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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: drewloo on March 19, 2005, 06:30:01 PM
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Has anyone tried any of the DIY tube preamp kits?
I'm looking at this one:
Bottlehead Foreplay III
http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/foreplay3/foreplay3.htm (the top of the page might be NSFW for some people)
This looks like it should be within a abilities & looks like a fun way to learn more about audio electronics beyond basic cable construction. Also, there seems to be a lot of support in forums & individual enthusiest sites.
Another kit that caught my eye was this one: Welborne Labs ULTRAPATH bp http://www.welbornelabs.com/ultra.htm
It's all DC-powered & can be ordered as a 'nude' kit without the chassis (make your own) for less $. The fact that it's all DC of course made me think of how it could be used in the field for recording, especially if one built a chassis made for protection/portability, but I imagine taking tubes in the field wouldn't be a really bright idea. Looks like it might be a little bit more involved than the Bottlehead, too.
I also considered a YS-Audio pre but the idea of making it myself is really apprealing. Anyone tried something like this yet? thanks
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The Foreplay is simple and likes to be tweaked alot. ;)
I use an original Foreplay (Model I with filament snubber, cascode bias current tweak and stepper) to warm-up the output of my CD player.
There is a difference with tubes.
There are great forums for Wellborne and Bottleheads linked off their websites.
There is an interesting off-beat Pre to consider as well, not a kit:
N0rh ACA 2b (http://www.norh.com/products/aca2b/index.html)
Hard to find a review, harder to find one to hear.
You can always ask at the user's group (http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewforum.php?f=12)
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The Foreplay is simple and likes to be tweaked alot. ;)
I use an original Foreplay (Model I with filament snubber, cascode bias current tweak and stepper) to warm-up the output of my CD player.
There is a difference with tubes.
There are great forums for Wellborne and Bottleheads linked off their websites.
There is an interesting off-beat Pre to consider as well, not a kit:
N0rh ACA 2b (http://www.norh.com/products/aca2b/index.html)
Hard to find a review, harder to find one to hear.
You can always ask at the user's group (http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewforum.php?f=12)
Cool, thanks. Interesting line of products they have. Those norh speakers sure are a trip. I'd be scared sh!tless that I'd drop a marble one.
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Cool, thanks. Interesting line of products they have. Those norh speakers sure are a trip. I'd be scared sh!tless that I'd drop a marble one.
And they ship out of Thailand ! Long haul for heavy and delicate stuff.
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Another kit that caught my eye was this one: Welborne Labs ULTRAPATH bp http://www.welbornelabs.com/ultra.htm
It's all DC-powered & can be ordered as a 'nude' kit without the chassis (make your own) for less $. The fact that it's all DC of course made me think of how it could be used in the field for recording, especially if one built a chassis made for protection/portability...
Keep in mind that like all preamps that are designed to drive an amplifier, it won't have nearly as much gain as a microphone preamp. At best you could use it as a buffer between a mic pre and A/D converter.
The Foreplay is probably simpler to build, and as you've noticed, there's a LOT of user support out there.
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Keep in mind that like all preamps that are designed to drive an amplifier, it won't have nearly as much gain as a microphone preamp. At best you could use it as a buffer between a mic pre and A/D converter.
Yeah, the only way so far that I could think of to run the Welborne w/ mics is: mics>ps2>transformer>Welborne>adc
Not really sure how it would sound but I'd still like to try it someday. :)
And they ship out of Thailand ! Long haul for heavy and delicate stuff.
Did you see on their webiste they say they lose 30% of the marble drums in the manufacturing process & that each drum starts out as an 800lb. block? Ouch.