valvecaster as a preamp ??

[1878]

Hello Everyone.

Quite an easy question. Could the Valvecaster be used as a tube preamp for a SS power amp ?? I did begin a search through the Valvecaster thread, but it's a bit of a task to be honest. I was thinking of adding a tone stack and gain recovery stage too. The power amp runs on 12v, so There's no probs with powering the Valvecaster.

Thanks everyone.

[frequencycentral]

I did some experiments a couple of years ago using a Subcaster into a 386 amp, worked quite well. Here's a couple of similar ideas:

http://www.sophtamps.ca/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=39

http://www.beavisaudio.com/projects/TubeCricket/

P.S. Nice avatar! Better than your last one. Hehehe!

[El Heisenberg]

HEY! You and me are doin the exact same thing right now! We can compare notes and build our amps together!!! Look up my threads. There ate plenty on the TDA2003 amp ive built. Right now i have a JFET fetzer valve drivig a fender tone stack followed by another fetzer. Then GGG digital reverb and a line out/mute switch with a marshal cab sim. Im havin trouble with the fetzer after the tone stack. I can never get it to work right. There are too many strange things to list, but i can get it to sound usable at 2v at the drain.  The whole thing runs off of a 12v transformer but i used LM317s to smooth out the DC.

I want to switch to tube preamp. I have a thread going on right now with a schem for a 12AU7 tube preamp with a fender tone stack driving a tda2003 amp. I dunno how the tda section is spose to be built. Mine is the Generalguitargadgets.com design.

Theres also a link to a mexican guys videos on youtube who made a hybrid amp with a 12ax7 and a tda2003z used high voltage for the tube tho i think.

Dont do the tube cricket. The lm386 is too quiet if u have a 12v transformer.

Keep in touch! I want what u want

[El Heisenberg]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=81129.0;topicseen

[1878]

Seems we are !!

I've been given a 20w power amplifier which runs off 12v @ 2A. It was originally part of a quadraphonic car sound system which never materialised. My idea was...

Pre-amp > Tone stack > Gain recovery stage > Power amp

It's not the biggest unit in the world which is ideal for me, as I'd wanted something I could throw into the boot of my car without it taking up too much space and weight. I've got a couple of 100w 12inch speakers which will be put to good use too. This is what I've decided on after a bit of gentle research...

Valvecaster (clean only) > Fender tone stack > LPB1 > Power amp

It's very early days so feel free to pick up on any potential problems.

Thanks again.

[El Heisenberg]

I would not use the LPB1 for this. It has problems in normal operation let alone in an amp after a tone stack. Besides why poision the tube prestage with a cheap transistor.

Look at the schematic in my thread. Its one tube, same as valvecaster, with the tonestack and everything.
With that schem you will only need > tube preamp - tda2003 power amp. Wham bam thank u mamme!

[1878]

I've added on different tone stacks to different pedals over the years, and there's always a volume drop, a MASSIVE drop in the case of the Big Muff tone stack. I'll look into it a bit more, but I reckon there should be some sort of gain recovery. I've seen a few op-amp circuits which may do the job.

Either way, I was going to build 3 seperate circuits.

Valvecaster with tone stack > recovery stage > power amp.

I can try it with or without the recovery stage, or with different types of recovery stage before it all gets boxed up.