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VU Meter
I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about incorporating a VU meter into a guitar amp. Does it hurt the tone? I found a really cool looking meter, and I want to use it for eye candy on a practice amp that I'm building for myself. I was thinking about putting it on (near?) the grid of the last preamp stage. I want to adjust 0dB for the bias voltage to indicate where it will clip. It comes with an external resistor, so I assume it's adjustable. Although, I've never used one. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Yossarian.
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The signals in a tube preamp probably don't have enough current to drive a pointer-type meter. When I added a meter to my amp, I connected it across a 1 ohm cathode resistor common to both power tubes, so it read more or less the current drawn by the power tubes. The needle sits at about 30% when idle and starts to flap around if I play loud. If it slams off the end stop I know I'm probably playing too loud or have the wrong speaker impedance.
It's also handy for biasing when installing new power tubes, and getting an idea of whether your old ones are worn out. If they can't kick the needle as far as they used to, it could be time for the scrap heap (or the bottle bank?
) So I say it's not just eye candy.
"Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?" -
NOS Sunn VU Meters
I have a handful of NOS VU meters from the Old Sunn Headquarters in Williamstown Kentucky. Any Interest?
TerryAttached FilesComment
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Maybe, what size are they?
steve"Enzo, I see that you replied parasitic oscillations. Is that a hypothesis? Or is that your amazing metal band I should check out?"Comment
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I would like at least a few of them. How much are you looking to get?Originally posted by fluhome View PostComment
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FWIW, they were available in ... 2008 !!!!Juan Manuel FaheyComment
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turns out he still had a couple and i just bought one. YAY!!!!!
thanks god for zombie threads!
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WOW!!! This thread started in 2006, was ressurected in 2008, then again in two month ago in 2012 and now this week!!! That's got to be some kind of record. The "Jason" thread."Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo
"Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas
"If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
You can't just expect consent." HelmholtzComment
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