DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part :p
- Thread starter Phantasmagoria
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part 
Thanks :beerchug:
I'm hoping I can get it all done in a week or two...but who knows
Regarding airmail from China....normally 2-3 weeks. But I had something reach me in two days once & it's also taken as long as a couple of months on one or two occasions..so there's no telling really :laugh2:
Thanks :beerchug:
I'm hoping I can get it all done in a week or two...but who knows
Regarding airmail from China....normally 2-3 weeks. But I had something reach me in two days once & it's also taken as long as a couple of months on one or two occasions..so there's no telling really :laugh2:
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
This basic design could be a good starting point for a good sounding compact bass amp.
This basic design could be a good starting point for a good sounding compact bass amp.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Yeah, I'm sure it could ..probably sound killer :bigthumb:
Yeah, I'm sure it could ..probably sound killer :bigthumb:
GoldenVulture
Braindeadologist
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
These modules are great and can be adapted to many " Amp " scenarios. I'm still marvelling at how well they reproduce the bottom end, let alone their sonic spectrum being great to start with.
These modules are great and can be adapted to many " Amp " scenarios. I'm still marvelling at how well they reproduce the bottom end, let alone their sonic spectrum being great to start with.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Speaking of bottom end, I'm going to need some kind of cap/s in series for the main line (ie..not the mid-sweep circuit). I tried it through my 1x12 with an Eminence Legend GB128 & the bass was a bit excessive when I bypassed the mid sweep.
Mid sweep engaged sounds pretty cool though..here's another sloppy little clip with it through the 1x12 cab.
I tweaked the EQ (tone knob) a bit and turned down the gain (about 3-4). No delay or FX. The mid-sweep was turned about halfway up (noon) ..recorded @ conversation level:
EDIT: Forgot to mention my volume pot is now 25K (actually a 50k pot with a 47k resistor across the outer lugs, cause I did'nt have a 25k pot). The taper is awesome. I had'nt soldered the resistor across the pot when I recorded the clip ~ just sort of hung it around the ends. It sounds way nicer now that it's soldered in place (clearer/fatter/sweeter) :bigthumb:
Speaking of bottom end, I'm going to need some kind of cap/s in series for the main line (ie..not the mid-sweep circuit). I tried it through my 1x12 with an Eminence Legend GB128 & the bass was a bit excessive when I bypassed the mid sweep.
Mid sweep engaged sounds pretty cool though..here's another sloppy little clip with it through the 1x12 cab.
I tweaked the EQ (tone knob) a bit and turned down the gain (about 3-4). No delay or FX. The mid-sweep was turned about halfway up (noon) ..recorded @ conversation level:
EDIT: Forgot to mention my volume pot is now 25K (actually a 50k pot with a 47k resistor across the outer lugs, cause I did'nt have a 25k pot). The taper is awesome. I had'nt soldered the resistor across the pot when I recorded the clip ~ just sort of hung it around the ends. It sounds way nicer now that it's soldered in place (clearer/fatter/sweeter) :bigthumb:
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Got up early this morning and did some more jamming :bigthumb: .. sounds great with the new volume pot/resistor..
I shifted the mid-sweep up a couple of times from 12 noon to nearly maxed out..
The GB128 makes it sound more British I think.. of course this is with the upper mids boosted. It's got a chewy bite/gritty grain to it.
Just need to shave a bit of excess bass off the main dirt channel/line now. Apparently something like a 100/200nf cap in line with the signal should do the trick (?)
Golden Vulture/Hank/anyone .. if you have a cap type/value range to suggest, I'd be very much obliged
I just have a bunch of guitar tone caps (.022/.047uf) lying around and they do nothing :lmao:
Got up early this morning and did some more jamming :bigthumb: .. sounds great with the new volume pot/resistor..
I shifted the mid-sweep up a couple of times from 12 noon to nearly maxed out..
