Shadow Hills TECH INFO EXCHANGE

[piotr]

This thread is for exchange and discussion of technical information regarding maintenance, tweaking, adjusting, and general care and usage of the Shadow Hills Industries devices.


Do you have any specific information regarding particular feature, function, calibration, maintenance procedure, etc. or any other aspect related to Shadow Hills gear that you would like to share?

This is the place to talk about it.

Do you have any documents, pictures, files, recommendations, or insights?

Post it here!

+

Background and thread genealogy:

As a new owner of the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor I found myself hunting down any reference to the SH on gearslutz ever made. It's apparent to me, that there is a lot of information here, but specific and detailed suggestions about actual procedures or tips related to maintenance and care are very rare, scattered and hard to find. From reading the posts of other owners, and through the communications with the Shadow Hills Industries it seems that a degree of user/owner involvement in making some adjustments, and "handling" of the guts of the machine is permitted, perhaps even encouraged. If you are like me: you might hesitate for a second or two before you pop the lid, and start messing with the insides of an expensive piece of gear. Don't get me wrong: I am no stranger to the soldering iron, and am eager to get my hands on experience, but before making any mistakes: I do like to get some extra information and expert opinion. So, finding myself in the position to perform some calibration procedures, and needing to replace a few burned out bulbs, I did a lot of searching and calling.

For example I found a few insightful posts in the "Shadow Hills compressor?" thread addressing specifically the bulb replacement issue here. My personal experience with the procedure led me to additional information which I posted here. I am sure there are others, who had to do this, and might have even more detailed suggestions.

Having a thread with this type of information gathered in one place would have been tremendous. I am also fairly certain that there are people who are looking for this kind of information (as well as many who have the knowledge), and am hoping that this thread might become a place for answers to many questions.

p.

[Dr Funk]

I can't offer any useful insights, but I've got 3 dead transformer indicator bulbs on my Equinox. Mine are not screw-in, but soldered directly on wires. I also need a PSU bulb, but they are the 'push-in-and-twist' (bayonet?) type.

Maybe I should give Peter a call...

Frank

[DeathMonkey]

I've got a tip in the "usage" category:

1. Place microphone in front of guitar amp.
2.Connect to Shadow Hills Mono GAMA.
3. Sound awesome.
4. Profit!

[piotr]

Originally Posted by DeathMonkey

I've got a tip in the "usage" category:

1. Place microphone in front of guitar amp.
2.Connect to Shadow Hills Mono GAMA.
3. Sound awesome.
4. Profit!

Well, I suppose TECHnically speaking, that is a tip.

p.

[piotr]

Since the point of this thread is to compile useful information, for starters, here is the variety of ways one can contact Shadow Hills.

To the best of my knowledge,
The following information is all current as of November 2009:

Shadow Hills Industries CONTACT information:

Email, General: shadowhillsindustries@gmail.com
Email, Peter Reardon: peter@shadowhillsindustries.com
Email, Stephanie: stephanie@shadowhillsindustries.com

Telephone # 512-719-3161

Skype: shadowhills
Twitter @ShadowHills
Web site: SHADOW HILLS INDUSTRIES

Shipping address:

Shadow Hills Industries
1834 Ferguson Lane #1101
Austin, TX 78754

[RoundBadge]

I have'nt really had any issues other than a couple flakey bulbs on the VU's and PSU that I haven't bothered with.
the vu meters take a bit of time to "settle" into their correct calibration positions.
other than that functionally/sonically it's perfect.
I'm not sure but Peter told me a while back that he had a newer version Opto cell for my unit[Serial #002]
I should call him

[piotr]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

I have'nt really had any issues other than a couple flakey bulbs on the VU's and PSU that I haven't bothered with.
the vu meters take a bit of time to "settle" into their correct calibration positions.
other than that functionally/sonically it's perfect.
I'm not sure but Peter told me a while back that he had a newer version Opto cell for my unit[Serial #002]
I should call him

RoundBadge,

Thanks for posting.
It sounds like you have the same version as mine (Serial #003)...
I just got it from the original owner, and am trying to get the unit in the top shape. So I am dealing with the bulbs (and one of the VU bulbs on mine is also flaky... do you know how to access those?) and trying to set the meters right.

Interesting to hear about the Opto cell. When I got the compressor I did notice some weird behavior on the Opto side: a fairly severe oscillation artifacts that would be audible (and affecting the signal) when setting the threshold past half the dial or so... Peter mentioned that calibration of sidechain might take care of the problem. But if he suggested to you that replacing the Opto cell might be a good idea, I wonder if I should consider doing that as well. Last night I went through the entire calibration sequence and I think it improved things quite a bit, but I think there are still a couple of inconsistencies with what the Calibration procedure file outlined.

p.

[don4777]

Originally Posted by piotr

RoundBadge,

...Last night I went through the entire calibration sequence and I think it improved things quite a bit, but I think there are still a couple of inconsistencies with what the Calibration procedure file outlined.

p.

Calibration procedure file???

