Tube boost + overdrive running off a 9 volt battery

[BarnyardBill]

smaller value plate resistors give a cleaner boost. The resistor from pin 5 to pin 1 and the other to pin 6 can be disconected from pin 5 altogether. So just the 12.6 to pin 5. the higher voltage will go to the resistors connected to pin 1 and pin 6. That will seperate your heater from your plate voltage.

Thanks for the tip on getting a cleaner boost!  I am going to try this.  I'm still procrastinating on making the voltage pump.

Also, does anyone know of a schematic for an efficient voltage pump that goes up to around +200V? 

-Bill

[Renegadrian]

Bill, it's the nixie supply!

[Anon]

added a rotary switch at C5 to select different cap values and it sounds great! with each cap selection you get a bump at that frequency so you get different tones. some people complain the valvecaster is too dark sounding but adding a cap there will make a huge difference. at 2n2 I get a bright glassy sound, at 22n I get a bassy hi-mid sound

[Renegadrian]

108 pages and still tweaking, experimenting, and finding good or bad results...

12ax7 - it doesn't seem to work at 12v not with the valvy circuit not with others I've tried - gotta raise the voltage a little, not 300V but not less than 40.

tried another voltage multiplier, I made a vero layout - it works good with the valvy, and a chinese 12ax7 seems to benefit and gives all its best. I used a battery with 7.2V, out is 46.3V

gotta try to add a cap between pin 3 and ground! Nice if it brightens things a little!!! thx Anon!

[Big Dan]

Hey all. I've built a couple of these using the basic original design and running all point to point. Is there a verified layout on vero board for the original circuit, minus the tone knob? I have glanced through the entire thread, but I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

Thanks,
Dan

[Renegadrian]

You really did?! I don't think so, Dan... Allright, I'll point you where you can find it...Just go to the layout gallery in my personal folder.

[Big Dan]

Thanks for the layout Renagadrian. I do appologize for not finding it myself.

Since I am not a regular poster here, I can see why you doubt my honesty when I said I searched this whole thread. But believe me, I am not the kind of person who wants to bug others for answers I could find myself. I do appreciate all you've personally done to help keep this thread (and circuit) alive.

Dan

[Renegadrian]

that's ok man, you didn't have to excuse...you're welcome!  
My first sentence has to be read in a funny way, right!? 
Have fun with tubes!!!

[BarnyardBill]

Bill, it's the nixie supply!

Renegadrian,

I did some reading about the nixie supply.  You have a nice SMPS on your layouts, but the output says HV.  I understand that it means high voltage, but do you know how much it is exactly?  I am just wondering. 

One more question.    Do you think that a nixie supply is better than a voltage pump for this?  I noticed that they seem to work in different ways. 

Thanks again,

-Bill

[pazuzu]

hey quick "i'm a dipsh*t" question. on my tube socket there is a center pin on the back? what is this for, and can i put a 3mm led in it to illuminate the tube?

...is it a ground?

[Renegadrian]

Bill, it's the nixie supply!

Renegadrian,

I did some reading about the nixie supply.  You have a nice SMPS on your layouts, but the output says HV.  I understand that it means high voltage, but do you know how much it is exactly?  I am just wondering. 

One more question.    Do you think that a nixie supply is better than a voltage pump for this?  I noticed that they seem to work in different ways. 

Thanks again,

-Bill

THX, actually it can be credited to Rick as it follows its perf layout almost verbatim.
Voltages go from +-90V to +200V - basically you want to have a good voltage (say 200 or even less) while not running it at full throttle (it began to smell a little bad after a while so I turned the trimpot down a little, a bunch of V less but it won't blow that way!)
I think that circuit is quite good! It brings out a good amount of voltage, and verified to work good with tubes, as it's intended to be from the start. other ckts are good too, maybe less V but maybe smaller.
I made that 40106 multiplier, +-78v with 12v input. Sure it's less, but it's also smaller.
So it's up to you and your experimenting! I'd say try one of the others with one-tube-preamp/pedals while favour the nixie if it has to be inside a small amp like Ricks'
my 2c fwiw

[DrHobbitstein]

So I have just completed my third valvy (this one, I incorporated a swtichable LPB1 in the circuit).  Everything was working great, then I turned on my delay pedal and it all went to hell (yes, I've switched the delay back off).  The valvy first went near silent, and now it appears to be a valve powered sine wave generator (with gain controlling the pitch and tone controlling the shape, volume is still volume).  Now, as cool as it is to have a switchable synth on my pedal board  , I'd really like to know what the hell could've gone wrong.  I've pulled everything back out and it all looks solid.  Also, the LPB-1 side still acts as it should.  I switch it on and get a nice boost.  I kick on the Valvy side and it's pure sine wave.  Any thoughts?

[tipetu]

Recoded a song today with the valvie! Love the sound at the end!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQnpBpVI74U

[merlinb]

. on my tube socket there is a center pin on the back? what is this for, and can i put a 3mm led in it to illuminate the tube?

You can use it for mounting components directly to the socket, but otherwise it's nothing special. Yes, you can stuff an LED in there.

[Renegadrian]

Recoded a song today with the valvie! Love the sound at the end!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQnpBpVI74U

very nice!!! 

[Edalicious]

How hot does that tube get? I would like to be able to fit it inside the enclosure for portability but if heat is going to be an issue that might not be feasible. Has anyone else mounted it inside?

[merlinb]

How hot does that tube get? I would like to be able to fit it inside the enclosure for portability but if heat is going to be an issue that might not be feasible. Has anyone else mounted it inside?

It barely gets warm to the touch. Mounting it in a box won't be a problem.

[Edalicious]

It barely gets warm to the touch. Mounting it in a box won't be a problem.

Excellent! I might try to cut a hole in the enclosure anyway. It seems a bit of a waste to stick a tube in a pedal and not show it off 

[Dongle]

Hi all!
With the help of you guys, I managed to build my own valve-caster. I used the Renegadrian layout without tone.
Overall, I like the tone, but I am not so convinced from the usability:
1. Sometimes I get some kind of oscillations
2. Its sometimes not very "direct"

So, I hoped to solve the problems by adding a buffer behind that thing.

Please tell me, what I did wrong:
I placed the buffer behind the volume Poti (was easier than before..)
I used a schematic from that page: http://www.muzique.com/lab/buffers.htm : the first schmeatic using an opamp (the one with only two caps, one resistor and one IC)
Instead of the TL071 I used a TL072 and connected my supply to pin 8 not pin 7.

Result: NO sound.... But if I disconnected the resitor, I do get a sound - but a very "bright" (in the negative sense) one...

What did I do wrong?!?

Is there any verified layout for the valve caster with buffer that I could use instead?

Thanks and regards!!

[merlinb]

Result: NO sound.... But if I disconnected the resitor, I do get a sound - but a very "bright" (in the negative sense) one...

The resistor needs to be connected to "Vr" = reference voltage that is about half the supply voltage. Did you accidentally connect it to ground instead?


I would suggest you add one more resistor and turn it into this buffer: