Tube boost + overdrive running off a 9 volt battery

[Lurco]

you grounded your in and out sockets? or mounted them in a grounded metal box?

[Lurco]

thread is too long!

[toplak666]

I'm guessing your power supply is at fault for both your problems... If your power supply doesn't have extremely good filtering then 12AX7s will produce a nasty hum. Also, if your power supply can't provide enough current then that can lower output volume AND cause noise.
This is just a hunch though so take it for what it's worth...

[Burdin]

you grounded your in and out sockets? or mounted them in a grounded metal box?

I think they're grounded, it's not in a box, yet. I want to make it work on the table before mounting.
On PCB i made one ground for all connections, so there's going ground from power supply, in ond out jacket pots, etc. I'm not 100% sure if it's right, but with my basic understanding of electronics, I think it's ok.

I'm guessing your power supply is at fault for both your problems... If your power supply doesn't have extremely good filtering then 12AX7s will produce a nasty hum. Also, if your power supply can't provide enough current then that can lower output volume AND cause noise.
This is just a hunch though so take it for what it's worth...

It's possible0, at first I used older power supply with changable output voltage, it was 12V/500mA, then I used older PC power supply and effect was same, I thought that PC power supply have a good filtering.

I made recording of this problem, pls at first put volume on your speakers down, that noise is loud.
https://soundcloud.com/burdin84/valvecater-problem
around 0:08 I turned with volume pot to 0.

Maybe problem can be in capacitors? I bought caps with designated capacity, but according to what I saw on the interenet it's different type, ceramic I think. Here's a picture.

[jmwreck]

I have finally build the boobtube, I put a sho in front and klon buffer after it, but there's no overdrive at all, I tried to maximize the gain knob of the tube, all I can hear is a volume boost, I have also tried maximizing my sho, but no drive at all. I'm using a tungsol 12au7, the tube lit up just a tiny spark of orange, I have the Renegadrian's multiplier with a 12v source, I have also tried replacing the gain pot to 500k, it doesn't help. I've listened to some demo and the overdrive sound is really there, all I can hear in my build is just a volume boost with no crunch whatsoever.

[Jdansti]

you grounded your in and out sockets? or mounted them in a grounded metal box?

I think they're grounded, it's not in a box, yet. I want to make it work on the table before mounting.
On PCB i made one ground for all connections, so there's going ground from power supply, in ond out jacket pots, etc. I'm not 100% sure if it's right, but with my basic understanding of electronics, I think it's ok.

I'm guessing your power supply is at fault for both your problems... If your power supply doesn't have extremely good filtering then 12AX7s will produce a nasty hum. Also, if your power supply can't provide enough current then that can lower output volume AND cause noise.
This is just a hunch though so take it for what it's worth...

It's possible0, at first I used older power supply with changable output voltage, it was 12V/500mA, then I used older PC power supply and effect was same, I thought that PC power supply have a good filtering.

I made recording of this problem, pls at first put volume on your speakers down, that noise is loud.
https://soundcloud.com/burdin84/valvecater-problem
around 0:08 I turned with volume pot to 0.

Maybe problem can be in capacitors? I bought caps with designated capacity, but according to what I saw on the interenet it's different type, ceramic I think.

It's been a long time since I built my Valvecaster, but my memory is that mine was noisy until I got it in an enclosure. No guaranties that this would work in your case!

[Burdin]

I'm worry that problem is not in enclosure, because yesterday I realize few things.
At first I borrowed good filtred power supply.
I'm using this with bass guitar and when I close the tone on bass, noise disapears, it's same with different bass.
Second thing is that this circuit taking to much signal, I tried it with old Fender Bassman, volume was around half and noise was according to this level, but signal was to weak, I was able to hear it, but it wasn't according to the volume level of an amp. This was with full opened Tone on the bass, when I closed it, there wasn't any hum but signal was stil weak.
Unfortunately I don't know where to looking for problem. I make control if there's no shorts on the circuit and if the welds are ok, and everything seams fine.
So maybe the enclosure can solve the noise, but I guess that it wouldn't  solve problem with weak signal.

[jmwreck]

[Hemmel]

^jmwreck : looks awesome !!!

[Rapidrory]

Hi guys,

I tried this design out a few months back and it sounds awesome

This is what i ended up with:



The left hand switch engages a germanium gain stage which pumps a lot of extra power through that valve, creating some very powerful overdrive. I had to spend a long time taming it to an acceptable level

The valve I'm using is a vintage Mullard ECC82; adds a nice little bit of jangle.

