Three things addionally. 1. Use a power switch that switches both poles, so you never have 230V inside when switched off. 2. Connect GND of the mains to the housing and to the ground of the circut. 3. Add a fuse
Glue from the audiophile shop, wrapped I gold with gold flakes, smoked with snake oil, drank and then pissed out by the pope. For a small lone of a million dollars
I would just like to say that I love all your videos. I woke up on the 23rd September 2019 paralysed from the chest down. I have followed you for the last two years that i spent in hospital and it has been inspirational and has kept me very upbeat in the way you present all your videos. I thank you for all that you do in the way of guidance and advice. I will continue following you as long as you continue posting. Thank you again. Danny
What a great looking build! Remember, the stock VCAs dont need trimming (pre-trimmed), and if you check the beginners assembly guide, youll see where the LED goes :) Thanks for making this, looks and sounds great :)
I have worked on an SSL 4000 G series console and this actually does sound very much like the transparent nature of a genuine SSL that I remember. The mix you used was obviously already quite clean and good but I very much enjoyed the almost non-existent, silky texture of the compressor across it. Super rad!!! And definitely worth it for around US $800.00 (for the kit and components, not including your extras) I think it's awesome you built this yourself. Obviously you are an audio engineer first and that is where your main talent lies. However, it is very impressive that you are also teaching yourself the physical engineering and design aspects to the tools you use. I don't understand the negative comments, as if they have forgotten you do many different things as an audio engineer and do them well or have somehow made a claim to have done something you didn't do despite them watching a video in which you document exactly how you did it. You did not say you designed the compressor (although you DID make changes according to history of the device, an actual design and engineering choice). Also, I recently saw you mentioned by Kazrog in regards to their True Iron plugin, and was very happy to recognize your name in the advertisement. Knowing your Snake Oil series, I was blown away to realize you may have actually said something positive about a digital plugin. LOL cheers dood you are an inspiration
I just bought a Black Lion Bluey for that price. Who the hell you kidding? $800 is fricken ridiculous for a kit. I'd choose my Bluey over this any day of the week too.
Moderately useful hot tip: If you only bend the resistor/ diode legs over at 45°, they'll still hold onto the p.c.b. securely and be much easier to solder/ clip the excess legs and reduce the chance of solder "bridges" Also if you place the populated p.c.b. on a tea-towel or the like you'll be able to apply a little pressure while soldering for a snug component fit! BTW, this was an awesome project to watch you build! More content like this please! 😊👍👍👍
If you bend legs at 45 degrees or thereabouts to hold them in place and then, when about to be soldered, set them to zero degrees (i.e. straight through the hole in the printed circuit board without a bend) the components will be much easier to remove if required. Believe me, too much heat stress or mechanical stress on a plate-through printed circuit board or the component that you are soldering or removing is not good. I do all my soldering in this way and it is very reliable. The tea towel idea is a very good one or you could try some foam rubber or similar. I would also raise my work surface so the eyes are about 20 to 25 cm away and I use a strong light to illuminate the work. I do a lot of surface-mount this way and use cheap magnifier-type reading glasses to see what I'm doing (sometimes more than one pair!).
@@hoppyhopster8498 I just tape the components with masking tape to the top of the board and leave the leads straight. bending them at all is just a horribly bad idea as you pointed out for later removal. But I will put in a bunch and use masking tape to hold them down and solder them. done. No bending allowed or required.
I also built a GSSL from PCB Grinder last year as well as SSL-style compressors for the 500-series rack. Anyone who is afraid of working with 230 Volts and who happens to own a 500-series rack, go check out the absolutely brilliant DIY kits by Sound Skulptor. Their CP4500 is a (G)SSL buss compressor in a two-slot 500-series module with some added features (e.g. sidechain filters, dry/wet mix knob etc.). Highly recommended!
I always build the power supply first, and test for correct voltages before populating the PCB with the signal components, and particularly the harder to find(more expensive in some cases) parts like vcs'a and FETs. I've built some great mic pre's and 1176 comps along with an La2a build I'm currently working on. It's great to see other people posting videos on this topic! Well done!!
Dealing with a SSL Clone that seems to be inoperable, do you have a breakdown of wiring for power,bypass, and sidechain, and voltages to and from the transformer?
