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Post by rocinante on Apr 7, 2016 23:15:33 GMT -6
Pico?
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Post by svart on Apr 8, 2016 14:05:30 GMT -6
Nope. I think I've decided that it'll be a stripped down version of the SSL bus compressor, but I'll be moving to pots instead of stepped switches. |
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Post by stratboy on Apr 14, 2016 14:48:04 GMT -6
Roll your own, Svart!
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Post by svart on Apr 15, 2016 10:56:42 GMT -6
Compressor? It depends on if I'm using the THAT brand devices, or something else. It's not terribly hard to roll your own peak/RMS detector, but it's time consuming to tune it for all the normal working conditions. I thought about doing a dual Peak/RMS detector, with variable filter to coincide with the fletcher-munson loudness curve, but the thought of having to actually design it, and the time it would take to get right was somewhat prohibitive. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Apr 15, 2016 11:54:23 GMT -6
Compressor? It depends on if I'm using the THAT brand devices, or something else. It's not terribly hard to roll your own peak/RMS detector, but it's time consuming to tune it for all the normal working conditions. I thought about doing a dual Peak/RMS detector, with variable filter to coincide with the fletcher-munson loudness curve, but the thought of having to actually design it, and the time it would take to get right was somewhat prohibitive. Have you considered just getting a couple of these... www.music-group.com/Categories/Klarkteknik/Signal-Processors/Compressors-Limiters/SQ1D/p/P0AC7You can get them for $3-$350 used. I gotta imagine that they would be a decent utility channel comp and be a lot less work and probably similar money in the end. |
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Post by svart on Apr 15, 2016 12:12:06 GMT -6
Compressor? It depends on if I'm using the THAT brand devices, or something else. It's not terribly hard to roll your own peak/RMS detector, but it's time consuming to tune it for all the normal working conditions. I thought about doing a dual Peak/RMS detector, with variable filter to coincide with the fletcher-munson loudness curve, but the thought of having to actually design it, and the time it would take to get right was somewhat prohibitive. Have you considered just getting a couple of these... www.music-group.com/Categories/Klarkteknik/Signal-Processors/Compressors-Limiters/SQ1D/p/P0AC7You can get them for $3-$350 used. I gotta imagine that they would be a decent utility channel comp and be a lot less work and probably similar money in the end. I'm actually making a strip to go in my mixer, like actually in it. My channels are all removable as singles. I don't have much rack space left either, LOL. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Apr 15, 2016 12:20:17 GMT -6
I'm actually making a strip to go in my mixer, like actually in it. My channels are all removable as singles. I don't have much rack space left either, LOL. I understand that you're making (modding?) the strip on your current console. I just figured that instead of dealing with the effort/cost of adding dynamics in the console, you could get similar value for a lot less effort. Could have them normalled to each channel of the console and it wouldn't be much of a workflow killer. Just a thought. |
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Post by stratboy on Apr 15, 2016 14:55:52 GMT -6
Compressor? It depends on if I'm using the THAT brand devices, or something else. Â It's not terribly hard to roll your own peak/RMS detector, but it's time consuming to tune it for all the normal working conditions. I thought about doing a dual Peak/RMS detector, with variable filter to coincide with the fletcher-munson loudness curve, but the thought of having to actually design it, and the time it would take to get right was somewhat prohibitive. It is easy for me to say this, because I am just a fan, but I said roll your own because I admire your competency AND your creativity. I thought your process on the Svartbox was well done and resulted in what people say is a great product. Only you can decide the tradeoffs between having a life and creating a dream; I was encouraging you to apply your creativity to a really complex and interesting problem: a mixer channel strip. I know, as an electrical engineering technologist by training, all engineering involves tradeoffs. I am excited to watch this project unfold! :-) |
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Post by stratboy on Apr 15, 2016 15:47:01 GMT -6
The dual peak RMS detector with variable filter is exactly what I am talking about. You may choose not to do it, but what a cool idea!
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Post by svart on Apr 15, 2016 21:22:07 GMT -6
I'm actually making a strip to go in my mixer, like actually in it. My channels are all removable as singles. I don't have much rack space left either, LOL. I understand that you're making (modding?) the strip on your current console. I just figured that instead of dealing with the effort/cost of adding dynamics in the console, you could get similar value for a lot less effort. Could have them normalled to each channel of the console and it wouldn't be much of a workflow killer. Just a thought. Well, I'm looking for something, maybe a poor man's SSL strip with EQs, filters, comps, etc, with the general vibe to go with it. That and learning and playing around. |
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Post by svart on Sept 23, 2016 8:53:02 GMT -6
So i thought I'd update this.. I've been doing some work here and there as spare time allows. I finally got the compressor/gate/expander section layed out. it's essentially just a 4K comp section. I've added audio busses through the board with connectors on both sides in order to create a kind of lego scenario, where I can just change each section, rather than a single large PCB. I guess it could also mean this would be adaptable to a rack box too.  Soon I'll move onto the EQ section. I'm not sure whether to continue with the CAPS style EQ with added functionality for filters and such, or continue on with adapting a 4K EQ to more obtainable pots and stuff. |
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Post by ragan on Sept 23, 2016 9:51:05 GMT -6
This is cool.
