New 'ultimate' SSL buss comp clone ;-)

[strangeandbouncy]

Wow!


i must look in more often,,, I have a spare set of 2001's, and was already thinking of building a dual mono version since I LOVE the 2001's on many mono sources. Perhaps I'll shelve that idea in the light of this! I am a bit surprised to hear that 2001's are noisey. I didn;t notice anything drastic. then again, i am not known for quiet mixes . . . ( wot you recordin'? Silence?)


Keith, you da man! I am going to try this as soon as I get some downtime!


Thank you very much,


AndyP

 

[Whizard]

[quote author="SSLtech"]Damn... I wish I lived in Sweden...!

Just not now... in WInter! :green:[/quote]

Well this winter has been almost without snow in a major part of Sweden. And that´s fine with me, I am not that fond of winter. :grin:

But I have not been able to use my snowmobile at all this winter...

 

[SSLtech]

Andy the 2001s are the noisiest of the dbx VCAs. That said, they're fine for rock-n-roll, the only time you'll notice it is in the gaps, when the band pause to slug down the booze before counting off the next tune! :wink:

Keef

 

[Rob Flinn]

Having just completed a session using the "ultimate GSSL" I was surprised how different Oxford mode is to Aarhus mode. To me the centre of the stereo image is much more solid & weighty.

Thanks again keith for this project.

 

[radiance]

[quote author="Rob Flinn"] To me the centre of the stereo image is much more solid & weighty.
[/quote]

Which mode are you talking about?

 

[Rob Flinn]

[quote author="radiance"][quote author="Rob Flinn"] To me the centre of the stereo image is much more solid & weighty.
[/quote]

Which mode are you talking about?[/quote]

OXFORD

 

[SSLtech]

Cool!

-I really was surprised by the difference. I thought that the measured improvements would be the "big deal", but in reality, they're nice, but nowhere near as nice as having two modes.

Wayne (Mediatechnology) and I are trying to come up with a third option that could be fairly easily retrofitted... a true-power stereo sum option. We'd expect it to be somewhere in between the two, but neither of us have quite worked out how to implement it just yet...

We'll keep giving it some thought, and if it happens, you'll read it here first!

Keith

 

[Kid Squid]

Wow Keefie :thumb:

Just caught on to the post - I been working flat out (real Job) 14 -16hrs,
It sounds wicked, just got to digest these posts a bit first :grin:

thanks for this Old bean !, got 2 buy another GSSL board now , get right on the case.

Rob - nice one :thumb:


Steve :thumb:

 

[khstudio]

The instructions are GREAT :thumb:

BUT, in my case I'm only using one Main VCA per channel :?

I have loaded both LEFT sides of each board along with the sidechains so some of the instructions don't apply or may have some missing info.?

Could you add some notes to the instructions for guys like me that only want to use the "Standard" 2 VCA's in the main path instead of the push-pull arrangement :?:

Was it ever stated about loading both supply sections as oppossed to just one??? No big deal either way.

Also, I'd like to add the sidechain filter... maybe a dual layer switch would work - for single front panel control... two of those boards will be needed too.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Rob Flinn]

If you are just using 1 VCA per board then you only need to use the audio components for the left(in your case) side. This will mean you don't need to cross couple the inputs and outputs & will only need 1 in 5534 & 1 out 5532 per board. Just make sure you install the right ones. You can also dump quite a few of the resistors & caps, but you will have to work out which yourself, because I haven't the time to do this for you. Also make sure that the you install the 47k VCA feed resistor in the right place so it feeds the VCA you have installed. If you are unsure then you could install the lot & only put in the single 5534 & 5532. A bit wasteful on parts though ! Other than that the connections should be the same.

Both sidechains need to be fully populated (bar the 3M3 & 2Kon the slave).

The PSU could probably be run from 1 board but make sure you hook up both the 15 & 12v rails, & I would use heatsinks with the 15v regs.

With regards to the side chain I had a look at this but never really figured it out. I suspect you can possibly use 1 side chain filter board & feed it from where the 2 detectors signals are mixed together. Maybe Keith can chime in here ??

 

[khstudio]

Thanks man :thumb:

Just make sure you install the right ones. You can also dump quite a few of the resistors & caps, but you will have to work out which yourself, because I haven't the time to do this for you. Also make sure that the you install the 47k VCA feed resistor in the right place so it feeds the VCA you have installed. If you are unsure then you could install the lot & only put in the single 5534 & 5532. A bit wasteful on parts though ! Other than that the connections should be the same.