I assembled this kit too. It was my third project. The first one was a distortion pedal, the second a chorus. Then the GSSL from pcbgrinder. I use it on every mix. The Assembly guide is really well.
nice little kit. I was taught you should always bend, trim and then solder. This seals the trimmed lead so it can't corrode and is the military spec method. It's also how wave soldering systems work where the solder wave covers the contacts and seals each joint.
My thoughts on improvements... Put an "On" indicator light on the front panel. Put the trim pots for the VCAs on the front panel, or at least you could drill access holes in the bottom of the unit. Nice.
At least someone suggested drilling holes in the bottom of the case, way better option than opening it every time you need to trim it. Plus testing with the case open is a good way to destroy hard work by being clumsy (like me).
Great vid! Note that for safety (regulations) you should always include a fuse in the power connection. And if you're using a grounded power connector you should ground the case. And while you're at it, simply replace the current power socket with a fused one that includes an EMI filter. They're cheap and will prevent your house from burning down plus suppress high frequency noise from the power lines.
I trained up on a G-Series [as well as Neve] and also used loads of external SSL master buss comp's, both original and copies. From what I can hear [via TH-cam] on my studio monitors.... this sounds like the real deal! Thanks for another informative video.
Love the new DIY content. Keep it coming. May I add that it would be REALLY lovely if you upload the whole build video too. Maybe just as an "extra", as a link below the video, so people can watch the whole build. I have been wanting to build this exact one for a long time, but never got it done, cause I am not 100% sure how to go about it. But the video looked pretty easy, but would be nice to see the whole build, though.
I'll keep that in mind... The problem is, is that I didn't leave the camera running the whole time because that would create a lot of data... but, I'll try to do it the next time!
If one were to drill small holes in the bottom plate directly in line with the trim pots and place a plastic plug in them, then one would have easy access to the trim pots for calibrating the unit. Good build.
Please use shrinking tube on the blank parts at least for 230V. That also gives some extra security in case a wire gets loose and touches conducting parts. Love your videos, best regards from the neighborhood!
GOLY Kit is great but installing a turbo board takes everything to another level. Stereo summing is currently only done in the mid channel. So, warm recommendation - installation of turbo board for stereo and mastering bus comp.
I wish everyone had this kind of attitude. I can do this, so I will! As always, your spirit is inspiring. That's more than I would want to do-especially with UAD's and Klanghelm's compressors that are just as good or better. Someday you're going to discover them and wonder why so much time and money went toward something that just makes your job more difficult than it need be. But I'm really glad you're having fun, because, after all, that's the most important thing, isn't it?
Built my own GSSL. Love it. I highly recommended it and prefer it more then any plugin. I did have trouble with a bad build as it can be confusing on some of the wiring and polarities..so if you don't have patience then get someone else to build it for you or help you.
Nice build! One suggestion: change the trim pots to real pots on the case (maybe on the back so you don’t disrupt the front panel), so you can always recalibrate easily without even opening the unit and you can play with the distortion too! cheers!!! :)
Ive actually done that before. Once with a paperclip, the other time I had a chrome dog chain and an exposed outlet with a night-light plug 🔌 hanging half way out of it. I took the dog chain and would fling half of it towards the exposed plug/outlet while holding on to the other end of the chain. Once I flung the chain towards the plug and it touched the bare metal hanging out of the outlet and exploded, with the shocks sending me flying with sparks everywhere. I was a dumbass kid.
I cut a power cable with cable cutters once. While it was plugged in. The spark blinded me and the pop made my ears whistle and the safety switch cut the power, so I was there in the dark, blind, partially deaf, feeling very stupid but grateful to be alive and unharmed to feel all of that. After a few seconds of silence a buddy that was with me asked if I was ok, I said yes and then we switched the power back on, after unplugging the cable. We laughed really hard at that point, and when we checked the cable cutters there was a hole in the blades that was exactly the shape and diameter of the copper.
I was dismantling an old TV, one that had the big tube with flyback transformer, well I cut the wire cathode wire? and the voltage from the charged electrolytic capacitor going through the transformer killed me. (Not really, just flew me across the room)
I guess im asking the wrong place but does anybody know a trick to log back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly forgot the password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!
Hahah I laughed at 19:23 when you backed the hell away from it when you powered it up. I've been working with electronics/electricity for years and I still do that every time I try something [usually with mains] for the first time.
