Module preamps

[M Fowler]

http://www.premierguitar.com/Video/2012 ... organ.aspx

This is what I am thinking of doing building preamps instead of complete amps.

Salvation Mods builds Billy Corgan's custom preamps housed in probably two RM4 or the larger 8 unit studio module rack.

http://salvationmods.com/index.php?page=modifications

Mark

[Reeltarded]

Not mentioning the overstepped (c) boundaries, I will bite.. Those sound excellent. Love the Camerock.

Here is my beef.. modular designs have always failed me. I would be more likely to trust the preamps built into single rack space boxes and use big power. I like that thought, because for the most part I already do something like that but instead of modules I have 4-5 heads and that is monolithic, and more than a little bit illogical.. but that is the appeal too. lol

If it was like I said above with a mixer/matrix to get it all back to 2 channels for amplification it would make it easy to have discrete effects lines and channelized control of volume/tone. I used to use a rig with a microphone amp on every channel summed to a master section from a console and this kind of thing would have turned that into a rack, a cab rack, and a mix rack.

The only thing that bothers me about this is bye bye output breakup, hello filtered bumble bee.

[M Fowler]

Well I'm too stupid to actually design my own PCB (module) so I would have to just built single rack preamps and a 100w tube power amp.

I could put two preamps in each single space rack enclosure.

[Reeltarded]

This is the thing I thought about instead of sleeping last night, scheming ways of making clean and dirty work in the same output section

Have you ever built a stand alone stereo tube power section? I want to do that project after next. 100x2. How about tube rectifiers, and 4 of 'em? More tubes than China.. yikes.

[M Fowler]

This is the thing I thought about instead of sleeping last night, scheming ways of making clean and dirty work in the same output section

Have you ever built a stand alone stereo tube power section? I want to do that project after next. 100x2. How about tube rectifiers, and 4 of 'em? More tubes than China.. yikes.

Well winter has hit us in Minnesota so I could build a portable heater as you suggest 100w x 2 with 4 rectifier tubes. Or I could just use some KT120's with SS recto, less tubes, less heat.

A good heater needs an efficient fan to push all that toasty air

Mark

[Reeltarded]

I'm a big fan!

Oh. Yeah, fan. I get it now.

[guitardude57]

I have used a component system in a rack for 20 years.
Thinking about a 3 channel preamp myself.
Never had any issues with fizzy or buzzy with this kind of set up.

But the preamp coupling to power amp can be evasive.

I have a few interesting schemos Mark, if you are looking for anything in particular...

[M Fowler]

I have used a component system in a rack for 20 years.
Thinking about a 3 channel preamp myself.
Never had any issues with fizzy or buzzy with this kind of set up.

But the preamp coupling to power amp can be evasive.

I have a few interesting schemos Mark, if you are looking for anything in particular...

Not really anything in particular probably JCM800/JTM45 in one rack, Fender BF clean/Fender Tweed in another rack. I have to have some Vox AC30 type and AC15 type circuits. Not sure about other preamps.

I'm looking at using Hammond 229B120 and 229B12 transformers in shallow 19" one unit rack.

Mark

[Reeltarded]

Never had any issues with fizzy or buzzy with this kind of set up.

But the preamp coupling to power amp can be evasive.

^^ that is what I am saying.

The best sounding preamp rig I ever played through was a Pearce into returns on Marshalls. I wish those had been poular enough to be available now.

[JoeCon]

Guys,

But don't you really wanna be switching between 6V6's and EL34's or EL84's not just preamp configurations? Isn't really swapping output tubes that'll change your tone?

I'm thinking like Eric Johnson does with an amp/pedal combo for each sound you're after. BF Fender for cleans and two different Marshalls for crunchy rhythm and sustaining leads. Or a Rocket and an Express. With just a side of Liverpool...I'm hungry now!

See ya!

[dorrisant]

I'm digging this guys...

I've been working on a modular preamp too... Amveco makes very small (smaller than a silver dollar in diameter) toroidal transformers that seem to work. I bought one designed to step 120v down to about 9v, used the 9v side as a primary fed with 12vac wall wart. This way I can bump the HT up to well over 300v and split the 12v off ss rectified for the heaters. I tried it with an Express pre and it was a bit wild... I want to try other preamps as well.

Tony

[Reeltarded]

I'm thinking like Eric Johnson does with an amp/pedal combo for each sound you're after. BF Fender for cleans and two different Marshalls for crunchy rhythm and sustaining leads. Or a Rocket and an Express. With just a side of Liverpool...I'm hungry now!

See ya!

Yeah, that is the reactive thing plus the NFB and everything that comes with each design's power section. What is acceptable doesn't have to be a copy of, and I get that part, but the Marshalls are just a wee bit louder than the Twins when they are both doing there thing and it's a little counter to what you'd expect when you hit the lead sound and the volume drops because that's a 50 instead of 2 100s.

The idea is approximations of the tones with acceptable reactance. I like everything to push back just the right amount, otherwise it's just loud sterility, hence the reason for my touring rig being bigger than a meduim sized club PA system, and way louder.

In an ideal world I could get away with 12x12s and three 100w power sections with 4 preamps sub mixed through a small console instead of the messy monster as it is now. I have dreamed of a preamp rig that works for 30 years, it just never works out like the monster. I mix some and all of the amps at different times, and eack rig has it's own discrete treatments along the way. Messy. Simple is better, unless it isn't...

[guitardude57]

My big concert rig doesn't get used much, and has been getting trimmed down some. I sold my DCP-1 preamp, (had it almost 20 yrs)
and want to make a flexible new preamp.

I use a GCX and SM 26 for switching and mixing a series in front with a couple rack modules, and a couple parallel modules either through an FX loop (Dumble inspired) or direct to a Tubeworks stereo amp... or both. Can do mono, stereo, WDW.

Now we just need a new front end...

I found the topography for a 3 channel, could be F_M_soldano (or whatever) that uses 5 tubes and a 2 rack space.
With a little toroid, and a laydown set up, could maybe be a single rack.

Do a google search for "The Anvil"

[Reeltarded]

I found that the lead sound can be almost anything but the dirty and clean other sounds really need to be amps that are loaded down and submixed.

I rarely get to use it all these days anyhow. Would be nice if something sounded like a warmed up twin, a pair of loud 100s, and a lil 50 melting like a candle.

[roberto]

Sounds familiar to me...
http://salvationmods.com/index.php?page=mash-oldano