I finished populating board #2 and connected it to #1 with a 6 conductor ribbon cable. I spent some time looking at the schematic for the chorus board and determined what I had to do on the preamp board to get it to the point where it was working enough to test it. Jumpered FX_SND and FX_RTN. Also jumpered A/B_TIP and A/B_TS. Connected +/-15VDC and +36VDC (a little low but still should be ok for testing).
Turn on the power - no smoke, no sparks
I take a few basic measurements and things look normal. I hook up the signal generator and attach the ground clip of the scope probe. In the schematic, they included a little chart showing the expected voltages and waveforms at various test points:
Using this I quickly determined that the preamp seems to be working properly. A few of the voltages are off but this may be due to the lower B+ voltage. Tomorrow I'll connect the reverb tank and make sure that part of the circuit is correct.
It goes without saying that I'm breathing easier now.
I'll have my camera back tomorrow and will take a few snapshots.
Turn on the power - no smoke, no sparks
I take a few basic measurements and things look normal. I hook up the signal generator and attach the ground clip of the scope probe. In the schematic, they included a little chart showing the expected voltages and waveforms at various test points:
Using this I quickly determined that the preamp seems to be working properly. A few of the voltages are off but this may be due to the lower B+ voltage. Tomorrow I'll connect the reverb tank and make sure that part of the circuit is correct.
It goes without saying that I'm breathing easier now.
I'll have my camera back tomorrow and will take a few snapshots.
Thanks, and thanks for the encouragement
For my better boards, I do the silkscreen in copper (etch it into the top layer of a double sided board). Winds up looking like this:
I'll posts some pics tomorrow of the boards.
As promised, I have some pics of the preamp boards to show (finally got my camera back).
The component sides:
The solder side, boards neatly tinned:
I had some space so I added a trademark:
Some more detail:
Like I mentioned earlier it seems to work properly, at least from a measurement standpoint. I want to run some music through it to see how it sounds (still don't have a guitar).
I've started work on the chorus board. This time I'm doing a schematic capture before I do the board layout - maybe save myself some grief.
The component sides:
The solder side, boards neatly tinned:
I had some space so I added a trademark:
Some more detail:
Like I mentioned earlier it seems to work properly, at least from a measurement standpoint. I want to run some music through it to see how it sounds (still don't have a guitar).
I've started work on the chorus board. This time I'm doing a schematic capture before I do the board layout - maybe save myself some grief.
I'm in deep enough without expanding into tubes.
It's a LOT easier, as designs are crude and simple, and you're not looking for any kind of decent quality.
Problem is the HUGE cost.
Hi Nigel,
I could probably appreciate the simplicity but it's not something I want to get into, I feel no attraction to tubes at all and I believe it can be done just as well with solid state.
The Ampeg circuit is very detailed and complex and I'm enjoying it in the same way as some would do a crossword puzzle or some others a video game - it's a game to me, a way to engage my brain (for hours on end) without stress.
I could probably appreciate the simplicity but it's not something I want to get into, I feel no attraction to tubes at all and I believe it can be done just as well with solid state.
The Ampeg circuit is very detailed and complex and I'm enjoying it in the same way as some would do a crossword puzzle or some others a video game - it's a game to me, a way to engage my brain (for hours on end) without stress.
Thank you Magura, coming from you this is a true compliment
I try to use the materials I have on hand in all of the things I build, sometimes that works well and sometimes not.
I wanted to do something different and I'm seeing it finished in my mind but I'm not there yet. More time, more work and of course more money is needed.
I try to use the materials I have on hand in all of the things I build, sometimes that works well and sometimes not.
I wanted to do something different and I'm seeing it finished in my mind but I'm not there yet. More time, more work and of course more money is needed.
As do I - I come from the valve era, so aren't impressed by their high distortion, high noise levels, and poor frequency response.
I respect your desire to not turn this into a tubes vs transistors thread, but let me add this (it's in transistor's favor anyway, even though I love both):
I own two traynor amplifiers: a DG30D and a YCV20.
The DG30D, as some of you may have guessed is a solid-state combo amp (12 inch Celestion) with digital effects and including reverb. I was not impressed by this before I listened to the amplifier. I must admit it has one of the best reverbs I've ever heard, including my yamaha FX-500 effects processor.