[RoundBadge]

I seem to recall a conversation w/ Peter about a newer improved opto cell but this was a couple years ago..
after having the unit for a while now,I wouldn't mind hearing a bit cleaner/open thing on the opto section..it does round things off a bit to my ears.cool for tracking and induvidual mix elements,especially overheads and rooms but not using it as much as I could on full mixes
if there is one I'd like to upgrade..just haven't really bothered.so much gear to deal with

[piotr]

Originally Posted by don4777

Calibration procedure file???

Yes: I have received a document from Shadow Hills with a detailed step-by-step procedure for calibrating the "vintage" compressor. By "vintage" I think they mean the first run produced (though I am not %100 sure of that). In fact I have received several pdf files with various diagrams describing positions of various trim/adjustment pots in the unit. I am planning on posting these files here, but I would like to ask Peter first if that was OK with him.

p.

[piotr]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

I seem to recall a conversation w/ Peter about a newer improved opto cell but this was a couple years ago..
after having the unit for a while now,I wouldn't mind hearing a bit cleaner/open thing on the opto section..it does round things off a bit to my ears.cool for tracking and induvidual mix elements,especially overheads and rooms but not using it as much as I could on full mixes
if there is one I'd like to upgrade..just haven't really bothered.so much gear to deal with

Very interesting... I am going to ask him about this. I am hoping to talk to him this week.

Will let you know what I find out.

p.

[Bob Loblaw]

Bulbs, are the first thing to go.... I'll wait until all the bulbs are out before I redo them.. a full day soldering!!!

I did have an op-amp go out on the left channel of my mastering comp.
I emailed S.H. and in a couple days they sent me a new one. It popped in(literally) and has been working great ever since. Free of charge.

A word of caution: be careful with the six position selector pots. They can be damaged if you slam them too hard to one side or the other. My ratio knob has problems getting in and out of 1.2:1.

Otherwise, I am a happy customer. Broke - but happy.

[piotr]

Hi,

Today I have received the replacement bulbs from Shadow Hills. Stephanie shipped them the very same day I called. Shipping arrived within 2 days. Super service, free of charge!

Since my unit is #3 the bulbs are not the kind that unscrews, but rather the kind that come with the white wires directly attached to them. The replacement procedure was fairly simple and took less than 10 minutes to complete. No soldering was required. Here is what I did:

1. This is one of the bulbs that I needed to replace. One can tell something is wrong with it...



2. This is one of the replacement bulbs I received from SH:



3. The bulbs are connected to the board via the green grips that hold the wires with small screws. I needed to unscrew the old bulb wires.



4. In this picture I am unscrewing the second location. This one was a bit trickier as the access to the bulb itself was obscured by one of the boards. But since the front green domes also unscrew, I was able to thread the new bulb wires from the front, and pick them up from the inside. You can also see the black zip ties bundling the white wires in several locations. I had to cut two of them in order to take the old wires out.



5. The bulbs themselves sit in the front panel openings rather loosely. They come out very easily. So you can pul them from the inside...



6. ... or the outside:



7. The whole operation required: the new bulbs, thin neck screw driver, and small cutters (for the zip ties).



All in all: a simple repair, most definitely not worth shipping the unit for. Depending on the design version/revision of the unit the procedures for replacing bulbs will vary, as some units use screw-in bulbs, and newer units use LEDs (which should not need replacement)... but for those of you who use the "Legacy" designs, this procedure description might be useful.

If I got anything wrong here (which I don't think is the case, as the replacements work fine now), please let me know, and I will update the post:
I want to make sure that the information presented here is accurate!

Hope this helps somebody!

p.

[pan60]

nice post piotr

[myHero]

Wow, better than having a manual! Thanks for the detail. I have a Quad Gama and a Dual Optograph. Newer versions, so i'm not expecting any problems. But great info nonetheless.

[The MPCist]

Nothing technical to add here but posting as another SHMC user/owner.

[don4777]

Many Thanks to piotr for setting up this thread. I'm sure it will be very useful.

Regarding experiences with the Shadow Hills pieces. An occaision arose that I had a couple of rather urgent questions and once I got in touch with Peter I found him to be extremely friendly and helpful. Great guy!! Kudos also to Vintage King for calling me right back after leaving a message and for getting my question to Peter quickly - within minutes. I found this amazing since I hadn't even purchased my GAMA8 or Mastering Compressor through them. They were both purchased used. In the case of the compressor I don't think it even was taken out of the box.

I might as well explain my silly question that required contacting Peter...

I had decided to redo my racks. I took everything out of my old SKB cases and started to put things into the beautiful new walnut wood racks I had just received. It was only then I realized that the power supplies for both the GAMA8 and the MC use exactly the same cable and there are no markings on them to indicate which unit they are for. It matters!! They output different voltages. I scoured the web for pictures of the GAMA8 and MC with their accompanying power supplies. I found conflicting pictures. Once I talked to Peter I learned that the power supplies have changed over time. The color of lights and such are not enough to know for sure. Once I gave him the serial numbers he was able to tell me definitively which PS went with which unit. I'm glad he keeps good records or has a phenomenal memory.

