SSL 4000 Console dilemma

[musicnaudio]

I have been a member here since 2008, although I haven't really been active because my Dad became ill just after signing up. The best I could do, because of helping him with his health care and the lack of time was to log on every once in a great while to see what cool projects were being done. So, this will be my 1st post.

I have noticed so many great projects here and it seems like such a great community of people.

I'm wondering if anyone has any help with suggestions and ideas on getting my SSL4000 console back together.  Due to my Dad's illnesses ,  his death 4 years ago,  my mom's poor health and the medical bills that piled up I lost almost everything in the last 5 years. Car, house, studio.  Long story short, at one point,  I was given a 10 day period in which  I had to break my SSL 4000 into pieces.  I broke it down into buckets, including separating the center section bucket. The patch bay was on the right side. I disconnected all of the looms and cut the wires that I had to in order to separate the buckets, center section and in some cases patch bays. I labeled both ends of every wire cut. It broke my heart doing this, but I had no choice.  Patch bays and wiring with DLS were put into plastic tubs and put into storage. Buckets with modules were crated and put into storage.  All of it is still in storage.

What I would like to start planning is how to put this console back together again, but in a different way.  I would like to mount some sort of connector(s) on the back panel of each bucket to it's buss cards. I'm not sure if the 96pin DLS have enough pins to accommodate this. Under the console I would like to mount some sort of  connector(s) on the belly panel of each bucket that connect to the cent section.  Connecting things this way would allow me to add and remove buckets at will. All I would have to do is plug in the proper cabling.

  The question is, "How would I do this? What connectors should I use? Is there a better place to mount the connectors? What would the separating and routing for all of the bucket to center section wires entail?"

I'm trying to get a feel for what this project is going to entail and what it is going to cost me. I may have to do a little at a time as I don't have the funds to have an expert come in.

Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Michael Tibes]

As far as I remember a 4k is entirely modular, all cables use labeled connectors?  If the console was dismantled properly, you should be able to put it back together. It will take time, but it is possible and you could probably do it yourself once you work out the system. The question is which cables you cut, how big that damage is. If money is a concern it would probably be the most cost-effective way to put it back to it's original state. You could still take out a bucket if you want to without problems. Completely changing the wiring is going to be extensive and expensive. I wouldn't recommend it unless there is a strong artistic vision and a big wallet behind it.

I hope that you didn't cut too many wires, thinking about it I get a bad feeling how it might seem to be 'the only way' to take the console apart - though you could actually have taken out the whole wiring loom without damage...

Michael

 

[pucho812]

where in california are you located.

If you are socal(l.A.) , I would be willing to assist in this endeavor.  I also know a few others who you can pick their brain to help you out. 

 

[musicnaudio]

I am 5 miles from Sacramento, Ca. 

    Unfortunately, the way that the console was wired, I had no choice but to cut wiring.  If I remember correctly, as it was 10 months ago that I took it apart, the center section to patch bay wiring was where most cuts were made.  All of the cuts were strategically done so that everything could be re-connected easily.  I have a Brother labeler which I used to label each end of the cut wires. The labels correspond to the original label for each wire given on the patch bay.  I am living in a much smaller house .  The full 48 channel console will not fit.
    I was thinking of putting either 16 or 24 channels back together in a back bedroom that is about 10' by 10.'  The door that is on the back of the bucket that houses the patch bays was routed out for 2 rows of female DL connectors below the air louvers.  This was done when I purchased the console so that all of my outboard gear could be connected without ever having to cut wires again.  I never ever expected to have to move or to ever have to take apart my SSL andI especially never thought I would ever cut any of its wiring.
    I had a Cad Maxcon II console before this console. When I got this console I had all of the cables done using Mogami cabling and DL connectors. The custom Patch bay that CAD did for me used Switchcraft TT patch bays.  Each patch bay had female DLS on the other end.  So when I sold the CAD console I kept the patch bays and all I had to do was unplug the DL connections for my outboard gear.  When I got the SSL I put my Switchcraft patch bays in the SSLs' patch bay bucket. The female DL connectors were installed in both the spare DL cut outs on the bottom panel and in the cut outs that I had routed out in the rear door on the back of the patch bay bucket.    I have lots of spare DL connectors and pins. I also have many spare Mogami snakes with DL connectors on the end.  I also have a DL pin crimper somewhere.  So, that part of the expense I don't have to worry about.  This is assuming  that the 96 pin DL connectors will work for going from bucket to bucket. I do need to find a DL pin extractor though. 

Eric

 

[Michael Tibes]

The pin extractor can be improvised, you don't need to spend the original price. We often used a tiny screwdriver for it because the original tool also broke easily.
It might be good to know which cables were cut to estimate what could be done. Getting some local help would obviously be good too. Taking out buckets is technically not a problem. The bus routing might be a consideration on determining which buckets are easier to remove, probably the ones above ch 24. What are your technical and soldering skills? If you want the console to be in a professional state of quality and reliability you certainly need very good soldering and technical skills or someone providing that - and a good amount of experience with 4ks. Was the console in good shape before it was dismantled?

Michael

 

[buildafriend]

I packed up an SSL 4000 G a few days ago to go out to LA. At first I was wondering if it had gone to you!

Hopefully the EDAC connectors or cables are labelled. Put it together piece by piece and follow the documentation to hook up the computer, patch bay, and all the in's and out's.. Hopefully the cables were stored well.

I'm sorry to hear about your circumstances, life usually balances it's self out somehow.

All the best, 

 

[musicnaudio]

Good to know about using a tiny screwdriver for the dl pin extracror.
Thanks for the info.
 
