Tube buffer. Found one.

[rhardman]

Gonna start with a bit of heresy in a DIY forum.

I am looking for a tube stage to smooth out a modeling rig for live use


any thoughts on this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAQIN-SD-CD2-St ... 1e8355fb85


nope

[rhardman]

I thought the mob would be out with the pitchforks by now…

[vibratoking]

It might help, but I wouldn't expect much TBH. Have you checked that the output levels of your modeler are suitable with the input level of the pre? The 'warmth' of the pre will be somewhat dependent on how hard you drive it. The specs are kinda skinny and I didn't see a manual or much description of the circuit at the Yaquin website. Without a schematic or more specs it will be hard to form any real expectations. I wonder what the B+ voltages are and how the follower is setup?

[rhardman]

curious myself

Modeler usually runs through a MXR Dual Limiter…so I have a wide range of output levels to play with. Just looking for some sweetening in a solid state 'nano' rig. for jams etc...

[Colossal]

Naw man, there's no right or wrong in Tone, only what sounds good to you. How you get there is your own journey. Some of the best sounds I have ever heard from my favorite artists have come solely from solid state and tube or both.

[rhardman]

I have a stable of tube rigs here--

including a blackface ProReverb. no way I am dragging that monster to a jam.

I have the nano rig down to a laptop bag…

[Milkmansound]

we steel players like the Sarno Black Box

its a tube impedance buffer

http://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com/products/sgbb.html

[rhardman]

we steel players like the Sarno Black Box

its a tube impedance buffer

http://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com/products/sgbb.html

nice-- but pricey. 600 for a pair.

[rhardman]

bump. I would like to hear more about you thoughts about off the shelf tube buffers.

the MIC kind

[Structo]

Rawl, do you have any Boss guitar effects pedals?

Most if not all have a buffer built in.

Unless you are trying to add something to the rig to warm the tone or other reason, solid state buffers work great and are a lot cheaper than a tube version.
Since a buffer works at unity gain, meaning it doesn't amplify the signal, just keeps the signal strong.
Usually one uses a buffer for long cable runs, like from a pedal board to amp.

Or you could build a Dumbleator.

[Milkmansound]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid= ... &_from=R40

its the new hot trend

I would find one that uses a FET - that is basically going to do whatever a tube can do but with less noise/voltage and much much smaller.

or build a dumbleator

[rhardman]

yeah…I am going after adding the even order harmonics from the tubes.

not a buffer per se.

The addition of a tube stage takes an "ok…even close" signal and turns it into
"that's what I'm talking about"

For recording. I use an Ampex 620 8" tube powered (2-6v6) 10W location recording monitor. 50s. Jim Lansing 8" pentode front end.

Les Paul used them with pair of mono Ampex 600 recorders. Nice leather suitcases too. Eventually, a second one is in my future plans. Also, they are heavy little buggers and I wouldn't necessarily want to beat them up.

So in my quest for a similar tone but lowered weight. I have the modeler, an Alesis 1/3 rack limiter and a Furman SP-20- 1/2 rack power amp that fits into a laptop bag. cool, but I am missing my tube stage in the loop.

A 2 channel device is necessary for the modeler. Sounds ok strapped to mono…but comes alive with stereo. effects are fine to me. The reverb, delay and modulation effects need a stereo chain.

I am working on some small/ ultra light cab designs. My #1 cab is a 4x10" Stereo Marshall.

I am going to do a 4x 5by7" cab for starters. Vintage Alnico. Stuff like that. 2x8" single 10"

And much larger crazy stuff like 16x5" CTS open back cabs. Deep box…used to corner load a church organ loft. (state of the art 1962)
Trying to find a pair of good horns and planning a single 15 Scoop subwoofer.

That system is going into the tracking room.

so I am gonna cruise the Chinese market…I found some PC board pre's that will use a 6dg8? tube (au7 cousin)

I will report back,

Rawl

[Structo]

Yeah, getting all the pieces to fit together can be a challenge.

Why not use a good vacuum tube combo amp that does the things you wan to do?
Guitar in one hand and Amp in the other.

I have used my Dumbleator with other amps, and as imperfect as it has been, I have been able to generate a very usable tone.

If money is no object then the Fractal Audio Axe-FX comes to mind or the Kemper Amp profiler

http://www.kemper-amps.com/page/render/ ... fined.html

Or adapt to one of the many guitar rigs that many have used over the years.

[rhardman]

here it is…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261224229132?ss ... 1438.l2649

[Structo]

Glad you found the one Rawl.

Please let us know the outcome.