Is it practical to build your own tube pre?

P

PollyWaffle

New member
possibly a really stupid question, but can you build your own tube pre at a reasonable cost?

maybe answering my own question, but i spose if it was everyone would do it... yeah?
 
I don't know anything about building music gear, but my guess would be its the same if you ask a mechanic is it practical to build your own engine. Sure it is...so long as you know what the heck you're doing.
 
At a reasonable cost for a tube pre, sure. Don't expect to save a ton of money, parts for a quality piece of gear aren't cheap, and you need some decent tools, most importantly a good soldering iron and a multimeter. And of course there's your labor, if you count that. If it's your first build, it's going to take you a good amount longer than it would take an experienced person. It's like building an amp, the satisfaction is a big part of the reason. If you like this kind of thing, go for it. I personally find it a lot of fun.
 
I've built 2 gyraf G9s, they cost me in the region of £300 a piece (just shy of $600). This can vary quite a bit depending on how much you're willing to spend on components (xformers and valves in particular).

http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/g9/g9pd.htm

You can order PCB's from the Black Market at Group DIY.

http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10776

These things sound wonderful.

If you don't have prior experience I'd recommend something a bit simpler first like a guitar pedal and then maybe a low voltage mic pre.

Electricity is dangerous, tube gear running on full plate voltage is EXTREMELY dangerous.

Here's a pic of my first born: :D
 
i'm building two 1176 clones from the group DIY thread. the MNats revision. It's going slowly. I got interupted with doing three 10' 24 channel balanced audio snakes. And now, we're getting a new old console and i'll have to recap that.

but i do plan to finish the two comps and box them before winter.......unless something else comes along
 
brendandwyer said:
i'm building two 1176 clones from the group DIY thread. the MNats revision. It's going slowly. I got interupted with doing three 10' 24 channel balanced audio snakes. And now, we're getting a new old console and i'll have to recap that.

but i do plan to finish the two comps and box them before winter.......unless something else comes along
Click to expand...
I started buying parts for the 1176 rev D but it's on hold for a while. I might even sell a partial parts kit in the Black market, I have the output iron and T600 attenuator which are fairly rare.

I'm gagging to get started on the Drip opto comp (LA2A clone). The iron alone for that bad boy is over £200! :eek:
 
Kevin DeSchwazi said:
I started buying parts for the 1176 rev D but it's on hold for a while. I might even sell a partial parts kit in the Black market, I have the output iron and T600 attenuator which are fairly rare.

I'm gagging to get started on the Drip opto comp (LA2A clone). The iron alone for that bad boy is over £200! :eek:
Click to expand...


wow....the 1176mnats rev is good. better grounding scheme, options for transformer balanced i/o. i just need a hot minute to finish them :)
 
The Group DIY projects are well-regarded, but it's possible to do a tube pre for much less spread. The transformers are the expensive bits . . . so omit them! :eek: Yes, I know, they would lynch me for that, but if you want to get started, you can go transformerless, and leave room for further growth as money allows.

The PRR Vari-Mu compressor has a VERY useful inexpensive PSU for a +150V plate tube plus +-15V supply for opamps (since we are doing a transformerless design, the opamps can be used as buffer stages), the heater is pulled from the +15V rail. That PSU design can be used for many different projects. I used it for my Peavey RAGE! mod.

So, if you are into doing your own design, take an existing schematic, replace the input and output trannies with opamps (find those schemos on the Jensen transformer--ironic, I know--or TI website--they have an opamp handbook), and you can probably do a stereo tube pre for $50 plus the box, knobs, meters, and such. You would need to do your own PCB, although I have a feeling the PAiA tube pre could be modded for full plate voltage fairly easily; that is a hybrid design . . .


Heretic! Heretic! Burn the heretic! :mad: :mad: :mad:

:o
 
Kevin DeSchwazi said:
One guy just fitted two into a 1u chassis!

http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22788
Click to expand...


My problem is i'm still doing electronics by numbers; i lack solid fundamentals that would allow the projects to go easier and with more success.

For instance, i have no idea how to size a toroidal tranny for my 1176. Now i know i could go to Prodigy Pro, put up with the "use the search function" crap, and get the right one. But i want to know WHY for next time you know?
 
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