Lesson learned - LABEL THE POWER SUPPLIES if you are lucky enough to have more than one Shadow Hills unit.

Don

[nobtwiddler]

Half of Bulbs on my MC haven't worked correctly from the day I got it~!
Still don't?
I gave up, it doesn't affect the sonics...

I do have to double check where all the switches are, since the meter lamps and the ones by the switches only come on once in a blue moon.
Hasn't been a blue moon in a while?

Did have a few problems with my unit, once right after I got it, it was a bad opto, and just recently a blown op amp.

But let me say this, I called Peter on a Friday, the replacement parts were here the very next day, Saturday~!!!!!!!
Along with a complete written procedure on how to replace myself.
Amazing service...
He's the best.
His stuff is great.

I guess you can say I have faith in his stuff, because I now own 4 of his 500 series Optographs, and I'm awaiting the arrival of a Vandagraph.
And I will be ordering a second Mastering Compressor very soon!

[piotr]

OK, so my process of fixing all the lights on the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor has been completed with the adjustment of the bulb in one of the giant Sifam meters. The light has been flickering on an off, so I suspected that the bulb simply got loose in transit, when I picked up the unit. I called Peter earlier and asked about proper access to the bulbs. It is fairly easy, and all you need is a screw driver.

1. After opening the top lid of the unit one can easily identify the screws that hold the meters attached to the front panel. They are the Phillips type screws you see in this shot: two on top, and one on bottom right.



2. Once these screws are undone the meter basically "falls out" of the front. So when undoing the screws it's a good idea to hold the front with one hand, so that it does not actually fall... Once the meter is out, you can see the two smaller black screws on both sides of the meter can...



3. While holding the meter, you need to unscrew these two black screws in order to separate the front bezel from the body of the meter. Again, you need to hold the whole thing firmly in one hand, so that the meter does not fall apart when you undo the last screw.



4. Peter suggested that it's a good idea to put some books up to the unit, so that you can rest the meter (which remains attached to the unit with few wires), and free your hands to deal with the bulbs. This made perfect sense and made the rest easy. It's also important to avoid touching the delicate needle of the meter so as to not damage it.



5. One of the bulbs was very loose, and after tightening it a bit, the blinking and flickering was gone. (I took this picture after I unscrewed the bulb completely... it was not actually all the way out when I opened the meter). I tested everything before closing the meter back up, ...



6. ... and once again, after the deed was done. Glorious! ;-)



Much love,
p.

[piotr]

I have also asked peter if it would be OK with him if I posted some of the files I received from SH. So, with his permission here are:

The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor Manual
(Especially recommended is page 5: "EVADING ENEMY CAPTURE")

and

The Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor front panel layout
(Which will make a perfect recall sheet.)

p.

[Teletude]

Great info guys and great idea for a thread.

Anyone know when the new site will be up and running?

Does a manual exist for the Equinox? I absolutely love mine and would like to learn everything about it I can.

[piotr]

Originally Posted by Teletude

Great info guys and great idea for a thread.

Anyone know when the new site will be up and running?

Does a manual exist for the Equinox? I absolutely love mine and would like to learn everything about it I can.

Hi,

I actually asked Peter about the website just today. He said that the site has been developed and is ready to launch, but that the developers got busy with some big ticket project, and the launch was postponed... So, no concrete date: but it seems that it might happen soon.

p.

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by Teletude

Does a manual exist for the Equinox?

I wish I had one too -- I still don't know the pin config for the dsubs on the back.

[RoundBadge]

Shit i think I have a bad op amp..
I noticed some noise happening on channel 1 today.
damn another fix to deal with this week.
Still LOVE my SHMC though.

[George Necola]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

Shit i think I have a bad op amp..
I noticed some noise happening on channel 1 today.
damn another fix to deal with this week.
Still LOVE my SHMC though.

try to pull it out and put it back in again. sometimes it's just bad connection.

[George Necola]

Originally Posted by The MPCist

I wish I had one too -- I still don't know the pin config for the dsubs on the back.

it's normal Tascam DA88 wiring. we just made some cables and they work. :)

http://www.dangerousmusic.com/pdf/Da...t_Man(1.3).pdf
last page.

cheers
G

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by George Necola

it's normal Tascam DA88 wiring. we just made some cables and they work. :)

http://www.dangerousmusic.com/pdf/Da...t_Man(1.3).pdf
last page.

cheers
G

Yes, I know that. But which in/out is which, that's what I was talking about...

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by George Necola

try to pull it out and put it back in again. sometimes it's just bad connection.

cool .i'll try that.thanks George

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

Shit i think I have a bad op amp..
I noticed some noise happening on channel 1 today.
damn another fix to deal with this week.
Still LOVE my SHMC though.

This is really strange! I just had some noise from channel 1 today as well! Never had that before. It went away after a few minutes and hasn't come back yet... but still.... weird coincidence....

[George Necola]

Originally Posted by The MPCist

This is really strange! I just had some noise from channel 1 today as well! Never had that before. It went away after a few minutes and hasn't come back yet... but still.... weird coincidence....

that sounds like a bad OPamp connection. get it out and in a gain.