The GB128 makes it sound more British I think.. of course this is with the upper mids boosted. It's got a chewy bite/gritty grain to it.
Just need to shave a bit of excess bass off the main dirt channel/line now. Apparently something like a 100/200nf cap in line with the signal should do the trick (?)
Golden Vulture/Hank/anyone .. if you have a cap type/value range to suggest, I'd be very much obliged
I just have a bunch of guitar tone caps (.022/.047uf) lying around and they do nothing :lmao:
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
After checking out a bunch of caps/resistors as passive RC high pass filter's and them not really doing the trick to my satisfaction, (bottom still sounds excessive..more 'over-dark' than flabby, but I'd like to fix that ) I decided to pick this up instead..
Active high pass board. It's about the same size as the slow start board which I've decided to omit since the amp or power supply has a slow start built into it already. Plus, beyond filtering out extra bass I can see it being pretty useful for fine tuning amp response with different cabs etc. I'm thinking of having the knobs adjustable from the bottom of the amp as a sort of (semi-) "set & forget" control.
Of course this means a bit more waiting to do & a slight escalation in total cost (...upto a grand total of about $167 :laugh2
After checking out a bunch of caps/resistors as passive RC high pass filter's and them not really doing the trick to my satisfaction, (bottom still sounds excessive..more 'over-dark' than flabby, but I'd like to fix that ) I decided to pick this up instead..
Active high pass board. It's about the same size as the slow start board which I've decided to omit since the amp or power supply has a slow start built into it already. Plus, beyond filtering out extra bass I can see it being pretty useful for fine tuning amp response with different cabs etc. I'm thinking of having the knobs adjustable from the bottom of the amp as a sort of (semi-) "set & forget" control.
Of course this means a bit more waiting to do & a slight escalation in total cost (...upto a grand total of about $167 :laugh2
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
That's something that crossed my mind as well. But there's definitely some boominess going on...
My experimentation with caps & resistors as passive filters did'nt seem to make much of a change at all (I tried 100nf/220nf caps & 20/50k trimpots), that was the problem. Maybe I just did something wrong or used the wrong values or something. I could'nt really tell any difference & the boomy bass never went anywhere. It just stayed where it was :lmao:
Secondly, the "direct" (bypassing the mid-boost) sound, (which is what I'm having a problem with) actually sounds perfect with the 10" Line 6 driver I was using for testing which probably lacks bass since it's a cheap driver & is'nt in a cab. It sounds round and full/darkish but not boomy at all. So I think shaving off bass is what I need to do.
I'm fine with the 'direct' channel being darker/fuller in fact it's what I want since I can get brighter, more British tones with the mid-boost channel, so yeah, fatter and darker is what I'd like it to be, but without the boominess.
Here's the specs of the high pass board. It *should* do what I want it to (..hopefully)
Frequency Control : High Pass Filter adjustable 80-750Hz 6db
Treble Boost Control : 0-12db @ 12Khz
Volume Control
Max Pre Out Voltage: 10V @ 2x18vdc P.S
PCB Size: 70mm*40mm double-sided HAL,FR4 1.6MM
Potentiometer Gap: 25mm (Center to Center)
That's something that crossed my mind as well. But there's definitely some boominess going on...
My experimentation with caps & resistors as passive filters did'nt seem to make much of a change at all (I tried 100nf/220nf caps & 20/50k trimpots), that was the problem. Maybe I just did something wrong or used the wrong values or something. I could'nt really tell any difference & the boomy bass never went anywhere. It just stayed where it was :lmao:
Secondly, the "direct" (bypassing the mid-boost) sound, (which is what I'm having a problem with) actually sounds perfect with the 10" Line 6 driver I was using for testing which probably lacks bass since it's a cheap driver & is'nt in a cab. It sounds round and full/darkish but not boomy at all. So I think shaving off bass is what I need to do.
