Finished the back panel wiring. Probably a night or too away from being done.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Updates
Vampires - still working on it. Hoping to have the drums done this week.
Studio - Realized I can do external sends which allows me to use the v-verb as an effect, and to mix through the mastering e.q. I'm a bus compressor away from being able to master too bad I'm out of stuff to sell! I did a test with a mix for Dave with the RNC, but it I think it messed up the drums a bit. Some of the toms sounded a little pinched.
When trying to use the RNC I realized it wasn't working correctly so I had to fuss with it for the 3rd time to get it working. I made 4 balanced -> unbalanced cables so now I can patch it with balanced cables (like everything else). That frees up the 2 nice TS cables I use to use to patch for effects.
Pultec - Board is stuffed and most (maybe all) of the chassis drilling is done. The on/off switch in the BOM doesn't fit the case (which is drilled for to work like the real one). Question out for an appropriate part. Tonight I wired the 5 pots.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Pultec Notes
Transformer hookup...
As of August 2010, there are changes to the Hammond 270FX power transformer that make hooking it up different from what is shown in the manual.
The 270FX does not have a center tap (yellow-black) for the 5v winding, so that wire does not have to be isolated (no existe).
Also, there is now an alternate primary winding: you can choose 115v or 125v. Schematic and details here: www.hammondmfg.com/263.htm#263newpri
***
Due to customer suggestions we have added additional windings and a tap to our "200" series primaries. This will affect all production after August 2009.
CHOICE #1
For those customers who need the 115V input - nothing has changed - simply use the White & Gray wires and tape the Black wire (see above schematic).
CHOICE #2
For those customers who are seeing too high a secondary voltage due to higher primary line voltages (roughly 125V input ) - use the White & Black wire and tape the gray wire (see above schematic).
***
I used the 125v primary and it worked great. My line voltage tends to run between 118 and 122.
PCB
* Put a 1K resistor across the FBK CT RES holes
* Hook nothing up to the ratio holes
* 1" low and 1" high must be jumpered
* Do not jump load 'alternate' near the star ground
* Plane lower right corner must be jumped
* That hole in the star ground is the absolute center of the star ground , a huge 20 gauge wire to the center of this to the transformer star ground would be nice
other wise use the audio ground
* the holes above the audio ground and power ground are for soldering 18-20 gauge wire directly to the pcb . This might be best , since the ground has to once again pass through metal of a lesser conductor then copper. Both these go to the transformer star ground.
* 1k before 2k in my opinion , the 1k softens the blow to the 2k,
* It looks like the 1K resistor in the feedback circuit is missing. That could explain it. (FBK CT RES)
* INPUT LOAD ALTERNATE leave it blank
* ISOLATE leave it blank
* The HIGH LOW MUST be jumped
* The ALTERNATE spot is for the loading resistor for the input transformer.
use the 620 spot parked above right of the input transformer .
* Wattages are on the schematic. For the power supply use 2w using the schematic , anything that doesn't have a wattage indicated IS a 1/2 w resistor
Switch Hookup
Don't forget the switch hookup change
http://www.dripelectronics.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=5&id=345&Itemid=19
Hum
Try getting a real good twist on the power switch wires.I use a portable variable speed drill to get them even and tightly twisted
I initially had the input ground connected to a ground near the XLRs. When I moved the input ground wire over to main star ground I had a huge -5.0db improvement in noise. I have 0.6 millivolts between the two ground points! (I think the case is the culprit.)
2. A -2.0db improvement from disconnecting the power switch wire that crosses the front panel. The 20Khz noise went away, too. I got most of this back by carefully draping the AC switch wire away from other wires and assuring that all the pots and switches were grounded.
3. I reversed the "polarity" of the 6.3 volt heater supply wires from the transformer. I read about this somewhere -- It worked! A solid -1.0db difference, though I had it the right way already. Go figure. (I got a -2.0db improvement on the LA2A).
4. I discovered I could lower the noise by about 1db by moving the input ground wire away from the back panel. So I began to suspect the transformer. I know you can rotate a toroid to improve noise, so... I unbolted the Hammond and turned it 90 degrees. Hum dropped by -7.0db and the 180Hz noise was gone! It is now oriented so the laminations are parallel with the case (the bells are up and down). Mounted on back of the case. Putting the top on now does not increase noise as much.
As of August 2010, there are changes to the Hammond 270FX power transformer that make hooking it up different from what is shown in the manual.
The 270FX does not have a center tap (yellow-black) for the 5v winding, so that wire does not have to be isolated (no existe).
Also, there is now an alternate primary winding: you can choose 115v or 125v. Schematic and details here: www.hammondmfg.com/263.htm#263newpri
***
Due to customer suggestions we have added additional windings and a tap to our "200" series primaries. This will affect all production after August 2009.
