WTB: Multipin connectors for TAC Scorpion S1000 Strips

[outoftune]

Have a bunch of these to build into a sidecar, but none of the connectors.

Looking for the 10 pin header for the I/O as well as the multi pin white connector for the busses and power

Does anyone know if there are some currently available substitutes from Digikey or Mouser? Or maybe someone here has some they can sell? Please get in touch if you do.

 

[jensenmann]

Do you mean the Molex connector with the ribbon cable which is connected to the I/O connector board or the bus connector to the bus PCB?

 

[outoftune]

Do you mean the Molex connector with the ribbon cable which is connected to the I/O connector board or the bus connector to the bus PCB?

i’m looking for both, thanks!

 

[jensenmann]

For the ribbon wire to the I/O board you could use most connectors with 10 poles and 2,54mm pitch. I bought mine from audiomaintenance.com back when they had them inn stock. If you ask them politely maybe they can tell you the mfg number.

Originally they are Molex brand with selfcutting contacts for the ribbon wire. I´d not chose that for your racking since selfcutting contacts are less reliable than soldered contacts. In fact most of the reliability problems in Scorpions come from exactly that ribbon wire or the fader conector which is selfcutting, too.

Anyway, for my Scorpion refurb I´ve been using these (in the 3 pol variant) for the fader connector and soldered the wires to the PCB pins: https://www.mouser.de/ProductDetail/Molex/22-02-7103?qs=Y%2FrI5Y8Al89Z1ztgy9dwJA%3D%3D The link is for the 10 pol type as you´d need for the I/O board connection.

The busconnector is called DIN41612 Federleiste. You need 64 pins, 3 rows, the middle row being unused and 32 pins in each other row, 2,54mm pitch. There´s a bazillion different types around with straight or angeled pins, ribbon wire contacts, etc... Look here: https://www.mouser.de/Connectors/Backplane-Connectors/DIN-41612-Connectors/_/N-axj5j?P=1ysmug1Z1ysmvaw

cheers

 

[outoftune]

thank you so much for the info , it’s very helpful!

did you do any opamp swaps? i’m hoping to upgrade the ssm2015 to That 1510 with an adapter PCB.

 

[jensenmann]

I modded the hell out of my desk. So yes, I did swap chips, but with some thought and using measurement equipment. No blind trial.

The SSM2015 has no replacement, unfortunately. It has a different footprint than the later SSM2017 and compatible micpre chips. Audiomaintenance.com sells a retrofit PCB with an adapted Amek M2500 preamp for the Scorpion. It sounds fantastic! But you need to remove a lot of parts, incl. the gain pot. The good thing is that the micpre kit comes with all electrolytics necessary to recap the desk. IMHO recapping makes sonically the biggest difference esp. if you add film (no ceramics!) bypasscaps parallel to the electrolytics. Something like a Wima MKS2 0,1uF film caps. They fit on the rear of the PCB.

Besides recapping you can get some more mileage out of the SSM2015 if you replace the ceramic caps across the rails next to it with 100uF/25V electrolytics (watch the polarity). Solder the ceramics parallel to the newly installed electrolytics. Increase the big 2200uF electrolytic in the micpre to as big as mechanically fits, e.g. 4700uF/6V or even more. Use a bypasscap there, too.
Since the SSM2015 isn´t happy driving any significant load it makes sense not to use the preamp output directly. If you engage the EQ then the LF shelving chip drives the insert. If you put a chip with better output drive capability in that spot (e.g. OPA2134, TLE2072, ...) then you can connect your vintage 600 Ohm-input gear to the insert without hefty distortion of the micpre chip.

IIRC I wrote a lot more about modding a Scorpion in some other threads. Do a search if you´re interested. If you cannot find anything then pm me.