I really like your video and tutorial of building this kit. You've inspired me to look into not only the same kit, but possibly more of them. I didn't know these kits were available. Thank you very much for posting this video in this manner.
Good job, the only thing I do differently is I measure every resistor I install for less opportunity to make mistakes and hassling with trouble shoot tracing, measure every resistor
Wytse, if you have build it without the "Turbo Mod", it behaves different from the one in the Console. Check out the Video from Expat Audio, where they are explain the difference between the gSSL and the SSL Console Comp. If you build the Turbo mod, it´s the same as the Console one. The Board alone is 15$, you need only a few components, mostly Resistors, 2 IC´s, a few caps and diodes. The Parts are ~ 15 Euros from Mouser, so this upgrade is worth its money.
Built one of these years ago, not from the kit just the PCBs. Really love it and have been running mixes through it for 10 years with no troubles. Oh, except the power up is really odd and I have to flick it on and off a few times to get it to start up. :D
That is probably a powersupply "latch-up" problem. Common with specific brands of voltage regulators (the 7815/7915). Just replace these two with a known-good brand, and it'll probably behave..
@@JakobErland thanks! very good to have some idea what's the problem after a decade of using it! I'm very used to powering it on this way now but if I have a DIY day I'll try that out to fix it. Thanks:).
You could turn that trimmers on the solder side thing to an advantage. Drill small holes to the bottom plate under the trimmers and you can adjust them without opening the case.
Where the AC mains connector is located, I would replace the connector entirely with one that has a multi-section filter and possibly also a surge arrester. These are available for a modest amount of money and take up very little extra space. The added protection from electrical pops and crackles when your house-mates switch on the washing machine or food blender is well worth it, particularly if your gear is connected to an expensive pair of studio monitor speakers.
@@Whiteseastudio Good idea! But the idea still applies. AC mains is not pure sinewave and the filter helps clean up any spikes or nastiness. I put filters in everything nowadays. By the way, I love the project and wish you every success with it.
Where did u get all the parts from. I can't seem to get the that2181 ic. Please let me know coz I kinda bought all other parts but can't get the that2181 ic
You could add a simple LED (powered through a simple resistor by the +V rail) somewhere near the back of the VU meter. In that way you have both a power indicator and a backlight.
wow i didn't even know this was 'a thing'. thanks for doing it. would love to see more on this and the beloved components we should be seeking out, like the dbx parts you put in.
So I checked the link. That just is a place to buy the circuit board. But it looks like you bought a kit... I'm a little confused. Any help you or anyone reading this can give me would be appreciated. Thanks
What's with the snobbery guys? It's a great place to get inspiration and encouragement to learn how to "build" your own gear. Great video my friend, thanks for your time
This unit looks great and sounds equally awesome! For all the other stereo buss compressors in the $1k or sub $1k region don't even come close to how good this unit sounds. I feel like if I did get one I would probably hire a gear tech or electrician to help me assemble it and teach me how not to blow myself up but all in all this is probably the compressor unit I am putting in my master chain when I start building out my hardware gear set up
One thing I like to know because I use it a lot is, if your selfbuild compressor sounds "better" than the emulation of Native Instruments, I´m sure you have it if you have NI komplete
@@Whiteseastudio I know and since it's an emulation there is real hardware to it which should sound different and if you can copy settings use it some buses would be interesting what your opinion on this is
I am absolutely going to build one as my first project. Your build sounds really great also because the track used for the test was mixed really good. What is the total cost of the items? minus the labor.
A full bridge rectifier converts +/- AC into +/+ AC. Used with capacitors you can create a stable DC voltage/current. Full bridge rectifiers are just 4 diodes connected in a specific diamond shape with AC inputs on opposite sides and output on the other opposite sides... so if you have 4 diodes, you can make a full bridge rectifier in your circuit.
You should have put offset pins on the VCAs so you could remove them and attach them without soldering to the main board. But this sounds very good. Congrats.
very cool build Wytse! and it really does sound great! would love to see more kits! Though I'm not sure I could refrain from wiring the VCA-cal-pots straight to a dual pot on the front pannel with maybe a "0" mark to have a recall of the "clean" sound but also the option to calll in some distortion at will.
