Added: 3 years ago
From: Dovinia
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  • how bout into a clean amp? The amp's distortion is ok, but I wanna hear that tube!

  • very cool...:)

  • COOL! five stars

  • What song is that you start playing around 0:18??

  • how do you get it so overdriven?? is it the tube?

  • @guitarfanatic1011 hahahaha

    

  • @userboy6 you make one

  • @dovinia hello can you demo it but with a distortion pedal? thanks

  • this sounds freakin' awesone when pushed! i like it! i want one! where do i get one?

  • this stuff sounds amazing when 100% gained. luvit

  • hey man thats a great pedal do you know where i can find the box case? where did u get yours? cheers and keep on rockin'¡

  • This pedal sounds amazing.. :D seems to have lots of great gain to..

  • I'm building one of these now too! I really dig your blue LED :)

  • Is there a mid-range boost mod for this? i find it a bit lacking in depth around the midrange spectrum..

  • @ToothyGus The capacitors in use in this circuit should ensure an even, un-altered frequency response throughout. If you are dissatisfied with the sound I would first suggest trying as many different tubes as possible to see if this gives more pleasing results, before going for a more complex tone control implementation. Also see the huge thread about this circuit over at diystompboxes for more information and ideas.

  • @ToothyGus @ToothyGus there's a no tone knob version that is supposed to boost midrange a bit.

  • it doesn't sound that good...

  • @akkudakkupl No, you're right - it sounds bad. 

  • @Dovinia i don't like the sound of low voltage tube designs, they just saturate...

  • @akkudakkupl You are right about that too. I agree. But keep in mind that this particular design has opened up the world of tube circuits for thousands of people who would rightly be affraid to venture into higher voltage projects. This design is a very good starting point. It saturates yes, and to some that is the whole point. In this video it saturates more than if I had used a higher quality 12AU7 and a better amp.

  • @Dovinia yea i know that it's a scarry idea for beginners. what would be a good idea is to power it from lets say about 36V, that would be 4 9V batteries. Or using a low voltage tube. That could get this circuit a sweet sound :-) probably it would need rebiasing too. Just an idea here for you o try :-) and if you do share the results :D

  • @akkudakkupl Yes, that would indeed sound sweet, but then there would have to be a separate heater circuit for the tube. The charm of this booster is it's extremely simple layout. Check out the large thread on the subject over at the DIYstompboxes forum.

  • @Dovinia oh and I forgot to add that it would eat through batteries like a hot knife goes through butter. Also for DC voltages 50V is a "border" of safe voltage.

  • @akkudakkupl Yeah... I've had more than one experience with live wires at 110V... Not fun.

  • @Dovinia 230V here in Europe and I also had a close encounter with live wires. It wasn't pleasant. The heater could be tapped from one battery :-) and that battery would be drained fastest... Experimenting is fun, and the layout wouldn't change so much :-)

  • @akkudakkupl Yes, a battery for the heater is probably the easiest way. I've been thinking about that a lot, but so far I haven't tried it. Power could be fed from a wall wart putting out 24 Volts or more. Would at least sound a bit better don't you think ?

  • @Dovinia should be a nice audible change in the sound :-) the only method is to try :-) i must find some sockets and tubes vendor in my area and try building this with a nice 50-60V supply, should be fun :-)

  • @Dovinia But wait... you are from Norwegia right? Thats still Europe and you got lower voltages? I lost my faith in standardisation :D

  • @akkudakkupl That's right. I was only touching one wire and ground with the same hand. That felt like 110V to me ;-) And I was dumb enough to brush against that wire twice. ;-)

  • @Dovinia I'm a total noob just trying to get into Tube circuits, and this seems really sweet. I actually really like the tone you're getting on this video! what's really the difference between the 12AU7 and the GE 5751 you're running it through? I'd REALLY love to build something like this circuit, just maybe something juice a bit more overdrive/distortion out of it, and I guess I'm asking how would I do that? maybe run it at 12 volts? or get a higher gain tube? Idk, like I said I'm new to this!

  • @TheBrassSlide Go to the diystompboxes forum and look for the Valvecaster thread. All will be made clear, but be prepared to read a lot :-)

  • @Dovinia AHA I have read and learned, and found out many things. the 5751 in there gets about 3.5x more gain than the 12AU7 the schematic is designed for. And it sounds awesome like that, so I think I'mma try and build this and get my hands on one of those! I'd like to thank you for single handedly introducing me to Tubes, this vid got me hooked right when I saw it! :)

  • how do you overdive a valve without stripping the anode??? does the grid go positive to the cathode?

  • What a burley sounding crunch.

  • Cool! But a little soloing would have been nice. Maybe Santana style. Do you have a cover for the tube?

  • Sorry but, is the input or output a stereo jack?if yes, why??

    another question, Which potentiometers are linear or log?

    thanks in advance!