I'm fine with the 'direct' channel being darker/fuller in fact it's what I want since I can get brighter, more British tones with the mid-boost channel, so yeah, fatter and darker is what I'd like it to be, but without the boominess.
Here's the specs of the high pass board. It *should* do what I want it to (..hopefully)
Frequency Control : High Pass Filter adjustable 80-750Hz 6db
Treble Boost Control : 0-12db @ 12Khz
Volume Control
Max Pre Out Voltage: 10V @ 2x18vdc P.S
PCB Size: 70mm*40mm double-sided HAL,FR4 1.6MM
Potentiometer Gap: 25mm (Center to Center)
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Wow, turns out I was losing top end due to a bad dpdt switch (push button). It was popping a bit and I decided to change it and all of a sudden everything sounded 100% fine. I mean it's still dark & recto-ish when bypassing the mid-sweep but it's freaking awesome
No hint of flab.. just beefy thick low mid-driven chunky chugs & sweet as **** lead tones.. :bigthumb:
The only down side...I think I'm stuck with a high pass filter I won't have any need for now.
Or I could still stick it in there..with a bypass switch at the back. :33:
:lmao:
Wow, turns out I was losing top end due to a bad dpdt switch (push button). It was popping a bit and I decided to change it and all of a sudden everything sounded 100% fine. I mean it's still dark & recto-ish when bypassing the mid-sweep but it's freaking awesome
No hint of flab.. just beefy thick low mid-driven chunky chugs & sweet as **** lead tones.. :bigthumb:
The only down side...I think I'm stuck with a high pass filter I won't have any need for now.
Or I could still stick it in there..with a bypass switch at the back. :33:
:lmao:
GoldenVulture
Braindeadologist
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Your high pass filter might push it more into VOX tone territory. :friday:Wow, turns out I was losing top end due to a bad dpdt switch (push button). It was popping a bit and I decided to change it and all of a sudden everything sounded 100% fine. I mean it's still dark & recto-ish when bypassing the mid-sweep but it's freaking awesome
No hint of flab.. just beefy thick low mid-driven chunky chugs & sweet as **** lead tones.. :bigthumb:
The only down side...I think I'm stuck with a high pass filter I won't have any need for now.
Or I could still stick it in there..with a bypass switch at the back. :33:
:lmao:
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Clip with my AXL Badwater 1216 LP Copy (using a 3mm 'Big stubby' plck) ~ Direct tone/mid-sweep bypassed, into my Bugera 4x12 (That's my fattest/darkest sounding guitar and cab). Terribly sloppy ...sorry about that
Tone Knob's @ 12 o'clock / Gain between 1-2 o'clock.
It's mega thick & dark & fat..but I don't hear much boominess/flab :bigthumb:
Clip with my AXL Badwater 1216 LP Copy (using a 3mm 'Big stubby' plck) ~ Direct tone/mid-sweep bypassed, into my Bugera 4x12 (That's my fattest/darkest sounding guitar and cab). Terribly sloppy ...sorry about that
Tone Knob's @ 12 o'clock / Gain between 1-2 o'clock.
It's mega thick & dark & fat..but I don't hear much boominess/flab :bigthumb:
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
:lmao:
haha...why not? This thing is all over the place already
Jam some Suffocation.. flip the switch & bang out Love Me Do :lmao:
:lmao:
haha...why not? This thing is all over the place already
Jam some Suffocation.. flip the switch & bang out Love Me Do :lmao:
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
What is the mains input dc voltagethe amp is receiving? If its adjustable then bring it down to 60V if you have been feeding it 65V, it may help the highs come out a bit & lower the overall dark nature of it. It will decrease the overall power too but you already have lots available so a little less power wont affect things in a huge way that you'll start getting distortion in a bad way. You can give that a try if its possible.
If you add a active highs boosting circuit then you might notice more hiss & string noise plus harshness overall. If you try cutting the bass side then it might help the highs cone out but not by a whole lot if there isnt much to begin with.
