Aluminum sheets were used for the top and bottom of the chassis. Most amps use a specific output tube type, while a rare few allow you to swap out different power tubes. If i took the amp to a club the tubes would certainly fall out in the trip. If i play live again more often, ill probably buy another tube amp. Builtin rectifier and regulation circuitry with inductor option. Wait, wait maybe we should talk about why tube amps are worth this kind of trouble first. One was simulating the el34 amplifier shown below while another was simulating the 6l6 amplifier, and the third was crunching on the kt88 amp. This amplifier was featured on the january 2003 issue of the highfidelity audio. The second stage needs only to provide enough gain to drive the 6l6. Even though 6l6 tube is used primary in guitar vacuum tube amplifiers, many manufacturers use this tube in audiophile designs. It all depends on the amplifier design, the power tubes used, intended voltages and power output.
Singleended classa tube amplifier design and construction. Tube type and platetocathode voltage must be entered for all calculations on this webpage. Need vacuumtube circuit components audio electronics. Beyond that, this amps celestion seventy 80 speaker complements its gorgeous tone beautifully. The pc boards are the same boards that i used in my 6v6 amp and were modified with a tag board posts to accommodate the acrosound circuit. The fender 5f1 champ is a class a cathode biased amp. It is possible to emulate tube distor sound using software. From a design standpoint, the raven osprey is a modern update of the classic 6l6gc design of say the old mac amps of the early 1960s. Note that all these links are external and we cannot provide support on the circuits or offer any guarantees to their accuracy. Im biasing the 6l6 6v6 tubes in a vintage sound amp.
Despite their best replication efforts, the consensus among performing and studio musicians remains that there is no substitute for a welldesigned tube amp. Doing this with real amplifiers would take forever. For more information, see picking and changing 6l6. I had a custom made amp made which uses two 6l6gc tubes its an old pa head design i really like. Its basically an rh single ended design using 6l6 power tubes. I was asked by kegger on the ak tube amp audio forum if i was interested in designing a pcb based amp on the 6l6 output tube family. Pushpull 58816l6 amplifier this was the second amplifier i built for myself and was completed in september 2006.
After years of designing, building, repairing, and modding tube amps, he knows a. If you amp is cathode biased, has a pt that is adequate and has tube rectification then you can do something like this. Set of 4 tubes free delivery possible on eligible purchases. This calculator allows you to trace the anode characteristics graph, and to compute and tune loadline and operating point of various vacuum tubes it considers both reactive loads and resistive load.
Maybe, like me, youll design and build from scratch. Biasing an amp requires some knowledge of tube amp circuits and experience with high voltage. I usually set up my amp for a gain of 3 to 1 signal to bias ratio. That unfortunate combination of design features makes the metal shell of the 6l6 dangerous when plugged in to many guitar and bass amps. Blackstar studio 10 6l6 1x12 10watt tube combo amp sweetwater. The stereo 70 can be easily set up to use the 6l6 if the stock transformer isnt used with a solid state rectifier. Us patents software ecad and www press coverage by year contact consulting and. The project details the build of a singleended 6l6 harp amp. All tubes in this amplifier are of course reselected to suit the builders tastes. Using 6 as a guideline, the following models were used in spice simulation.
This 3 to 1 ratio is an approximation that will assure that feedback is controlled, but there is still enough gain to provide the overdrive that we want. The tad 6l6gcstr has an blackplate design, gold grid wire, double getter construction, nonoise filaments, and a 1. Usually single power tube amps are class a and amps with two or more power tubes are class ab. This design procedure and program works with either single ended or. The output of this small amplifier in which a 6v6gt output pentode is connected as triode is about 4. What sound are you looking to get from the power amp, and how much output power do you want. A jcm900 dual reverb with ruby 6l6gcmstr and pv of 438. Hes been using a 6l6 stereo amp every day for more that 50 years. So i was hoping it would be cut and dried with this amp and tube type.
The first two things to consider when beginning to design are. If you are uncertain that you are experienced enough to work on a live high voltage amp, please take your amp to a professional to get it biased. The cathode bypass capacitor explained diy audio blog. There is a computer program that comes with this page to help you. The amp may use 6l6, 6l6xxx, 6550, kt66 or kt88 tubes from new old stock or. These devices generally consisted of a 12au7 mediummu triode driving a single 6l6gc beam power pentode audio output valve or similar. Classic looks and tone, with modern, handbuilt engineering. The output transformers tried were 40 watt hammond 6. A 50 watt amp with two 6l6 or el34 tubes, or a 100 watt amp with four 6l6 or el34s, is a pushpull amp. Setting 6l6 tube bias class a amplifier easy how to dlab amps duration. Universal loadline calculator for vacuum tubes vacuum.