The distortion is good if kept under 8, and the Vibrato, Flanger and Chorus all sound decent even though you can't adjust anything.
I love this amplifier.
The YCV20 is obviously the tube amplifier, and it breaks up into nice crunchy distortion when I want it to, then cleans up. The spring reverb is thin and actually it feeds back if set past 5! Overall I really like this amplifier, the distortion channel's tone is nice if kept under 5 then it gets "flabby" distortion. The clean if pushed to the maximum sounds better, according to me.
I also love this amplifier.
It is true that tube amplifiers (including the YCV20) are VERY Dynamic, and that's what I like. BUT it depends on the type of music you play, if you don't need to be dynamic in your playing, switching from clean to overdriven tones, then a tube amp is useless.
It really depends on what type of sound you're trying to achieve, and that depends on what type of music you like to listen.
If you like KISS, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc, a solid-state amp will never give you the overdriven sounds like them.
But clean tones? Solid-state rules. In efficiency, weight (transformers) and harmonic distortion.
All I'm saying is that it depends what you want to hear (and feel).
I own two traynor amplifiers: a DG30D and a YCV20.
The DG30D, as some of you may have guessed is a solid-state combo amp (12 inch Celestion) with digital effects and including reverb. I was not impressed by this before I listened to the amplifier. I must admit it has one of the best reverbs I've ever heard, including my yamaha FX-500 effects processor.
The distortion is good if kept under 8, and the Vibrato, Flanger and Chorus all sound decent even though you can't adjust anything.
I love this amplifier.
The YCV20 is obviously the tube amplifier, and it breaks up into nice crunchy distortion when I want it to, then cleans up. The spring reverb is thin and actually it feeds back if set past 5! Overall I really like this amplifier, the distortion channel's tone is nice if kept under 5 then it gets "flabby" distortion. The clean if pushed to the maximum sounds better, according to me.
I also love this amplifier.
It is true that tube amplifiers (including the YCV20) are VERY Dynamic, and that's what I like. BUT it depends on the type of music you play, if you don't need to be dynamic in your playing, switching from clean to overdriven tones, then a tube amp is useless.
It really depends on what type of sound you're trying to achieve, and that depends on what type of music you like to listen.
If you like KISS, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc, a solid-state amp will never give you the overdriven sounds like them.
But clean tones? Solid-state rules. In efficiency, weight (transformers) and harmonic distortion.
All I'm saying is that it depends what you want to hear (and feel).
for home MUSIC REPRODUCTION i would have to agree---though in my experience with many SS amps, no 'IC based overdrive' or simulated valve sound is worth poop. yes valves CAN be noiser, but the overdirve and clean sounds take SS to the garbage tip. UNLESS youre a bass player and have a 1000W rig and 4x10+2x18 so you dont sound like a bee in a bean can at 115dB
and to the OP...eminence ARENT bad speakers...but they arent celestion green backs either---i would go for the latter in a SS amp IMHO
Wow..nice cab
Have you had a look at the Weber alnico budget range speakers?
I gotta get four 10" Weber's for my Fender Super Reverb
they're $40 each, THE 12'S might be slightly more
I love valve amps, but tranny amps can sound pretty good
I've got an old Pignose 30/60, it sounds great and can just about
keep up with a drumkit at a jam
I don't have the circuit, but they're worth a look for a valvey-sounding SS
Cheers, Max
Have you had a look at the Weber alnico budget range speakers?
I gotta get four 10" Weber's for my Fender Super Reverb
they're $40 each, THE 12'S might be slightly more
I love valve amps, but tranny amps can sound pretty good
I've got an old Pignose 30/60, it sounds great and can just about
keep up with a drumkit at a jam
I don't have the circuit, but they're worth a look for a valvey-sounding SS
Cheers, Max
I don't know how interested you are, but...
CELESTION|G10 GREENBACK 8 OHM|LOUDSPEAKER, GUITAR 10" 25W 8R | CPC
£55 for a 10" greenback.
Looking forward to seeing this finally up and running,
Chris
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