DHA

[quote name='BassManKev' post='227604' date='Jun 26 2008, 08:48 PM']well, Mullard tube came today, safe to say i wont be using the EH again. As soon as a i put it in and switched it on, the difference was massive, the eh just sound brittle next to it. The mullard wasnt nos, but from the looks/sound of it it hasnt been used much. its the one with the shield logo with british made printed on it, bit worn off by can make it out. My particular valve is lower gain than the eh, which benefits me if anything, sounds fantastic, so much more character than the eh, more transparent and warmer (better bottom end and less highs) . id still like to experiment with more valves, but i cant see anything beatin the mullard.[/quote] Just been talking with our US rep who is also a bass player. He tried Mullards and a few other things and reckons JJs are better than Mullards in DHA pedals. Might be a bass thing as I found Mullards to be the best for guitar and I didn't like JJs. You should find Chris's threads on changing valves they are very good. It's good fun swapping valves! Dave

[quote name='BassManKev' post='226336' date='Jun 24 2008, 11:26 PM']well i bought it anyways, i figure looking at past ebay sales if i dont like it, or if its noisy or sumit il get my money back easy enough, its used but has been tested properly and apparantly has no leaks or anything so it should be okay[/quote] Might be real but it could be a fake. Post a picture if you can.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='218107' date='Jun 13 2008, 09:20 AM']Dave, I'm very tempted by your rack-mounted pre-amps, but my budget won't stretch too far on power amps. Also, I'm seriously ignorant on how to put a rig together! I'm thinking in terms of running two Eden cabs (D210XLT's), each 4 Ohms. For rehearsals and smallish gigs I already have a decent amp (Eden WTX-260) so this new project would be my "big rig", brought out twice a year to jeers from the rest of the band. I'm assuming my best bet would be a dual-channel power amp, something like 250W per channel @ 4 Ohms. Obviously there's loads to choose from out there, and eBay has no shortage of Carlsbro Powerline and Warrior SB / DA amps. If I buy a 2nd-hand power amp from the low end of the market, will that ruin the benefits of your high-end pre-amps? Are there any amps / ranges / manufacturers that you would recommend as being either a great fit with your kit, or being a particularly bad match?[/quote] I think that as long as you get a power amp that does not colour or distort the sound then it will work well. There are a lot of cheap Class D amps available which should be be great. Small, light weight, low cost and very clean sound.

[quote name='lee650' post='213569' date='Jun 5 2008, 11:23 PM']Thanks ped ill give it a try, im prob being a bit of a wuss with it, they just look soooo delicate cheers-lee Just give it a gentle wiggle side to side. :0)[/quote] just pull and wiggle as ped says.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='211807' date='Jun 3 2008, 02:11 PM']^^ hopefully mine will be through the post soon [/quote] It's next on the list. Your custom paint job is drying as we speak

[quote name='dub' post='211235' date='Jun 2 2008, 05:14 PM']Thanks for the reply Dave That sounds like a good solution, I'd be interested to hear a VTX sound clip if you could get one on your site. Even one note clean followed by through the preamp would be great to hear what it does to the tone. cheers dub[/quote] Most of the first VTX amps are with me at the moment as I have a modification I am doing on them all. Hoping to complete this week so they will be back with their owners very soon. After that there should be reviews and sound clips available. Dave

[quote name='dub' post='210035' date='May 31 2008, 10:54 AM']Hi Dave I used to own an ampeg V4 but I got tired of carrying it around a long time ago and sold it. It did have a certain tone about it that I really liked. Not so much the distortion which it did well at high volume, more the slightly woolly compressed tone at reasonable level that I would like to recreate both for recording and live. My experience of valve preamps is that although I like what some preamp valves do, they usually add more high end harmonics to the tone which is not really what I'm looking for. Some of the more recent digital effects come pretty close. The problem with the digital stuff is the slight delay although this is getting better these days. I am aware that the output transformer of a valve amp might part of what creates the tone that I am looking for but is it possible to simulate this using a small light box?[/quote] I really do believe the only way to get the tone you want is with an output transformer and output valves. Some digital effects try but don't get there IMHO. We have our VTX range which is available in a pre-amp version which we believe generates this tone.

