Hand crafted labs products

[magibatalla]

Originally Posted by JDM

Wow, this is some good looking gear! This stuff looks like it is built like a tank and heavy as heck! I have never heard of HCL. This stuff is very intriguing to me.

It sounds even better than it looks, my friend.

HCL Mirror was my first high end preamp, bought about three years ago when it was just a prototype. In this time I have also puchased other pres such as Pacifica, API A2D and those on Orpheus converter (Prism). When you purchase new gear, your ears seem to favour the newly arrived items (specially if they are from such reputed brands as A-Designs or API).

When dust settles, every piece of gear stands by its real value, and I must say I find myself favoring the HCL over all my other preamps in lots of situations. For the price they are going, they are really "bang for the buck", they deliver much more than what they cost.

[Mr.HOLMES]

I just discovered his gear today and listened to the summing mixer files.
Jesus I was saving for a D2B ad I have tested the D2B a great unit but this unit my GOD it sounds fantastic opens up the mix takes away the stressed digital summing bus feeling.

And for the price hand made with nice tubes.... I think I have to sleep a night about my D2B purchase.....it sounded just great to my ears.

Wonderful and 24 Channels WOW......external PSU.... GREAT WORK.

[flute player]

Hi There,

I finally had the change to spend some time with my brand new Mirror pre.
This one has a triode tube and a pentode tube channel as well.
The recordings you hear are form the triode one.
Allthough Albert gave me some extra tube I used the default settings on this recordings
First song "Soulmate" from Natasha Beddingfield was recorded through a royer R121.
Recerb is the Boston hall out of the Acousticas M7 library.
And a tiny eq comes from my UAD-2 Neve 1073.
Second song "Vivimi" from Laura Pausini was recorded through a modded MK319 by Michael Joly.
Reverb is out of the Acousticas L489 library.
The sound comming from the Mirror is a very direct one.
And for the first time I have a device that requires no trics to get the sound that I like.
Hopefully I get some time to make sample through the pentode tube channel as well.
Your comments are welcome as allways

triodemix-1.mp3

Greetz,

Paul

[fez]

Thanks for the clip! Very nice recording, indeed.

Got some work done and can finally focus on the new demo material. There will also be more pictures from my humble setup haha.

Bye,
Dennis

[JDM]

I just bought the HCL DI. Albert (a great guy by the way) is making it as we speak. I cannot wait to plug that sucker in!

[flute player]

Originally Posted by fez

Thanks for the clip! Very nice recording, indeed.

Got some work done and can finally focus on the new demo material. There will also be more pictures from my humble setup haha.

Bye,
Dennis

Thanks Fez ( uhh ik bedoel Dennis )
Hope to get some sample done of the pentode channel by the the end of this week.

Greetz,

Paul

[HandCrafted Lab]

Jeremy,
everything OK,device in process of assembling :-)


Guys, we are intrigued :-)


Btw, we know some lazy :-) owners of VARIS who promised post here files from this compressor :-) So?

[Low.End.Theory]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Btw, we know some lazy :-) owners of VARIS who promised post here files from this compressor :-) So?

Hey Albert, I'm loving my VariS!

Not lazy here, just crazily busy!

But I will say this for now though, It's one Fabulous comp!!Drums,Pads,2Buss it just tames them and gives space,depth to the signal!
I love it. Feedforward (my fave) or feedback, Brilliant.

I will post samples and pics when I can, soooon hopefully!

[JDM]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Jeremy,
everything OK,device in process of assembling :-)

I cannot wait to recieve it, take it out of the box, plug in my keys/guitar and smile. :-D

Thanks for the Update Albert!

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by Low.End.Theory

Hey Albert, I'm loving my VariS!

Not lazy here, just crazily busy!

But I will say this for now though, It's one Fabulous comp!!Drums,Pads,2Buss it just tames them and gives space,depth to the signal!
I love it. Feedforward (my fave) or feedback, Brilliant.

I will post samples and pics when I can, soooon hopefully!

