NewYorkDave Mila Dual Tube Preamp Help Thread

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Hi Anthon

Thanks for the tip about the transformer, but muy problem is Fuzz, no Hum, so I'll look the grounding, I think I'm missing a connection somewhere. I tied all the grounds in the audio circuit directly to chasis, I'll try to connect them to HT common instead.
 
HT and heater - should join at output of psu board, attach this to central ground point close to mains connector. Now it looks like you took this wire from input tube instead of psu output, although some people ground at the input. I never do this because phantom is always "a bit wrong". Phantom should be separated from this ground, consider it as independent from audio and mains ground. - from pin 1 goes to phantom switch and from there to phantom's psu board -.
Pot between 1st and 2nd tube should be shielded and grounded properly, i will recommend some reading about it. 
Looks like secondary of input transformer is a little too long and crosses heaters, probably HT too, about 1:10-15 ratio is ok, no need to go lower. I would move it closer to input tube with very short wire, put heater wiring behind the tubes and don't have HT anywhere near it. DI input could be problematic with this kind of implementation, relay is very handy in situations like this if you can't make more compact circuit. That means following schematic, don't cross wires or even run others along them. Make sure that OEP doesn't touch metal plate with pins, input transfomer needs mumetal can grounded very close to transformer, shield between prim. and sec. winding goes to signal ground.
As another member said, mains transformer could also be cause of troubles, there is enough space to move it around. Chasis like this is big enough to make really quiet preamp.
Read Ruffrecord's (Ian Bell, Custom tube consoles) "Grounding 101" and other things about this matter on his website, Jensen and Rane papers will help too.
Seems you have grounding problem, power transformer close to input and output tansformers, HT has - wire very far from it ( is it even connected directly to - pole of it), etc. For crude test without microphone you could connect signal from computer or cd player to pins 2 and 3 of input xlr (short pins 1 to 3 at the source because signal is unbal.), use a pad to not overdrive it. Maybe looks like a lot of work, but big chasis like this is advantage if you are not very experienced in building tube gear. I'm sure your work will be rewarded with great sound and low noise.
 
Thanks For the advices everyone.

I'll redo a few things of my layout like power transformer later, but now, I think I have an electrical problem.

I have some kind of white noise at the output, -30dbu or so, gain dependant, it's not hum.

My voltages are ok except for tube 1 pins 1 & 4 which are like 9Volt Lower than shown in schematic.

Any ideas about what could be the issue? Maybe HT near some sensitive wires could be the cause?
 
Pin1 is an anode. It is not unusual for anode voltages to vary by this much. Pin 4 is a heater. Are you sure this is the one you mean is 9V wrong?

Cheers

Ian
 
dirtyhanfri said:
You are right

It's pin 6, the other anode

So I must assume it's a noise issue due to the wiring?

You need first to determine if the noise comes mostly from the first or second triode. Measure the noise with the gain control turned right down. What do you get?

Cheers

ian
 
How about it, guys? How  would I implement Phantom Power? I'm assuming I'd have to get another Power Transformer, for the separate tap?

And . . . in order to implement an Output pot on the preamp, it seems like I would have to place a pot somewhere between C4, R13 and R14?
 
Hey guys  ;D

How and where would be the best place to implement a low cut in this circuit? My frequency response go's down below 10Hz and I would like to get rid of anything below 30Hz. My speakers are not fond of this. 

I would think C6 would be a good spot but I tried a smaller cap (0.1uF) there and got a boost of about 6dBu at the cutoff frequency which ramped down, back to normal into the upper lows. It did cut the lows I didn't want, but it also boosted some of the lows that I want to be flat. Is this the result of my Xc and XL not being correct? I began to wonder if adding an R to ground post coupling cap would help. I would love to see a practical example of the math for this. 

All the best,

 

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buildafriend said:
Hey guys  ;D

How and where would be the best place to implement a low cut in this circuit? My frequency response go's down below 10Hz and I would like to get rid of anything below 30Hz. My speakers are not fond of this. 

C3 would be a good place to do it. changing t to 100nF should give a -3dB point around 15Hz  or so. 47nF should give 30Hz.

Cheers

Ian
 
ruffrecords said:
C3 would be a good place to do it. changing t to 100nF should give a -3dB point around 15Hz  or so. 47nF should give 30Hz.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian. I only have a few 100nF 400VDC NOS Mallory capacitors that I can use for now. Below is an A/B of the 1uF vs the 100nF. For practical purposes 100nF works well, though I wouldn't mind using a 47nF. My speakers do well with the frequency response.

All the best, 
 

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buildafriend said:
Thanks Ian. I only have a few 100nF 400VDC NOS Mallory capacitors that I can use for now. Below is an A/B of the 1uF vs the 100nF. For practical purposes 100nF works well, though I wouldn't mind using a 47nF. My speakers do well with the frequency response.

All the best,

You could always wire 2 x 100nF in series to get 50nF.

Cheers

Ian
 
And that C-R high pass is a 6dB/octave filter. You can do a sharper 12 dB/octave with more components.
 
ruffrecords said:
You could always wire 2 x 100nF in series to get 50nF.

Cheers

Ian

I was considering that but I wanted to keep the build looking nice by not doubling up on components within the same footprint. If I don't get around to ordering some 47nF caps then I'll do this.

And DMP, thanks for chiming in. After bumping into the effect I got when changing the output coupling capacitor I want to revisit passive RLC filter theory. I would like to see what you were thinking of to add a steeper slope to the cutoff frequency.

All the best,
 
Good evening, I'm having some trouble with the psu. I built the one in the original pdf but when I turn on the preamp, R1 (on the psu board) burns out. This happends when i connect the main board with the psu, powering on the psu unconnected doesn't make any smoke :p

Any one can help?
 
  Can you describe or transpose over the schematic how you have things hooked up???

I'm actually a bit confused with the solid/fatter black  ground line....R5 shouldn't be grounded should it???? I guess I can make out there is no dot there.....  A little jump would be more clear.....

I always thought elevation was best after some filtering???
 
R5 shouldn't be grounded according to the schematic I think. Checked my psu and it isn't, so nothing wrong there...

I attach a picture with the pcb top and bottom mirrored. I'm on my phone so its not grate, will upload something better tomorrow

Note R1 has been replaced as testing options and value is incorrect right now
 

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Weird....
Looks like c3 may be backwards???

Those paralleled ones R1??? what value were they???  what wattage rating too???

is R5 the right value???? can't tell ....

R6 is hard to make out too..... what is the value there???
 

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