[quote name='BassBalls' post='207981' date='May 28 2008, 12:42 PM']You were right, the white with red splash does look great! [/quote] Glad you like it cause that one is yours! Dave

[quote name='Higgie' post='198825' date='May 14 2008, 03:48 PM']I'm tempted to order just for the paint job! Sounds like it will be awesome, looking forward to reviews [/quote] The first one is complete and working. [attachment=9123:PICT0015.JPG] The Overdrive part with the EQ is selectable via the footswitch but the DI out is on all the time so the bass and other effects, etc will always have a DI link even when the overdrive is in by-pass as long as it is the last pedal in the chain. Dave

[quote name='BassBalls' post='198757' date='May 14 2008, 02:40 PM']Im on the list for a VT1-EQ-Drive. Cant wait for it to arrive.[/quote] Must be a record as that's 4 of the VT1-EQ-Drive sold already leaving only 1 at the reduced price. So, I will extend the offer on that pedal to 10 as we don't want the guys at work to miss out Standard colour for this range will be white with a red splash but there are already some custom paint jobs ordered. Thanks for orders guys. Dave

[quote name='coasterbass' post='198682' date='May 14 2008, 01:00 PM']Hi Dave, Thanks for your response. I guess I was concerned that an A/B Box might remove some of the gain/tone before it hits the preamps. Is this the case? Also is there a tangible difference between a passive A/B (whirlwind type thing) or an active type (Boss/Monkey fx type)? Secondly another BC'er commented that I might have problems with the phasing of the DI's, and possibly a minute time lag caused by the fx chain. Thanks Nick[/quote] Hi Nick, A passive A/B will have affect on the tone or level. A well designed active A/B should be good, Andy at Monkey Fx is always good. Dave

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='198664' date='May 14 2008, 12:30 PM']Good work Dave, I'm sorely tempted! Got a photo of the EQ-Drive? Also, is the EQ switch-on-and-offable with no volume drop when engaged, and does it act flat at 12 o'clock? These are the issues I had with the previous passive EQ design. cheers[/quote] Hi, It's not required to switch the EQ off (other than by-pass of the whole pedal) as there is no drop in level and no affect on tone when the knobs are at 12 o'clock. It's active so on each control, Bass, Mid and Treble it does a 15db cut and boost. If there was a tone by-pass there would be a drop or increase in level at different frequencies depending on were the controls where set if not all at 12o'clock. Thinking having a base colour with a splash anyway on these to set them aside from the other pedals. White and Red sounds good. Dave

[quote name='BassManKev' post='198653' date='May 14 2008, 12:18 PM']if its painted i think im gunna go for the drive one, iv pm'd anyways [/quote] Yes, I should have said this will be a painted box. Dave

Okay, ready for the first run of this new pedal - specification will be Version 1 (VT1-EQ-Drive) - A DHA VT1-Std-Bass overdrive with i/p pad, gain, level, boost, DI level pots plus bright and boost switch. Plus a 3 channel active EQ with mid range Q control and a balanced DI out with level. The DI out runs in parallel to the overdrive out jack so both can be used at the same time. Version 2 (VT1-EQ-FX) - It's really my DHA "Bob the Blender" with the active EQ in the FX loop all the time. There will be i/p pad, FX send, FX return, blend, boost, DI level pots plus 3 channel active EQ with mid Q control and balanced DI ou with level. The DI out runs in parallel to the overdrive out jack so both can be used at the same time. So if you don't plug in any other effects then it's an active EQ with a blend. But it's also a FX loop with send and return. It does not have the drive level of the VT1-EQ-Drive but will still warm the signal up if required. Both will have to go into the larger VT2 boxes mainly due to the large amount of knobs and switches. As I tend to do with new pedals I test the market before going to PCB so I will offer 5 off of each at reduced price. VT1-EQ-Drive - target price will be £150 +P&P but first 5 at £120 including power supply and P&P VT1-EQ-FX - target price will be £170 + P&P but first 5 at £140 including power supply and P&P Dave