He-he, Tim,our handshakes how you knew we have mentioned you here?

May be, we have mentioned another lazy owners? he-he

Originally Posted by JDM

I cannot wait to recieve it, take it out of the box, plug in my keys/guitar and smile. :-D

Thanks for the Update Albert!

Jeremy, elFatso is growing up and have asked us - "I hope my owner will feed me by good music always?"

[fez]

Hey Hey!

Having another clip for you people. The clip consist of the VariS and S2 Leveller on the signal chain, and original of course. It is just a clip to demonstrate the two devices following each other, it is clearly audible. I know there is some low-end loss and crackle in the audio but hey I will make it up to you listeners.

Still busy creating something new and it takes more time then expected just do not want to deliver half-work.

Enjoy :-)

[Virtalahde]

HCL's products look great, and I have no doubt that they sound great, too. I use some of those components myself in my own equipment.

However, I can see that there is a ground lift switch near the IEC (power) connector in some of the products. At least in the Distortion Box I can see it disconnects the safety ground from the chassis (or whereever that red cable goes from the switch).


(bigger picture)

This is not legal in most countries, and it is extremely unsafe. If all the ground lift switches are in and a live mains AC voltage comes in connection with the chassis, the chassis will conduct the mains voltage to your fingertips.

The safety ground from the IEC connector is supposed to go straight to the chassis. The signal ground can be lifted safely.

[HandCrafted Lab]

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

HCL's products look great, and I have no doubt that they sound great, too. I use some of those components myself in my own equipment.

However, I can see that there is a ground lift switch near the IEC (power) connector in some of the products. At least in the Distortion Box I can see it disconnects the safety ground from the chassis (or whereever that red cable goes from the switch).

This is not legal in most countries, and it is extremely unsafe.

Hehhhhhhh...... so, in turn we have two questions -

-are you professional circuit designer, DIY designer,device maker?
I have assumption - yes,since you have mentioned usage of same components.
But... how professional engineers (with career more than 25 years as device maker and studio engineers) who able to build devices with perfect sounding,make matching of superb tubes and finest modes of tubes, design of unusual circuits - how same these engineers not able to design grounding chains correctly?

If all the ground lift switches are in and a live mains AC voltage comes in connection with the chassis, the chassis will conduct the mains voltage to your fingertips.

You have used two correct key words - If... & And.
It`s alike - "your car can (or must?) to explode because car engine use gasoline - which is flammable". Yes,of course - if you smoke near with gasoline tank or push the stub/match into this tank.... (yes-yes, with cry - O... my God! )

So, if this switch is installed - it assume two variants - IEC grounding or external TRUE grounding - yes, through metal plate like 1x1m buried into true wet earth near your studio and connected by thick copper wire/buss like 20-30mm2 to chassis of stuff. It`s different things if you have assumed that it is same.

So, next question - I hope you never tried to use IEC grounding and true "ground" grounding simultaneously?

The safety ground from the IEC connector is supposed to go straight to the chassis. The signal ground can be lifted safely.

Yes, and this switch connect IEC ground pin to the chassis directly - if need.
But colleague - IEC rules not describe ground & digital loops, hums/noises for studio audio devices. Look, it`s not chinese teapot,razor or toaster.
Ground pin in the IEC socket is not grounding actually. It`s zero bus,in addition to hot and cold power lines. This zero bus can help to avoid an electrical shock but this zero bus has widest spectrum of noises from different sources which is grounded through same IEC grounding across your power lines - from all your digital devices in studio to welder machines and lathe on the nearest plant,drills,microwaves etc near of your location.

So... this switch is intended for disconnection of the chassis from "dirty" IEC grounding and connection the device chassis to the true grounding,in the earth,without "garbage".
If result is important of course.

I can surprize you also by difference like in 30-100V between IEC grounding and "earth" grounding. So, your solution?

Therefore... never use both variants of grounding simultaneously - firstly it has not any sense,secondly - you will not damage stuff and save money.
Single variant of grounding only - through IEC socket or through "earth" grounding.

