DIY Audio Projects Forum

Hello! This is my first post here, and I am sorry to admit that it is a copy of a question I posted on Gearslutz last week.

A couple of years ago I picked up an XIX/Nineteen CP-1902 compressor from a local pawn shop. It’s dual channel and was fairly inexpensive, so I thought it could make a fun project for modding.

Prior to buying, I read an old Sound On Sound review (needed to use archive.org to view it) in which Paul White remarked that the unit, being as it is dual channel, could have benefited from a stereo link function from the factory. So that’s what I want to do.

I have a decent understanding of electronics, something which I continue educating myself on, and I am good at soldering. That being said, I have never worked on a compressor before, nor have I attempted a mod like this. I have attached a few photos and am hoping to crowdsource some ideas on where to start.

Summary: I want to add stereo functionality to a dual channel compressor. By extension, I would like to be able to use the Channel 1 controls as the master. The ability to switch between stereo and dual mono would be ideal, but I am not against removing Channel 2’s controls completely, if necessary.

I am having some trouble uploading even one of the photos on my phone, so I’ll temporarily provide a link to my Gearslutz post that has them. (Hope this is okay!)

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much ... ction.html

Its all IC chips and fine tuned properly by defualt.
Theres no tuning possible other than replacing the capacitors in signal path with the hifi one

Transitor ones theres tuning possible，but you need to know how things work otherwise your just gonna destroy the amp.

Thank you for the reply! I apologise for the delay of my response, I have only just seen yours.

To clarify, when you say “destroy the amp” do you mean the output gain stages of the compressor? Recapping the and replacing IC’s isn’t out of my skill range. It would also afford me the opportunity to add IC sockets for future tinkering/repairs. What would you suggest I need in order to tune the ICs? As for the capacitors, would it be a case of bulk ordering then measuring them to determine the closest matching pairs?

Capacitors you don't have to match them.
But if your buying a fairly large quantaty you should buy at mouser elna slmic2 typcially cheap for 10-100pcs

RS components have the fine gold caps
Use metalised polypropene caps for the PF-nF ones

ICs you can buy the upgraded ones but is probally too much of a work and you need to know what your doing.

For this one theres no such thing as adding ic sockets or modding.
Theres no space and its all ic design, theres nothing you can do to mod it.
Transitors you can still fiddle with the resistors and transaitors and make diffrent connections.
But not with the ICS