B16 Compressor

[Sean S]

Hello

I just wanted to see if we could discuss the new SCA compressor. Still scheduled for September release?

I am curious what the attack/release characteristics are, and what the overall sound is like, could it be compared to anything else out there.

Also, what applications do you find it excels on?

Thanks for any info, Tim, I am very excited to hear this bad boy. The news of this comp plus my recent aquisition of a pair of J99's has me seriously rethinking how I am going to finish filling out my chassis.

[Randyman...]

What? This is news to me! About time Tim got into the DIY Dynamics game IMO

[unchartedthickets]

holy shit! been waiting for this.

[unchartedthickets]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-product-alert/632911-sevent-circle-audio-b16-compressor-kit.html

there it is. there it is. from the man himself.

[crtstudios]

I have to toss my hat into this! Very excited to hear there may be some comps coming from sca, but curious about the "optional" xformers... Does this mean the comp wouldn't necessarily require the transformer, or that you DO require it, and get a choice of which you'd like? How much additional cost would go into having this transformer added to my comp? Sorry if any of this has been stated elsewhere, but seems like a relevant question. Thanks for any insight... Tim@crt...

[jmettam]

Does this mean the comp wouldn't necessarily require the transformer, or that you DO require it, and get a choice of which you'd like?

From the assembly instructions:

The B16 can be ordered with an optional output transformer. If you’re installing a transformer, remove (or do not install) the 0R jumpers at R38 and R39. Be sure to install spacers between the board and the transformer.

Would love to know from some compressor hounds what sort of equivalent VCA Compressors this unit might sound like with the different output transformers?

How much additional cost would go into having this transformer added to my comp?

Hopefully Tim will add the individual transformers to the shopping cart soon!

- John

[crtstudios]

Funny. I post my questions, and the next morning the site changes, and a lot of those details are provided. I may have to get one, or two of each type of comp/tranny combo!!

[tpryan]

I am curious what the attack/release characteristics are, and what the overall sound is like, could it be compared to anything else out there.

The attack and release times are difficult to characterize, since they are dependent on the amplitude and duration of the input signal. The timing circuit has two modes, slow and fast. Basically, it tries the slow time constant first and switches to the fast time constant if the signal is large and persistent. A big input signal, say 15dB over threshold, will get squashed very quickly with an effective Tc of about 5mS, while a 5dB step takes about 85mS for the same relative amount of gain reduction. Effective release times vary greatly, from about 2x the attack time for small, slow signals to about 20x the attack time for large, fast signals.

As you might suspect from the distortion and frequency response specs, the overall sound is clean. A comparable unit would be something like a later dbx 160, like a 160X, or 160A. The B16 has lower noise and distortion than either, however, because of the short signal path and high quality ICs.

[Sean S]

I just ordered one with the steel transformer.

Yay

[Mylithra]

I dont have anything that can measure THD+N. Is there any other way to make the distortion calibration without this? Can you recommend a meter that does do this?

[tpryan]

There are a bunch of stand alone software analyzers that sum the harmonics in a given bandwidth to produce a THD number. Here's one of several: http://romacsoftware.com/meterdefault.asp

If your DAW can generate an FFT or run a VST plugin that can (like http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/), that's more than good enough. Drive the compressor with a low distortion sine wave and use the FFT to visualize the individual harmonics. Adjust for minimum 2nd and 3rd order spikes.

[hottlungs]

I've been checking this page periodically for the last few years and what I always hoped I'd see is finally a reality. I am so excited about this compressor. This is going to be a satisfying christmas present for myself.

[dbonin]

I'm thnking I'd like to try a B16 but I'm not seeing enough feedback about it to know if it's really what I'm looking for.

I'd like something that can handle both bass and vocal duties. Some compressors are known to be better/worse for bass (the RNC comes to mind) and I'm just wondering how versatile the B16 is going to be.

Thanks!
-Don

[tpryan]

Rent or borrow a DBX 160A. If you like it, you'll like the B16.

[redfish]

i built my B16 a little while ago and while it seems to work generally OK, it seems like some types of signal have transients that are too fast for it and they get through, potentially peaking. is the B16 intended to be fast enough for any signal, or is there a speed limit, as such?

thanks!
J