Where did you find this info 5:28 about what to use differently when using 202C's ? two 50K pot trim and two 1M ohm resistors. What else? and where does those resistors go? You have a link?
About those trim pots, why not just drill two small holes lined up with the pots on the under side of the case? Remember the azimuth pots on old cassette decks with that hole on the underside? Same idea, and that way experimenting will be much easier, or just changing it for whatever reason when ever you want to. I'll have to see how much the DBX vca's cost, Canadian money is so far down compared to when I was your age, 30% down which is great for exporting but not importing! It sounds good, and even better in a lossless environment. Thanks for the video, good information and a money saver as well.
What a cool video! I'm curious as to what kind of VCA chips were original. I once built a VCA to take the place of a failed DBX VCA on a fader module of a MCI console. I used an Analog Devices chip that worked very well. but is now obsolete, however THAT Audio makes one that looks as good. Nice job on the build.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 89 | คู่เอก "ยอดไอคิว vs คิริลล์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z3vYkHJ_5Ig/mqdefault.jpg)
Three things addionally.
1. Use a power switch that switches both poles, so you never have 230V inside when switched off.
2. Connect GND of the mains to the housing and to the ground of the circut.
3. Add a fuse
What glue did u use to build the compressor
Elmer's glue
Glue from the audiophile shop, wrapped I gold with gold flakes, smoked with snake oil, drank and then pissed out by the pope.
For a small lone of a million dollars
Gyraf glue
@@parp that was funny 😂
cytomic xD
I would just like to say that I love all your videos. I woke up on the 23rd September 2019 paralysed from the chest down. I have followed you for the last two years that i spent in hospital and it has been inspirational and has kept me very upbeat in the way you present all your videos. I thank you for all that you do in the way of guidance and advice. I will continue following you as long as you continue posting. Thank you again. Danny
bro are you better now?
What a great looking build!
Remember, the stock VCAs dont need trimming (pre-trimmed), and if you check the beginners assembly guide, youll see where the LED goes :)
Thanks for making this, looks and sounds great :)
Great work ! Welcome to the Kit Addiction ! lol
I remember hearing somewhere that you can never have enough VCAs. I wonder if it's the truth.
@@MisterNiles In modular synthesizer world that is correct.
I want to make that one
hi, where can i get this kit? I searched your website but I didn't find anything
I have worked on an SSL 4000 G series console and this actually does sound very much like the transparent nature of a genuine SSL that I remember. The mix you used was obviously already quite clean and good but I very much enjoyed the almost non-existent, silky texture of the compressor across it. Super rad!!! And definitely worth it for around US $800.00 (for the kit and components, not including your extras)
I think it's awesome you built this yourself. Obviously you are an audio engineer first and that is where your main talent lies. However, it is very impressive that you are also teaching yourself the physical engineering and design aspects to the tools you use. I don't understand the negative comments, as if they have forgotten you do many different things as an audio engineer and do them well or have somehow made a claim to have done something you didn't do despite them watching a video in which you document exactly how you did it. You did not say you designed the compressor (although you DID make changes according to history of the device, an actual design and engineering choice).
Also, I recently saw you mentioned by Kazrog in regards to their True Iron plugin, and was very happy to recognize your name in the advertisement. Knowing your Snake Oil series, I was blown away to realize you may have actually said something positive about a digital plugin. LOL cheers dood you are an inspiration
I just bought a Black Lion Bluey for that price. Who the hell you kidding? $800 is fricken ridiculous for a kit. I'd choose my Bluey over this any day of the week too.
Moderately useful hot tip: If you only bend the resistor/ diode legs over at 45°, they'll still hold onto the p.c.b. securely and be much easier to solder/ clip the excess legs and reduce the chance of solder "bridges"
Also if you place the populated p.c.b. on a tea-towel or the like you'll be able to apply a little pressure while soldering for a snug component fit!
BTW, this was an awesome project to watch you build! More content like this please! 😊👍👍👍
If you bend legs at 45 degrees or thereabouts to hold them in place and then, when about to be soldered, set them to zero degrees (i.e. straight through the hole in the printed circuit board without a bend) the components will be much easier to remove if required. Believe me, too much heat stress or mechanical stress on a plate-through printed circuit board or the component that you are soldering or removing is not good. I do all my soldering in this way and it is very reliable. The tea towel idea is a very good one or you could try some foam rubber or similar. I would also raise my work surface so the eyes are about 20 to 25 cm away and I use a strong light to illuminate the work. I do a lot of surface-mount this way and use cheap magnifier-type reading glasses to see what I'm doing (sometimes more than one pair!).
