Tube boost + overdrive running off a 9 volt battery

[zambo]

before you do anything, I would do some research through this thread and see what the voltage measurements are supposed to be. I would bet you find them in the first 10 to 15 pages. It should work just the way the schematic is. Try work arounds after you figure out if there is or isnt a mistake would be my advice. I will skim through to see if i can find something in here.

[zambo]

I found this from somewhere on here. Its a quote from Frequency Central. Hes really good at this so I think its from a pretty reliable source.

Here's voltages taken from my working Valvecaster, which I run at 12 volts:

Pin 1: 3.02v
Pin 2: -0.518v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 11.97v
Pin 6: 8.21v
Pin 7: -1.285v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 5.91v

Take measurements from yours with the tube in the socket, power engaged, and everything set to maximum and post them here. Also measure and post your power supply voltage.
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[kaalaraab]

Pin 1: 3.02v
Pin 2: -0.518v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 11.97v
Pin 6: 8.21v
Pin 7: -1.285v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 5.91v

DC power in is reading 11.99v.

Gain at maximum.

Edit: My gain pot is 100K not 50K.

OK, thanks, these are the right voltages. Pin 6 must be around 8V I made some test and with R3 at 22K pin 6 goes up to 6.2V, with all other pins going at right values, I only can think that there's the problem. I'm using Renegadrian's layout: http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/Renegadrian/Valvecaster+v0_5.jpg.html

These are my readings with R3=100k

Pin 1: 3.21v
Pin 2: -0.35v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 12.05v
Pin 6: 2.21v
Pin 7: -0.08v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 5.95v

Pin 7 also looks suspicious to me.

These are my readings with R3=22k


Pin 1: 3.3v
Pin 2: -0.36v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 12.05v
Pin 6: 6.06v
Pin 7: -0.06v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 5.95v

What else I should test with multimeter to know if having R3 at 22k affects anything else?

EDIT: My power supply throws 22 volts, after the Renegadrians 7812 divice, I read 12.06V

EDIT 2:

With R3=10k my readings are these.


Pin 1: 3.26v
Pin 2: -0.35v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 12.05v
Pin 6: 8.3v
Pin 7: -0.05v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 5.95v

Well, R3=10k seems to fix the voltage on pin6 but, does it affects anything else?

[zambo]

pin 7 is a grid so it should have ac voltage while being played. pins 2 and 7 are basicly signal in for each triode. Pin 1 still looks low but im guessing. Whats going on with pin 9? I dont even use that one. I put 12 volts to pin 5 and ground pin 4 for the heaters. Besides those things you should be getting sound.

[zambo]

I just compared yours to freqcentral. You should be good now...

[kaalaraab]

Yes, thankyou very much, Greg. I put in the 10k resistor, and it sounds and sounds really good!! Now I'm having the overdrive I was, we all was, talking about! And now I'm ready to start with the Twincaster.

[zambo]

if you are looking for hi gain you might just go right to a three tube version..I have found I am happiest with that. I gig with it all the time in a hard rock band. Just a thought. Glad to hear you got it working right. This is one of my fav pedals ever. Simple but effective. Congrats!

[kaalaraab]

if you are looking for hi gain you might just go right to a three tube version..I have found I am happiest with that. I gig with it all the time in a hard rock band. Just a thought. Glad to hear you got it working right. This is one of my fav pedals ever. Simple but effective. Congrats!

I have seen your videos, and that's how I would like to sound (pedal sound and guitar playing  ) In special this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbDJYMAp6Mo&

I hope to achieve that sound from one stompbox one day, I tried the vibracaster and realized that I have so much to learn. So I decided to build them all: Twincaster, then triple valvecaster, then vibracaster.

