The stereo sidechain (or rather, the sidechain reacting to absolute amplitude rather than the summed sidechain of the gyraf version) is just another flavour really. It is how the actual SSL mixbus compressor from the 4000 console reacts, but it will not matter much with most signals, since the bass usually has the highest amplitude and is more or less mono in most cases.bmanic wrote: .. be ready to modify it quite a bit, like adding a stereo sidechain (called the oxford mod), or else it's pretty daft sounding.
If you are really interested, I suggest asking Kingston how he built his. It is a "high-end" version, components costing around 500 euros but is sound a lot better than the basic version living sounds just pointed to (I know because I've done direct A/B comparison between them).
I can post some audio clips of the differences once Kingston has finished the box.
Cheers!
bManic
You can upgrade the components, of course, but then it won't sound like an SSL compressor any more. I used high quality caps in the signal path and got vintage 5532/5534 opamps, which sound punchier and more exiting, especially in the bass than current ones. I've also added a sidechain filter.
But I'd love to hear Kingston's version! What did he change? Use vintage DBX VCAs? Discrete op amps? I'll probably build a high end version one day, too. But the version I got here really doesn't sound daft at all.
