hey slutz,
hope you're enjoying those holidays.

I never took this DIY stuff too serious, but after i did a lot of digging i find it very appealing and yes - very good soundig!

so i decided to start with a gssl bus comp since its supposed to be easy to build.

i wonder why i dont see much discussion going on here about all this kinda stuff since the sound of what i heared really convinced me and almost noone has ever enough money to buy what they'd love to.
so maybe this could evolve in a general discussion about the whole thing.

anyway, heres what i ordered/will order:

- the PCB
- this kit for 19" enclosure and some buttons and such
- meter

i'll update this thread as progress is made and i would really enjoy if someone would share their experiences.



cheers

Welcome to a new fun and rewarding addiction
If this is your first build I would recommend going with a complete kit though - tracking down components can be very frustrating for a novice --
Check out a full kit like https://pcbgrinder.com/index.php?rou...&product_id=50
that includes everything needed

Also, if you've never done any DIY electronics before, I would recommend getting a few cheap components like resistors and a cheap test pcb to practice soldering a bit before you do the main project..
The GSSL design is a great first project - not too complicated to be overwhelming, and you'll have an excellent quality compressor at the end.
Take your time, and ask around for any questions - there is a vast amount of stuff you'll find online about the GSSL builds, so someone out there has most likely asked or answered the same question already

Most of the discussion on these things goes on at places like groupdiy.com

Theres also a geekslutz section on this forum.

For a lot of people, DIY is quite a leap.

Gustav

...a little on the geekslutz sub forum here, but as stated above group DIY has a lot more tech guys.

I built a gssl a year ago and have been using it since on mix buss. It's very smooth. The guys over at group DIY were a huge help when I put an ic in a socket backwards. One eagle eyed member spotted it in a pic for me.

I built a few 1176's the gssl a few capi preamps and capi eqs...some pedals etc. The gssl is a simple build but maybe not for your first time. Even w/gssl sc ed its not a full kit and u will need to understand things like chassis ground (I like to dremil away some powder coating etc) and the pads on the PCB are really small and close together so your soldering needs to be clean and proper.

The guy who is the most helpful of all and has the most complete kits with the best instructions is Jeff at CAPI. Hairball is also great. Those are great starting points.

There are a lot of 500-series DIY kits that are a good "first project". I'd probably recommend you do one of those first to get your feet wet. But the biggest hurdle (as someone else pointed out) is once you need to start sourcing components. Mouser has *most* of what you need to get DIY projects done internally with regards to capacitors, resistors, relays, etc.

Ill have to correct this, since full kits are now available.

https://pcbgrinder.com/index.php?rou...tegory&path=60

Gustav

thanks very much guys.

since i ordered the solo pcb already it's not an option to get the kit anymore.
and since i like the idea of "pay as you go" i'll do it the hard way.
thanks to some friends - on built a lot of diy stuff and another is an engineer -i will get buying the components right.
but nice to be able to check in such a huge pool of gearheads as well when the're not around.

i totally understand the addictive side of it. i haven't even stated yet and i'm so excited about this

just throw in anything that comes to mind that could be usefull to me guys.

cheers

Hi Gustav,
Yes, this is the one I purchased and built. The GSSL SC ED from PCB Grinder. It was awesome and thank you again.

What I meant by "full kit" is the CAPI and Hairball kits come with every single thing you need to build the units all in one box. The GSSL SC ED kit is just a pcb and the components to stuff it with. I still had to of course get a few other things like the rack chassis, faceplate, knobs, wire, a few screws/bolts, VU meter, a couple resistors, different mounts for the PCB, zip ties, IEC cable, fuses ~ to complete the build.

Make no mistake ~ I love the GSSL and am SO glad I built it and would like to built another at some point. The price of the GSSL kit is also a lot lower than the Hairball or CAPI...but when you get a rack and other stuff it ends up around the same. All good.

edit/PS...also had to get all the XLR input and output jacks and IEC jack.

definitely practice your soldering and get a decent setup. join groupdiy and keep reading it until it starts making sense - or at least some of it.

do a couple small electronics projects and learn the basics of circuit design.

i'm only in 2nd grade with this stuff and have completely disappeared down the rabbit hole already. i'm putting together the BOM's for a pair of 9k5 500 series preamps and am foaming at the mouth to get started.