Thanks for your help and your videos. I'll be around here for a while 

[zambo]

Well thanks! Glad you are like them and glad you are building! If you really like hi gain...I built this pedal using a valvecaster and I think aron nelsons smaxh drive. I think I went into the smash drive first then into the valvecaster but it was all in one box. It sounded really cool, then i used the parts to make something else. Run off groove has some real cool pedals to. Big daddy is a good hi gain that uses lm386 in it. Anyway, Thank you and welcome aboard etc.!

[bassmannate]

Just ordered some parts to try a second time at this on a piece of stripboard instead of putting everything on the socket. Also got some parts to build a Ruby. Hopefully I can make a halfway decent bass amp out of it! 

[zambo]

are you going to do a half watt bass amp? Awsome! Post sound clips or vids when done please!! If you look on the beavis audio sight he had a way to bridge 2 lm386 n4's for a one watt amp that is pretty cool. I did it once and it was pretty loud for fitting in an altoids can!

[Harold]

I've tried a lot of mods supplied in this topic, but I still don't really like the ValveCaster as a "real tube tubescreamer replacement" type of overdrive/booster so now I'm looking for alternatives and found a simplified 3-button Chandler(?) tube driver schematic:



Has anyone tried to build it and compared it with the ValveCaster? Is this a nice pedal to build or should I go full monty with the 4-knob version with the bi-polar power supply?

[bassmannate]

are you going to do a half watt bass amp? Awsome! Post sound clips or vids when done please!! If you look on the beavis audio sight he had a way to bridge 2 lm386 n4's for a one watt amp that is pretty cool. I did it once and it was pretty loud for fitting in an altoids can!

Yeah, I'm going to do the 1/2 watt version. I was planning on doing the ruby with the bassman mods and going from there. I'll probably build the 1 watt version with the same mods eventually. It's cheap enough to build that can try a few different versions! Might even try making one with a tube preamp section eventually.

[fabienl]

Hi everyone,

i finished wiring everything, but i can't get it to work !
I followed the components scheme from the 1st page : http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/ValveCaster/MatsuminValveCasterWiring.gif
I have a more or less 16v dc power wallwart, which i regulate with a 7812 and 100uf cap, giving a stable 12v.
My voltages found on the tube are quite far from the ones that were posted previously of working valvecasters.
For example, for Pin 1 i have around 7v where other persons get around 3v.
I have my 12v coming well to the pin5, divided by two if i check with pin 9.

My first question is : are the potentiometers seen from the top or from the bottom ?
I wired those ones, thinking that they are seen from back. But now, as it doesn't work, i'm not sure anymore that it's the right way !
I will try to post tonight my voltages, and other questions, and perhaps some pictures of the wiring.

Thanks in advance.
Fabien.

[kaalaraab]

Fabien, the pots are looke from the bottom. But I'm not really sure if there's a difference on that and I'm pretty sure that they don't affect the voltage on the tube's pins. In my first try with this project, I wired the pins counterwise, are you sure you're doing it wright?

[fabienl]

Fabien, the pots are looke from the bottom. But I'm not really sure if there's a difference on that and I'm pretty sure that they don't affect the voltage on the tube's pins. In my first try with this project, I wired the pins counterwise, are you sure you're doing it wright?

I think so. Can you explain a little more ?

[kaalaraab]

Seeing the tube from the bottom, the pins goes clockwise.

[fabienl]

normally, it's right.
but i'll post some pics tonight, so that to get some help.
I'm quite sure i missed something, because it's quite an easy circuit ...

Fabien.

[fabienl]

Here are my voltages :

Pin 1: 7.44v
Pin 2: -0.42v
Pin 3: 0.00v
Pin 4: 0.00v
Pin 5: 12.10v
Pin 6: 3.37v
Pin 7: -0.58v
Pin 8: 0.00v
Pin 9: 6.11v
and here is the link to some pictures of inside :

http://picasaweb.google.com/fabien.lahaulle/Valvecaster?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDXm8H27IeZNg&feat=directlink

[Renegadrian]

as pin 9 is between pin 4 and 5, it usually reads half the voltage. It seems it's not a misoriented tube...