Author Topic: Initial AC voltage jump

December 27, 2025, 04:43:53 PM
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CGMix

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After sending a 1V, 1K tone of not the compressor, my voltage jumps to a little over 7V instead of 3-4V. This does affect the rest of the calibration. Where should I look? All other voltages look to be where they should. 

December 31, 2025, 09:35:25 AM
Reply #1

JPK

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Check that you have not reversed transformer T1. The label must be facing the back of the module.
What are the AC levels on TP3 and TP4, relative to 0V (1.75V)?
JPK

January 03, 2026, 03:47:31 PM
Reply #2

CGMix

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JP! Thanks for the reply. At TP3/4 I’m getting 3.9vac. On my other working compressor it sits at 1.8, I believe. I pulled the transformer last night, thinking I may have pierced R1, but I had not. Also, I’ll have to check again, but I think I was measuring about half a volt on each grid of the tube. And then it jumps up to about the 4V pretty quickly thereafter. I believe the Transformers is correct because it’s installed in the same manner as my other

January 03, 2026, 04:29:42 PM
Reply #3

CGMix

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January 05, 2026, 10:06:16 AM
Reply #4

JPK

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Is the label on the transformer facing towards the back of the module?
Check the input transformer coils resistance (in circuit with potentiometer IN on 10):
pin2-pin4 : 37ohms
pin3-pin5 : 37ohms
pin7-pin9 : 98ohms
pin8-pin10: 98ohms
pin7-pin10: 194ohms





JPK

January 05, 2026, 06:27:18 PM
Reply #5

CGMix

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Well damn, that was it. Transformer was upside down…

January 06, 2026, 04:11:47 PM
Reply #6

JPK

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January 24, 2026, 07:08:51 PM
Reply #7

CGMix

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I wanted to jump back on this thread real quick and ask about another jump. This same unit will jump up in input after using it for several minutes. The meter will peg right and distort. So when it does this I can turn the input and output all the way down and still faintly hear it. But then last night I used it for a couple of hours and it never had an issue. 🤷🏼??? I swapped slots on the rack to double check as well

January 24, 2026, 11:19:45 PM
Reply #8

CGMix

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January 26, 2026, 09:40:55 AM
Reply #9

JPK

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I am not sure I understand well.
Do you have a sudden excess of input gain? Does it looks like a bad contact? How does it ends? Please explain more.
JPK

January 26, 2026, 04:50:50 PM
Reply #10

CGMix

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So in that photo I have a vocal running through and if you look at the knobs, all of them are down. But the signal is still getting slammed. I can faintly hear the source even with the output down. The signal is distorted as well. But again, this is not a constant issue. Sometimes it slams the signal, and sometimes it operates normally.

January 28, 2026, 03:37:12 PM
Reply #11

JPK

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When this happens, does the needle return to 0 if you remove the signal completely?
JPK

January 30, 2026, 01:59:12 PM
Reply #12

CGMix

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Yes it does. It’s still responding to signal, but it’s almost as if something is driving the input way up

January 30, 2026, 04:25:52 PM
Reply #13

JPK

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It looks like a sidechain gain issue.
Check the solder joints of R22, R23, R28, D4.
JPK

February 01, 2026, 05:16:02 AM
Reply #14

CGMix

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Ok I hit all of those pads again, but still the same issue. The good news is now the issue is consistent and not intermittent anymore. but I should mention this happened before I re-soldered the pads. The issue is also on my right unit, so when I link both of my units together, it will pull the heavy compression on the left unit as well. 

February 04, 2026, 08:46:32 AM
Reply #15

JPK

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Check that the input potentiometer is working by measuring the resistance between pins 7 & 10 of the input transformer. The value should vary from 0 to 200 ohms when rotating the input potentiometer.
JPK

February 07, 2026, 06:51:39 PM
Reply #16

CGMix

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Yeah it looks like that may be it. The ohm load doesn’t change. It’s stuck at 100ohms

February 09, 2026, 03:55:00 PM
Reply #17

JPK

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Check the solder joints of the potentiometer P1, of the connectors J2a and J2b and of the transformer daughterboard to main PCB connector.
JPK

 

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