I'm thiking an eq after the preamp may help but not 100%. Actually you could try changing the outpput filter components of the amp to better match your load impedance but i think thats an smd filled module so best not to try that unless you can desolder tiny components without damaging the contact pads.
What is the mains input dc voltagethe amp is receiving? If its adjustable then bring it down to 60V if you have been feeding it 65V, it may help the highs come out a bit & lower the overall dark nature of it. It will decrease the overall power too but you already have lots available so a little less power wont affect things in a huge way that you'll start getting distortion in a bad way. You can give that a try if its possible.
If you add a active highs boosting circuit then you might notice more hiss & string noise plus harshness overall. If you try cutting the bass side then it might help the highs cone out but not by a whole lot if there isnt much to begin with.
I'm thiking an eq after the preamp may help but not 100%. Actually you could try changing the outpput filter components of the amp to better match your load impedance but i think thats an smd filled module so best not to try that unless you can desolder tiny components without damaging the contact pads.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Sorry dudes, the "like" button's not working.
It's a fixed 65 volts. I don't think it's adjustable. I did actually order a 60V board as well, but the guy said it was out of stock and I ended up with two 65V boards (one as back-up).
The distortion board itself does not have a ton of brightness to it. It's a dark sound...but does'nt get boomy/muddy. I was aware of that. The bad switch /push-button made it boom really badly, which I did'nt like, but after replacing that t's back to the way I remember it sounding now.
That clip was just to demonstrate the darkest "usable" (ok, maybe that's subjective :laugh2 tone I could get out out of it (ie warm guitar, dark cab, thick pick, tone knob 'centered', gain really pushed etc..etc..) without it turning muddy - I mean, that tone is very dark but there's a tight grip on the low-mids. I'd still like to be able to dial in a hair more treble/shave off a touch of bass if I could though..
Although it does get a fair bit brighter without those extreme settings, it is still a dark sounding amp. But then I play doom & death metal, so that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for... :lmao:
Also it's funny, but despite the low chords being pretty dark.. the highs (leads) are really bright & sweet ..lots of glass & pick attack if you want it. To me that's an ideal situation
On the other hand, when I engage the "mid boost" circuit I can get some very bright tones. Maybe not quite VOX bright ..but almost there, and it cuts the bass in half.
Which means between the two circuits I can cover a fair bit of ground.
If I'm able to hook up the high pass filter to just shave a touch of lows off & marginally boost the highs without encountering the issues you mentioned (ie hiss/harshness etc) then I will probably throw in a switch to make it bypassable, since I quite like the mega dark/thick tones it's producing now anyway ...plus as I mentioned, with a twist of the "tone" knob towards the "treble" side it actually does get a fair bit brighter than that clip up there anyway.
Sorry dudes, the "like" button's not working.
It's a fixed 65 volts. I don't think it's adjustable. I did actually order a 60V board as well, but the guy said it was out of stock and I ended up with two 65V boards (one as back-up).
The distortion board itself does not have a ton of brightness to it. It's a dark sound...but does'nt get boomy/muddy. I was aware of that. The bad switch /push-button made it boom really badly, which I did'nt like, but after replacing that t's back to the way I remember it sounding now.
That clip was just to demonstrate the darkest "usable" (ok, maybe that's subjective :laugh2
tone I could get out out of it (ie warm guitar, dark cab, thick pick, tone knob 'centered', gain really pushed etc..etc..) without it turning muddy - I mean, that tone is very dark but there's a tight grip on the low-mids. I'd still like to be able to dial in a hair more treble/shave off a touch of bass if I could though..Although it does get a fair bit brighter without those extreme settings, it is still a dark sounding amp. But then I play doom & death metal, so that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for... :lmao:
Also it's funny, but despite the low chords being pretty dark.. the highs (leads) are really bright & sweet ..lots of glass & pick attack if you want it. To me that's an ideal situation
On the other hand, when I engage the "mid boost" circuit I can get some very bright tones. Maybe not quite VOX bright ..but almost there, and it cuts the bass in half.
