Making a hybrid amp using the Tiny Giant as the power amp

Started by Rock_on, March 23, 2013, 07:30:46 AM

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Rock_on

I want a tube feeling in the Tiny Giant amp... Just the feeling not the real sound (i mean the warmth, etc)

I researched about this all night. Tube preamps with SS power amp has the highest score :DD

What do you think guys??

I saw a thread here titled, 9v tube boost + overdrive

Can i use it? If not how about this?

http://www.sugardas.lt/~igoramps/tomato_preamp.htm

rotylee


Kesh

Quote from: Rock_on on March 23, 2013, 07:30:46 AM
Tube preamps with SS power amp
I made one of these. Two ECC88s (well, Chinese equivalent). First one as a pair of common cathodes with a gain control between them. Second one was a common cathode DC coupled to a cathode follower, with some bootstrapping, straight from the Valve Wizard's page. Running on 70V B+. This fed into a Marshal type tonestack and master volume, which was attenuated to about line level and fed to a lm3875 chip amp, with single sided supply (same 70V B+). This into a Marshall goldback 12".

I think it sounds great.

Rock_on

Thanks for that!! I have many choices on what to build



But you think tube boost/overdrive is what i need? Not a preamp? If yes then i would build it right away.

Kesh

Quote from: Rock_on on March 24, 2013, 09:53:50 PM
Thanks for that!! I have many choices on what to build



But you think tube boost/overdrive is what i need? Not a preamp? If yes then i would build it right away.
probably depends whether you are happy with tubes at 9 or 12V or want to go up toward the kind of voltages where tubes behave as they do in actual guitar amps.

but then there are standalone units that use high voltages, like the real mc tube.

of all the tube circuits i tried for guitar, i think the DC coupled CF is essential to get something approaching the preamp of the classic guitar amps though

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html

Rock_on

I dont understand. I looked noob at this. Actually noob really.

I never use tubes before.

To simplify, i want a tube feeling from an ss amp. The warmth and etc by using a tube preamp

Not a tube od or distortion, i want a clean as possible although according to my reaearches it will have a overdriven sound

Kesh

A tube pre can be clean or overdriven, provided you use enough volts.

Rock_on

Wow. Is that how tube works?

So the higher te voltage would be what would happen?

And that means the lower the voltage would be what would happen??

Kesh

it's pretty much how all amplifiers work.

distortion happens when the signal is amplified beyond the level the amplifier can reproduce accurately. this is usually some fraction of the voltage supplied to the amplifier.

in general, tubes sound good when they are driven beyond this fraction. solid state sounds bad.

tube guitar amps usually use about 250V in their preamp section.

Rock_on

Omg. Ur not mistyped right? 250v?!!!  That would kill me! Nevermind. Maybe tubes are just my fantasy

Is there another way? How About TOMATO that i posted?

Kesh

Like I said in my first post. Use ECC88 and you can use less volts (I used 70V) and still choose a clean or distorted sound.

TOMATO uses 120V on ECC83 and can probably get a cleanish guitar sound.

You usually set up the power supply so that if you get the kind of currents that would kill you, the voltage drops significantly. The TOMATO does this with voltage multiplier from 12V to 120V

Rock_on

Tell me how to set up that correctly and i will do the tomato

How about this one http://www.leonaudio.gr/tubepre.htm

Hmm let's make a survey

If im able to make a preamp with hivolts which is better the tomato or another out there(pls give me)

Or if im not able.. The one you gave or this new one?

Kesh

Quote from: Rock_on on March 25, 2013, 07:29:01 AM
Tell me how to set up that correctly and i will do the tomato

The tomato already tells you how.

The other circuit uses a tube designed for car radios, so will work at low voltages like 12V. I haven't ever used one but have read it doesn't sound that good.

You have to decide if you want an effects box or a preamp before choosing a circuit.

Rock_on

So whats the difference between the booster and the preamp?

I mean, i know them and what they do  just asking will i get a tube feeling using a tube booster like what a tube preamp do?

I saw another real low volt preamp. 13.something is the max

http://m.instructables.com/id/The-ValveLiTzer-Low-voltage-Tube-Booster/?ALLSTEPS

(sorry for the mobile link)

Is this better now??

Puguglybonehead

Hey, that Valveletizer looks like a really fun project! I'd never checked out the 12FQ8 before. (actually, I might have one of those around) I couldn't see any links to sound clips on that page. I wonder have it sounds, compared to other low-voltage projects out there? I know some of them tend to sound kind of farty and low-fi, and also a bit on the dark side, tone-wise. If you choose this as your preamp, (and it might be a good choice) you should definitely look into a regulated 12v power supply like the one that is used on that page. At least 1.5 Amp capacity or better, cause even just one 12v heater can draw a fair bit of current.

Rock_on


Rock_on

And one more thing, i read the info about the tiny giant amp at music-pcb and i saw that it is buffered.

Where is the buffer? Im planning to add a BMP tone control should i put it before the speaker or before the power amp?

And why is the 7v inserted in the 2nd part of the dual op-amp? Just asking.

Rock_on