Hairball Audio FET Revision A - DIY 1176 Compressor

[@64nightfly]

Thank you! Very informative video. I built two Hairball Audio FET/Rack Revision A's over the past year and share your sense of enthusiasm and accomplishment. It helped me push my DIY skills to a new level and the owner, Mike Mabie, was super helpful when I needed some help with troubleshooting some minor issues I encountered during the build.

[@shoetiquemusic]

Glad you like the vid Matthew! If you didn't I would have to send you a strongly worded letter. Now that you've got this one under your belt you're ready for an even more complicated build! What are you thinking about for your next one? Mike over at hairball is great. I'm tempted to build another FET compressor. I think I'll go for the REV D on the next go around.

[@64nightfly]

@@shoetiquemusic I'm thinking about a REV D as well or maybe the REV F, possible with orange drop capacitors.

[@jaretcarpenter2364]

Surprised there isn’t more traffic on this channel. Super informative, great demonstration, and entertaining. Hope to see more DIY Analog Gear recommendations on this channel. Thanks ShoeTique!

[@shoetiquemusic]

Frig ya Jaret! There's more in the works!

[@christofabsurd]

That line about being a "Mindless consumer bitch" just earned you a new subscription. Great stuff, I appreciate ya!

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks Christoph! I like to think that for every sub I get a crooked KZbinr stubs their toe.

[@Hassan_Omer]

Very nicely done.

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks Hassan! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@alinaharris6129]

The song's a real banger!🔥🎸

[@rydog3701]

I have the hairball and it is the best compressor for the money, hands down. Also, this channel rules man.. Plugins don't compare to hardware, even though they are great. Great video mate.

[@shoetiquemusic]

I agree Rydog! The 1176 gets a ton of use - especially on vocal tracks. Glad you're liking the channel! Plugins are getting pretty good these days, but sometimes they give me options paralysis. Having physical controls on a piece of hardware is a better way for me to truly learn and master something.

[@jasonwest3283]

To my virgin understanding and experience with compressors this opened up a whole new realm of sensations. Innuendo aside, this must be like the third best way to enhance drums. First would be encapsulating them in a giant smokey plexiglass box with aquarium lights and a baffle system to adjust volume. Second would be to conjure a Servitor to confiscate 2/3 of their cymbals and have them buried under a cement slab in the basement of a century old farmhouse in southern Iowa. Also, the critique of pedal porn with a Mark Johnston poster as a backdrop…

[@shoetiquemusic]

Fun fact: Mark Johnston is able to summon unlimited 1981 DRVs from the warp.

[@jasonwest3283]

@@shoetiquemusic Oh, wouldn’t ya know it!

[@louiegolden]

This is my first intro to shotique! So good!

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks for stopping by Louie! I'm glad you like it!

[@Kharrari]

so cool thank you very much

[@shoetiquemusic]

Glad you like it Khari! I was checking out your channel and 'Dance Song' is a banger! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYendnaMocl5fdU

[@mikewolfe9458]

I’d love to build one of these. I use LUNA for my DAW and an 1176 rev a plugin on the unison slot so it’s there for tracking on the way in every time I do vocals. I suck at soldering (and mixing. And life…) but I’m gonna try and build a champ clone this year and work up to one of these and a CAPI mic pre. The experience of using outboard gear is so much better than plugins in my opinion.

[@shoetiquemusic]

I love being able to touch physical knobs and switches! It makes everything click a little better for me. If you're looking to get your soldering skills up to snuff try a guitar pedal kit from someplace like Aion Electronics. They have good build documentation and at that price point it will be a lower risk project. Let me know if you have any questions about whatever you decide to go with and I'll do my best to help out!

[@highergrounds8018]

Amazing!!

[@shoetiquemusic]

Glad you dig it HigherGrounds!

[@indiabremer8449]

This is golden 😂

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks India! My therapist says that being friends with Sloppy Sock is unhealthy.

[@teebabeats]

❤❤❤

[@nikdrown]

I’m not surprised that incorporating HW in Pro Tools hasn’t gotten any easier. S1 is with pipeline. I love S1 have been on it since V1

[@shoetiquemusic]

I wish I had made the switch earlier. I spent YEARS struggling balls.

[@sheilasmith8844]

Studio One is the best. I am a former Pro Tools guy and a Nuendo guy. Both DAWs are great but STUDIO ONE stomps them both. If you use outboard gear at all Studio One is the easisest DAW to use and integrate it into your work flow. Love that Sloppy SOck has his own Lav mic! LOL.. Thats audio guy geekism for ya!

