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Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2023 9:10 am
by Dr Tony Balls
uglysound wrote: Sat Apr 15, 2023 7:19 am
So clean, looks great! Did you end up using linear or reverse log for the bias pot?
Linear! Never had an issue with the taper on that, tbh.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:43 pm
by bassdriver
Dr Balls, have we ever discussed making a tube bass power amp? maybe in the 200 watts range. I'm super happy with my homemade preamp and don't think I needed to move around an Ampeg SVT or a Mesa 400 anymore if I had a tube power amp. do you think that would be doable? Would not mind if it came in 19" rack format, since I'm using racks anyway.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 4:48 pm
by Kniferide
bassdriver wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:43 pm
Dr Balls, have we ever discussed making a tube bass power amp? maybe in the 200 watts range. I'm super happy with my homemade preamp and don't think I needed to move around an Ampeg SVT or a Mesa 400 anymore if I had a tube power amp. do you think that would be doable? Would not mind if it came in 19" rack format, since I'm using racks anyway.
They aren't "nice" or anything, but I use my Peavey Classic 60 and 60/60 rack tube pwr amps for everything. they rule.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:53 am
by Dr Tony Balls
bassdriver wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:43 pm
Dr Balls, have we ever discussed making a tube bass power amp? maybe in the 200 watts range. I'm super happy with my homemade preamp and don't think I needed to move around an Ampeg SVT or a Mesa 400 anymore if I had a tube power amp. do you think that would be doable? Would not mind if it came in 19" rack format, since I'm using racks anyway.
We havent discussed it, but it's possible. The limiting element in my mind is the iron. You can get 200W tube amp iron but not from all the players. Mercury makes everything but they also cost approximately 1 zillion dollars. The biggest thing i've ever made was a direct Sunn Model T clone and I used Heyboer iron for that, which was more reasonably priced. I'm not sure what all of their option are, though, as they dont list models online, you just have to email em.
As far as the rack....not sure. The added weight from the transformers plus the need for heat dissipation might be a lot to work with. I've never built anything in rack-mount format.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2023 11:08 am
by bassdriver
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:53 am
bassdriver wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:43 pm
Dr Balls, have we ever discussed making a tube bass power amp? maybe in the 200 watts range. I'm super happy with my homemade preamp and don't think I needed to move around an Ampeg SVT or a Mesa 400 anymore if I had a tube power amp. do you think that would be doable? Would not mind if it came in 19" rack format, since I'm using racks anyway.
We havent discussed it, but it's possible. The limiting element in my mind is the iron. You can get 200W tube amp iron but not from all the players. Mercury makes everything but they also cost approximately 1 zillion dollars. The biggest thing i've ever made was a direct Sunn Model T clone and I used Heyboer iron for that, which was more reasonably priced. I'm not sure what all of their option are, though, as they dont list models online, you just have to email em.
As far as the rack....not sure. The added weight from the transformers plus the need for heat dissipation might be a lot to work with. I've never built anything in rack-mount format.
Thanks Tony. Haven’t thought about the output transformer!
About the rack format, you would not have to build it into a 19“ rack, more like a usual enclosure with, say, 4 HU front panel.
Not sure if an amp like that would need a ventilator….
Anyway I’m seriously interested in letting you build an amp like that and can contact you via your website!
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2023 5:51 pm
by VaticanShotglass
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 7:46 am
by biscuitdough
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Apr 18, 2023 9:53 am
bassdriver wrote: Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:43 pm
Dr Balls, have we ever discussed making a tube bass power amp? maybe in the 200 watts range. I'm super happy with my homemade preamp and don't think I needed to move around an Ampeg SVT or a Mesa 400 anymore if I had a tube power amp. do you think that would be doable? Would not mind if it came in 19" rack format, since I'm using racks anyway.
We havent discussed it, but it's possible. The limiting element in my mind is the iron. You can get 200W tube amp iron but not from all the players. Mercury makes everything but they also cost approximately 1 zillion dollars. The biggest thing i've ever made was a direct Sunn Model T clone and I used Heyboer iron for that, which was more reasonably priced. I'm not sure what all of their option are, though, as they dont list models online, you just have to email em.
As far as the rack....not sure. The added weight from the transformers plus the need for heat dissipation might be a lot to work with. I've never built anything in rack-mount format.
Weren't you getting custom transformers from Edcor or Lenco for a while?
Rack stuff, I think, usually involves fans and front-to-back ventilation. If you don't want to mount the tubes horizontally, it would also take up a lot of rack units of height. The network and server stuff I deal with usually has rails that attach to the front and back posts. Those old rack mount Mesa's just mounted at the front like typical audio gear, including the Bass 400.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Wed May 03, 2023 8:48 am
by Dr Tony Balls
biscuitdough wrote: Wed May 03, 2023 7:46 am
Weren't you getting custom transformers from Edcor or Lenco for a while?
Edcor, yes, but "custom" is not what i'd call it. They have a set number of models that are available but to keep inventory costs down the transformers are all based around a number of common cores and they are wound to order. Also they only make output transformers up to 100W.
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Tue May 09, 2023 2:20 pm
by llllllllllllllllllll
Have you ever looked into ***building tube mic pres? I still can’t get over how goddamn expensive studio stuff is and I was wondering if it was a whole different thing from tube amps
(edit)
Re: Balls Effects / Balls Amplification
Posted: Tue May 09, 2023 2:50 pm
by Garth
llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Tue May 09, 2023 2:20 pm
Have you ever looked into buying tube mic pres? I still can’t get over how goddamn expensive studio stuff is and I was wondering if it was a whole different thing from tube amps
Fuck yes this is a REALLY good question. Would absolutely assume at least logically that the needs (and expense) of a loud-ass amp are much greater than a preamp.
