The Watering Hole

Custom Shop
10 posts
I have finally yielded to the incessant begging of a certain member of this board, whom shall remained unnamed... yet has long, deep, dreams in the theatre....   and have decided to join the board...

I'll probably be participating here, more than other spots.   If there are specific "inside the gear" questions ya'll have, I can try to address them, to the best of my ability and we can get as deep, or as shallow, as you'd like to get with this.   I've been doing a lot of analysis of various amps (VOX, Marshall, Peavey, Fender), lately, and looking into some design ideas for op-amp based distortion units that emulate these types of things.   We can also discuss amp mods, etc.

My two most recent, and successful, projects have been revamping SOLID-STATE amps (yes, that horrid solid-state).   Both have been Peavey amps - transtube.   I reworked my Peavey Express 112 to be voiced ala Fender Deluxe Reverb in the "Clean" channel and ala JCM800 in the "Lead" channel.   Both channels, now, sound very nice.  I'm not much a fan of Peavey voicing, which is what this thing was prior to the mods.   I also added variable resonance/presence (damping) controls to the power amp sections of both of these amps.   I can go from very little negative feedback (similar to the VOX AC30 power amp) to very tight feedback (ala solid-state) and everywhere in between.  The controls are separate from each other so I can vary how "loose" the high frequencies, or the low frequencies, or both, are.   This can also be done on tube amps.   ;)

Anyway... I'm here... you can pick my brain... we can look at various designs and how they work, etc.  We can talk preamp voicing and why tone control types (i.e. Fender vs. Marshall) don't make as much difference as what we think they do.    :'(.  There are tons of topics we can cover... we can even do some "Electronics 101" if you want to get started that way.

Dar
Welcome Dar, long time no see around the now defunct Hole. Hows tricks?
Welcome back!  Howie will get a stiffy just knowing you're in the neighborhood.  ;)
Good to see you here Dar, Looking forward to your input 8-).
Doing well, guys... overall.   Things have been busy, and not so busy.  My company, originally GO Networks, is winding down and, I believe, I'll be looking for work at the end of August/September time frame.   THANK GOD!   I have had so much personal stuff to do, I needed the "downtime."  I'm not entirely worried, yet, as there seem to be several companies that are just starting to look for my skillset.   So it's all good.  

Other than that... been analyzing amps for "preamp voicing" - that's been fun.  Puttering in the studio, reading books... and I have my niece and nephew (11 and 13, respectively) here for a month.  We don't have kids, so this is always a bit of a "challenge" for the two of us.    :-X   It's all good, we really enjoy them.  

The MAJOR project, for the past year, has been starting two brand spankin' new horses!   When we bought them, they had 10 hours, or less, of actual "work" with a saddle on their backs.   This is what we want to do for a living, so it's been challenging.   So far, two sprains apiece - one for me, one for my wife, and that's it. The rest of the time, with the horses, has been good.  

Looking forward to answering questions, and whatever else pops up, here... it'll be fun...  Good to see all ya'll back here.  

Dar
Welcome! ;D

I just check the house and guess what ... you are not HERE.  What gives?  I guess you are THERE, not here.  Oh well.

:o
we can even do some "Electronics 101" if you want to get started that way.  


can you tell me what the word "mosfet" means?   :P
DreamTheaterRules — Aug 10, 2008we can even do some "Electronics 101" if you want to get started that way.  


can you tell me what the word "mosfet" means?   :P

He was Bobo Fett's brother from Moss Eisley. Ran an electronics repair shop there.
"Mosfet." Sounds like a vaginal disease Randy said he got once.  ;D
Yeah, that shit is worse than Toe Fungus to get rid of too!  ;D

Good to see you here Dar.  :)

Randy