Yeah - I don’t see the need for power savings of class D in a preamp, since all the digital overhead would eat up as many milliwatts as a couple of op amps.
USUALLY, people who play records are obsessed with analog and would only grudgingly use a class D amp for the subwoofer. The mere mention of class D causes reactions that get threads locked. The opposite is usually true too - users who like and buy into all the latest digital technology have long since abandoned records, cassettes, 8 tracks - and even CDs. Two camps are like the Klingons and the Romulans.
You will occasionally find a DJ that still uses turntables instead of a computer - but old school will still use old school methods. Iron horse amplifiers and horn loaded speakers - weight be damned, we want BASS. If one uses class D powered speakers to save weight, he’s not going to want to haul around crates of 12” singles. Class D and records are still oil and water.
Shutting down unused sections of a tube preamp isn’t so much about saving the planet as it is about not paying for the additional A/C (and AC) and having the tubes go longer before needing to spend money on more. You still need a heavy transformer that can power it all, when needed.
USUALLY, people who play records are obsessed with analog and would only grudgingly use a class D amp for the subwoofer. The mere mention of class D causes reactions that get threads locked. The opposite is usually true too - users who like and buy into all the latest digital technology have long since abandoned records, cassettes, 8 tracks - and even CDs. Two camps are like the Klingons and the Romulans.
You will occasionally find a DJ that still uses turntables instead of a computer - but old school will still use old school methods. Iron horse amplifiers and horn loaded speakers - weight be damned, we want BASS. If one uses class D powered speakers to save weight, he’s not going to want to haul around crates of 12” singles. Class D and records are still oil and water.
Shutting down unused sections of a tube preamp isn’t so much about saving the planet as it is about not paying for the additional A/C (and AC) and having the tubes go longer before needing to spend money on more. You still need a heavy transformer that can power it all, when needed.
I use control vinyl when I dj... That way I get the tactile feel of mixing vinyl, but the ease of mixing any song I want. I was using Traktor for a while, but a misplaced wire put -150V on the RCA cable and killed the interface.
Now I use Mixxx with a couple of Behringer interfaces although I haven't spun a mix in years now. Maybe I should make it work again 🙂
Now I use Mixxx with a couple of Behringer interfaces although I haven't spun a mix in years now. Maybe I should make it work again 🙂
I’ve gotten used to mixing on the computer - I have an NS7-2 and a little Hercules unit thats easier for just “playing” and up late at night in the office. That and my vinyl collection runs out in the early 90’s. Nothing newer - everything else is digital. And I’ve found digital copies of 90% of those old 12” versions. You can pretty much get anything from Tommy Boy Records and most of the pop disco at a buck a track. Still not much class D - only 2 of my amps are (Crown CE4000, price was just too unbelievable to pass on). Some are SMPS, but the big boys running subs are all iron core transformers.
I never did get Mixxx to really work right with either of my consoles, under Linux or windows. I’ve just used Serato with the NS7 and Virtual DJ with both. I don’t have time or patience to fight with code.
I plan on resurrecting three of my turntables when moving to the new place (no room now). One will go with the 6550 monoblocks (And preamp when built). The other two were my old DJ tables - for when I build that all tube PA. I hope I have enough life left to finish that project - and spin one or two real gigs with it. Big sweep tube power amps, tube “driverack”, La Scala or similar clones (have drivers but no cabs yet) and some of my big horn subs from the big rig. The key word with the vinyl is TUBES.
It is a race to see who gets their *LW6 amps up and running first - me or Tubelab George. I’ve got to pull the plug from work and get the new place built before embarking on that project. Collecting parts and winding power trafos now.
I never did get Mixxx to really work right with either of my consoles, under Linux or windows. I’ve just used Serato with the NS7 and Virtual DJ with both. I don’t have time or patience to fight with code.
I plan on resurrecting three of my turntables when moving to the new place (no room now). One will go with the 6550 monoblocks (And preamp when built). The other two were my old DJ tables - for when I build that all tube PA. I hope I have enough life left to finish that project - and spin one or two real gigs with it. Big sweep tube power amps, tube “driverack”, La Scala or similar clones (have drivers but no cabs yet) and some of my big horn subs from the big rig. The key word with the vinyl is TUBES.
It is a race to see who gets their *LW6 amps up and running first - me or Tubelab George. I’ve got to pull the plug from work and get the new place built before embarking on that project. Collecting parts and winding power trafos now.
Give Mixxx another try. They've come a LONG way in a short time...
I just can't mixx with job shuttle or CDJ stuff... I can mix vinyl, and I have the decks. Mixxx works with Serato TC vinyl, too.
