Sphere/Api 10 channel Sidecar .. New 900 EQs... New AUX Penthouse

Here is a quick Christmas Day update

I finally got my final production SPA-62 PCBs ready to stuff !









This guy is the late "light bulb" version 8)
( Thanks Andy for loaning me a real one)

This is a much more balanced layout then the early guys
and easier to stuff except for the bulbs which are hard wired
to the eyelets and held in place with RTV.
I am using Panasonic FCs for the rail caps and Keeping
the coupling caps tants like the original.
Murata cogs are doing the comp duty.
Transistors are NOS motorolas

My kustom Built 7341PC input transformers from Cinemag
have arrived !!( Thanks David ) and the gerbers for my
M1200 cards are at the board house.

All for now...

GARY

are those DOA's api style? those look like germanium cans. I would love to try some germanium op amps in my api mic pre clones.

Sorry

No Ge  all Si.

I do have a 2520 pin out version on the drawing board.
These guys do like a 600 ohm load better than a 150 ohm load.
You may need to rewire your API output trafo to make these guys
happy.

GARY

Really nice work, Gary. You're building a monster. Schweet. DW.

Tubemooley said:

Really nice work, Gary. You're building a monster. Schweet. DW.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dana for the kind words..
I wish I was only half as good as a lot of our
DIY buddies here at this GREAT Place.
I just keep plugin along.

GARY

Very nice work Gary!

My sphere bus amps are very close to these, they have the bulbs but the layout is slightly different.

I did some experiments with this spa-62 and a bread boarded M1200B from the scheme you posted.

For fun I wired each of them into my Access 312 preamp and  gave them a listen. I thought the M1200B circuit sounded better. Do you know where in the design timeline the M1200B is? I wonder why the M1200B circuit is quite different?  I had the output transformer wired 1 to 1 but I did not load the secondary with 600 ohms. 

Do you have any of extra of your SPA-62 boards? I would love to experiment with some things.

Lance

Hi Guys and Gals here is the latest update..

I have been busy building SPA-62 and M1200B card as of late.




Here is a pic of an original and my new BI M1200B clone.


The PCBs turned out better than I expected !!





Testing out the M1200B mic pre cards in a Sphere 22224 mic pre
back plane.



I have been playing with the Sphere 22404 PCB
This is a 8 bus ACA with 8 line amps.  The trimmers are 10k
and as its sits is capable of 10db of gain.  Replacing the trimmer with
a 10k 8000 series P & G as a submaster fader works very nicely.


here is the 22404 card stuffed with 16 SPA-62 DOAs



This setup will be my 8 groups.

I am currently designing a PCB for the 8 bus assignment switching to feed the 22404.

Well...  lots left to do so back at it.  I'll update again in a few weeks.

All for now..

GARY

Wow Gary! Incredible work my friend. I am at a loss for words. 

holy!  awesome work gary!  looking forward to updates on this project.
best,
grant

Here is the latest update 2/22/12:



The M1200B card are finished, tested and sitting in their 22224 backplane cards.



This is the fader amp backplane that I will use my 71363 cards as Fader amps.



Fresh re-cap 71363 and tested cards.  I replaced the rail tants with Panasonic FCs
as 4 of these cards had shorted tants.



Here are the 71363 cards in place. The faders will be mounted on metal work
above these guys.  Just waiting on more console erector set parts from Jeff
and fader panels from FPE.

All for now..

GARY

Wow, beautiful work, looking awesome  8)

This is not right..... You're using too many transistors per signal path. That won't work. Seriously...... nice work. DANA.

youre a machine.

First of all I want to thank everyone that is following this thread and
for all the kind comments I am receiving.  Dana..... You are right.. way to many
transistors (and beers )in the signal path !! ;D ;D

Now on to the update...

The Fader Bucket metal work thanks to Jeff's goodies is finished.
Love this erector set stuff.. Saves lots of time and the results
are fabulous !!! 

This pic is all the buckets that I have built so far.


Note all my FPE panels are in 4 channel chunks.

Here is the completed fader amp backplane..


On to the M1200B mic pre metal work..

Here is the FPE Mic pre/gain control panel...  4 channels once again.
The M1200B cards will tuck under the meter bridge.  The BP switch will
be a hard bypass of the 500 series section

BTW.. love Jeff's new BLUE api style knobs



Grayhills set up 8 position handle the gain duties (+20db thru +55db in 5db steps)

I am happy with the FPE panels for faders and gain and just ordered 2 more of each
to finish this section of the project.

Next will be the 8 bus selector section to design the layout, bucket and FPE artwork
Much to do... later friends.

GARY

off the hook  8)

Great work Gary!! Keep at it my friend! 

Looks superb- keep up the good work!
Jay

Holy smokes!

Any updates on this amazing project Gar381?

TapeOpAl said:

Any updates on this amazing project Gar381?

Click to expand...

Thanks for asking AL..

Got an update comming in about a week or so.  Waiting
on a few goodies.

GARY