Edcor transformers and a glassware audio ps14 supplies hv and regulated dc to all tube filaments. By trying out several different sets of operating conditions in the computer i could eliminate hundreds of possibilities without playing with electricity. Singleended tube based guitar amplifier by joe linn senior project. You get bigger, bolder funk, blues, and country tones on your plate. Feb 21, 2017 this is my prototipal tube amp, it has a 6sn7gtb one half of the tube as preamp, and a 6l6 running in single ended. This is a 6v6 push pull stereo amplifier that is based on age old dynaco 6v6 circuit that many have built. Welcome to my tube amp simulation software page paragraph about tube amp design simulation. See more ideas about valve amplifier, vacuum tube and circuit diagram.
For the sides a cchannel section was cut down and held together at the corners using cut down pieces of angle l sections. At the time philips had already developed and patented power pentode designs, which were rapidly replacing power triodes due to their greater efficiency. Also host the excellent magdemo transformer design software, and a host of useful newsletters on spice modelling. If you have not been trained to work with high voltage then have an amp technician service your amp. Buy eurotubes eurodamper tube damper rings for dual triode preamp tubes and el84 power tubes. The algorithms behind a vva are based on real vacuum tube circuits and nonlinearities. Simple and elegant push pull amplifier circuit design diagram and its working principle explained. Youll find those guitar amplifiers and more here at musicians friend. Svetlana sv6l6gc high performance audio beam power tetrode he svetlana sv6l6gc is a glass envelope beampower tetrode intended for highpower audio amplifier service. In general, higherpower amps are usually pushpull class ab circuits, while lowpower amps are usually pure class a. From schematic to ordering parts to cab design, it is all here and explained in detail. Svetlana sv6l6gc high performance audio beam power. Custom vacuum tube amplifiers custom vacuum tube amplifiers.
Str, depending on who you talk to, stands for special tube request or special test. Groove tubes 4 tungsol 2 mesaboogie 1 mullard 1 price range. The output stage uses one 6l6 tube configured as class a amplifier with singleend output. This project is intended to be built as designed and not piece milled with other designs. You can change the tube current, and the cathode resistor will change. The output transformer is too small and will be replaced with a 20w one with. I currently design and build vacuum tube guitarbass amplifiers at home for both fun and profit. Being a guitarist who shares that opinion, i chose to design a tube amp of my own. The simple 45 began as the starting point for a super tube amp design. For more information, see picking and changing 6l6 tubes.
It uses a power transformer scavenged from a fisher 400 receiver and hammond 1645 output transformers, and produces 25 watts per channel. Some circuits would be illegal to operate in most countries and others are dangerous to construct and should not be attempted by the inexperienced. In an effort to give a little back to the internet harp and tube amp communities, i have decided to offer this free project. Bugera v55hd infinium 55w tube guitar amp head musicians. Ltspiceswitchercad iii a nice easy to use simulator which is gaining rapid acceptance.
Design of push pull amplifier using vacuum tube gadgetronicx. Feel free to send us your hifi audio schematics and we will add them here. With two preamps you can make a stereo preamp or hybrid power amplifier. Tube bias calculator rob robinettes car and tube amp.
Other tad tubes 6l6 tube types additional information and downloads. I decided to build this small single ended amplifier based on 6l6 vacuum tube using a classic three stage single ended design. Sep 23, 2017 carvin has a very nice tube amp, only tube amp i ever used, had it for 3 months while my friend left his guitar and amps, etc, here at my house. The beam tetrode design of the 6l6 allowed rca to circumvent philips pentode patent. You can use el84s if you like but i prefer the russian 6p15. I desperately want to see vacuum tube components added to the list of available circuit components. Keep those filaments lit, design your own vacuum tube audio equipment. Revenge of the fallen and i was inspired to build an enclosure for a vacuum tube amplifier that incorporated the decepticon logo. Pspice spice simulations are a valuable tool that aid in the design of tube amplifiers. There is only one tube family that has the right tone, the 6l6 family. Note that a 6l6 model was used in place of a 6v6 because it was readily available. More revisions and beefups followed, giving us the 6l6gb and ultimately the 6l6gc. The fender amp and most other upside down amps has a system that locks the 6l6 tubes in place.
With the 6l6, they additionally did some internal mods to the guts to increase its power handling, so the newly revised design became the a revision, so we had the 6l6ga. The three best sounding designs are presented on the this page. A virtual valve amplifier vva is software algorithm designed and sold by diamond cut. Reading tube amp schematics by rob robinette the sooner you learn to read amplifier schematics the sooner youll be able to analyze classic amp circuits and learn how the masters of amp design voiced their amps. Unfortunately that unused pin 1 on the tube socket is often used as a convenient tieoff point for high voltage in fenders and other amps. The plate voltage is about 320 volts and the output stage is a classic singleended cathode follower. Gadgetronicx electronics circuit diagrams and schematic designs amplifier circuits design of push pull amplifier using vacuum tube. If you are looking for a simple audio system, consider this integrated version. Stock 6l6 metal shell tubes unthinkingly inserted without mods can. The specs are the same with the power amp except the input impedance will be 10k. By tjiann, january 26, 2015 in 2channel home audio.
