher cost resistors

I can't find high cost resistors on GSSL. Strange. Anyway

Space allocated for using on board heatsinks on +/-15V Regulators

Nope, they're on power supply

PCB mounted XLR connectors (although they can still be hard wired also if chosen)

Nope, 500-series  edge connector and simple XLR wiring

Direct audio bypass using relays

Yep. IMHO I was one of first forum people who started to use hardware bypass at every possible places

Relay and wiring provisions for using 2-3 Illuminated Pushbuttons

Yep, possible as well. I don't think there needed more than 2 bypass relays though.

Relays on dedicated additional 5V power supply

It possible to do even simpler, without affecting sterility of main power supply

I was not planning on doing a HPF although I was planning on having connector provisions for easily connecting existing HPF boards.

IMHO, HPF and Thr@st are the shoss...well

Readily available Loren Switches - orientations on control board adjusted so d slot are in correct orientation with selected switches

Aha

I don't want to spend tons of time on this if nobody will use it, but if it is of interest I will gladly move forward with it.

 

After making this one:

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=24404.0

it took me about 150 hrs in total to re-lay everything into 500 format, mind,
schematics and board were already drawn, checked and tested.

Design/schematic/gerbers/BOM will be posted here on the forum and available to all of course

Sounds cool. No, I never share Gerbers. Well, if you like to do this....

Interestingly, your thread poped up right after mine.
Is this same mind at the same time or...well...dunno.
I assume you did not started the design, if you finished the board and want
to share for free the gerbers, I'd stay with my 500 design

 

[drpat]

...

 

[ruckus328]

Sounds like the battle of the clones of the clone. Maybe we should keep this thread clean, and give it back to the poor guy who started it... it's already starting to get confusing.

Suggestions for "improving" the old gssl board:

-I greatly prefer the 202 in this circuit, just make sure that the holes are big enough to actually accept a 202, the original had to be carefully  re-drilled.

-The distortion trimmers on the old board obscured the mounting of the 202 VCA. Leave enough room around the 202 to actually be able to mount it, and not have to remove the 202 to get to other parts.

But is anyone even using the 202's anymore???  All parts will have a standard proximity keepout around them.

-I would consider a dual side-chain as mandatory.

YES, if nothing else it would have this

-Yes, mounting heat sinks on the regulators was frustrating. Also, keep the regulators away from the filter caps.

Yup

-I personally prefer a LED meter to a VU, accommodations for a trimmer would be nice. A built-in LED ladder on the control board would be nice to reduce the wiring and simplify mounting.

Hmmm......Part of me does and part of me doesn't.  I have some thinking to do here.  Incorporating the LED board into the control board would be a slam dunk and VERY easy to mount.  The LED's wouldn't have to be turned sidways or anything, just mounted vertically.  And you could have 2 meters: One measure GR and the other measuring input/output.  Hmmmm

 

[ruckus328]

Igor, PM sent.

 

[sonolink]

If it's about voting, I vote for the original Ruckus idea with the Turbo Mod integrated. I'd probably be in for a few boards

 

[diyfanatic]

built-in LED ladder on the control board would be nice to reduce the wiring and simplify mounting.

bargraph would be nice instead of leds!

 

[snipsnip]

if going down the led / bargraph route then seperate GR / IO meteres would be sick!

 

[drpat]

...

 

[drpat]

...

 

[bruno2000]

if going down the led / bargraph route then seperate GR / IO meteres would be sick!

These meters turned out well for me.
http://www.padforum.com/forum/php/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=282&sid=72aee1deaa204f6d56b140e106b65bf5
Bruno2000

 

[Biasrocks]

But is anyone even using the 202's anymore???  All parts will have a standard proximity keepout around them.

I don't know if anybody is still using 202's, but trying it both ways, I'd never build another one with "THAT" or "dbx" chips.

Agreed, another vote for the 202 version, I won't use anything else for the 2 bus.

Mark

 

[bruno2000]

But is anyone even using the 202's anymore???  All parts will have a standard proximity keepout around them.

I don't know if anybody is still using 202's, but trying it both ways, I'd never build another one with "THAT" or "dbx" chips.

Agreed, another vote for the 202 version, I won't use anything else for the 2 bus.

Mark

Black can or Gold can 202s?
Bruno2000

 

[ruckus328]

But is anyone even using the 202's anymore???  All parts will have a standard proximity keepout around them.