The circuit took about a week, the case took almost 4 months.. I'm not making a case like that again any time soon!

Just wanted to say thanks for the design!

[bluebunny]

^^^ That's a cool build.  I love the cage over the tube.   

[Henry89789]

Toplak:

I breadboarded the Doublemaster using the schematic you put up on  May 10. It worked (almost) on the first try.  So I can verify that the Doublemaster schematic is correct. I tried 12AX7 on the first side with 12 volts and it didn't sound good. I was concerned that I had done something wrong but then I read on this thread  that 12AX7 tubes don't sound right at less than 18v. That seems to be true.  So I finished both sides and put two 12AU7 tubes into it running on 12 volts. I tried it on 9v but it sounds a lot better at 12V. All the pots seem to work and have a noticeable affect on the sound. The tone pots brighten and darken the tone nicely. It seems to get plenty of gain from the A500K pots. I have only tried it on my SS practice amp but the pedal gave it a nice warm tube tone. I am going to play it some more on my good amp, but I really like the way it sounds now.   

[Thecomedian]

it comes to mind that perhaps such a design would be perfectly suited to a battery of 6 AA piles (that some other people were talking about doing in a different thread), to provide that 9v and also the Ma Hours.

Regarding the sub-lighting, that's just colored LEDs under the tube right?

[toplak666]

It worked (almost) on the first try.

Nice to hear! ^^ Yea, 12AX7s just don't sound right with anything under 18V...
I'm still waiting for my friend to start building the housing for our Valvecaster. Doesn't look like he'll start any time soon though. I'll post some pics and maybe some sound clips when he's (eventually) done.
If all goes according to plan it should look as good as it sounds.

[Henry89789]

Toplak:

Yes, a housing for it is my next problem. What is your friend using as a basis for the housing? A BB size enclosure?  Or something else? Thanks.

[toplak666]

My friend actually works a lot with metal so we'll be making the enclosure out of 2mm thick sheet metal. And since another friend has access to a laser CNC and has agreed to cut out all the pieces for us for free, that'll save us a heap of time. Then all we have to do is weld the pieces together and drill the holes. If you don't have the experience/funds/tools to make something like this than I'm sure any old metal enclosure would work. Just remember to ground it.

[Thecomedian]

Im buying some russian tubes which are equivalent to this, and also a few pencil tubes, just to play around with the possibilities. 

[Ark Angel HFB]

I've been messing with the valve master again...

Spent a few hours trying to get is perfect and I seem to be getting close... still having some problems with farty mids/bass... I'm not sure if it is simple to much signal or what...

I've got a voltage multiplier that is boosting the volts to around 41. The heaters to plat are being run with 6-ish to pen 9 and both 4 and 5 grounded.

The farts happen when I really dig in while playing... They also will happen regardless of where the volume pot is set... so the problem is before my amp...

I add a passive (Bass/Treble) tone circuit after the second boost section that seems to help rain in the fart-ness a lot. But it is still there...

Should I look at raising the gain to increase compression and maybe box in the flab... or should I be looking at lowering the gain between sections and let the one tube version as more of a booster.

My R2/R3 right now are about 22K to 33K...

Ideas?

[alexsenmedo]

Hi, The valve caster is the first pedal that I do. The question is:
When to the valve caster I plug a battery of 9v, it sounds with little level. The valve is illuminated very little.
When I plug a transformer of 9v, the valve caster has much more level. The valve is illuminated more but there is a buzz hummmm.
Since I can solve this?
Thanks to all and sorry for my English!!!!!!!.

[Ark Angel HFB]

Hi, The valve caster is the first pedal that I do. The question is:
When to the valve caster I plug a battery of 9v, it sounds with little level. The valve is illuminated very little.
When I plug a transformer of 9v, the valve caster has much more level. The valve is illuminated more but there is a buzz hummmm.
Since I can solve this?
Thanks to all and sorry for my English!!!!!!!.

1) The battery maybe dying or low on power.

2) You can solve the 9vDC hiss/hum with proper power filtering.



Build the above and connect your 9vDC to it then draw power from the other side. 100uF will also work for C1, but 220uF is better.

If the noise is from a poorly filtered pedal... then this fix will solve your problem... and give you polarity protection at the same time.