DSC04869Hi all, this old thing has been in storage for a while. Mostly works, most faders need replacing. Rca inputs noisy and headphones pretty ordinary
1 - is this junk?
2 - worth rebuilding to reasonable levels for a lotsa channel spare? It will be used for micing drums for now if rebuilt vs buying a small semi decent like a Yamaha
3 - I am attracted to the idea that if this unit can be used as a solid platform for something decent diy. The chassis seems solid and in good condition as are all the sockets. Would this be able to accommodate passive point to point type level, tone, pan and routing per strip preserving the channel strip functioning? Would this have enough space to fit a final valve based summing, gain and headphones? Instruments will plug in through pedals or already be hot
An attraction of building a valve gain in the mixer is to use it as a possible line conditioning stage (tube sound like that old musical fidelity x-ting) by plugging the music/karaoke pc into this then on to the power amps.
Also attracted to the idea of adding a mic at a time with each on its own outboard preamp maybe tube or jfet (wonder if this has the space inside to build simple jfet gain for each channel, I can lift the unit by adding more body underneath by about two cm or even more at the rear. Maybe homemade wedge or L shape custom end plates and backs. I can can give up the wide flat areas around the meters for things like tubes sticking out
It will be nice to have a simple, robust but musical setup where we just plug in our headphones and or music making things and jam or sit back or turn the amp and sub on
They are nice enough boards, especially for live sound. Have you taken it apart? They are seriously inconvenient to take apart. It has been a while, but if I recall correctly...
You have to take the side ends off, then the front curve and in the rear a flat molding has to come out. By tapping them at the end and sliding them out. There are grooves in the moldings for edges of the circuit boards. Then the top panel has to come off, which means removing all knobs, nuts, and screws. The XLRs are very snug in the round plastic housings, but they are just pressed into them, you have to wedge up the panel slowly along the length of it to free them. Now you are looking down at the boards, and if my memory serves, they are held by a whole bunch of black plastic posts.
HAving said that, once you are in there they are easy enough to work on. I don't know that this would be a great chassis for a home build, not much depth to work in. The XLR and 1/4" jacks are all PC mounted.
It isn't junk, but I see many missing sliders and not sure if Peavey still stocks them. I see no reason it can't be overhauled and used for a drum mixer. 45 years ago when I was touring, we used a sub mixer for drums.
I suggest taking it apart to assess the situation before deciding if it is worth the effort versus buying a used Yamaha something.
You have to take the side ends off, then the front curve and in the rear a flat molding has to come out. By tapping them at the end and sliding them out. There are grooves in the moldings for edges of the circuit boards. Then the top panel has to come off, which means removing all knobs, nuts, and screws. The XLRs are very snug in the round plastic housings, but they are just pressed into them, you have to wedge up the panel slowly along the length of it to free them. Now you are looking down at the boards, and if my memory serves, they are held by a whole bunch of black plastic posts.
HAving said that, once you are in there they are easy enough to work on. I don't know that this would be a great chassis for a home build, not much depth to work in. The XLR and 1/4" jacks are all PC mounted.
It isn't junk, but I see many missing sliders and not sure if Peavey still stocks them. I see no reason it can't be overhauled and used for a drum mixer. 45 years ago when I was touring, we used a sub mixer for drums.
I suggest taking it apart to assess the situation before deciding if it is worth the effort versus buying a used Yamaha something.
Thanks for the info, I did some searching on it a found a manual but didnt come across the schematic. I'll take it apart and have a look
Thanks, at least its not junk. I do hate throwing things away that originally took some effort to make. I would like to make use of it if rebuilt it can keep up with a economy yamaha sound wise
I had been looking to add a tube headphones and preamp with hands on volume control between the pc and amplifier. I think buying a new mixer with at least 10 mic pres (which is what we will ultimately need) is still going to be economy sound at our budget. I think will just refurbish this Peavey a bit and also use it as is and also a basis for a project
I can use its face panel dimensions to build a new case and build a diy headphone amp into it. I hope a headphone amp can provide paralleled outputs for driving two stereo amps. If not then diy tube preamps in that case too. I think the tubes can live on a base that sticks out a bit wider and be covered in perforated metal one piece top and sides. The peavey can sit on top of it until I start building individual channel strips as we add mics and finally pinching the face from the peavey and fitting it to the new case
Does this sound like a feasible path to simple musical hi-fi and hifi jamming? I'll need help with circuits but I did build a lot of Jaycar kits with all working 20yrs ago and I am good with a soldering iron and do have the ability to craft things with attention to function and aesthetics. My wife and daughter do these things together and its for our living room setup
Maybe this type for head phones
NP-100v12: DIY 12AU7 (ECC82) Tube / IRF510 MOSFET Headphone Amplifier
And this type of circuit for preamp
Model PL Stereo Tube Preamplifier
| TubeDepot.com
This type with additional pots and things for building channel strips
NP-100v12: DIY 12AU7 (ECC82) Tube / IRF510 MOSFET Headphone Amplifier
And this type of circuit for preamp
Model PL Stereo Tube Preamplifier
| TubeDepot.com
This type with additional pots and things for building channel strips
My unity 2002-12RQ has a headphone amp already. I don't see the socket below the output and monitor feed on your picture.