[@shoetiquemusic]

I completely agree Sheila! I could not for the life of me get Pro Tools to work easily and consistently with my outboard gear. Sloppy sock is a snob and had to run his mic through a Sound Skulptor MP573 preamp. The amount of time needed to get his set up right is upsetting.

[@TheRamsberg]

Thanks for being fun and silly(and factual) in a World chocked full of shit. It's much appreciated.

[@TheRamsberg]

Also, I really love that fireplace matchstick pointer!

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks TheRamsberg! That means a lot to me! A combination of not taking my medicine and talking with the sock keeps me honest ;)

[@TheRamsberg]

@@shoetiquemusic You're welcome. It's similar for me, in that taking my medication helps me forget the world exists, and conversing with my mixing console helps me concoct better lies.

[@Rhuggins]

Can I please ask you what that stereo LA2A is?

[@shoetiquemusic]

You bet guy! It's a Silent Arts Dual LA-2A. You can get the PCB for the project on groupdiy. I did a whole video with a ton of details on my build here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKWue4B5fJqLj7s

[@wefeedalonemusic]

Dude, you’re hilarious

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks WFA! My mom says it's because I was deprived of oxygen during the birthing process.

[@wefeedalonemusic]

Could I ask you about your build process of that 1176?

[@shoetiquemusic]

@@wefeedalonemusic Sure! What part of the process are you interested in? The project as a whole? A specific part? Something else?

[@wefeedalonemusic]

@@shoetiquemusic I’ve never done a PCB soldering project and am starting with a guitar pedal for practice. I’m wondering if you recommend a specific type of solder for this type of work. Whether it be a certain alloy or size??

[@shoetiquemusic]

@@wefeedalonemusic A guitar pedal is a great place to start! Take your time with that and get a feel for soldering. Make sure you learn how to make clean, strong solder joints. You'll also want to develop a consistent method of sorting out your parts (especially resistors) to make sure you solder them into the correct spots. Make sure you understand the proper orientation of electrolytic capacitors. I would take a picture of your finished pedal and put it on reddit.com/r/diypedals asking for feedback. They'll give you some decent tips. You might decide it makes sense to do another pedal before you jump to the 1176. If you're going to start making more complex and expensive projects make sure to get a quality solder iron with an adjustable temp. I use a Weller WES51 but I don't think they make them anymore. I believe that model was replaced with the WE1010NA. There are plenty of other good options out there. Look around on gearpage and tdpri to to see what other folks use. I would also recommend getting a pack of different size soldering iron tips that are compatible with your iron. Different tips are useful depending on the size of the pcb or lugs you're working with. For solder I use KESTER 24-6337-0027 for all my work - It has lead and flux. No matter what solder you use make sure to work in a well ventilated area. Make sure you wash your hands afterwards too. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm always happy to help!

[@vanizell7937]

Yo what’s that Teletronix unit behind you???????? Stereo LA2A?

[@shoetiquemusic]

It is! It's a DIY unit I made using the Silent-Arts D-LA2A pcb. Check out the groupdiy forum for details or to purchase a pcb. I plan on doing a video on this one near the end of this year. It's a challenging and rewarding build. A nice choice if you've gotten comfortable sourcing your own parts and troubleshooting your builds.

[@jamesthelesser9345]

LMAO

[@shoetiquemusic]

Hi James! Glad you're getting a kick out of the video!

[@jamesthelesser9345]

@@shoetiquemusic Excellent videos bud. Great comedy too.

[@lottomajesty1272]

awesome video. What do you think about the black lion 76?

[@shoetiquemusic]

Thanks for watching Lotto! You're referring to the Blacklion Bluey right? I haven't had the opportunity to try one myself but the 1176 is a well known circuit so I can't imagine it's all that different than any other Rev A clone. It'll come down to the quality of its components. I've read about and personally experienced Blacklion QC issues. I bought a Blacklion PG-1 that got stuck in the on position after 2 months. I ended up sending it back for a replacement. You can pickup a pre assembled Hairball 1176 RevA from Resistance Audio for close to the same price as the Bluey. I'd probably go that route if you don't want to build one.

[@lottomajesty1272]

@@shoetiquemusic yes sir I referring to the black lion version. Ty you for all the information.