And thrid question - whether you have knowledge of Phillip Newell grounding topology for the studio?

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

are you professional circuit designer, DIY designer,device maker?

I know enough to be dangerous.

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

these engineers not able to design grounding chains correctly?

Some manufacturers do provide separate banana jacks for signal ground (Manley Labs is one of them), and I'm about to modify my chain for transmission ground system, too.

But you're right in that some gear has terrible inner groundings. In my opinion, XLR pin 1 *always* goes to the chassis, the signal ground(s) go to one star ground point inside the chassis. Good folks also provide a way to disconnect the signal ground from the chassis and a way to bring it to a star ground point/bus of the entire system.

Grounding and Shielding Audio Devices

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

You have used two correct key words - If... & And.
It`s alike - "your car can (or should?)to explode because car engine use gasoline - which is flammable". Yes,of course - if you smoke near of the gasoline tank or push up the stump/match into this tank.

"If" & "and" are perfect words when we're talking human lives here. That's why safety standards are for.

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Yes, and this switch connect IEC ground pin to the chassis directly - if need.

And that is simply the wrong and illegal way to do that. I'm sorry, but it's exactly the same thing electrically as putting masking tape on your mains cable's safety ground lug!

There's another point in that system. Even if that switch (looks like a basis Apem switch or whatever) is connecting the safety ground to the chassis, I believe that those contacts, even in parallel, are NOT able to conduct full 16A (or more) to the chassis in the event of an catastrophic failure.

I'm sorry man, but what you're doing here is simply illegal, dangerous and just plain wrong. In some of your equipment, it looks like you're providing the user a way to disconnect every ground out of the system. If something fails inside and live mains voltge comes to connection with the chassis, the fuse is not going to blow if all ground lifts are in.

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

But colleague - IEC rules not describe ground & digital loops, hums/noices for studio audio devices. Look, it`s not chinese teapot,razor or toaster.

Whether made in Ukraine or not, audio equipment is still perfectly capable of killing people if not designed correctly. It does not differ from chinese toasters in that way.

IEC rules perhaps don't describe ground loops, but they do describe basic electrical safety and that means the safety ground always goes to the chassis, period.

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Ground pin in the IEC socket is not grounding actually. It`s zero bus,in addition to hot and cold power lines. This zero bus can help to avoide an electical shock but this zero bus has widest spectrum of noises from different sources which is grounded through same IEC grounding across your power lines - from all your digital devices in studio to welder machines and lathe on the nearest plant,drills,microwaves etc near of your location.

Of course it's all relative when we're talking about grounds. Still, it's perfectly possible to make a low noise installation and still be perfectly safe. I run an unbalanced system in an industrial building. There's a lot electric noise-making machinery around, and none of it makes it to my system - if you don't count what happens below -110dBFS.

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Therefore... never use both variants of grounding simultanesously - firstly it has not any sense,secondly - you will not damage stuff and save money.

There are multiple installation techniques around that provide a way to organize your grounds properly. I talked earlier about separate banana jacks that separate signal ground from safety ground/chassis, and that one you can connect how you wish to.

The thing is.. You're talking about whole grounding systems but you're still selling individual pieces to individual customers. You just don't know how they're installed. That's why the safety ground is there, it's there for safety, to make sure no-one gets killed if the unit fails or someone does something stupid.

Disconnecting the safety ground with a switch designed for relatively low currents isn't better or more "right" than putting masking tape on your IEC connector.

If someone gets injured or dies when your equipment puts 230v through the user, it is you who is responsible if your equipment is built wrong.

[copiapoa]

There are multiple installation techniques around that provide a way to organize your grounds properly. I talked earlier about separate banana jacks that separate signal ground from safety ground/chassis, and that one you can connect how you wish to.

The thing is.. You're talking about whole grounding systems but you're still selling individual pieces to individual customers. You just don't know how they're installed. That's why the safety ground is there, it's there for safety, to make sure no-one gets killed if the unit fails or someone does something stupid.