I even had my setup in a way that allowed mixing a file from the computer with a real record without any computer setting crap, just the input switches on the mixer 🙂
For a time, I was using a tube phono stage for timecode vinyl playing into a digital mixer 🙂
I made a 36LW6 amp years ago, but scrapped them in favour of 6P45S.
I just can't mixx with job shuttle or CDJ stuff... I can mix vinyl, and I have the decks. Mixxx works with Serato TC vinyl, too.
I even had my setup in a way that allowed mixing a file from the computer with a real record without any computer setting crap, just the input switches on the mixer 🙂
For a time, I was using a tube phono stage for timecode vinyl playing into a digital mixer 🙂
I made a 36LW6 amp years ago, but scrapped them in favour of 6P45S.
NS7 has the 7” high torque motorized platters. I can’t use the little jog wheels at all - I just end up riding the pitch control on the little Hercules - or doing it the lazy man’s way with the auto BPM sync.
Based on the iron I’ve found for the output trafos - I’m thinking 350W mid/top and 800 watt sub. Per channel. That’s a lot of 36LW6’s. I’d hate to spring for KT88’s for THAT. They’ll be running pentode with the screen at 150 or below where they won’t do anything stupid like red plate. I’m not afraid of a little global negative feedback - even 25 dB of it. When running that setup, the preamp will be running all the tubes.
Come to think of it, I have a couple of old DJ mixers I’m not using. Maybe put in a few 6JW8’s? They make nice 2-stage feedback blocks - plenty for an RIAA stage. And not too much heat sitting right in your face between two ‘tables.
Based on the iron I’ve found for the output trafos - I’m thinking 350W mid/top and 800 watt sub. Per channel. That’s a lot of 36LW6’s. I’d hate to spring for KT88’s for THAT. They’ll be running pentode with the screen at 150 or below where they won’t do anything stupid like red plate. I’m not afraid of a little global negative feedback - even 25 dB of it. When running that setup, the preamp will be running all the tubes.
Come to think of it, I have a couple of old DJ mixers I’m not using. Maybe put in a few 6JW8’s? They make nice 2-stage feedback blocks - plenty for an RIAA stage. And not too much heat sitting right in your face between two ‘tables.
Haha the sync button 🙂 I knew someone who glued a thumbtack to that button to try and prevent it's use 🙂
Have you considered class D for the sub? Even in my setup, I use a SS class G amp for the sub 🙂
Have you considered class D for the sub? Even in my setup, I use a SS class G amp for the sub 🙂
So, when you are listening to a digital source, your phono preamp is connected to mains phase and the chassis isn't grounded (or is that separate)?
Just clarifying the safety aspect here...
Just clarifying the safety aspect here...
The phono is in the same chassis as the rest of the preamp. It is directly connected to earth.
I simply disconnect B+ and heater supply from the phono board while it's not in use with a relay.
When listening to a digital source, it gets turned into analog, fed into the preamp, split into two signals, one for headphones and "local" power amps, and one the feeds isolations transformers that then feed AD converters to make my variable out for "remote" power amps... No ground loop / hum with the optical connections 🙂
I simply disconnect B+ and heater supply from the phono board while it's not in use with a relay.
When listening to a digital source, it gets turned into analog, fed into the preamp, split into two signals, one for headphones and "local" power amps, and one the feeds isolations transformers that then feed AD converters to make my variable out for "remote" power amps... No ground loop / hum with the optical connections 🙂
I know, I know - it’s cheating. But I’ve been known to use they sync button with the smaller console. I prefer to slow the platter down by hand on the big one. When I learned to mix I didn’t even have pitch controls.
I have 30 kW worth of class H sand amps - with more in the pipeline. I want the option of doing all the amplification with tubes. Obviously a smaller rig, but in the ballpark of what routinely gets used. There was a question of how big a tube amp could I actually make - considering that the first ones I actually took to a finished product (instead of disassembling after playing with it a while) were 200 watts. Where does one go from there? And what would one actually use it (or them) for? Then the disco lights came on.
Separate driver sections for local and remote power amps? That sounds like you might consider turning off the remote driver when not in use. How much power draw in your driver stages? I was planning a pair of 6KV8 with the pents as K-followers capable of driving 100 ohm balanced lines….at least two sets if bi or tri amping. That takes some milliamps. Just running tunes in the shop only needs one.
The "driver" for the DA is the first output. The driver is also the headphone amp, it takes about 15W to light up, and 17W (280V, ~60mA) for the rest. My setup uses 6N6P for output and can drive 32R headphones (but only to about 20mW of power, it's really designed to drive my 470R which it can push ~1W into)... I just use optical to get rid of hum as the "remote" amps are on another branch circuit and there are ground loops even with transformer coupling.