I'm looking for great sounding tube compressor and preamp to build for my studio. Any suggestions ?
Thanks
http://home.earthlink.net/~djahnsen/
(for the fanatical).
A much simpler tube compressor can be made using an amp to drive a bulb that is in contact with a LDR. (like the original Joe Meek.)
The Radiotron Designers Handbook has a good ection on the theory of valve compressors, including balanced variable mu pentodes etc!!
Highly recommended - http://www.hamptone.com
I've only dreamed of building one of these preamps, so far. 8)
~ Charlie
Check out the tech talk section of the pro talk forums at www.recording.org
Plenty of info there - people are building Neve, API and many other micpre clones. Its particularly useful for parts, I just recently signed on for a group buy for a run of output transformers for API 312s. For tube side of things, check out www.gyraf.dk - follow links to there DIY sections, the G9 pre is by all reports excellent (many people at the tech talk forum have built it and the designer posts regularly there). They also have a UA1176 limiter clone and a compressor based on and SSL compessor. Of course for tube compression, definetly check out the LA2A - support for the project also at recording.org
also check out:
www.recording.org/users/kev - plenty of ideas there!
tim
heh. here:
http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/gyraf_diy.html
http://www.recording.org/users/kev/
that last one has all the links to stuff you'd ever want.
enjoy! and here's my dual LA2A:
http://b.wadda.org/gallery/view/2003-10-19_gadgets/ds_dave.jpg
http://b.wadda.org/gallery/view/2003-10-19_gadgets/ds_dave_channel.jpg
HTH!!!