@@hoppyhopster8498 I just tape the components with masking tape to the top of the board and leave the leads straight. bending them at all is just a horribly bad idea as you pointed out for later removal. But I will put in a bunch and use masking tape to hold them down and solder them. done. No bending allowed or required.
@@Wizardofgosz Good idea, thanks for the tip.
"they will sound equally as shit in the wrong hands" is my favorite comment regarding compression ever.
I also built a GSSL from PCB Grinder last year as well as SSL-style compressors for the 500-series rack. Anyone who is afraid of working with 230 Volts and who happens to own a 500-series rack, go check out the absolutely brilliant DIY kits by Sound Skulptor. Their CP4500 is a (G)SSL buss compressor in a two-slot 500-series module with some added features (e.g. sidechain filters, dry/wet mix knob etc.). Highly recommended!
I always build the power supply first, and test for correct voltages before populating the PCB with the signal components, and particularly the harder to find(more expensive in some cases) parts like vcs'a and FETs. I've built some great mic pre's and 1176 comps along with an La2a build I'm currently working on. It's great to see other people posting videos on this topic! Well done!!
Word!
Dealing with a SSL Clone that seems to be inoperable, do you have a breakdown of wiring for power,bypass, and sidechain, and voltages to and from the transformer?
19:38 "There is no smoke coming from it, so that's a good sign!" - Now listen kids! THAT'S a true expert talking now :-D (I love it)
I assembled this kit too. It was my third project. The first one was a distortion pedal, the second a chorus. Then the GSSL from pcbgrinder. I use it on every mix. The Assembly guide is really well.
Nice work! And yes i agree the term "Glue" gets thrown around as loosely as "Love".
nice little kit. I was taught you should always bend, trim and then solder. This seals the trimmed lead so it can't corrode and is the military spec method. It's also how wave soldering systems work where the solder wave covers the contacts and seals each joint.
My thoughts on improvements...
Put an "On" indicator light on the front panel.
Put the trim pots for the VCAs on the front panel, or at least you could drill access holes in the bottom of the unit.
Nice.
yes, that will be more clever to do
At least someone suggested drilling holes in the bottom of the case, way better option than opening it every time you need to trim it. Plus testing with the case open is a good way to destroy hard work by being clumsy (like me).
Sounded really good! No plugin can yet compress 20 db and still sound like a smart move lol
Exactly ... I love to shave off 20db off the front of a snare to grab to ambience and mix it in with the original ... sounds like ass in digital
Wasn't expecting that electroboom reference. Made my day tbh😂😂
Having a rack full of great gear you made yourself is outstanding! Very awesome!
Nice video, I love all the DIIY projects out there. Thinking of building a Blue stripe 1176 myself.
Great vid! Note that for safety (regulations) you should always include a fuse in the power connection. And if you're using a grounded power connector you should ground the case. And while you're at it, simply replace the current power socket with a fused one that includes an EMI filter. They're cheap and will prevent your house from burning down plus suppress high frequency noise from the power lines.
Everything I know about electricity I learned from Electro Boom 😄
Search for "photonic induction".
Don't forget the FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER!!
Edit, he didn't forget it, and it was actually a part of the video, nice.
I trained up on a G-Series [as well as Neve] and also used loads of external SSL master buss comp's, both original and copies. From what I can hear [via TH-cam] on my studio monitors.... this sounds like the real deal! Thanks for another informative video.
Nice work. Some holes in the case just where the trims are located will make later calibrations easier. May be.
Excellent !
In the old days we didn't have kits, I built my own compressor using an LED/LDR module, I made myself.
Love the new DIY content.
Keep it coming.
May I add that it would be REALLY lovely if you upload the whole build video too. Maybe just as an "extra", as a link below the video, so people can watch the whole build.
I have been wanting to build this exact one for a long time, but never got it done, cause I am not 100% sure how to go about it. But the video looked pretty easy, but would be nice to see the whole build, though.
I'll keep that in mind... The problem is, is that I didn't leave the camera running the whole time because that would create a lot of data... but, I'll try to do it the next time!
