Dissembled now ready for work... new paint job ....would be nice. I re-tubed and took a quick listen. Dryer paper caps and all but something sound good buried in there ...

Recapping done, added a threshold, attack and prepared the release control to moved to the front. Added a fixed grounded AC power cable, removed the exposed screw connector. Added a TRS input and output....

Impressive !! :)

Looks very cool. Is adding the threshold and attack controls considered a "difficult" mod?

Depends on your comfort level. For the threshold you replace a resistor with a pot and smaller series resistor. The attack is probably the most tricky only because of the ratness daisy chained wiring, you have to be mindful of how you place the attack pot in the circuit. In this circuit it is there to slow the charging of c1. The release is a stepped resistive ladder that drains the charge on c1. It takes time to sort out the wiring, but once you find a good spot, it's easy enough. These mod require a solid understanding of the circuit and decent soldering skills. Not to mention the basic safety protocols when working on 300vdc circuits.

Quick Link for those looking:
https://www.america…

Fresh from painting....

Attached files

Starting to come together now.... the db compression vu was dead and I could not resurrect it.... so I cannibalized an old power meter and careful fit it inside the original enclosure ... certainly not for the faint of heart. I tuned the meter with a resistive divider and it live once more.

Now to drill the holes for the attack, release and threshold controls....

Very cool!!

Which way would you place the new controls? The first pic or second?

I like the first better myself.

The owner went for this

Here is quick clip messing with the new controls ...

I feel like that distortion could be perfect on certain vocals. Looking nice and sounding fun!