[quote name='coasterbass' post='198555' date='May 14 2008, 10:28 AM']Morning - i asked this as a general BC question last week. Some useful responses (thanks everyone) but thought I'd 'ask the experts' too.... I'm currently playing around with some options regarding my gear and I wondered what people's opinions were on a couple of those options. Basically I'm contemplating running both my Eden Preamp and Ampeg SVP in parallel, creating two outputs to the desk/a two channel poweramp and cabs. I run some effects and I'd add these in to one of the effects loops. The end goal would be a combined bass sound that does clean and dirty, and an effects chain that has an unaffected sound maintaining the lows. Now my questions really begin with a) is this dumb/more hassle than its worth; and how do I do this? I know Boss have their LS2 line selector, but do these add noise/reduce gain and tone before it hits my amps? Are there other ways of splitting the signal? Are there any wireless boxes out there that have twin unbalanced outputs? Any thoughts guys?[/quote] Just use a A/B box with a A+B function in front of the two pre-amps or did I misunderstand the question? Dave

[quote name='BassInMyFace' post='198578' date='May 14 2008, 10:58 AM']if there was a line in i would not be having any troubles at all. the bob the blender is no use to me as the signal would still have to be input in to the amp at a pre-eq stage therefore colouring all the signal, (ie all overdubs on the loop will be affected and therefore sound the same.) what i really need is post eq input like on the cube 30. is there any way this can be achieved? can the headphone out jack be converted as mentioned above?[/quote] It's not simple to do this correctly. I think if you do this the resale value of the amp will be a lot less than it is now. Dave

[quote name='DHA' post='146912' date='Feb 25 2008, 09:59 PM']I am thinking of doing a new pedal for bass players. Needs a name but something like the DHA VT1-EQ-Drive might work? It's a 3 channel active tone control with Mid Q sweep and valve overdrive. It's a VT1 overdrive with active tone controls really. It will have to go in a larger VT2 box and have i/p pad, gain, level, boost, treble, mid, bass, Q controls and fat, bright and boost switches plus a true by-pass footswitch. Price will be £130-£140 I think. Comments welcome please. Dave[/quote] Okay, ready for the first run of this new pedal - specification will be Version 1 (VT1-EQ-Drive) - A VT1-Std-Bass overdrive with i/p pad, gain, level, boost, DI level pots plus bright and boost switch. Plus a 3 channel active EQ with mid range Q control and a balanced DI out with level. The DI out runs in parallel to the overdrive out jack so both can be used at the same time. Version 2 (VT1-EQ-FX) - It's really my "Bob the Blender" with the active EQ in the FX loop all the time. There will be i/p pad, FX send, FX return, blend, boost, DI level pots plus 3 channel active EQ with mid Q control and balanced DI ou with level. The DI out runs in parallel to the overdrive out jack so both can be used at the same time. So if you don't plug in any other effects then it's an active EQ with a blend. But it's also a FX loop with send and return. It does not have the drive level of the VT1-EQ-Drive but will still warm the signal up if required. Both will have to go into the larger VT2 boxes mainly due to the large amount of knobs and switches. As I tend to do with new pedals I test the market before going to PCB so I will offer 5 off of each at reduced price. VT1-EQ-Drive - target price will be £150 +P&P but first 5 at £120 including power supply and P&P VT1-EQ-FX - target price will be £170 + P&P but first 5 at £140 including power supply and P&P Dave

[quote name='TPJ' post='198058' date='May 13 2008, 03:50 PM']+1. He makes a Bob the Blender which is a tube driven effects loop. This might work for you.[/quote] Where would Bob plug into? If there is a line in then that might work. Dave