  • @MatteX87 The input jack is stereo in order to switch the unit on when you plug in your guitar. With a plug in the input jack a ground connection is created and the tube lights up. Thus the unit is ready to be played without tube warm up each time you step on the 3pdt switch. For further questions please go to the diystompboxes forum.

  • sounds nice and rich...I'm luvin it!

  • i heard u needed a 4.7K resistor to run the LED when u build it with the breadboard or whatever. I want to build it without, and I think i wana follow your diagram. I do not need the 4.7K resistor? Also on the LED, you have one dot on 1 side with black and one with red, im guessing black is Cathode and red is anthode? or the oppisite way around?

    Thank you! =)

  • @jaki54321 I'm sorry the diagram is a little unclear when it comes to the LED... If you don't use a resistor the LED will burn out in a few seconds. 4.7K is fine. The pinout is correct. Put the resistor on the anode (positive side - longest leg).

  • @Dovinia Ok thank you =) Also I need to know 1 more thing. I jus realized that you need a 1uF Electrolytic Capacitor for C3. Electrolytic capacitors are polarized arn't they? So which way should it go on? Im getting Polyester film for the rest of the capacitors but on the schematic for the Valvecaster, it says the 1uF is electrolytic. Which way should it go on?

    Thank you... Sorry if i am botherin u.

  • @jaki54321 Well there's your weekend project ;-) Read the schematic and all will become clear. The electrolytic capacitor has a positive and a negative leg. Follow the signal flow. Postive goes with the flow in this case.

  • @Dovinia Ah ok =) I ordered all my parts, and I am going to build it once I get them, i got a 12AU7 from Eurotubes so im hoping it will be a great tube

  • @jaki54321 Great! It's a really easy build. Just make sure you don't leave out any of the ground wires. And check out the thread at the diystompboxes forum if you have any further questions. Everything you could possibly want to know has been covered in that thread. There's even some info on how to build a tube tremolo somewhat based on this circuit.

  • @Dovinia Ok man thank you for your help... Im jus soo afraid of messin up lol. Im waiting my shipment of parts, my tube has been shipped, but idk bout my circuitry because well i have not gotten any emails... Oh well thank you for your help.

  • I can picture some young hotshot getting down and smashing this thing with his foot!

  • @somaliCABdriver That's why there are BOSS pedals.

  • This is AWESOME!!!!

  • Hay I love it, sounds great. thanks for the bypass layout.

    I just finished making one these, n it rocks.

    I was trying to make a tube cricket amp, but for some reason I couldn't get it to work. So I made this valvecaster and incorporated it in to a ruby amp and it sounds great.

    I'll work on getting a little video of it posted.

  • Hi again.

    I finally finished my valve caster. It sounds great but has a great deal of hum like you warned me about. Where can you get a 12v regulated power supply at 500ma?

    Can you suggest a site to buy from online?

    Thanks.

  • One last question. How many mA does the pedal draw?

    Thank you for all your answers by the way.

  • 500mA should be fine. Remember to use a well regulated power supply or you will get excessive noise/hum.

  • So if i was to make this pedal with a 9 volt power supply what caps/resisters would i have to change that you listed? Capacitors: C1: 47nF C2: 47nF C3: 1uF C4: 10nF Resistors: R1: 1M R2: 220K R3: 100K R4: 470K What polarity would the 9 volt plug have to be?
  • You don't need to change anything. Use plug with negative tip. Check out the DIY stompbox forum for further info :-)

  • put together a kit and sell em. very nice

  • MAn, that sounds great!

  • Thanks for the demo... I'm planning on building this soon. Are you using 9V or 12V for power?

  • 12 Volts.

  • Can you use 9 volts? Would that work?

  • Yes 9 volts works, but it sounds much better with a 12 volt supply.

  • i mean what type of cap not the capacitance plz i would appreciate your help

  • Capacitors: C1: 47nF C2: 47nF C3: 1uF C4: 10nF Resistors: R1: 1M R2: 220K R3: 100K R4: 470K Pots: VR1: B50K (Gain) VR2: A100K (Tone) VR3: A100K (Volume) ...and a tube - for instance a good 12AU7 with low gain. That's all. Hope this helps.
  • Oh darn... I gave you the wrong info once again didn't I... Ha ha.

    I use poly film capacitors for everything except the 1uF which is an electrolytic.

  • did you use the same 3 pots. and what caps did you use?

  • Please check the links in the info section. It's all there.

  • ok! thank you

  • hey nice sound. is the switch ine the diagram? because it doesn't apear to be so where exactly did you connect the switch and what type did you use

  • Are you referring to the true bypass stomp switch which engages the pedal ? That is a 3PDT switch and appear as a blue square in the lower middle part of the diagram with 9 pins...

  • dark creepy tone. sounds like grim reaper is coming

  • I've listened to 12AU7, it gives much less distortion. I really like the sound of your pedal (althaugh I realise that some of the distortion may come from overdriven preamp stage of your amp)

  • the video says that you're using military 12AX7 tube, but my experiments show that this circuit doesn't work with ordinary 12AX7 and I have no military tube at home.