@@Whiteseastudio No worries. Just wanted to let you know, so maybe you could do it for future videos :)
I didn't expect a diy kit to sound that good.
Glad you liked the project!
@@GOLY_DK As someone stuck in the software swamp, I'd love to give something like this a go someday. I had no idea this was a thing until now.
VINDSVEPT!! Didn't expect to see you here, love your stuff!!
@@billykranberry6077 Oh, thank you :)
Loving those Riechelt Elecronik parts bags, takes me back to my first job assembling electronics for a startup
If one were to drill small holes in the bottom plate directly in line with the trim pots and place a plastic plug in them, then one would have easy access to the trim pots for calibrating the unit. Good build.
I was so intrigued that i skipped til the end, and OMG IT SOUNDS SO GOOD
Please use shrinking tube on the blank parts at least for 230V. That also gives some extra security in case a wire gets loose and touches conducting parts. Love your videos, best regards from the neighborhood!
GOLY Kit is great but installing a turbo board takes everything to another level. Stereo summing is currently only done in the mid channel. So, warm recommendation - installation of turbo board for stereo and mastering bus comp.
Yes it's another beast with the turbo addon. It works the way the real SSL do.
and where to get a turbo board, do you have any links to it or plans somewhere. Would love to add that to mine...
@@Lalaland.001 I bought mine a long time ago here : expataudio.myshopify.com/products/gssl-turbo-pcb
@@Lalaland.001 Expataudio
i would prolly add the cavendish mod aswell
I wish everyone had this kind of attitude. I can do this, so I will! As always, your spirit is inspiring. That's more than I would want to do-especially with UAD's and Klanghelm's compressors that are just as good or better. Someday you're going to discover them and wonder why so much time and money went toward something that just makes your job more difficult than it need be. But I'm really glad you're having fun, because, after all, that's the most important thing, isn't it?
Built my own GSSL. Love it. I highly recommended it and prefer it more then any plugin. I did have trouble with a bad build as it can be confusing on some of the wiring and polarities..so if you don't have patience then get someone else to build it for you or help you.
I do offers builds too :)
Nice build! One suggestion: change the trim pots to real pots on the case (maybe on the back so you don’t disrupt the front panel), so you can always recalibrate easily without even opening the unit and you can play with the distortion too! cheers!!! :)
Wouldn't you need access to VCA pin #4, to check mV level? In my experience, calibrating THAT218x by ear is easier said than done lol
i immediately ran to the power outlet and sticked my finger in the hole after learning about elictric safety in the intro ;)
Best way to learn it :-)
Ive actually done that before. Once with a paperclip, the other time I had a chrome dog chain and an exposed outlet with a night-light plug 🔌 hanging half way out of it. I took the dog chain and would fling half of it towards the exposed plug/outlet while holding on to the other end of the chain.
Once I flung the chain towards the plug and it touched the bare metal hanging out of the outlet and exploded, with the shocks sending me flying with sparks everywhere.
I was a dumbass kid.
I cut a power cable with cable cutters once.
While it was plugged in.
The spark blinded me and the pop made my ears whistle and the safety switch cut the power, so I was there in the dark, blind, partially deaf, feeling very stupid but grateful to be alive and unharmed to feel all of that.
After a few seconds of silence a buddy that was with me asked if I was ok, I said yes and then we switched the power back on, after unplugging the cable.
We laughed really hard at that point, and when we checked the cable cutters there was a hole in the blades that was exactly the shape and diameter of the copper.
I was dismantling an old TV, one that had the big tube with flyback transformer, well I cut the wire cathode wire? and the voltage from the charged electrolytic capacitor going through the transformer killed me. (Not really, just flew me across the room)
Lots of hate for a guy just sharing his work...
@Infinite Possibilities i dont see hate
the like/dislike ratio seems pretty good to me though.
And people also love to bitch about nearly non-existent hate to also feel superior and morally sound.
You SUCKS boy... Just enloy ...
I guess im asking the wrong place but does anybody know a trick to log back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly forgot the password. I would love any assistance you can offer me!
One of the coolest things I've seen in a long time - thanks for showing us your diy SSL Comp. Sounds amazing!
Drill holes to access the trimmers through the chassis.
I've built this, also there is a mod pcb for the "turbo" (which is also known as the "Oxford" setting)...pretty easy to retrofit.