Disconnecting the safety ground with a switch designed for relatively low currents isn't better or more "right" than putting masking tape on your IEC connector.

If someone gets injured or dies when your equipment puts 230v through the user, it is you who is responsible if your equipment is built wrong.

It is a lot of text.

In what combination on the chassis there will be a dangerous voltage for a life?!?!?!?

I do not understand!!!!!

Sorrrrry.

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by copiapoa

In what combination on the chassis there will be a dangerous voltage for a life?!?!?!?

There will be no dangerous voltage unless the unit fails and the mains voltage comes in contact with the chassis.

Based on that image, even if all the grounds are lifted, there might still be a connection elsewhere in the system installation through the pin 1 of J1 and J2. This might, or might not be enough to blow the fuse. It does not apply to any standard and is definately not safe.

Here's an little piece from the IEC norm:

http://www.virtalahde.com/iec60065_ed7.1_b.pdf

15.2 Provisions for protective earthing

ACCESSIBLE conductive parts of CLASS I apparatus, which might assume a hazardous voltage in the event of a single insulation fault in BASIC INSULATION , and the protective earthing contacts of socket-outlets shall be reliably connected to a PROTECTIVE EARTHING TERMINAL within the
apparatus.

Protective earthing circuits shall not contain switches or fuses.

Protective earthing conductors may be bare or insulated. If insulated, the insulation shall be green/yellow except in the following two cases:

a) for earthing braids, the insulation shall be either green/yellow or transparent;
b) for internal protective conductors in assemblies such as ribbon cables, busbars, flexible printed wiring, etc., any colour may be used provided that no misinterpretation of the use of the conductor is likely to arise.

Wires identified by the colour combination green/yellow shall be used only for protective
earthing connections.

Bill Whitlock has also written an excellent paper about grounding - good tips for installation techniques, too.

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/a...%20seminar.pdf

Here's a quote from the above paper, page 6.

Consider two devices connected by a signal cable, each device having a 3-prong ac plug. One device has a ground “lifter” on its ac plug and the other doesn’t. If a fault occurs in the “lifted” device, the fault current flows through the signal cable to get to the grounded device. It’s very likely that the cable will melt and burn!

Defeating safety grounding is both dangerous and illegal - it also makes you legally liable!

Considering how the safety ground is treated in HCL products, they are actually illegal to be sold at least in the European Union because they do not meet the CE norm. If this is found out, I'm pretty sure HCL is supposed to take back each and every one of these devices.

What is CE Marking (CE mark)?

CE Marking on a product is a manufacturer's declaration that the product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety and environmental protection legislation, in practice by many of the so-called Product Directives.*

*Product Directives contains the "essential requirements" and/or "performance levels" and "Harmonized Standards" to which the products must conform. Harmonized Standards are the technical specifications (European Standards or Harmonization Documents) which are established by several European standards agencies (CEN, CENELEC, etc).

CEN stands for European Committee for Standardization.
CENELEC stands for European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.

CE Marking on a product indicates to governmental officials that the product may be legally placed on the market in their country.
CE Marking on a product ensures the free movement of the product within the EFTA & European Union (EU) single market (total 28 countries), and
CE Marking on a product permits the withdrawal of the non-conforming products by customs and enforcement/vigilance authorities.

If a piece of equipment fails and burns down your studio or house, your insurance might not cover it because the unit in question was faulty and illegal. I think that in these cases the manufacturer is responsible, especially when selling directly. Dunno.

Speaking of smaller damage - it's also possible that if a unit with lifted safety ground fails, it can send 230v down your signal path and take quite a few other pieces with it.
Everything is possible.

HCL, as a manufacturer, should take the units with hazarduous safety ground installations back and make them proper. It's not a big job - almost any tech could do that. All it requires is taking that switch out and taking a stiff enough cable from the IEC connector's safety ground lug to the chassis, permanently connected and secured with lockwasher nuts. All the paint on the connection area should be scraped off to ensure a proper connection.

[copiapoa]

Some manufacturers do provide separate banana jacks for signal ground (Manley Labs is one of them), and I'm about to modify my chain for transmission ground system, too.

