[sdiy] OA95 as protection diode?

[Seb Francis]

Hi,

I'm just giving my new Digisound 80 modules a good overhaul, and on the 
EG module I've noticed one of the diodes is physically broken.

It's an OA95 (germanium) and clamps negative input gate signals to 0V so 
they don't damage the LM358 and CEM3310.  The docs say it "gives fast 
protection against negative voltages, for example if the module is being 
gated by a +/-V pulse or other waveform".

Is this really the best type of diode for the job?  Is there something 
different one would use in a modern design?  In particular the datasheet 
for this diode gives 150mA as the abs max peak forward current.  Since 
there is no resistor between the gate input and the protection diode, it 
seems likely this diode would just get killed just by running a negative 
voltage from a module that was able to sink more than 150mA.

Seems like bad design to me, but maybe I'm missing something.

Seb

P.S. Schematic is here:
http://www.digisound80.co.uk/digisound/modules/80-18/construction/80-18.pdf
The diode in question is D1