using accutronics spring with v72 amps?

[salomonander]

hey

id really like to have a god spring reverb at the studio. im looking at the accutronics. i do have lots of v72 preamps i could use for gain makup. can anyone point me towards how i would hook this up?
id be coming from my consoles aux outputs which are transformer coupled outputs.

cheers
jakob

 

[salomonander]

i guess im wondering if i should use transformers before and after the spring tank. and if yes, what ratio they should have..

 

[RuudNL]

I don't see any need for transformers.
You can use the coils of the reverb tank balanced and 'floating' if you want.
I have experimented a lot with spring reverbs in the past.
To get a bit more 'top' out of them, it is a good idea to experiment with a capacitor in parallel with the pickup coil. Try to find a resonance frequency at the point where the frequency response seriously rolls of. If the resonance peak is too high, damp it with a resistor.
This way you can extend the frequency range.
I noticed that it is an advantage to terminate the pickup coil with a rather high impedance.
Are you looking for a specific reverb sound?
The "twangy" and "boingy" sound of a spring certaintly adds a special character...
Also think about the idea of driving TWO reverb tanks (in phase) and combine the output signals out of phase. A lot of common disturbing sounds (the "boings") will be cancelled this way and you will keep the (random) reverb spring sound.

 

[salomonander]

I don't see any need for transformers.
You can use the coils of the reverb tank balanced and 'floating' if you want.
I have experimented a lot with spring reverbs in the past.
To get a bit more 'top' out of them, it is a good idea to experiment with a capacitor in parallel with the pickup coil. Try to find a resonance frequency at the point where the frequency response seriously rolls of. If the resonance peak is too high, damp it with a resistor.
This way you can extend the frequency range.
I noticed that it is an advantage to terminate the pickup coil with a rather high impedance.
Are you looking for a specific reverb sound?
The "twangy" and "boingy" sound of a spring certaintly adds a special character...
Also think about the idea of driving TWO reverb tanks (in phase) and combine the output signals out of phase. A lot of common disturbing sounds (the "boings") will be cancelled this way and you will keep the (random) reverb spring sound.

hey

thanks for the reply. im looking for something as little boingy as possible. i whish i could end up with something similar to a smaller akg bx unit. i guess it would be best to use the type 9 in that case am i right? or are there other spring manufacturers that might even have something in the vein of the bigger akg springs?

 

[RuudNL]

I think the BX20 was unique in its kind. You could even use it on percussive sounds as drums!
I don't think with the commercially available reverb tanks you can come even close to a BX20.
(If you can, please let me know!!!)

 

[salomonander]

I think the BX20 was unique in its kind. You could even use it on percussive sounds as drums!
I don't think with the commercially available reverb tanks you can come even close to a BX20.
(If you can, please let me know!!!)

i already thought so.
can you maybe point me towards a shematic showing your clever wiring of the spring tanks? sounds like the way to go.

 

[RuudNL]

This shows the basic idea:
http://www.paia.com/ProdArticles/hotspuse.htm
(Driving out of phase, adding the outputs in phase, but it's the same idea.)
Personally I would use a driver stage that could provide a bit more output (I think) and use a higher-Z input impedance for the reverb output amplifier. The 'current drive' (drive coil in the feedback loop) is also a good idea.