Re-amp box in a pinch?

Hey crew,

I'm in a bit of a pinch for a re-amp box. You know, not a lot of money to spend and I need it soon.. I stock most common size resistors, caps, and jacks but I don't have many spare transformers. Is there any kind of poor mans work around for re-amping under my circumstances? I have a few transformers including some very small 600:600s from radio shack.. not sure if those would be any kind of help but maybe? 

buildafriend said:

Hey crew,

I'm in a bit of a pinch for a re-amp box. You know, not a lot of money to spend and I need it soon.. I stock most common size resistors, caps, and jacks but I don't have many spare transformers. Is there any kind of poor mans work around for re-amping under my circumstances? I have a few transformers including some very small 600:600s from radio shack.. not sure if those would be any kind of help but maybe?

Click to expand...

What, running a 1/4" cable from the output of a converter into an amp isn't sufficient?

-a

I can't tell if that's a joke or not..  it sounds a bit against the grain to me.. but it's my first time re-amping so..  ???

I'm looking at jt-11p-1 jensen circuit but I'm not sure if the cost of the iron+parts saves me anything compared to just buying one of those 1 hundred USD radial DI's.

buildafriend said:

I can't tell if that's a joke or not..  it sounds a bit against the grain to me.. but it's my first time re-amping so..  ???

Click to expand...

It wasn't a joke.

The idea with re-amping is that you take a recorded sound and run it through a guitar amp and then record the sound from that amp.

If your playback hardware has 1/4" outputs, then seriously, just run a guitar cable from an output and plug it into the amp. Adjust the output level as desired to ensure you don't hit the amp with a signal  that's too hot. (Which is probably not necessary.)

I don't understand the need for special reamping hardware, except maybe to unbalance a balanced output. While guitar amp inputs tend to be high-Z so as to not load the pickups, there's really no good reason to step up the output impedance of your DAC.

-a

buildafriend said:

I can't tell if that's a joke or not.. 

Click to expand...

Try it. I've done it (when I had no other option) and it worked.

It works, you just have to be able to use an unbalanced gtr cable and reduce the level considerably.
Guitars only output around 100millivolts, bit more for "hot" pickups, that's a very small signal.

Other option :

Use a DI box backwards, if it's good enough for David Gilmour then it's good enough for me !

MM.

This requires an inductor you likely don't have, but it uses a small 600:600, which you do have. 
http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/314.html

I haven't built it, but Scott Dorsey's projects tend to be pretty good.

Thanks for the lot of great suggestions! I have some experimenting to do now.

The largest sonic effect might come in adding series resistance to mimic the usual Hi-Z source.  That's why Jensen adds the variable 50K pot on their guitar splitter schematic.  The transformer comes in if you need the isolation.  Plug it all into the same circuit, you'll probably eliminate this issue. 

I built a combo splitter/reamp/DI box, and used a Jensen 600:600 I had sitting around along with several 10K:10K for the splitter parts.  The reamp portion is simply a voltage divider pot after the 600:600 and series resistance to the 1/4" out. 

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=28449.msg343896#msg343896

I built a reamp box with an OEP a262a7e (1+1:1+1) that I had spare and it sounds great.
It's a very simple scheme with an output control.
If you want, I can share the schematic but it's like the other DIY reamp box that you find online.

What about this cheapo?
http://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/store/kits/line2amp-reamping-box-full-kit/

I know a guy who has it and it works like charm...

I might combine this

And this


Since I'm building an orange 86 with a redd EQ I'll need a gain make up stage. I'm thinking maybe I'll combine these and keep the box under it! Two birds with one transformer and a switch.

Feelings?

I ordered the transformer. I have all the other parts just laying around! woo hoo I'm psyched!!