Caruso Preamp Full Build Service

[opcode66]

Caruso Preamp Full Build Service

Take the complexity and concern out of the equation. Get your Caruso head up and running with the minimum of effort on your part. Contract me to take care of all the details on your behalf!

You order the boards here http://vinylike.de/index.php/store/prod%20...%20amp-board/ and ask Flo to send the boards to me. Flo is charging $80 for the two preamp boards plus shipping.

I'm charging $820 for the full build. That price only includes domestic shipping within the Continental United States. Shipping to anywhere else will be more expensive. This price doesn't include the caruso preamp boards, or the Caruso cutterhead. If paying via PayPal, please include an extra 3% to the total price making it $826.60.

Full Build Includes:
- 2U 19" Rack Case in Black or Aluminum
- Illuminated Switch IEC Socket
- DPST RIAA (one switch for both channels)
- Blue LED's (one for each +/- 15V rail)
- Velleman PSU and dual heatsink
- Torodial Transformer
- Fuse holders and fast blow fuses (one for each +/- 15V rail)
- All components for the Caruso Preamp boards. Carefully selected. Exactly as specified by Flo. High quality components.
- Labor (soldering of components to boards and cleanup)
- Assembly (case drilling and assembly of all parts)
- Packaging and Shipping to you

The case panels will be drilled via a drill press. I do not etch or CNC cut the panels. If you want them more professionally fabricated, I can leave them blank and let you do the final steps with panels that you source yourself. Otherwise, holes will be drilled via a drill press and labeled via a label maker.

[opcode66]

Parts arrived. Enough for my build and one other cutter. Anyone else???? I'm ready!

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[opcode66]

I've built out complete boards for Left and Right channel of two Pre-Amps. One for a client and one for me. The two smaller boards are the PSU's. Toroidal transformer and heatsink above the PSU. Perfboard for the trimmers for the front panel. DPDT switch for RIAA disable/enable for both channels on front panel. And, LED's for the front panel. Back panel of the case will have two fuse jacks, power switch and IEC power connector as well as the audio jacks. My case is aluminum and taller. My client's case is shorter and black. Case construction starts tomorrow.

[opcode66]

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[powerstrip]

cool cases.

who is suppling those?

is the silver one 19 inch?

[opcode66]

They are both 19". It doesn't look that way in the picture. It is due to one being shorter than the other combined with the angle at which I took the picture and the wide angle feature of the camera. I assure you they are both the same width. Both standard 2U 19" rack cases. Each has mounting bolt holes and handles. for the front.

[opcode66]

I'll have pictures of the completed builds posted either tomorrow or the Wednesday. They came out nice.

[opcode66]

This build came out nice except for the unfortunate little scratch I accidentally made on the front panel. Boo! Other than the one cosmetic blemish, the pre-amp is functioning 100%. I had a couple of little issues that were easy enough to fix. Otherwise, the build went smoothly. And, I'm happy to report that the pre-amp sounds very clear and noise free. Very nice compact design by Flo.

Things to note:

- Trimmers are accessible via the front and jacks via the back. This is a departure from the original Caruso design.
- Separating the jacks from the boards required making 3d designed and printed stacking board standoffs.
- The cabling connecting the boards to the jacks in back is shielded cabling of the same quality as Mogami.
- Two 0.5 Amp fuses were added and their condition is indicated by the LED's on the front panel.
- The LED's are mounted on a small perfboard unit with 1K Ohm resistors.
- Custom board spacers and Heatsink spacers were 3d designed and printed for the PSU.
- Custom Hole Caps were 3d designed and printed for the trimmer holes in the front panel.
- One dual pole single throw rocker switch controls RIAA for both channels simultaneously.
- I 3d designed and printed a drilling/straight cutting template to make the rectangular hole in the back panel for the IEC socket with illuminated switch.

Future builds will include:

- VU Meters
- Phono input with trimmers for calibration
- 3 Position Rotary Switch for monitor selection
- Input/Output loop for connecting power amplifier through fuses and ammeters
- AC Bridge with thermal meters for displaying coil temperature

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[dimi751]

Very neat works good job looks nice !
Any reson why there is no fuse for the
Toroidal PS I only see fuse for the +/- 18v

I also like the way you mount the pcb very clevar Todd

[opcode66]

Well, I suppose I could have added one. However, they only cost about $20. So, it would be a bunch more work to protect a $20 component that will likely never blow. Most people I know use fuse protected and surge protected power strips. Those would serrve to protect the transformer from spikes coming in on your home power lines.

[dimi751]

My friend fantastic job !

You mentions you will add vu meter
In later build. What will your idea be
With power supply to the vu meter
Will there be a separete power supply for the vu meter. I know from experience adding vu metres can Sommtime cause bad ground loops when using backlit metres, these ground loop can be heard in the recording record

[opcode66]

Sounds like you had a poorly designed circuit to drive the vu meters. Dont't worry. I got this.

[dimi751]

I trust you have covered this I not doubt your abilitys you work is outstanding

I was more asking for advise with
Power supply for vu meter will you be using separete power source for vu metres

[symatic]

I'm building a power supply for a CAruso.... do es anyone know what the part is for the little 2-pin connectors for Power onto the Caruso PCB's? cheers

[flozki]

molex KK 254 series 2695
any KK series work
3pin part number 22013037
2pin part number 22013027

https://www.mouser.ch/datasheet/2/276/0022013037_CRIMP_HOUSINGS-158306.pdf

you also need the crimp contacts.
and a quite expensive crimp tool.
but small flat pliers will do the trick.

hapyp cutting
f.

[symatic]

thanks flozki

for anyone looking for these, you might get lucky like I did and find these connectors on standard computer fans, which are often found lurking in drawers and corners of IT departments

I've built my Velleman PSU kit.... mostly.

Now Ineed to figure how to connect it to the mains and to the preamp boards.....

[symatic]

hmmmm looking closely at opcodes pics i think i can figure it out..... I'll try going off that but if anyone has an actual method I could follw that would put my noobie mind at ease

[symatic]

bagh! confused already!

first I wired the transformer in according to the Velleman Kit's instructions.... I did think it was kinda weird how they had it but i followed the colour codes they suggested.



but then I looked closely at opcode's pics in the earlier post, and his wiring was quite different, so I decided to double check mine.

Firstly, if i copy the colour labelling in the velleman manual, i have to take wires from 2 differnet bunches of cables.... seems weird they would make it all nice and separated out into bunches only to mix and match later on....
Then I read the side of the transformer, and it says Black and Orange are ground and red and yellow are the 15V cables. this would leave the other cables as 2 bunches which makes more sense, and looks closer to opcodes wiring.



if anyone actually knows what theyre on about and would care to enlighten me, that would be awesome.... if not i'll keep trying to suss it out.

[andybee]

Hello! I hope, I am not wrong, but the power connector is a 3pin?
You will need +15V, ground and -15V.
On the actual board are two 2-pin connectors, one is for RIAA on/off bridge,
the other is for an additional mute ciruit.
Maybe on older PCB´s the connectors are different, I don´t know...
Happy soldering!

[andybee]

connecting the transformer should be easy:
connect the red and the orange, this is your ground,
then, black is positive 15V (VA), yellow is negative 15V (VB).
I spoke before of regulated DC voltage, the transformer delivers unregulated AC!