But you're right in that some gear has terrible inner groundings. In my opinion, XLR pin 1 *always* goes to the chassis, the signal ground(s) go to one star ground point inside the chassis. Good folks also provide a way to disconnect the signal ground from the chassis and a way to bring it to a star ground point/bus of the entire system.

Grounding and Shielding Audio Devices

Please,study the circuit!!!At such connection this device has two degrees of protection.The device case is grounding and shielding in one point.The switch samples only variant protection and instrument and people.Every day and every night the case is under ZERO POTENTIAL!!!!!Even if to turn out the earth in a power connector.It is very easy to accuse guys of war with Europa.I have studied all your documents and have not found any safety breakdowns.I trust the life to two systems of safety instead of one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[copiapoa]

15.2 Provisions for protective earthing
A
CCESSIBLE
conductive parts of
CLASS I
apparatus, which might assume a hazardous voltage in
the event of a single insulation fault in
BASIC INSULATION
, and the protective earthing contacts of
socket-outlets shall be reliably connected to a
PROTECTIVE EARTHING TERMINAL
within the
apparatus.
Protective earthing circuits shall not contain switches or fuses.

If used only protective grounding......YESSSSSSSSSS!

Empty conversation.

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by copiapoa

Please,study the circuit!!!

How come I have a feeling I'm discussing with Mr. Hand Crafted Labs on another alias in here?

Originally Posted by copiapoa

At such connection this device has two degrees of protection.

No, it doesn't. You really need to understand the difference between signal ground and safety ground. Here's another quote from the Whitlock's paper to which I linked above:

The outlet safety ground is routed, through either the green wire
or metallic conduit, to the neutral conductor at the main breaker panel. This low-impedance connection to neutral allows high fault current to flow, quickly tripping the circuit breaker and removing power from the circuit. To function properly, the SAFETY GROUND MUST RETURN TO NEUTRAL. Note that the earth connection had absolutely nothing to do with this process!

You're referring to signal ground. If the XLR cables are properly soldered, the pin 1 is connected at both ends and so on, the unit might be eventually connected to safety ground at some point. It's a complete gamble if the solder joints, the XLR shielding and what not in-between hand handle the current or if the connections are even capable of popping the fuse in failure.

Originally Posted by copiapoa

Every day and every night the case is under ZERO POTENTIAL!!!!!Even if to turn out the earth in a power connector.

It is under zero potential. Until something melts down, insulation breaks.. you name it. Driving a motorcycle without a helmet is perfectly safe until you hit a truck.

The safety ground is there for safety in such cases. There really is nothing to argue about because disconnecting the safety ground is illegal and dangerous, period. It's the law.

[copiapoa]

How come I have a feeling I'm discussing with Mr. Hand Crafted Labs on another alias in here?

They my good Friends. It is forbidden by a forum?I too the engineer and the studio I installed.In Ukraine the ohm law learn in the sixth class


The main question is safety of people.Decision HCL correct and is safe for users.

HCL, as a manufacturer, should take the units with hazarduous safety ground installations back and make them proper. It's not a big job - almost any tech could do that. All it requires is taking that switch out and taking a stiff enough cable from the IEC connector's safety ground lug to the chassis, permanently connected and secured with lockwasher nuts. All the paint on the connection area should be scraped off to ensure a proper connection.

Original Fairchild 670 too has no sign CE.Europe will refuse this device only because of a badge CE?!?!?

[futur2]

Originally Posted by copiapoa

Original Fairchild 670 too has no sign CE.Europe will refuse this device only because of a badge CE?!?!?

yes if it's a new product

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by copiapoa

They my good Friends. It is forbidden by a forum?I too the engineer and the studio I installed.In Ukraine the ohm law learn in the sixth class

If I am mistaken, then I'm sorry. I just find it suspicious that you have 18 posts and all of them are related to HCL's products.

Originally Posted by copiapoa

Original Fairchild 670 too has no sign CE.Europe will refuse this device only because of a badge CE?!?!?