CHOICE #1
For those customers who need the 115V input - nothing has changed - simply use the White & Gray wires and tape the Black wire (see above schematic).
CHOICE #2
For those customers who are seeing too high a secondary voltage due to higher primary line voltages (roughly 125V input ) - use the White & Black wire and tape the gray wire (see above schematic).
***
I used the 125v primary and it worked great. My line voltage tends to run between 118 and 122.
PCB
* Put a 1K resistor across the FBK CT RES holes
* Hook nothing up to the ratio holes
* 1" low and 1" high must be jumpered
* Do not jump load 'alternate' near the star ground
* Plane lower right corner must be jumped
* That hole in the star ground is the absolute center of the star ground , a huge 20 gauge wire to the center of this to the transformer star ground would be nice
other wise use the audio ground
* the holes above the audio ground and power ground are for soldering 18-20 gauge wire directly to the pcb . This might be best , since the ground has to once again pass through metal of a lesser conductor then copper. Both these go to the transformer star ground.
* 1k before 2k in my opinion , the 1k softens the blow to the 2k,
* It looks like the 1K resistor in the feedback circuit is missing. That could explain it. (FBK CT RES)
* INPUT LOAD ALTERNATE leave it blank
* ISOLATE leave it blank
* The HIGH LOW MUST be jumped
* The ALTERNATE spot is for the loading resistor for the input transformer.
use the 620 spot parked above right of the input transformer .
* Wattages are on the schematic. For the power supply use 2w using the schematic , anything that doesn't have a wattage indicated IS a 1/2 w resistor
Switch Hookup
Don't forget the switch hookup change
http://www.dripelectronics.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=5&id=345&Itemid=19
Hum
Try getting a real good twist on the power switch wires.I use a portable variable speed drill to get them even and tightly twisted
I initially had the input ground connected to a ground near the XLRs. When I moved the input ground wire over to main star ground I had a huge -5.0db improvement in noise. I have 0.6 millivolts between the two ground points! (I think the case is the culprit.)
2. A -2.0db improvement from disconnecting the power switch wire that crosses the front panel. The 20Khz noise went away, too. I got most of this back by carefully draping the AC switch wire away from other wires and assuring that all the pots and switches were grounded.
3. I reversed the "polarity" of the 6.3 volt heater supply wires from the transformer. I read about this somewhere -- It worked! A solid -1.0db difference, though I had it the right way already. Go figure. (I got a -2.0db improvement on the LA2A).
4. I discovered I could lower the noise by about 1db by moving the input ground wire away from the back panel. So I began to suspect the transformer. I know you can rotate a toroid to improve noise, so... I unbolted the Hammond and turned it 90 degrees. Hum dropped by -7.0db and the 180Hz noise was gone! It is now oriented so the laminations are parallel with the case (the bells are up and down). Mounted on back of the case. Putting the top on now does not increase noise as much.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Vampires Drum Setting
L = Langevin DVC
GR = Great River mastering E.Q.
Snare Top L -> GR +3 220 wide Q
Snare Bottom N72
Kick L -> GR +3 82
Overheads - C84s Limited with RNC
DVC Limiter made the snare sounds worse, didn't try on the kick.
Spent a ton of time on the snare, for the first time though the snare sound actually is good by itself. There was a weird ring in the room and we actually moved the corner trapping behind the drum and I added some foam.
GR = Great River mastering E.Q.
Snare Top L -> GR +3 220 wide Q
Snare Bottom N72
Kick L -> GR +3 82
Overheads - C84s Limited with RNC
DVC Limiter made the snare sounds worse, didn't try on the kick.
Spent a ton of time on the snare, for the first time though the snare sound actually is good by itself. There was a weird ring in the room and we actually moved the corner trapping behind the drum and I added some foam.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
What's been going on
Vampires is taking too long to finish, but most of the parts are at least known if not performed.
Joel got me a dual mic holder thingy that allows me to do x-y very easily. Its really nice, and the initial recordings I made are encouraging.
Gregg and I spent a night over the break working out some percussion parts for Vampires. I had hoped to get the start done though. One of many things I didn't get to. He got a bunch of snares from his uncle to try, and I think the x-y technique will work well for what we are going for.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Nothing to done in one night
Recorded a song with Jeff and Gregg this week, everything in one night 8:30 - 1:30.
Won a decimator listed as mint with glue all over the bottom returned with some help from Ebay
Joel and I compared the 18 watts. It was cool to see/hear them together.
Vampires has acoustic done and some of the outro. Working on some Ebow for the end.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thanksgiving Weekend
The Second for this blog. Last year at this time there was no room. I had just finished framing/insulating the wall near the steps. It was a big weekend though work-wise. I framed a bunch of the basement.
Put the loops into the vampires project. The transition between parts is funky, have to work on it a bit...
Put the loops into the vampires project. The transition between parts is funky, have to work on it a bit...
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