      I won't be able to get to the crates with the patch bays and wiring nor console buckets for at least a couple months, My storage is packed from floor to ceiling and all kinds of household stuff  blocks it. It's a work in progress. Moving is a pain to say the least.  I know that all wires from the center section to the patch bay were cut.  Anything that could not be threaded through the holes in the buckets were cut.  Also some of the patch bays were wired from the factory in such a way that I could not untangle them. They were too bulky, heavy and would not fit in containers without cutting connections to separate them. I coiled up all of the cables and carefully placed the patch bays in stack-able containers.  I did reach out to Bruce at the Desk Doctor and left several messages over several weeks with his secretary before I started this process to get some advice, but he never returned any of my calls.  He had originally installed the console. I'm rather disappointed with not hearing back from him. Maybe his secretary never gave him the messages. I don't know. 
I was then given the 10 days to get the console out of there by the real estate people. I had to act immediately at this point so I had no choice but to do my best and start cutting.  Unfortunately, I do not have good soldering skills. As for electronic technician skills, I have none. I do understand how SSL 4000 consoles are put together, what goes where, what the different module cards, center section cards and cpu cards are and where they go. The same goes for the cabling internally and externally. I understand where all of that goes. So in that sense I have some technical skills, but not much compared to most members here.

    @buildafriend. All of My DL connectors are labeled and any that were removed and didn't previously have labels I labeled. And nope the G series you sent out didn't go to me. Thanks for the kind words. i appreciate them.

    I know that a lot of people are probably cringing when they read about this, and I feel like a jack ass, but I had to do what I had to do.  My mom and I had to move before we lost everything. I had to make this sacrifice most importantly to help my mom. She's 76 and not in great health. She has done so much for me and been through so much.  I will sacrifice whatever I have to for my mom. I have learned that sometimes you have to forget about yourself and do whatever you have to do for those you love.

    So, in a nut shell, right now I am just trying to plan out how I am going to re-assemble this thing. I do want it in a professional state and to be reliable.  Having the console so I have lets say 2 buckets on the left of the center section and then the ability to roll in another bucket and attach it via DL connectors and whatever other connectors I may need for buss cards and other facilities. I do have new rolls of 20 conductor and 50 conductor ribbon cable too. I do have a bunch of different sizes of the SSL type power connectors both male and female. I think they are made by Burndy? No pins or crimper for these though. I'm thinking about somehow making the patch bay section a self contained unit. By this I mean that All connection to the patch bays will be on the back via DL connectors and whatever other connections and connectors may be needed.  What connections are needed and where the best place to mount them is a bit mind boggling. Finding some local help will definitely be a must.

Eric

 

[Michael Tibes]

From a human perspective you certainly have made the right choice and deserve my highest respect!

For the console I believe you need to find someone local with good SSL experience. These consoles are complex, old and stuff can blow up if mistakes are made. For a new console it was not unusual to have a tech from the factory join the initial setup phase at the studio to support the local techs and iron out the initial quirks. Without experience it is possible to understand the schematics in spots, but it is very difficult to see the big picture if something doesn't work as expected. Unfortunately this is gonna cost... I hate to mention it, but you can still sell the parts and get something smaller which might get you going and making music.

Another idea which might seem a bit crazy at first would be to not use the center section and rebuild the really necessary bits - or use some of the original cards (the mix bus and the bus compressor are luckily  on the same card). I can't oversee from memory what you would loose and what needs to be done. Obviously you'd need mix and aux bus amps and you might have to tie some logic lines to a dedicated level. Solo would need to be investigated. You would lose the monitor matrix - but it is not really state of the art anyway. You'd lose the status switching, but your situation sounds like you might not do big recording sessions anyway? So just tie it to mix status? The upside of it would be that the really necessary functions could be tested in more spacious housings - which make things a lot easier to work on and that you'd loose the whole center section area as a possible source of errors. You could even lose the center section mechanically and have room for more channels? Whether this makes sense certainly depends on how you want to use the console.

Hope this helps,

Michael

 

[musicnaudio]

Thanks for the kind words and advice Michael.  I appreciate them.

I would like to keep the console as stock as possible if I can as far as modules and center section goes.  I am probably going to have to get a little done at a time. I do have some SSL 5000 series modules that I was going to have racked that I'm going to sell to raise some money. I don't know if I should have them racked and then sell them or just sell them raw.  I'm sure they need a little work as the guy I bought them from 15+ years ago had no way of testing them. I have some other items to sell as well, but I will be giving most of the money to my mom to help move her towards a financial situation where she is more financially stable and so that she doesn't have to worry about bills as much. The same goes for my G+ Computer when I can get to it.  I am probably going to sell it and if I do I will be giving the money to her.  It was fully functioning just before taking the console apart around 10 months ago.

  If I have to bypass the original center section then I do have some 4000 Series center section spares:

CF82E21K0285  Master Status VCA To Mon Red Light Machine Record bus Auto Cue 

CF82E23F584    External Monitor Buffers & Matrix SLS Buffers & O/P Amps AFL Mix Amp

CF82E26B1079  QB Mix Amp Patch Returns VCA Compressor Side Chain

CF82E27E1      Compressor Time Constants Auto Fade

CF82E30B1079  2 Stereo Echo Returns

CF82E31B1079  Cues 1-4 Patch Return, Matrix External QB & Talk back Inputs

CF82E32B1079  3 Cue Mixing AMPs & EQ

 
I also have some SL 5000 center section stuff:

(1x) SL 550 Monitor Module with bus Card
(1x) SL 555 Talk back Module with bus Card
(3x) SL 553 Auxiliary Master Modules with bus Card
(1x) SL          Stereo Master Fader with bus Card
(1x) SL 551 External Source selector with bus Card

 

[drpat]

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