Diy 6l6 kt66 single ended amplifier with 6n3p srpp driver. Schematic of a class ab tube power amplifier with negative feedback. In 6l6, there is an electronic lens that focuses electron beam onto its plate. If you want to build a tube amplifier and you dont want to just copy someone. Hi fi 50 watt tube amp with bluetooth why in this century. El34, el84, 6v6, and 6l6 are the most common power tubes.
The footprint of the jazz 6l6 integrated amp is about the size of a piece of letter size paper. Certain assumptions may be made as long as the power output of an amp is known. This is our collection of diy and hifi audio schematics. I wanted to build a good sounding 6l6 amplifier in the 20 watt range with minimal components. Discussion in the workbench started by tresmarshallz, mar 23, 20. How do you find a set of operating conditions that will work with 3 different tube families. The 6l6 is the power tube most associated with the term. Support either open loop gain or close loop feedback. Single ended class a 6v6 6j5 valve vacuum tube amplifier circuit. On idle, theyre all just a bunch of hum with rubbish tone controls.
I have considered buying a single 6l6 tube amp, but have read several times about someone using a 6l6 in a champ type of amp. Tube bias calculator rob robinettes car and tube amp website. The simple 45 started out as a basic two stage single ended 45 amp. Audio power amplifier circuit diagrams circuit schematics. Substitutes are given as a guide only please refer to original manufacturers data sheets to ensure that a substitute is safe and appropriate for your application. I tried each set of conditions on each simulation, and pushed the values around until i found a set that worked with all 3 tube types. The output tubes tried were 6l6gc, 6p3s, 6p3se, el34, 6550 and kt88.
Theres a page on how to use it with the vacuum tube models here. I also had a pair of 8k8 25watt iron from a previous sweep tube project. Building on bugeras original and inspired v55 amp design, the impressively fullfeatured and handbuilt, 55watt, 2channel vintage v55 infinium tube combo amplifier not only exudes vintage sound and style, but possesses modern features that will launch your tone into the sonic stratosphere. Whether you play classical folk or modern metal, it doesnt matter. Are you looking for the very best tubes for your vacuum tube amplifier. Tube watts often seem fuller and louder than solid state watts, and the osprey has got plenty of oomph with just 30 watts.
A tube amplifier chassis contains lethal high voltage even when unpluggedsometimes over 700 volts ac and 500 volts dc. The tube cad journals first companion program, tcj filter design lets you design a filter or crossover passive, opamp or tube without having to check out thick textbooks from the library and without having to breakout the scientific calculator. Keep those filaments lit, design your own vacuum tube. Amps with power tube cathode resistors greater than 10 ohms are usually cathode biased. Nov 02, 20 the input and driver stages are almost the same as the 6v6 pushpull previously posted because the former was based on this design, which is itself based on designs used in pilot models aa410, aa902, aa902a, and others. Close manufacturing specification tolerances and improved processing provide improved reliability and superior sonic performance. The summary is intended to prepare the reader for basic design and analysis of. Watts rms singleended tube amplifier pure class a, zero feedback. Ozren bilan room acoustics audio site links audiologs. Until i can run an amp into the sweet spot, the difference between one design and another is a bit academic.
Keep those filaments lit, design your own vacuum tube audio. From glassware the publishers of tube audio design software. These tubes are usually associated with americanmade amplifiers more so than british. I needed a simple single ended amplifier with excellent sound. With only 3 coupling capacitors involved per channel it delivers a solid 17 watts per channel at 1. Whether you want ultraclean or sizzling crunch, this combo amp fully captures the magic of a class a, singleended tube power stage. There is a guitar amplifier to suit the needs of your music and your bandmates. The 6l6 on the other hand is really the prototype for most all later audio types and is imo the the best all around tube to design and build around today in the 6l6gc or 5881 variants.
If you have built any of these circuits, we would love to hear from you so send us your comments. In a tubebased guitar amplifier, the preamp is important for basic tone shaping, but its the power amp design that really defines the overall sonic signature and playing feel. The information had always been that they use the tube, but never any information about sound, tone, highs, bottom end, wattage increase, mods necessary, which year amps might be better to try this with, etc. Five common vacuum tube topologies found in audio amplifiers. These are important questions because they will dictate the choice of output valve which itself will dictate the design. So this design could be scaled to 200 watts or more by simply multiplying the. The blackstar studio 10 6l6 delivers fullon tube tone.
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