[BC] Are they all this way? (crunchy Compellor)

[gRAdy Moates]

    The original Compellor had a strange problem in its output stage. . . 
it was one of the first applications of a cross-coupled differential 
output stage.  This design, upon grounding of either side of the 
amp, was designed to decrease the grounded amplifier's output 
to near zero (reducing stress in the chip) and increase it's gain in 
the un-grounded side by 6 dB to compensate for the lost voltage.  
Of course, the headroom of the output was reduced by about 6 dB, 
but this was considered an acceptable compromise.  

    Every Compellor 300 with which I've worked has had a problem, 
however. . . if not loaded with a fairly low load impedance, my units 
all exhibited a cross-over distortion "glitch" that was quite audible, 
and gave the units a "crunchy" sound.  Placing a 1K-ohm-or-so 
load resistor across the outputs (between pins 2 and 3) cleaned 
up the sound on my units quite dramatically.  

Grady 

LOUD & Clean