Which means between the two circuits I can cover a fair bit of ground.
If I'm able to hook up the high pass filter to just shave a touch of lows off & marginally boost the highs without encountering the issues you mentioned (ie hiss/harshness etc) then I will probably throw in a switch to make it bypassable, since I quite like the mega dark/thick tones it's producing now anyway ...plus as I mentioned, with a twist of the "tone" knob towards the "treble" side it actually does get a fair bit brighter than that clip up there anyway.
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Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
This is probably the limit to how bright it can get on the direct channel (treble maxed, gain reduced, tube preamp dialed back etc...) The second part is the mid sweep with the same settings (sounds a bit hairy). But it can get even (a lot) brighter with the sweep knob turned up..
Same cab as the last clip.
This is probably the limit to how bright it can get on the direct channel (treble maxed, gain reduced, tube preamp dialed back etc...) The second part is the mid sweep with the same settings (sounds a bit hairy). But it can get even (a lot) brighter with the sweep knob turned up..
Same cab as the last clip.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
Meanwhile, since I have a bit of a wait before the high pass/treble boost board comes in, I decided to finish the little that was left of the chassis (ie, mounting the topside handles/fans & tolexing the chopping board base..all that's left to do now is attach the front face/panel & screw in the rubber feet..
Have'nt yet decided on whether I want to keep the front rack-mount type handles since I already have a pair of handles on top now & it might just be 'handle overkill' lol, so those are'nt screwed in yet. I might lose them & add some black corners instead, probably more useful and look nice too :bigthumb:
No Front Handles.. I'm leaning more towards this look, maybe with some black metal corners.
I also tried lining the EL wire in the concealed groove I made for it around the control panel..lights the whole thing up really nicely/evenly..just a warm glow, not super bright & the effect's pretty sick
Oh yeah the last thing I have to do is attach these clasps I bought for it - two on each side. They're gonna hold the base/headshell together. I'm not using screws.
Meanwhile, since I have a bit of a wait before the high pass/treble boost board comes in, I decided to finish the little that was left of the chassis (ie, mounting the topside handles/fans & tolexing the chopping board base..all that's left to do now is attach the front face/panel & screw in the rubber feet..
Have'nt yet decided on whether I want to keep the front rack-mount type handles since I already have a pair of handles on top now & it might just be 'handle overkill' lol, so those are'nt screwed in yet. I might lose them & add some black corners instead, probably more useful and look nice too :bigthumb:
No Front Handles.. I'm leaning more towards this look, maybe with some black metal corners.
I also tried lining the EL wire in the concealed groove I made for it around the control panel..lights the whole thing up really nicely/evenly..just a warm glow, not super bright & the effect's pretty sick
Oh yeah the last thing I have to do is attach these clasps I bought for it - two on each side. They're gonna hold the base/headshell together. I'm not using screws.
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Re: DIY amp build: Done with the headshell ..now comes the tough part
There is whine noise thats getting introduced with the mid sweep in the last clip second half. Is it coming from the guitar or is there wirh nothing plugged in the preamp? It can be fixed, i recognised it quickly since ive got it before with smps adapters for my pedals. Was anything from the fx side engaged too in that clip?
Its not a very bright sound like over the top, i find it good enough maybe its the micing:flowers1:
Have you tried any other preamps through the power section yet?
There is whine noise thats getting introduced with the mid sweep in the last clip second half. Is it coming from the guitar or is there wirh nothing plugged in the preamp? It can be fixed, i recognised it quickly since ive got it before with smps adapters for my pedals. Was anything from the fx side engaged too in that clip?
Its not a very bright sound like over the top, i find it good enough maybe its the micing:flowers1:
Have you tried any other preamps through the power section yet?
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