Apparently it's no longer possible to order, too bad I came across this too late! It seems to be a nice useful compressor!
Hahah I laughed at 19:23 when you backed the hell away from it when you powered it up. I've been working with electronics/electricity for years and I still do that every time I try something [usually with mains] for the first time.
Yeah, it is always possible that a component pops... I don't want to have it in my face...
I really like your video and tutorial of building this kit. You've inspired me to look into not only the same kit, but possibly more of them. I didn't know these kits were available.
Thank you very much for posting this video in this manner.
One of your best videos, maybe the best of all. Just great. Thanks!
Good job, the only thing I do differently is I measure every resistor I install for less opportunity to make mistakes and hassling with trouble shoot tracing, measure every resistor
You are lucky to have a local electronics store. They are almost completely gone in the USA
Holland is more of a community place not like UK or USA.
Amazing. You really are an engineer at heart.
Wytse, if you have build it without the "Turbo Mod", it behaves different from the one in the Console. Check out the Video from Expat Audio, where they are explain the difference between the gSSL and the SSL Console Comp. If you build the Turbo mod, it´s the same as the Console one. The Board alone is 15$, you need only a few components, mostly Resistors, 2 IC´s, a few caps and diodes. The Parts are ~ 15 Euros from Mouser, so this upgrade is worth its money.
I should look into PCBGrinder.
There are really cool projects for hardware I could never buy unless I build it myself.
Built one of these years ago, not from the kit just the PCBs. Really love it and have been running mixes through it for 10 years with no troubles. Oh, except the power up is really odd and I have to flick it on and off a few times to get it to start up. :D
That is probably a powersupply "latch-up" problem. Common with specific brands of voltage regulators (the 7815/7915). Just replace these two with a known-good brand, and it'll probably behave..
@@JakobErland thanks! very good to have some idea what's the problem after a decade of using it! I'm very used to powering it on this way now but if I have a DIY day I'll try that out to fix it. Thanks:).
It looks like a nicely made kit from this company. Neat!
You could turn that trimmers on the solder side thing to an advantage. Drill small holes to the bottom plate under the trimmers and you can adjust them without opening the case.
Where the AC mains connector is located, I would replace the connector entirely with one that has a multi-section filter and possibly also a surge arrester. These are available for a modest amount of money and take up very little extra space. The added protection from electrical pops and crackles when your house-mates switch on the washing machine or food blender is well worth it, particularly if your gear is connected to an expensive pair of studio monitor speakers.
The studio is not in a house 😂
@@Whiteseastudio Good idea! But the idea still applies. AC mains is not pure sinewave and the filter helps clean up any spikes or nastiness. I put filters in everything nowadays. By the way, I love the project and wish you every success with it.
DUDE this is awesome! Do more builds I love watching and learning about this stuff.
Where did u get all the parts from. I can't seem to get the that2181 ic. Please let me know coz I kinda bought all other parts but can't get the that2181 ic
Also a big THANK YOU from me! I thought about getting the kit but I wasn't sure if the benefit was big enough to justify the work. Now I know. 👍🏻
This was all interesting. but I was also thinking: you have lovely nails, you should try some brightly coloured nail varnish. Just a thought....
I say: Drill 2 small holes in the base plate to acmes the trim pots with a plastic screw driver. Thank you for the video, it's a good build.
@Will B - I was just going to say that. Thanks for verifying that solution.
Sounds great, pretty transparent… Really interested in how it sounds with more distortion!
Sounds so clean & milky man!!! i'm making one!
You could add a simple LED (powered through a simple resistor by the +V rail) somewhere near the back of the VU meter. In that way you have both a power indicator and a backlight.
You are a GENIUS my friend !! Keep it Up .
you can drill holes to acess the trim pot from the bottom of the chassi.
I love building electronic kits - I will have to check this one out - thanks!
love this guy and his channel! he's got a great ear too
Drill holes in the PCB to access the back-mounted trim pots.
You can make your life easier with PCB holder and a form to bend components. To hold component in place before soldering, fix it with masking tape!
wow i didn't even know this was 'a thing'. thanks for doing it. would love to see more on this and the beloved components we should be seeking out, like the dbx parts you put in.
