amzavareei
New member
Got a few Ideas for some preamp mods you might fiind interesting and useful.
Just something I had swishing around in my head for a while, thought I might mount a second tube socket in some of my preamps with a switch to switch the tube used without having to actually pull it out and replace it. I would just have to find a switch with that many poles though, or I could use multiple switches. Maybe I could even use one side of one tube and the other of another tube with 2 switches. I'd have to be careful not to have them both on at once, or maybe It would explode!
I'm also of thinking of putting a pot on my VTB-1 on the input to give me a variable input impedence, even though it has a two position selector, infinity would be even better!
Of course I'm gonna change some tubes, opamps and caps and diodes in them (Tube MP, VTB-1, Aphex 107) etc... like GT Mullard clones and Ei Telefunken clones, AD825s, Nichicon UPWs, and Schottkys, respectively...
And I'm putting Tube dampers on my tubes too, keeps microphonics down.
I was also thinking of getting the Bellari MP105 and do the mods on http://www.blacklioaudio.com too. It's supposed to be a cruddy preamp, but it's got full plate voltage, and apparently just needs a few modifications to sound really sweet.
Oh, and I got a hint for you all. I got an old 5 channel tube mixer off eBay for like 70 bucks. Only 2 of the channels really work, but I think I could fix the others If I was ever so inclined, but 2 of a flavor is good for now. I tapped the channels gain pots to get direct outs and wired to a couple TRS jacks for some classic tube sweetness. Great idea for you all for some cheap vintage tube flavor. Make sure you put in a grounded plug though, my friend burned himself on it hooking up a mic cable! If I run out of channels I could also use the mixed out, and I could put two toms on one track. I might pop in a new transformer sometime, but it's really cool the way it is for kick and snare. Also I hear Altec Lansing made some really nice broadcast compressors back in the day that you can get cheap sometimes.
And Tapeop has a mod for the Paia preamp I might check out sometime too. http://www.tapeop.com/
Any comments, suggestions or questions on any of this is encouraged!
Just something I had swishing around in my head for a while, thought I might mount a second tube socket in some of my preamps with a switch to switch the tube used without having to actually pull it out and replace it. I would just have to find a switch with that many poles though, or I could use multiple switches. Maybe I could even use one side of one tube and the other of another tube with 2 switches. I'd have to be careful not to have them both on at once, or maybe It would explode!
I'm also of thinking of putting a pot on my VTB-1 on the input to give me a variable input impedence, even though it has a two position selector, infinity would be even better!
Of course I'm gonna change some tubes, opamps and caps and diodes in them (Tube MP, VTB-1, Aphex 107) etc... like GT Mullard clones and Ei Telefunken clones, AD825s, Nichicon UPWs, and Schottkys, respectively...
And I'm putting Tube dampers on my tubes too, keeps microphonics down.
I was also thinking of getting the Bellari MP105 and do the mods on http://www.blacklioaudio.com too. It's supposed to be a cruddy preamp, but it's got full plate voltage, and apparently just needs a few modifications to sound really sweet.
Oh, and I got a hint for you all. I got an old 5 channel tube mixer off eBay for like 70 bucks. Only 2 of the channels really work, but I think I could fix the others If I was ever so inclined, but 2 of a flavor is good for now. I tapped the channels gain pots to get direct outs and wired to a couple TRS jacks for some classic tube sweetness. Great idea for you all for some cheap vintage tube flavor. Make sure you put in a grounded plug though, my friend burned himself on it hooking up a mic cable! If I run out of channels I could also use the mixed out, and I could put two toms on one track. I might pop in a new transformer sometime, but it's really cool the way it is for kick and snare. Also I hear Altec Lansing made some really nice broadcast compressors back in the day that you can get cheap sometimes.
And Tapeop has a mod for the Paia preamp I might check out sometime too. http://www.tapeop.com/
Any comments, suggestions or questions on any of this is encouraged!