Check out this DIY dual G 1176

[honkyjonk]

This is a Gyraf Dual 1176 built using mnats boards, PM1000 meters, and OEP in and out transformers, The front panel was a bitch to drill, it's so crowded. Took awhile to figure out how to measure so everything would fit. (I can't wait to do an LA-2A)

I also added a switch to switch between the input transformer and the IC balanced input. Works quite well. It's a 4 pole switch, switching between both the input pot and input connector locations. Also, I was able to correctly wire the ration switch for 'slam' mode.

I did a lot of giving up on this thing but finally got a bee up my butt about a week ago and was actually able to fix/finish and calibrate it with the help of the prodigy pro folks. It took brain power up the ass though.

Sounds awesome so far.

Here's some pics:
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2474/1176frontside.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/9179/1176front.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8886/1176open.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2503/1176backopen.jpg

[Jeff White]

Badass!

[honkyjonk]

Oh my God.
Just ran the Fender Jazz Bass through a passive DI, a 7th circle N72 and then the G1176. Frikkin rediculous.

I totally like it better than the Purple MC76 I used to have. Weird about that thing. It was always a bit spitty sounding I thought. I don't know how it is that I've owned and sold 2 UA reissue 1176's, a purple MC76 and also a UA dual 1176, but I like this Gyraf dual job better. Interestingly, from memory I liked one of the UA 1176's the best out of the rest of them. I know everybody says they dig the Purple stuff more, but I thought that UA unit I had at one point sounded pretty damn good.

I think that spittiness in the other units is what drove me to build this thing. I started reading about the OEP transformers on the prodigy site and how furry they were and I figured I could sell the Purple and build one of these dual units and even make a few hundred and it actually worked out that way.

I've always liked the way all the 1176's I've tried react to things, and the feel of them. I just always wanted them to smooth out a little bit. So, I decided the Gyraf unit w/ OEP transformers might be a little bit more junky or furry or fuzzy or whatever but still retain enough fidelity, and of course the way the compressor feels. And it's actually pretty close to what I wanted so far. Sweet!

[Snarl 12/8]

How much did that cost in the end?

I feel better just knowing that thing is in Portland somewhere, sounding badass.

[decocco]

Nice! Yeah, how much did it cost you to build this?

[honkyjonk]

I think it worked out to about $400 per channel. Here's the parts list (courtesy of Greg from prodigy pro) http://members.cox.net/ram3n/Greg_G1176.pdf

I'd generally calculate another hundred per channel when it's all said and done because of shipping, ordering the wrong knobs, breaking trimmers, blowing up electrolytics that you put in the wrong way, screwing up the front panel, you know, stuff like that.

Mine could have actually been a little less than the quote on Greg's list because I used the cheap PM1K meters (Thanks digitaldrummer!) and I didn't use Lundahl transformers.

[hyde maintenance]

Congratulations on persevering with the project. I gave up on my dual G1176 around xmas and haven't gotten back to it yet. The parts reorders have been my undoing, and I'm not even to the hard stuff yet.
Was the fet matching as big a pain as I think it's going to be?

[ott0bot]

Very nice craftsmenship. Looks alot like the aresenal audio stuff by api. Great job. Some simplistic labeling would be cool...but if you know what knob does what...thats probably no biggie. Plus then...no one can use your secret weapon.

[b3groover]

Dang, that's sweet. You've inspired me to finally start ordering parts for my boards. I have a rev. F and a rev. A. I also have a D-AOC I need to source and two D-LA2A boards coming.

Considering I have no decent outboard compression, if I can get two or three of those projects done, I'll be sitting pretty.