So I checked the link. That just is a place to buy the circuit board. But it looks like you bought a kit... I'm a little confused. Any help you or anyone reading this can give me would be appreciated. Thanks
Cool! I would love a cooler meter in there. Maybe bigger and with a light
sounds great dude. very inspiring build.
Glad you liked the project
Wow! I really like that!
great assemble great video what a sound give me 2 of them nice versatility wow
I really like this video. I’m always interested in building equipment.
What's with the snobbery guys?
It's a great place to get inspiration and encouragement to learn how to "build" your own gear.
Great video my friend, thanks for your time
Coolest TH-cam video in a long time!
Where did you get the case parts from? How did you get one that had all of the holes drilled in the right place?
This thing rules! Great job
This unit looks great and sounds equally awesome! For all the other stereo buss compressors in the $1k or sub $1k region don't even come close to how good this unit sounds. I feel like if I did get one I would probably hire a gear tech or electrician to help me assemble it and teach me how not to blow myself up but all in all this is probably the compressor unit I am putting in my master chain when I start building out my hardware gear set up
One thing I like to know because I use it a lot is, if your selfbuild compressor sounds "better" than the emulation of Native Instruments, I´m sure you have it if you have NI komplete
Software and hardware are 2 totally different games...
@@Whiteseastudio I know and since it's an emulation there is real hardware to it which should sound different and if you can copy settings use it some buses would be interesting what your opinion on this is
Most interesting question is does selfbuild sounds good
Not an electronic expert, but regarding the trim potentiometers, I think they come in standing variations, too.
Kid, you're an inspiration. Great work.
Waves is probably going to make an emulation of this...
...complete with the screws because you love them so much.
Great idea!
Great job. Sounds great.
Awesome build , really sounded clean and crispy :)
Famous last words: "Idk let's just turn it on" 19:18
*Nice workaround with the trim pots* .
BONUS - Drilling aligned holes in the bottom plate would give you access to them after assembly ??
Awesome build, thanks for the video!
I am absolutely going to build one as my first project. Your build sounds really great also because the track used for the test was mixed really good. What is the total cost of the items? minus the labor.
Best video so far. Keep it up
if you need those settings pots, cable them with a ground protection(shielded)....
Nice project, sounds great!
A full bridge rectifier converts +/- AC into +/+ AC. Used with capacitors you can create a stable DC voltage/current.
Full bridge rectifiers are just 4 diodes connected in a specific diamond shape with AC inputs on opposite sides and output on the other opposite sides... so if you have 4 diodes, you can make a full bridge rectifier in your circuit.
...also, you did pretty good at soldering! In a previous life, I did Radio repair when I was in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Thanks! I've been soldering since I was 9... so I have a lot of experience :-)
You should have put offset pins on the VCAs so you could remove them and attach them without soldering to the main board. But this sounds very good. Congrats.
very cool build Wytse! and it really does sound great! would love to see more kits! Though I'm not sure I could refrain from wiring the VCA-cal-pots straight to a dual pot on the front pannel with maybe a "0" mark to have a recall of the "clean" sound but also the option to calll in some distortion at will.
Stock VCAs are pre-trimmed...no need to.
Where did you find this info 5:28 about what to use differently when using 202C's ? two 50K pot trim and two 1M ohm resistors. What else? and where does those resistors go? You have a link?
This is awesome! I am very interested in building something myself in the near future! ⛰
About those trim pots, why not just drill two small holes lined up with the pots on the under side of the case? Remember the azimuth pots on old cassette decks with that hole on the underside? Same idea, and that way experimenting will be much easier, or just changing it for whatever reason when ever you want to. I'll have to see how much the DBX vca's cost, Canadian money is so far down compared to when I was your age, 30% down which is great for exporting but not importing! It sounds good, and even better in a lossless environment. Thanks for the video, good information and a money saver as well.
Electro boom is the guy. Haha good work man! Been sleepin on this channel for awhile and it’s actually awesome..learning a lot!
What a cool video! I'm curious as to what kind of VCA chips were original. I once built a VCA to take the place of a failed DBX VCA on a fader module of a MCI console. I used an Analog Devices chip that worked very well. but is now obsolete, however THAT Audio makes one that looks as good. Nice job on the build.
Opamps can run on split or single power supplies. Batteries like in a tube screamer or with a center tapped transformer supply. :)