Drip Sta-Level / LA2A

[danander11]

Anyone on here have any experience building either of these? (I've decided I've lived without tube compression long enough.) I'd like to get your opinion on the build/components/etc...

I want to tackle these before I begin a 670.

Thanks..

[TCM]

I am a tubeless man like you.

So I a seriously interested as well.


Otherwise there is the Retro Instruments doublewide.

[danander11]

Originally Posted by TCM

I am a tubeless man like you.

So I a seriously interested as well.


Otherwise there is the Retro Instruments doublewide.

The Retro is what's gotten me interested.. I know a fellow that has one here.. but for the cost of buying a Retro, I can build two+ Drips, (depending on how stupid I get with audiophile quality components), and have the satisfaction of the build itself. I've build some nice mic pres that rock.. now I want comps. I'll do a Redd47 after these maybe.. then I'll start on EQ's. I'd love a Massive Passive.. but I don't know anyone that's building quality PCB's for them.. They're also still under license whereas the Drip stuff is public domain or schematics that have been released by their respective owners.

Building stuff is good therapy.. seriously. (or maybe I'm just gettin' my geek on... ) I'll need to remember to watch the voltage with the tube stuff though.. It can get nasty in a hurry. (geek danger????? )

[plastikman]

DUC user originalscottyg built an LA2A. You can find some posts about it on Gearslutz. Once he sees this thread, I'm sure he'll be happy to chime in.

[originalscottyg]

I built a point 2 point version from scratch using vintage transformers, so that might not be that useful for someone building the Drip version using the Sowters. But I can try to answer any questions, keeping in mind that I am a relative newb and not an electronics expert at all.
That being said, DIY is well worth the effort and having a great sound piece of gear that you built is very rewarding!! I especially like creating custom enclosures with the aesthetic that I want. Although that does make things take a lot longer. I use Front Panel Express to create the enclosures and front panels. They aren't exactly cheap, but the software is free and the results can be really good.
Hope that helps!!

[danander11]

Scott,

Thanks for that.. I've got a chunk of the parts ordered for the two Sta's and the LA2A.. I bought my cases from Dan Deurloo at Collective Cases, (he also owns Risen Drums which makes him A-OK in my book).

The Drip is about my speed for these... I've built some of Joes (JLM Audio), dual 99v mic pre's and love them. The compies should be very cool and even with quality components should cost less than buying one.. plus, if it ever breaks....

When I did the pre's I could not believe how much I enjoyed it.. I think I was actually jonesing when I ran out of things to build.

Maybe next I'll build a few stereo EQ's instead.. I'll end up spending all of my time sourcing parts or soldering..

I'll put up some pics somewhere as I get going.

Peace!

[originalscottyg]

Any time, danander11!!
I too am eyeing the Drip 670... gotta save up for that one though ;-) In the mean time I am racking up some Telefunken V672's and I might try some P2P Pultecs. I'm using JLM's Go Betweens as the front end for the V672s. Let me know how the Sta-Levels work out and definitely post some pics!!

[dbonin]

danander11 and I have rubbed shoulders over on the DRIP forums as we both built out the OPTO 5 la2a (which is no longer offers as DIY, btw).

This is not so much a response for him as it is for anyone else reading this!

I too started with DIY pres (I did the SCA stuff and still build them). I was infected immediately. Then I did an 1176 (mnats/hairball) and the results were excellent - but frustrating... like when you know %100 percent that you have followed every minute instructions and still have issues. Be prepared to beg for help, because it's likely to happen! So I made it through the 1176 build and was seriously jonesing for another project.

Something "Tube" was my goal - then I found DRIP. I orderd and OPTO 5 right away, but without reading much thru the support threads. There is really very little history there for the OPTO 5. (The opto 4 has lots more.)
Then I had the pain of experiencing more "step-by-step" instructions. How could that be painful, u may ask? Well, because it is deceptively incomplete and poorly QA'd. A single person, trying to follow the instructions as they exist today cannot possibly complete the project without assistence. Was that by design? I doubt it, but who knows. Had they field tested this with a SINGLE user they could have easily corrected EVERY error and omission for what should be a fairly easy build. There was a ton of stuff missing from the BOM and the instructions, while great when they are great, can be confusing as hell and or lacking some key aspect of the build. The support forums are GREAT and you will get help, but having to reorder missing parts was a buzz killer for me. So yeah, thank god for the help in the forums. Greg may well be busy, but updating instructions and a BOM so your customers can be successful should be a priority, IMHO.

I'm not done yet danander11, so expect more questions!

The DRIP pcb is very nice, well designed and seems well made. The board is so nicely spaced out you have plenty of room to work - there is no worry about shorting leads with solder bridges!

The other DRIP projects seem to have way more activity - even the 670 forums have people saying it wasn't too difficult. (Yeah, I'm eye balling the 670 as well!) So, don't judge all things DRIP by my opto 5 experience. I think I may have misunderstood the maturity of the product going in.