I've never peeked inside a 670, so I can't tell if it could pass through the safety certificates. Rein Narma is a clever man, so at least he would modify them for the new safety standards. Things change. Farmer's arent using that much DDT today.

[magibatalla]

Hey, I'm a big HCL supporter, and owner of many of their devices.

I don't know nothing about electronics, but the things mr. Virtalahde is pointing at are not things to joke about.

Albert and everyone else at HCL, I don't think mr. Virtalahde has been rude to you at all, so try not to feel offended. It seems he knows what he is talking about, he manufactures his own gear too, so maybe he's worth being listened.

I want to believe HCL gear is completelly safe, but if there are european safety protocols, you should make sure your gear can pass them. Both for your customers interest and your own.

Let's try to turn this into a constructive discussion.

[copiapoa]

Originally Posted by HandCrafted Lab

Btw, we know some lazy :-) owners of VARIS who promised post here files from this compressor :-) So?

I not the lazy.I rescue your asses while you have a rest on the Asov sea.When I will prove everything, that your devices not murderers, I will tell the opinion about VariS.

Originally Posted by magibatalla

Hey, I'm a big HCL supporter, and owner of many of their devices.

I don't know nothing about electronics, but the things mr. Virtalahde is pointing at are not things to joke about.

Let's try to turn this into a constructive discussion.

Ideal variant.We draw the scheme and who is proved is right.The scheme the law for the engineer!

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

If I am mistaken, then I'm sorry. I just find it suspicious that you have 18 posts and all of them are related to HCL's products.

Not before me it is necessary to be sorry, and before Guys from HCL.Very strong charge you have made, devices-murderers.It was possible to you, it it can cost business. I can prove the return.Not for engineers.The device has two wires on which protection of people is carried out(grounding and shielding Steve Macatee, Rane Corporation).I already and the scheme drew. Who has not understood, once again I will explain.One wire is rigidly attached to the chassis, another through the switch.All of you wish to convince, that disconnecting one wire of the second it will be disconnected.There is not present David Copperfield!On the chassis always there is a minimum one wire.Here also there is no problem.On the case of such device never will be dangerous voltage.If on the chassis internal voltage gets, fuses a safety lock and the device is disconnected from a power.If on it external voltage gets, works a safety lock in external Power box.Any dangerous voltage.Shielding it is carried out by the shortest by (a point on PS and the chassis)..Has only two connections(PS and the chassis).

You know what length of a wire at grounding .How much mechanical connections it has(power adapters,extension pieces,and many other things).Each connection has transitive resistance.I remind. At a series connection resistance are summarised.Total, near a network socket, we will not always receive 4Ом as it is necessary under the law.And if to recollect the rats, drunk sanitary technicians and the mother-in-law...And you want that they have refused from shielding and used only grounding.In all there should be a logic.

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/a...%20seminar.pdf

What is CE Marking (CE mark)?

One more time.Here cases only with grounding use are considered.Not for engineers,One wire of safety is used only.It not our variant.

But it is policy HCL.The best sign CE,(for me) Is six years of work in America, Canada, Europe, Britain, Japan and Australia.I am assured there all are live.I am ready to tell still for a long time about grounding and зshielding.To me at university about it six years told.My turn has come.My education the engineer-metrologist.I have finished the Kiev polytechnical university.I did not learn English.

SORRY for broken English.

[Virtalahde]

No, the safety ground is not connected as it's supposed to be. It can be clearly seen from this photo:


http://papa-movie.com/Distortion_Box_intr_2.jpg

On the right side, one can clearly see that the red wire (which should be a green&yellow according to the standard) goes straight from the IEC connector's safety ground lug to the ground lift switch, and not anywhere else. In the event of failure, the positions of the other ground lift switches and how the unit is connected to other equipment MIGHT be enough to pop the unit's own fuse, but as I said - it's a gamble. The fuse at the breaker box is not going pop, and if the unit's own fusing fails protecting, the wall juice just keeps coming in.