[quote name='BassInMyFace' post='197994' date='May 13 2008, 02:27 PM']how simple would it be to add an aux input to an amp? just bought a roland bass cube 100 after lots of consideration. happy with the toys, bells and whistles but absolutely gutted i didnt check that it had an aux input or fx send/return. i do a lot of looping with a pedal and need the output of it to get back in to the amp post eq so that the loops do not get coloured by any pre-amp tinkering (which includes built in effects). with so many nice output features on the amp i assumed it wud cater for this, indeed the smaller cube 30 does have an aux in. i know its not an ideal solution but i really dont want to lose my hard earned cash on reselling the amp and wasting time where i could be playing. how easy/hideously diffficult would it be to fit an input just before the poweramp-speaker stage? in my head its just a simple matter of finding the right place and whacking in a jack socket but i have a feeling you might have a conflicting view........ this is so annoying as i know it's such a standard feature on so many amps, even those less well spec'd as this. what are your thoughts??[/quote] You would need to find a circuit diagram and locate the pre-amp output and add a switching jack. BUT this is not the best way to add an effects loop as there should really be some impedance matching and level recovery circuit. I would not recommend trying to add a loop without using an active design. I would consider taking it back to where to got it from and seeing if they will do a deal on a swap. Sorry. Dave

[quote name='umcoo' post='196066' date='May 10 2008, 04:41 PM']Hi Dave, Due to being really bored, I've thought about starting to build my own effects. Probably quite simple things first, but I was just wondering if you had any tips or advice. Sure, there's plenty on the web, but I thought basschats own pedal guru may offer some more?! Any thoughts on tools and things to get started? I'll probably pick up a breadboard firstly and work around with that...good idea?? Many thanks[/quote] Start with something simple like a fuzz or overdrive and that way you can improve your soldering and debug skills. A lot of the circuits on the web are wrong so you will have to workout how things are meant to be. Kits are a good place to start. Dave

[quote name='WarPig' post='195601' date='May 9 2008, 06:06 PM']I cant do this :-/ Think ive bitten off more than i can chew, my soldering skills arent upto this.[/quote] Don't worry we will sort it out. Dave

[quote name='bigjohn' post='142387' date='Feb 18 2008, 01:27 PM']Hi all, I'm going to replace the valves in my new valve head soon. Whaddya all know about the different brands of valves, their tone etc. Also - does anyone have any experience in using different valves than the recommended types to get different tones, or increase power? I've got a marshall JCM 800 - it uses 4 EL34s and 3 ECC83s for the pre amp. Ta John[/quote] Hi John, The important thing is make sure the output EL34s are matched and the bias is adjusted by someone that knows how to do it correctly. Mullards are great if you can find them. Dave

[quote name='thylacine23' post='184227' date='Apr 23 2008, 11:59 PM']I just got my first pedal !!!!! A, DHA VT1 Compressor, cheers Voodosnake, nice bit of kit no instructions, or a gumbys guide to using it. Cant find anything on DHA site either, eh. any suggestions for a setup would be appreciated, thanks, Mark[/quote] Pm me your email address and I will send the instructions. Dave

[quote name='BassBalls' post='183307' date='Apr 22 2008, 10:56 PM']Hi Dave has this idea been put into production? It looks really good on paper. [/quote] some way off that yet but it's on the back burner. Dave

[quote name='RichBowman' post='183188' date='Apr 22 2008, 08:53 PM']I had an iAMP 350 in combo format a while ago. I took it into be service by Panic Music just north of Cambridge and they mentioned that a fair amount of the tracks and components had dry solder joints. None were damaged and it didn't cost a great deal to fix, but i noticed a graet improvement in the sound quality after. Apparently, according to the chap who worked on it, this is fairly common in amps that are in small chassis as the heat builds up and this is bad for the solder. Also it's compounded by switching to lead free solder a few years ago. Either way, I reckon it's not that serious a problem - as long as you get it to some one (or are handy with the old soldering iron yourself!) Hope that helps, Cheers, Rich[/quote] Sounds like a good place to start. Dave