I don't know if anybody is still using 202's, but trying it both ways, I'd never build another one with "THAT" or "dbx" chips. If you're gonna go through all of the trouble to clone something, you may as well give it a fighting chance at being a "clone". I think this is the area where most people "miss the boat" on this unit.

I hear ya, on the flip-side though if it's impossible to get your hands on them I didn't want to waste real estate on something that will never be used.  I do see your point though.  If you guys think it would be a good idea to leave that option intact, it's nothing difficult, it will just make the board slightly larger.  As it stands the control board will be much more compact, yet offer much more clearance around parts as well as larger pads.

I've been doing some thinking in regards to the LED/Bargraph meter.  I don't see how there would be enough room for GR, Input, AND Output, however it would be nice to have a dual row (L & R) switchable LED or Bargraph meter.  I'd like this to be a "one size fits all" though, and still be able to be used with a standard sifam style meter, so I think incorporating an LED/bargraph meter directly to the control board would be a bad idea.  It would be best to leave that as an additional board option, as there will be additional circuitry required, however easy provisions to use it with my design could be incorporated.
It would involve a couple wires, possibly a small ribbon cable, nothing too crazy.  As it stands now, there's only one cable (from control board to main board), and a few ground cables to the chassis
star ground.  XLR, Threshold, and Make Up Gain Connectors will all be PCB mount.

On a side note, I just want to say to all that I didn't intend this as a competition nor wish it to become that.  I was under the impression that there were quite a few redesigns in process from a few other members, and that my ideas would be "just another solution" - I'm not trying to "1-up" anybody, I'm just trying to put my personal touch on things.  Honestly, I think that having 2 new and improved designs is better than having none.

 

[sonolink]

Igor's IN13 Nixies would be top as bargraphs!!  8)

 

[signalflow]

I've been doing some thinking in regards to the LED/Bargraph meter.  I don't see how there would be enough room for GR, Input, AND Output, however it would be nice to have a dual row (L & R) switchable LED or Bargraph meter.  I'd like this to be a "one size fits all" though, and still be able to be used with a standard sifam style meter, so I think incorporating an LED/bargraph meter directly to the control board would be a bad idea.  It would be best to leave that as an additional board option, as there will be additional circuitry required, however easy provisions to use it with my design could be incorporated.
It would involve a couple wires, possibly a small ribbon cable, nothing too crazy.  As it stands now, there's only one cable (from control board to main board), and a few ground cables to the chassis
star ground.  XLR, Threshold, and Make Up Gain Connectors will all be PCB mount.

Make the functions switchable.  All you need is one bargraph.  The chameleon 7720 uses what looks to be a rotary switch to perform this function.  You could still add a second bargraph to give you stereo metering, space permitting.

-Casey

 

[ruckus328]

Damnit Bruno, that's exactly what I had pictured in my head.....lol.  What bargraphs did you use if I could ask?

OK, did some thinking at lunch break.  Bargraph it is.  Incorporated right into the control panel.  No wiring.  BUT........ here's the good news - you can still ommit that function and use a sifam style meter as well just for GR, but you would then have to run wires to the meter.  I think you guys will like what I have in mind.  Going to go with a stereo meter if space permits, will be controlled via a rotary switch.  Attack, release, etc knobs spacing will be slightly less than existing designs to accomodate all of the front panel options.  Somewhere around 1.75" (45mm) spacing.

There is only one downside - since the bypass system will be a true direct bypass (in xlr, through a relay, out to xlr), all meter functions will not work while in bypass.  There's no way around this without getting overly complicated.

 

[Igor]

Sounds like the battle of the clones of the clone. Maybe we should keep this thread clean, and give it back to the poor guy who started it... it's already starting to get confusing.

No battles.
Mike, this is what I told you about in PM

 

[bruno2000]

I used 4 of these for each meter, right next to each other, but had the panel cut so that only the LEDs showed.
Best,
Bruno2000

 

[nickeveslage]

I like the idea of the illuminated pushbuttons having a home right on-board.

 

[detonator]

Besides led bars for metering, the dual SSC and the turbo I would like to see at the end of the signal path a balancing stage with a 2x6 rotary switch. 3 options for different types of IC or transformer balancing. Besides that I didn't see the crush & blend option mentioned.