SSS Reverb Mix Tube (Tweed Mixer) - Balancing Wet and Dry

[mhartman]

So, I was looking at a schematic for the reverb mix tube in a SSS style amp (single tube "tweed mixer") and I was wondering how you would approach tweaking the reverb levels to get the best balance between wet and dry signals (other than the obvious at the send/recieve reverb controls). I'm talking about a situation where the dry signal is too strong or the wet signal is too strong for the reverb controls to be in their sweet spot.

For instance, if the dry signal was too strong (i.e., with the reverb return maxed, there wasn't enough verb), how would adjust the balance of the signals for more verb. Would you adjust the tube gain on one or both sides, would you attenuate on of the signals coming in to the tube (change the resisitor values?) or would you attenuate the signals where they meet as they exit the tube (lower the resistor value coming out of the wet side?).

In short, how do you tweak the mix when you're using a tweed mixer setup like this?

[IMG705]http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk12 ... erbMix.jpg[/img]

By the way, Aaron, I borrow some of your schematic for this question. Thank you. I'll take it down if you don't want it here.

[Structo]

Wouldn't the Return pot determine that?

It is a voltage divider so it would control the level.

[mhartman]

Thanks Structo. It would if the return level was high enough, but I'm wondering about a situation where the verb signal is too low compared to the dry signal even with the Return Pot max'ed/bypassed. If that is the case, where would you adjust the mix ratio to get more verb/less dry?

Wouldn't the Return pot determine that?

It is a voltage divider so it would control the level.

[surfsup]

You can't increase the return verb signal to be higher? Are you attenuating it too much on the send side before the recovery?

[mhartman]

You can't increase the return verb signal to be higher? Are you attenuating it too much on the send side before the recovery?

I don't think so because it is pretty "splashy" when turned up - it just isn't very loud.

[mhartman]

Ok, in case anyone has a similar issue, I worked on it tonight and ended up bypassing the 68k resistor on the wet side after the mixer tube. This raised the reverb ratio quite a bit so now the return level knob can go from no verb to full on spacey/swampy.

By the way, the trable and bass cut selectors on a SSS come after the reverb splits off from the clean signal, so using them increases the reverb ratio because the cut selectors decrease the dry signal some.