TS into booster without clipping the booster?

[skrunk]

a mate has asked me to build him a booster circuit which he wants to put in his TS808 clone for more volume.
he says he normally runs the TS at full Drive and Level and just wants an additional 15-20db or so on top of that.

I presume running a TS at full bore into something like the LPB would just clip the booster?
Is there a way of increasing the headroom of the booster to prevent this?
as both circuits would be running of the same 9v supply, I don't suppose running them both at 18v would help?

[askwho69]

MMHH i think for the clipping add more diodes? to boost volume and minus some drive a little bit.. .. .. 

[skrunk]

MMHH i think for the clipping add more diodes? to boost volume and minus some drive a little bit.. .. .. 

you mean, forget the booster, just mod the TS to output more volume relative to the drive?

[petemoore]

  Start with 18v, pick a good booster out, bias a Jfet or Mosfet or use an opamp or something.
  This approaches wher I'd be tempted to ask 'is this in leu of a preamp?'...ie description sounds like a too hot signal to put into a preamp, near not enough to drive an output amplifier.

[anchovie]

MMHH i think for the clipping add more diodes? to boost volume and minus some drive a little bit.. .. .. 

you mean, forget the booster, just mod the TS to output more volume relative to the drive?

If you increase the value of the drive pot (or put a fixed resistor in series with it as he runs it on max) you can increase the gain to get the old amount of clipping back with the extra diodes.

[Ben N]

So you just want a volume boost with no additional clipping or compression? A non-inverting opamp (something like a Microamp) at 18v should do the trick.

[skrunk]

thanks for the input guys.

So you just want a volume boost with no additional clipping or compression? A non-inverting opamp (something like a Microamp) at 18v should do the trick.

yeah, he just wants the additional volume on top of the TS.
I think he said it was so he doesn't have to keep the level knob on the TS dimed all the time, so I guess the booster wouldn't have to be able to handle
the TS at full drive and level going into it, so I'll just set the booster to max and see how much I can turn up the TS level knob before the booster clips.
I was hoping to use a LPB because I could do it on a small bit of vero with a trimmer, and just insert it before the output of the TS.
found a few tweaks mentioned in other posts that could increase its headroom so I'll try some of those.

ben, would the microamp circuit need a voltage doubler to be run at 18v?
I tried both the TS and a LPB boost at 18v just for fun but it sounded horrendous.
I'm also having trouble discerning between the TS clipping and the LPB being clipped too, as you're hearing both,
so I'm kinda guessing as the when it stops sounding like a TS, but I'm no TS aficionado.

[Mugshot]

the idea of having a "transparent" opamp boost running at 18V i think is a plausible idea. just imagine the headroom. 

[skrunk]

the idea of having a "transparent" opamp boost running at 18V i think is a plausible idea. just imagine the headroom. 

yeah it sounds like the best option, I think I can squeeze it in there which is why I'm wondering if it needs the additional components of a  voltage doubler.
he's not gonna be using a battery at that point either, so that's more room to play with.

[caress]

maybe he just needs to turn all the pedals down and his amp up.  BOOM instant additional volume!   

[skrunk]

maybe he just needs to turn all the pedals down and his amp up.  BOOM instant additional volume!   

well that was the first thing I thought of too, but didn't want to say in case he thought I thought he was dumb
I don't use amps or guitars myself, so I just reckoned he must just want to drive his amp harder for whatever reason, thinking "yeah, guitarists, whatever...".

[Ben N]

OK, hold the fort. If the maximum volume level the guy wants is "the TS dimed," then what he really needs is two sets of drive/volume controls on the TS, switchable. Lookee here. You could even do this without the boost, since all your guy really wants is two volume settings, or with a Fulldrive-style faux-boost, which is really just an extra gain pot in the drive section feedback loop. Note also John Greene's solution for not overdriving the eq section (only relevant if you are implementing a boost).

Personally, my feeling is that extra gain stages don't make sense if (a) you don't want any change in the sound, and (b) you already have enough volume on tap. Why add the noise and distortion of another amplifier? Just remove the impediment. Wahlah--no need for voltage doublers or charge pumps, just some rewiring and a couple of mechanical components installed, and you're good to go.

BTW, I have used the NPN Boost (the beginner project here) as a boost after a variety of overdrives, and it sounds great, and doesn't add any noticeable distortion. A DOD FX10 was ok too. However, when i do use a boost after an OD, the OD is typically set to a very modest volume increase over unity, so it isn't really taxing the headroom of the booster all that much.

[caress]

BTW, I have used the NPN Boost (the beginner project here) as a boost after a variety of overdrives, and it sounds great, and doesn't add any noticeable distortion. A DOD FX10 was ok too. However, when i do use a boost after an OD, the OD is typically set to a very modest volume increase over unity, so it isn't really taxing the headroom of the booster all that much.

or just do that... keep the gain of the TS up, but lower the volume - that way you get the boost with the sound you want.  do away with the volume pot on the TS and just use the boost's output.