(here's my comp for the faceplate, btw: I'm rather proud of it)

eventually the loved ones who haven't left you yet will become used to you stinking like solder fumes.

I love the metering :D

I don't know, I think I don't have the patience to practice to much before I get on it. I'll have to learn on the way, maybe even the hard way.
Gladly enough I have good company at some point with decent knowledge.

I will practice soldering on some crappie led light or whatever. There are kits available for little money.

Is there electronic equipment one should have except a multimeter?

In a perfect world, an oscilloscope and a frequency generator are nice-to-haves. Not necessary, but nice to have.

Definitely a good soldering station. Doesn't have to be the most expensive, just good temp control and able to accept the right tips.

Check Peterson's site at diyrecordingequipment.com - not only can you see some of the build journals in his blog, but some helpful tips on starting out. And if you have any interest in the 500/51x platform, the CP5 preamp he sells is fantastic sounding, easy-to-build and accepts the DIYRE colour modules. I'm not on his payroll - just think that the space they occupy makes it much easier for fledgling DIYers to get in the mix.

I know, but what I said was...

Im sure we could do this all day

Full kits, including cases, knobs, wires and a few screws and bolts - are now available...

https://pcbgrinder.com/index.php?rou...tegory&path=60

Gustav

Gustav

i'll have a very good soldering station from my engineer friend for now...will buy myself one later, once i developed some sense for it

couldn't i use my daw as signal generator?
an oscilloscope might be available from some friend as well....


best


ilan

thanks guys,

this was exactly what i was looking for...at least for now where i don't know f**k all :p

In theory, yes, totally. But some of these analog devices boast very wide bandwidth - and you're testing with a scope and not your ears. Testing an analog device with an analog device just makes more sense to me when we're talking about passing tones and sweeps. But definitely "nice to have" not "need to have"

Just a thought - building an analog tone generator is a great first project. Schematics and BOM's are all over this beautiful world wide web of ours.

I did forget two things:

One - Panavise to hold your PCB.
Two - Jeweler's magnifier. The ones that you wear on your head with the light and the 4x lens are amazing for tight fitment and populated boards. Yes, you will look ridiculous. Go with it.

^^^ Gustav deserves all the props. PCBgrinder puts a lot of power into our hands. Cheers.

I think capi is a great first followed by the gssl. Although the gssl thread is mighty long

I also wanted to point out that nowadays I enjoy sourcing parts. Once it is you understand whst your looking for its kind of a game.

A game of Cat and Mouser. (ba-dump-tish)

AHH...my bad. I see it now (under the drop down menu option for "full kit").

Looks great.

Hey Gustav.
Please check your spam folder cause I sent two more mails. Maybe they got lost in there again

Cheers

Sorryyy! They did.

I probably need to push some button to make sure they dont go to spam. I think mails from an address I have replied to usually start going to the inbox, even if it started out in spam. Obviously not the case with you.

Gustav

hey guys.

is this the correct vca/ic?
THAT2181BL08-U - THAT CORPORATION - VERSTÄRKER, SPANN.GEREGELT, EINST., 2181 | Farnell element14 Deutschland

the part# is alittle confusing since i only read about the THAT2181B. the rest of the name wasn't mentioned anywhere.
btw: you can switch the site to EN!

thanks

Hahaha - yeah, Gustav, don't go too far! I might have a couple 9k5 questions, too

For Jakobs layout, use the 2180B, and omit components marked %.

Gustav

Use mail - [email protected] for any questions.

I am often able to help...sometimes Im not...mostly when Im drunk (or angry at something usually reserved for old men to be angry about, like EU cucumber angle standardisation laws or my neighbours noisy kids).

Gustav

I will promise libations of fine Kentucky Bourbon in return. If you're going to drink, do it properly.

I'm in a holding pattern until Colin at AML gets the front panel pots back in anyways. Cheers.

Gustav