2500 Stereo Compressor Test Procedure

Required Test Equipment:

Voltmeter with true RMS capability
Sine wave oscillator
“Y” cable to apply oscillator to both inputs simultaneously

Note: meters must be mechanically zeroed, so that the right edge of needle is even with left
side of -20VU mark. This must be done without signal in the unit. The mechanical
adjustments are on the meters themselves

Set the Controls as follows:

Thresh CCW
Attack CCW to .03
Ratio CW
Release CCW to .05
Release CCW to 50m
Knee to HARD (red LED)
Thrust to NORM (green LED)
Type to NEW (yellow LED)
Link CCW to IND
Shape to OFF (no LEDs)
In switch OUT (green LED off)
Byp switch IN (yellow LED on)
Gain switch IN (red LED on)
Gain knob CCW to 0
Meter switch to IN (green LED)
Tilt trimmer to the center of its rotation (Slit straight up and down)

1. Check the voltages at the test points of the unit

+/- 16V, +/- 5V, and + 24V.

2. Meter Calibration
-set generator for +4dBu at 2Khz
-set meter source to IN and adjust R87 (on top board) until the left VU meter reads
0VU (R287 for right meter)
-set meter source to OUT and adjust R92 (on top board) until the left VU meter
reads 0VU (R292 for right meter)
-release BYP switch; adjust R167(left ch.) and R267(right ch.) (near transformers)
to achieve a +4dBu output.
 -set the generator to +10dBu at 2Khz.
-Set “IN” switch to IN

3. Scale Adjust: With the black probe on ground, and the red probe on TP1 (left ch. is
near the middle of the board; right ch. is on the right edge of the board), switch back and
forth between 0dBu and 10dBu on the generator. Adjust the Scale trimpot (R37 for left
ch.; R237 for right ch.) until the voltage swings exactly 1 volt DC. Repeat for the other
side.

NOTE: Always make sure that the level is at 10dBu when you are finished and not
0 dBu because this will mess the rest of the adjustments from here on out.

4. Threshold adjustment (Offset Adjustment): Place the ground probe on the ground
TP, and the red probe on TP2 (left ch. is farther left than left side TP1; right ch. is a little
farther left of the right side TP1). Adjust the Offset trimpot until you read 60mVDC (.
060VDC). Repeat for other side.

Note: The scale and offset adjustments interact with each other, so once you have done the
offset adjustment, go back and make sure the scale is still correct. If you have to tweak the
scale again, make sure to check the offset again because it will be affected by the scale
adjustment.

5. Gain Balance: Put the ground probe on the L-CV-OUT test point and put the red
probe on the R-CV-OUT test point. Notice what voltage is on the voltmeter (it doesn’t
matter what this voltage is, just remember it). Now, rotate the gain pot full up. Adjust R99
balance trimpot (on the top board) to read the same voltage as it was before you turned the
pot up. Roll the pot up and down to make sure the voltage does not vary. When finished,
make sure to turn the gain all the way back down.

6. Gain Reduction meter cal: Set meter source to GR. With the threshold control full
CCW (all the way down), adjust R104 and 204 to read 0 on the GR scale on the meters.
Next, rotate the threshold pot until the level output drops 10dB. The level will read 0dBu.
Now, adjust R101 and 201 until the meters read -10GR on the GR scale.