There are tiny nuvistor vacuum tubes like the RCA 7895, of which I have 20. You have to make your own socket, you can't buy them. Weighs 1.9 g, is 0.8" long & .5" diameter.
OTOH a couple of members have posted their "tube compression simulator" built with op amps or transistors on this thread: Design by ear!
The unity has lots of op amp power. The XR predecessor uses 4560's which are quieter IMHO than 4558 used by many brands.
There are tiny nuvistor vacuum tubes like the RCA 7895, of which I have 20. You have to make your own socket, you can't buy them. Weighs 1.9 g, is 0.8" long & .5" diameter.
OTOH a couple of members have posted their "tube compression simulator" built with op amps or transistors on this thread: Design by ear!
The unity has lots of op amp power. The XR predecessor uses 4560's which are quieter IMHO than 4558 used by many brands.
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The Unity 1000 has a headphones output, it is the lower right patch jack, just above the VU meters. The phones volume control is the lonesome control lower right on the panel, next to the master sliders.
The phones are stereo, the signal taken off at the top of the master sliders. Same point hte tape sends come off (with their own level control).
The phones are stereo, the signal taken off at the top of the master sliders. Same point hte tape sends come off (with their own level control).
Yeah it has headphones but they dont sound all that good. I will have a look into those tubes and see if I can see any schematics and look around the tube and headphone sections. I have come across one circuit that looks like a tube gain stage designed for mixer use. Need to search for it again but its the one that article about jfet preamp looks at. Seems like a universal type gain that I can use for building channel strips and summing and all that
At least glad to hear its worthwhile keep using the Unity and build a nice diy alongside. I think I will spend these spare few hours when I cant make noise (work on my bass) to look into just getting the parts for two channels for tube gain stage with 3 way tone control on each channel which I can start using for bass and kartal preamps or when listening to music I can use it as line conditioning between pc and amps. I'll go grab that schematic and start a thread about help with modifying it to my use. I dont have any knowledge about electronics design but can assemble from instructions
At least glad to hear its worthwhile keep using the Unity and build a nice diy alongside. I think I will spend these spare few hours when I cant make noise (work on my bass) to look into just getting the parts for two channels for tube gain stage with 3 way tone control on each channel which I can start using for bass and kartal preamps or when listening to music I can use it as line conditioning between pc and amps. I'll go grab that schematic and start a thread about help with modifying it to my use. I dont have any knowledge about electronics design but can assemble from instructions
Anything that old will need all new electrolytic caps. I wouldn't commit to it unless the slide pots can be bought economically, but once I go into old gear ALL the electrolytic caps over 20 years old go. The headphone amp stresses the power supply rail caps more than any other function, low capacity would show up there first.
There are dozens of them, but the 10 uf & below can be had in the 10000 hour service life variety for 10 for $1. Peavey didn't use cheapskate caps like some vendors, but even Allen organ amps that "never need ecaps" the pros tell me, get down to 2 watts from a 100 watt amp, and finally went silent, until I replaced the **** things.
Replacing e-caps is like mowing the lawn, calms me better than watching TV.
I've got vacuum tube equipment, I've got transistor, I've got op amp. Design details matter more to accurate sound, whereas tube excel at a certain kind of distortion wanted by guitar/bass players. I messed up the sound in my PAS2 lost balance due to expired paper capacitors, and polyester caps just don't sound the same. My op amp disco mixer sounds the best now on hifi LP's, after major improvements.
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Hi Enzo
I am repairing this board now but have yet to receive the schematic from Customer Service.
Would you be kind enough to send it to me.
Thanks in advance.
Regards
Mike
I sent it.
Peavey has only a skeleton crew these days, I am sad to say. Roger Crimm has been a terrific support over the years, but everyone around him is gone. So while Peavey was the top of the list for support traditionally, between COVID and industry changes, things are not up to the old standards.
Peavey has only a skeleton crew these days, I am sad to say. Roger Crimm has been a terrific support over the years, but everyone around him is gone. So while Peavey was the top of the list for support traditionally, between COVID and industry changes, things are not up to the old standards.