    Do you have anything changed in the original valve caster scheme?

  • @kratuli The video says I'm using an old stock GE 5751. Here: 0:10

    A 12AX7 will not work well with this circuit.

  • Comment removed

  • If you say so. ;-) The 5751's are much lower gain tubes than 12AX7's though. Most low gain double triodes work well in this circuit. For best results use a 12AU7.

  • I've listened to 12AU7, it gives much less distortion. I really like the sound of your pedal (althaugh I realise that some of the distortion may come from overdriven preamp stage of your amp)

  • Hi, do you use 9VDC or 12VDC?

  • @kratuli 12 Volts

  • Sounds like you have an octave pedal in the signal chain. I'm kinda diggin' this. Reminds me of some sluggy southern rock tones. Good job.

  • i wolud definately kick this around..and bust it...i'm clumsy...nice tho!

  • Hello!

    Great pedal, nice job!

    I find the layout on the link, buit dont find the outputs of the capacitors and resistors. Could you tell me more info about that?

    R1,2,3,4= ? ohm C1,2,3,4=?

    Thanks

  • Please check out the info for this video. I've added a link to the original forum thread where this project was introduced.

  • Would you know if it's possible to house the tube horizontially with the tube more protected within the case? Gigging with this would be scary with an exposed tube like that, let alone trying to get it into a pedalboard roadcase. Also, do you sell these or is this just a DIY project? This sounds really cool but I don't have the time or patience to build.

  • Yes I agree that it can be a bit exposed. But there is always the option of installing the protective cylinder on top of it. Of course you can install the tube horizontally inside. It would require a little metal plate bored out for the tube socket mounted with some screws coming through the box. Check over at the DIY stompoboxes forum for ideas.

  • Oh, and I do sell these pedals yes. But I'm afraid it would be too expensive to ship abroad from my country (Norway) so you are better off asking someone at the forum located closer to you concerning a possible order.

  • What a stupid comment to make about other peoples design. Make something better yourself or shut the hell up. Oh, and this pedal is equipped with a protective cylinder which can be mounted over the tube btw.

  • Are you big foot? if i knew it was there i wouldnt step on it. Unless i was drunk.

  • Do you use 9v or 12v for yours?

  • I use both. 9v for a crappy overdrive and 12v for more clean headroom.

  • I was thinking of building the Real McTube, but I think I'll build this instead for now since it requires little parts. Sounds great! A lot warmer than I thought for few parts.

  • Hello !! Do you sell this pedal ? Is it possible to order one ?

    Thanks

    HOYOUX M.

  • not bad

  • I like what you play from 0:20 to 0:35

    what is it?

  • kiteboard....sorry wrong video, im not sure how much this one costs

  • alrigh,t thanks.

  • how much did this cost? it sounds great.

  • close to 400

  • Hello,

    Does somebody know where i can found the shematic of this diy pedal?

    Thanks

  • I love the sound of that! I own an Epi Valve Jr (combo) as well. I thought one of these would sound great with it, but after two attempted builds, still, no luck. In anycase like what your doing!

  • !!!!!!

  • amazing.

    love it

    need it

    want it

  • Well, come and get it then! Or were you planning to grow your own ?

  • im very hands on & DIY.

    probably gonna put 5751 in it if i build it

    schematics?!

  • Cool. For schemtics etc, check out the enormous thread at the diystompboxes forum, or drop me a line and I'll send you a layout for a true bypass version ;-)

  • ive heard that these sound super shitty with a regular 12ax7, but much better with a 12au7.....do you have any prefs or heads up about that? I am looking to build one...

  • 12AX7's want to see 100 volts on the plates. In this circuit you need to use a low gain tube like a 12AU7. Other types work fine, but 5751, 12AU7 and maybe 12AY7 are probably the best sounding. Of course tubes differ enormously, so be sure to buy lots of them.

  • thanks!!!

  • hey! what kind of power adaptor do you use to run off this box?

  • I'm using a 12vdc 500ma wallwart.

  • sounds so good!

    i just built mine and i like it but yours sound better! so much gain!!! did you do any mods?

    or maybe your tube amp's volume is cranked to get better result?

    nice job!!

  • Thanks for the comments!

    The Valvecasters I make are true to the original schematic. The choice of tube is essential to obtaining the sound you're after. Try lots of different tubes, new and old.

    The amp is not cranked in this clip. I think I had the volume at about 9 o'clock. But I have changed the tubes in that amp. I use a JJ12AX7 in the preamp and a Mullard EL84 for the power amp. I also put an 8" Jensen P8R in it for a more pronounced high end.

  • cool! thanx for advice. i will try 12at7 or other vintage 12au7's

    ya!

    im thinking about making twincaster too! double gain maybe. im japanese so if you need anything like translation from matsushin website. let me know.

    ya!!

  • Looks and sounds great!

  • sehr gut.

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