Pro Audio Design Forum

At long last, the Pico II 12 Pack is finished. These are Roger’s Pico boards, slightly modified, and my meter boards. These are going in the Remote Truck this weekend, and are going to be used exclusively for vocals.
The meters read peak input on the left and GR on the right. The peak circuit is pretty much right out of the LM3915 docs, and the GR circuit was “borrowed” from Roger’s 20 segment meter. Those 12 meters are on 1 board to save space, but I had them manufactured so I could cut them apart for singles or duals for other projects.
I really like the way these sound (if that isn’t obvious) and want to thank Roger and Wayne for help along the way.
Best,
Bruno2000

.. ....Whoa..!............... ......Great Job...!

Thanks! I have been using the pair that I built as prototypes for a couple on months now. We've been using them extensively in the studio for voice recordings, spoken as well as sung, and did a lot of listening tests in the Remote Truck. I couldn't be happier with their performance.
Best,
Bruno2000

Hello.. BTW... is that a 4 space rack enclosure you are using..? Thanks...

It's a 5 space, and it's so tight that I had to notch the top plate to clear the meter standoffs. Rack space is at a premium in a Remote Truck.

Excellent work. Do I understand they are all hardwired for Auto (NLC) mode? Please fill us in on any other specifics of your mods, when you can.

The mods started when I wanted to sub in some 250k pots that I bought from a distributor for almost nothing for the gain and threshold controls. My app is tracking comps for live vocals, so I wanted to optimize for that. When I record, vocals usually get 2 tracks each, one right out of the mic pre / eq, and a second with compression added. I use the track with compression for the “live” mix, and have the option of a non compressed track for post. I also wanted a separate meter for input, and since space was at a premium, I built my own.

Starting at the top, I had no use for loss on the gain control. When I looked at my usual settings on my existing comps (dbx 165s), they were typically set for +5 dB, so my makeup gain goes from 0 to +10 dB. The second mod was to the ratio control. Again, with live vocals I am always above 2:1 so that’s where the ratio control starts. I also wanted to “spread out” the middle of the pot for increased resolution around 4:1. Third, the threshold was too sensitive for my needs, so I raised the low end of that control.

As for the hard wire question, my units have jumpers installed rather than switches. The units are presently set for: Soft Knee, NLC, and 10dB GR meter. These are the settings I liked best in the tests, but can easily be changed without having to remove the modules. I just pop the bottom plate of the chassis, and move a jumper. After I do some more tests, I’ll report back.

Here’s my mods:








Bruno2000

Certainly sounds perfect for your needs. I've done a number of jobs on remote trucks as a 2nd or assistant, and relate to the tight space requirements. Thanks for sharing.

Wow! This is stunning work! Love the lit meter pic, engraving knobs etc. Simply awesome.

BTW Thanks for sending me one of those meter boards. It will likely go into my Pico SE.

Wonderful build!
What is 2 mono picos in one RU compared to 12 in five RU . Simply cool.