Dx Blame ES .... based into the Blameless, i am trying a new amplifier

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Carlos. You don't understand. That artwork file is a very complex vector based file. It cannot be reduced. You can make low resolution pictures of it all you like and show sections of it, but that is not my drawing, just a picture of my drawing. A PDF file is a container that can contain low resolution pictures, like the ones you have created, or it can contain vector-based (infinite resolution) drawings like mine. They are very different.

If anyone wants the real (vector-based) file, they will have to email me. There is no way around that. If people want the low-resolution pictures, the ones you have created are available in your previous messages.

This file is not necessary for building the amplifier. It's just a drawing I did for my own fun. I don't care if it's on this forum or not. It's not important. I'm sure you disagree, but that's life.

..Todd
 
this is the best i could..without lose quality.

Yes, you did lose quality.

Zoom in on yours then zoom in on the real one. The difference is obvious.

But it really doesn't matter. It's not important.

..Todd
 

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Hey Taj, I recognise your hard work in creating this drawing. As you have mentioned, it is not necessary for building the amp. If one wishes, the high resolution picture can be photo-framed or layers can be screen printed to create this picture on the top cover of the amplifier, perhaps, with another picture of the schematic.

However, one thing that would be useful is to post a good quality pdf file of the PCB track pattern alone (instead of combining the artistic view of the whole amp on the same pdf page). Better still is to have two images of the track pattern marked as L(eft) and R(ight) so that people can roll their own PCB through the ironing method from a single sheet of laser print. Thanks, all of you for your tireless efforts.
 
Sadly, the 'art' file is too big for both this forum and Greg's DX website. It's really not very big, but certainly over the limit at 460K. This updated and corrected version of the drawing offers 'layers' in Adobe Reader, allowing you to hide/view different component types. For example, you can hide everything but the resistors, if you want to see them alone on the PCB. That may be helpful to view while populating the bare board.

If anyone wants it, just contact me via email. (Click on my username, to the left of the Canadian flag.)

..Todd

Hi Todd, even though I said it was too big, I still uploaded it. All that will happen is it will be one of the first things deleted if I run out of space. So everyone can get it now. 😀

Nobody looked :spin:
 
Dissidence?.... moutiny inside the Corporation?

Todd will be judged under rules and regulations, the international laws that stablishes punishments of things that happens inside pirate ship (copy of Blameless..piracy!).

His competence, and long year of contribution will be taken into account.... the Corporation gratitude may be enougth to allow the board to superate this clap in our face.

So, knowing i do not agree, this turns an intentional, a premeditated action, contrary to the guidelines
that where the main track to follow in our Corporation during these last years.

Guidelines are...first forum folks, second support to forum folks (Greg site), third our own pleasure.

Solrac...my Destroyer x alter ego
 

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The Corporation's board decided to offer you, dear Todd, a new office

the entire seventh floor, with a beautifull vision of our main lake...to substitute your BWW by a Rolls Royce and to select to you two new secretaries... one blond and other brunette...a totally free of prejudice young ladies, absolutelly crazy for you, to serve you in all your needs.

Also your car driver will be a lady.

All this to make you happy with our Corporation and produce our needed supporting stuff.

Your limit of expenses are now higher than before.... 500 USD for your business activities.... to your own maintenance, 60K each month, or 720K to the entire year.

Rudi has cooperated, so, lilí and Rachel will be transfered from the Germany to Canadá.

regards,

Carlos
 
This Pre-AMP, Carlos,

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


is one of the most cutest DIY-projects I have ever met (besides your AMPs, of course).

Its author is a German, Stefan.

I am one of the first to evaluate his Pre-AMP.
My board has serial-number: 05.

At the heart of Stefan's control-board (there is a relay- and an extension control-board (if you want to listen to 5.1 or 7.1 sound) as well)
is a PIC18F4550 µProcessor designed by the "Microchip" company.

The PIC18F4550 is an 8-Bit RISC-processor with an USB-interface.

This µProcessor does the following:

- it selects one of 8 to 16 sources connected via the relay-board(s) (being connected to the control-board via a flat cable)

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


- the selected source is pre-amplified by a socketed - OP-AMP (for example: OPA2132, AD823AN, ...)

- the pre-amplified source is fed to a BurrBrown PGA2311 attenuator

- the PIC18F4550 drives a 2 x 16 Lines LCD-display, so you can see what you are doing

- each selected source can be individually programmed, concerning the pre-amplificating level, the name of the source, ...

- during operation things like Source Select, Attenuation, Mute, ... can be remotely controlled via INFRARED

- Stefan offers firmware-updates to the PIC18F4550, downloadable via USB (his Pre-AMP is detected as an USB-device in WINDOWS)

- Stefan offers perfectly manufactured, double-sided, through-contacted..., boards

I have not yet "listened to" Stefan's Pre-AMP since my BlameES is not yet ready. (You know: I am waiting for the heatsinks, ...)
But from what I read and evaluated so far: Stefan's Pre-AMP (a little 7.5 x 10 cm board) is "near perfect".

I just asked Stefan if I am allowed to present his Pre-AMP in detail in this forum, if he will do this by himself, if he won't.
In any case: his Pre-AMP shall not be re-produced for commercial purposes.

I will wait for his answer.


Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
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the entire seventh floor, with a beautifull vision of our main lake...to substitute your BWW by a Rolls Royce and to select to you two new secretaries... one blond and other brunette...a totally free of prejudice young ladies, absolutelly crazy for you, to serve you in all your needs.

Also your car driver will be a lady.

All this to make you happy with our Corporation and produce our needed supporting stuff.

Your limit of expenses are now higher than before.... 500 USD for your business activities.... to your own maintenance, 60K each month, or 720K to the entire year.

Rudi has cooperated, so, lilí and Rachel will be transfered from the Germany to Canadá.

regards,

Carlos

I will take all the perks. But the file is still too big to upload here. You might need to bribe the forum people next. Keep bribing until the file fits.

..Todd
 
@Holger:

The PGA2311 has an internal buffer with the capability to drive a 600 Ohm load.
In my case Stefan's control board with the PGA2311 on it sits right between my amplifier-boards; the distance between the PGA2311
and the amplifier's inputs is less than 10 cm. So I need no external buffering.


@All:

Stefan Dreyer - the author of this Pre-Amp - appreciates if I do some advertisement for his DIY - project.

His Pre-AMP is presented in detail on his homepage:

PicPlayer

The second topic on the left side entitled: "Lautstärkeregelung mit PGA2311" contains a complete documentation of his Pre-AMP.
The whole documentation is written in German.

As I wrote in one of my former posts the printed circuit boards offered by Stefan are absolutely professionally manufactured.
Stefan does not use any SMD, so it is easy to solder.

For about 42$ you get:

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


- the control-board
- the relay-board
- the PIC18F4550 pre-programmed with the actual version of the firmware

Stefan Dreyer offers downloadable updates to his firmware that can be installed using the USB-interface of the PIC18F4550.

A BoM is included in the PDF-document of his Pre-AMP.

If you have any questions you can ask me or contact Stefan Dreyer directly.

Best regards - Rudi_Ratlos

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


P.S. I am very sorry that I still cannot judge the sound- and operating quality of Stefan Dreyer's Pre-AMP.
Of course I turned its power on to check that it works, see, what the LCD displays, step through the on-screen menu, ...
I am still waiting for 2 heatsinks to complete my 2 Lady-BlameEST - boards.
 
I will look forward for your tests, with and without the pré amplifier

Will be interesting to know the performance, if there's a sonic signature or not... reason why i would ask you, please, to wire first left channel direct to the sound source, and rigth channel througth the pre amplifier..then reduce the pre amplifier volume to match the other channel... place your mini speakers one above the other, alike a tower and try to switch one an other.

The introduction of a pré amplifier, naturally inside the audio chain, has always consequences, and they can be positive or negative, and this also depends the one is evaluating....but a sonic signature appear very clear... some dinamic unballance of tones we cannot measure, as will measure absolutelly flat having audio generator entering..but the sound result is never flat.

Lovely pré amplifier...i have to say i feel some envy, as i will never have such kind of sophistication in my home.

Congratulations.

Advertising, for gods that exists for sale, for real business, are not very well accepted by the forum management... this is tollerated once or twice...i would suggest you to say your are "demonstrating", not informing values and giving to forum friends the manufacturer adress.

You have made a lovely job presenting the pré amplifier, thank you very much...but, please, for our own good..avoid mention price again... this will keep moderators calm without making intervenctions, or interferences, to alert us about these details.

There's a paid advertising section and manufacturers section too.

Please, excuse me, I should have warned you about these details in advance, or simultaneously
with the invitation i have made to yout to talk about this pre amp .... the result was arming
a trap for you unintentionally.

regards,

Carlos
 
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I use to explain, to beginners, that i do not like pré amplifiers

or, said different, i have worries about them, bad spectations about them, and i feel afraid about them, so many disappointments they provided me...fixed with the pré amplifier removal... they represent something more in the signal patch...unnecessary things that may harm the sound.

We can adjust your power amplifier sensitivity to allow us to receive audio source directly to the input, this is the main reason i use to say my amplifiers can beat a lot others..... and i know one of the main reasons this happens is the absence of distorting elements, the input is a Volume potentiometer and anything more.

But, for sure pré amplifier is needed, providing easy use , elegance and nice features, to switch several inputs, to allow us to have phono pre amplifiers,giving us better impedance and level matching for all different inputs... to provide us tone and ballance controls, and sometimes some filters, some of them needed to phono, as humble filter (cut very low frequencies because old turntables low frequency ressonances/noises).

I feel safe to invite people to compare...i know i have an enormous advantage when my amplifier receive audio directly when others have a lot of things in the audio patch.... even if they bypass the tone controls, there are switches and cables, and they, sometimes, afect sonics because interactions of channels, capacitances and switch resistances..noises presented from the supply magnetically coupled and so on.

Effects, interactions (wide and narrow stereo effect) can be positive too..can result godd not as defect, but as effect..so..each case is different and should be tested for sonics.

regards,

Carlos
 
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I discovered the size limit for zip files is about 1 MB, which allows me to upload the enhanced layout picture.

The small picture shows the icon you click in Adobe Reader to view the layers controls. You click the 'eye' icons to hide/view the individual layers. I believe you will need Adobe reader version 8 or above for the layers feature.

..Todd
 

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