I actually went thru the trouble of marking the PCB Layout of the section to load & the ones to leave out & when I am finished, I have plans on posting the pic & info to help out.

Kevin

 

[Rob Flinn]

[quote author="khstudio"]Thanks man :thumb:

I actually went thru the trouble of marking the PCB Layout of the section to load & the ones to leave out & when I am finished, I have plans on posting the pic & info to help out.

Kevin[/quote]

Kevin That is a great idea & no doubt useful to other builders.

 

[khstudio]

Keith...

What "type" of caps did you end up using in this ULTRA Version?

I built one of my GSSL's with Panasonic Poly Films & the other with Metalized Box type... not WIMA's.

I felt the Box Metalized were more open & nice BUT that was in the unit with the 218x... the other unit uses the 2151's... so it could have been that I was hearing.

Just curious because I'd like to order some WIMA's for this & the EQ3D project I'm doing. Please let me know what type you recommend (I know it's all about taste)

Also curious what TYPE where used in the original SSL's (FX386 I think it was ? not sure :? I would like to go the same route & types SSL did.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[SSLtech]

I used Panasonic electros, and bypassed with small film types, just what I had round, nothing special. -If you saw what was in the original console, you'd appreciate that the sound of this compressor comes from the gain reduction characteristoc, and not from any esoteric "pure" signal-path components!

:thumb:

Keith

 

[mikep]

[quote author="khstudio"]
Also curious what TYPE where used in the original SSL's (FX386 I think it was ? not sure :? I would like to go the same route & types SSL did.
[/quote]

Ive got an FX384G here. no servos! it has 10u 50v bipolar electrolytic caps at the inputs, a 220u 6.3v bipolar cap after the blanced input buffer on the way to the VCA, and I dont recall the value but there was 2 more on the output. so there you go, but there are several things about this box that I'm lookin' to change, and the caps is one of them.

wayne/keith, How is the true power summing mod coming along? I wonder if this could be fit on a genuine 384? one mod I had in mind, that won't work with a Gssl but will with your "ultimate version", is to lowpass filter the sidechain signal cross-coupling. so that high frequencies, or the fast components of the CV signal, are essentially unlinked. I can explain the reason for this. In mastering I compress unlinked all the time, usually with a 33609 (everthing is stepped, so it is easy to match L/R). with very small amounts of GR, "image shift" is not a real concern. (I don't know why people get so bent out of shape over this, probably because they have never tried it for themselves and LISTENED.) a subtle narrowing of the image, however is a problem. rule of thumb: the faster the time constants, the better it sounds unlinked. IMO the only tradeoff is that when running linked, the center can be more solid. it is primarily a low-end thing. Sometimes I use this to my advantage, if I have the urge to cut a little low end with an EQ, sometimes the unlinked comp gets you at least partway there "for free". but it would be nice to have the wide image AND the solid lows in the center.

mike p

 

[khstudio]

Ive got an FX384G here. no servos! it has 10u 50v bipolar electrolytic caps at the inputs, a 220u 6.3v bipolar cap after the blanced input buffer on the way to the VCA, and I dont recall the value but there was 2 more on the output. so there you go, but there are several things about this box that I'm lookin' to change, and the caps is one of them.

Bi-Polars :shock: ... interesting.
Thanks for the info... I was just wondering the FILM cap "TYPES"?

But I think I'll just use the Panasonic Poly-Films I have in stock & FC's for the Lytics.

...Anyone have any experience with the Panasonic FM caps???

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[tommypiper]

kh, Panny FM caps are OK, nothing too special. They're fine, smooth. Not hyped like the FCs. If you have 'em use 'em.

As Keith said, the sound is the gain reduction. Many of the caps on the GSSL do not contribute to the sound and none of the film caps make much or any diff IMHO.

 

[khstudio]

DELETED

 

[Purusha]

I wonder how can one implement the HP sidechain filters into this project. I love the HP filters in sidechain when using mine on mix buss.

 

[radiance]

[quote author="Purusha"]I wonder how can one implement the HP sidechain filters into this project. I love the HP filters in sidechain when using mine on mix buss.[/quote]

Two side chain filter boards and a dual pole rotary I guess.....