Is a project like this possible? (please, correct or delete if not pertinent)

[cris_mas]

Dear @vigilante398:

As much as I've enjoyed and loved the Particle Accelerator and past the excitement I had with the late Supersonic project (which evolved into Wrecking Ball), I was wondering how difficult could be make a project like this:
Two tubes, two (or three) channels, a clean with TMB tonestack (ala Particle Accelerator) and a drive channel with independent EQ (insert amp flavor at discretion, both on feasibility and complexity), something modern and not so complex mid to high gain circuit (I imagine Friedman kind, or SLO type of pre-eq combo).

If size isn't an issue, I would put a circuit ala Baja Reactor to simulate power amp characteristics (with a switch to select if you want it in or not) with simple presence control.

I wouldn't mess with IR's or anything like that to keep a project-DIY oriented thing as C2C has been doing. A jack to be able to remotely switch channels would be the icing of the cake, and a pedalboard friendly size would be just perfect (for me at least).

I hope this post is not offensive in any way, I'm just writing this as a proposal, to something along the lines of users like me that ditched the full digital setup and are trying something hybrid and keeping a crucial part of the signal chain as preamp is on the analog realm.

I've seen projects converting the rack mounted Engl E530 to pedal format, I'm just too dumb to reverse engineer and etch from zero those, so a commercially available pcb/project would be a blessing from the heavens!.

Another idea I had was using the already available Black Eye pedal with a couple of mods (Full tone stack, remote switching and clean channel with a simple volume/tone knobs), I dunno, I have plenty ideas but very poor skills to make them a reality XD.

That! I don't know what you guys think, to me would be just perfect, i can have fun putting it together and also would use it for both live/studio contexts.
A win-win!
Just wanted to share my vision with all of you guys.

 

[vigilante398]

Everything sounds completely possible, but you're describing a big complicated multi-channel thing with independent EQ per channel and then saying

a pedalboard friendly size would be just perfect

That's always the trade-off. A two-channel preamp is feasible in a 1590XX, but if you want to add a bunch of features you're going to be moving into 1590DD territory. Although "pedalboard friendly size" is relative.

 

[cris_mas]

I mean, 1590dd for a dual channel tube preamp is pedalboard friendly. I understand that features are a limitant, and those features are kind of niche. But a big box is a good tradeoff if that saves me or anybody else to carry a whole amp rig.

 

[Tassieviking]

The Wreckingball has a spare triode so it might be possible to use the spare triode for a clean channel similar to how the clean channel worked on the Supersonic.
It would be a completely new workaround to fit all the extra bits on the PCB.
The Bassdude also has a spare triode so on that one you could also use the spare triode as a clean channel similar to the Supersonic, or you can also use the spare triode like another gain stage at the front but then you only have one tonestack.
SamuelG added another gainstage to one of his Bassdude builds but I think it was a big job to do it.

 

[vigilante398]

The Wreckingball has a spare triode so it might be possible to use the spare triode for a clean channel similar to how the clean channel worked on the Supersonic.
It would be a completely new workaround to fit all the extra bits on the PCB.
The Bassdude also has a spare triode so on that one you could also use the spare triode as a clean channel similar to the Supersonic, or you can also use the spare triode like another gain stage at the front but then you only have one tonestack.
SamuelG added another gainstage to one of his Bassdude builds but I think it was a big job to do it.

The tricky thing about turning Wrecking Ball into a two-channel preamp is you almost definitely need to go to 1590DD, there's no way you would be able to fit two footswitches and 10 pots (I figured drop the presence control) with three tubes in a 1590XX. If I were to do a two-channel, it would almost definitely be two tubes.

 

[SamuelG]

SamuelG added another gainstage to one of his Bassdude builds but I think it was a big job to do it.

It was quite the challenge! To make a through hole kit, there would be some compromises (as always). It might take two boards. An extra board mounted on both of the footswitches [power supply board?] and the main board mounted on 8 pots (2 rows: Gain, Vol, Bass, Treb.) It would be a tight fit between the tubes with all those board mounted pots taking up space.
You'd also need to push the tubes up in the enclosure to make space for the switches (as I did with my BassDude mod), so tube swapping would be very challenging.

If I were to do a two-channel, it would almost definitely be two tubes.

Agreed. Looks like another project... hmm I'll put it fourth on the list Till then we can drool over the beautiful offerings Nathan already has on his SushiBox site