You can switch signal grounds how you wish, but you do not make the safety ground switchable.

If you want to start a name-dropping game with old, classic equipment..

Pro Audio Equipment

Some of the equipment from the 50's and 60's have a 2-prong AC connector which obviously does not contain a safety ground. It was not installed in the electrical systems of the buildings back then. I don't know more about the electric installation history of that period, but standards are now different.

However, feel free to stare at those schematics. Find me a schematic that shows a switchable safety ground. You can start looking at the UA LA2A:

http://www.triodeel.com/urei.gif

Yep, 3rd connector straight to the chassis. The same with every piece of equipment with a 3-prong connector, safety ground lug goes to the chassis!

The point is.. You just can not sell products with an attitude of "Yeah, but what do they know?". You don't make up your own standards. The safety ground system is as basic electrical safety as it gets, and it in some of HCL's products, this has been violated severly.

I'm pretty sure the law in Ukraine is the same - why wouldn't it. Ukraine is a modern country.

[copiapoa]

I now do not have time, the big work in studio.But I have two devices Tubescream.In the evening I will disassemble it and I will find this magic second wire.
For now welcome to my studio.
Ñòóäèÿ çâóêîçàïèñè BRITRECORDS

[Virtalahde]

Here's the same thing written down one more time.

TSC Tech Talk | Grounding

Don't break the AC ground!!!

With just one path to ground, there can't be a ground loop. Can there be a ground loop with one audio cable joining a console to a power amplifier? Yes! A ground connection through the AC cables and the chassis of the two units campletes the second ground connection.

One way to break this ground loop is to lift the AC ground on one piece of equipment, typically the power amplifier. This removes the safety AC ground. The system now relies upon the audio cable to provide the ground ... a practice that is hazardous!!! You also put at risk your multi-pair snake, console, post rack equipment, and most important the client. I do not endorse the use of AC ground lifts for any system ... anywhere. Don't do it.

Let's say you're using a preamp that has the safety ground disconnected. Someone made a pair of XLR cables for the outputs in where the other end of pin 1 (screening/ground) is disconnected. These types of XLR cables are perfectly safe, and I do them myself.

Now the unit is floating happily. There is no reference to anything.

Some failure happens, the mains transformer starts to melt down as the heater wirings, for example, began dumping current to a short circuit.. Insulation breaks on the transformer and the mains voltage enters the chassis. From there it goes to the microphone through the pin 1 (which is connected as it's supposed to be connected!)..

The user touches the microphone and 230 volts go through the user, finding the shortest path. I hope the user was wearing rubber boots & gloves!

I've got jolted with 230v a few times. It's never funny. I hate the feeling of 50Hz buzzing through my body, and I'm happy to be alive.

[Virtalahde]

Originally Posted by copiapoa

I will disassemble it and I will find this magic second wire.

Good luck. Because if there is a hidden wire from the safety ground lug, the whole ill purpose of this ground lift switch is defeated and it's just a fake switch!

In the distortion box, you can clearly see how it's done. Safety ground lug goes to the upper contact row of the switch. The center row (which is the "output" of the switch) goes through the other red wire somewhere, hopefully to the chassis.

Flipping the unit backwards, you can see how it's spelled in the panel. Switch up = ground lift. Switch down = grounded.


http://papa-movie.com/Distortion_Box...panel_2035.jpg

When the switch is down, the contacts slide up and connect the upper contact row of the switch to the center contact row. Flipped up, vice versa.

[George Necola]

Originally Posted by Virtalahde

I've got jolted with 230v a few times. It's never funny. I hate the feeling of 50Hz buzzing through my body, and I'm happy to be alive.

60 Hz is freaking awesome! you need to try this.

Virtalahde is right. and btw.. the transformer is a bit close to everything else (in the picture) and the wiring looks like a prototype? is it a prototype?

[deuce42]

Virtalahde - good on you for trying to do the right thing. I find this thread disturbing indeed. You have more patience than most people I think. Others may have said " get zapped, its your ****ing life".