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Post by svart on Sept 26, 2016 12:51:27 GMT -6
So for the EQ I think I'm going with the SSL "Brown" EQ for the HF and LF, the old CAPS topology for the mids, and the Pink (G range) style SSL filters.
Instead of reverse log pots, I'm going to use linear and "bend" the laws using external resistors.
This way I get good, steep filters, bell/shelf highs and lows, and mids that don't change Q when boosted/cut.
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Post by wiz on Sept 26, 2016 15:20:19 GMT -6
I may have missed it svart. .......what op amps are you using? Cheers Wiz |
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Post by svart on Sept 26, 2016 15:42:23 GMT -6
I may have missed it svart . .......what op amps are you using? Cheers Wiz The king of them all.. NE5534 for most of the spots. If I use the CAPS midrange, those will get quad fet opamps most likely. |
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Post by wiz on Sept 26, 2016 15:45:26 GMT -6
Thanks bud.... I have been mulling over wether to design and build a couple of EQ s to do specific things for me and was wondering what you were using. What voltage will you run them at and will you have variable Q?
Cheers
Wiz
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Post by wiz on Sept 26, 2016 15:50:40 GMT -6
CAPSis that the idea? cheers Wiz
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Post by svart on Sept 26, 2016 16:47:34 GMT -6
Thanks bud.... I have been mulling over wether to design and build a couple of EQ s to do specific things for me and was wondering what you were using. What voltage will you run them at and will you have variable Q? Cheers Wiz Variable Q on the mids. I toyed with the idea of doing a 4 band fully parametric eq, but I think it's overkill. My mixer supplies +/-17v, so that's what I'll use. |
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Post by svart on Sept 26, 2016 16:54:30 GMT -6
CAPSis that the idea? cheers Wiz That's the one! It's been around a while. My alesis x2 uses this for the mid bands, and it was designed in the early 90s. It's an interesting design but it can suffer from instability if the opamps aren't compensated for bandwidth. This means that fast opamps aren't terribly useful for this eq. The real great part of this eq is the constant Q regardless of gain and the surgical applications it can be used for. |
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Post by wiz on Sept 26, 2016 17:29:04 GMT -6
thanks for that
cheers
Wiz
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Post by svart on Oct 3, 2016 7:43:59 GMT -6
So here's the prototype compressor card being built:  I really should have made it smaller. I have 18" of channel length for pots and switches, and I planned on 6" for each of three cards. One card for EQ/pre, one for compressor, one for sends/pan/bus assignment. The problem is that I completely under-estimated the size needed for the EQ section. The number of pots for all bands plus filters is 10.. I can't fit 10 pots in 6" of space when my max width is just under 1.5". Even if I zigzag the pots, they stick out too far. I really should have cut the compressor down to 5", the send/pan/assign to 5" and given 8" to the EQ, which would have made things a bit easier. I could still give 5" to the send/pan/bus card and 7" to the EQ, which is still kinda tight. |
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Post by svart on Oct 3, 2016 9:59:57 GMT -6
Also, I should say that one of my primary goals for this was to use readily available pots. Nothing expensive, hard-to-get, custom, or exotic.
For the reverse log pots I'm using a resistor to slug the law and "bend" a linear to anti-log, which allows the use of regular 50K dual linear pots for the dual/triple reverse 47k/50K pots.
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Oct 3, 2016 12:42:15 GMT -6
The problem is that I completely under-estimated the size needed for the EQ section. The number of pots for all bands plus filters is 10.. I can't fit 10 pots in 6" of space when my max width is just under 1.5". Even if I zigzag the pots, they stick out too far. It's a shame you didn't go with 500-series module width for your channel strip. at 1.75" wide, you could have, as jsteiger made evident here: capi-gear.com/catalog/images/build/LC25-40/3_final_assembly/5.jpg |
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Post by svart on Oct 3, 2016 12:49:44 GMT -6
The problem is that I completely under-estimated the size needed for the EQ section. The number of pots for all bands plus filters is 10.. I can't fit 10 pots in 6" of space when my max width is just under 1.5". Even if I zigzag the pots, they stick out too far. It's a shame you didn't go with 500-series module width for your channel strip. at 1.75" wide, you could have, as jsteiger made evident here: capi-gear.com/catalog/images/build/LC25-40/3_final_assembly/5.jpgWell, the channel strip width in my mixer is 1.5" wide. I'm making replacement strips for my existing mixer with increased functionality.. Also, my 4K compressor-ish card comes in at a whopping 30$ cost. The EQ will be around 40$ and the rest around 30$ for roughly 100$ per-channel costs that get me SSL4K level quality and functionality. Additional costs could be up to around 20$ per channel when I factor in the metalwork and silkscreen I'll have to do. So I'm pushing for around 125$ total cost per channel and I'll do a few at a time until the mixer is retrofitted. |
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Oct 3, 2016 13:01:52 GMT -6
ah, I didn't know you were replacing the channels in your existing mixer. I thought you were building from scratch!
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