MarkS
6 september 2013, 14:37
Om het een tube-amp sound te noemen gaat wellicht wat te ver, maar voor degenen die moeite hebben om in bandverband door de mix te prikken (sommigen vervangen de stock speakers door V30's vanwege de extra mids, en zetten de cab sims dan uit) , maar ook voor de thuis-tokkelaars is dit wellicht een aanrader.
Vanochtend deze kleine mod ook zelf ook gedaan, (nog) niet getest in bandverband maar geeft ook thuis absoluut een verbetering....
Omdat het een klein SMD onderdeeltje is moet je wel een beetje weten wat je doet met de juiste spullen.
Kleine soldeerpunt, balgje om tin op te zuigen en een vergrootglas is aan te raden.
"Hi there,
are you tired about discussing different speakermodels for the Flextone III amps ?
So let me tell you how to get a much more brillant and crisp sound from your Flextone3 in three easy steps without a speaker change.
After unplugging the mains cord and disconnecting the speaker cables remove the Amp Chassis with the 4 large screws on top and the 4 small screws for the handle.
Remove that tiny little board with the 1/4" input and pull for disconnecting the 5pin connector.
Remove the very very small capacitor signed as "C4" from the board with a small solder pen !
If you are not aware in soldering on SMD devices please take care and better take the board to the next electronic technician or to a radio shop with educated personell. Its all at your own risk !!!
These small capacitor( 47pf ) works together with the L1 ( SMD inductance) as a trap for high frequency EMC trouble. Under normal circumstances you will not need it.
And - unfortunatly - the 47pf cuts all the highest frequencies from your guitar signal !
You will never see such a capacitor e.g. in a high class tube guitar amps in the first stage.
So, if there are no high frequencies from the strings .......the amplifier cannot amplify such details.
And the sound will not be so bright, not so clear or crisp .....or what ever words you will use.
But, if you like the open Tubeamp sound remove the C4 and you will be very happy with the improved sound.
A additional effect ist that the overall sounds are no longer so bumpy .
Because the increased mids , treble and presence frequencies will work well with the build in Line6/ Celestion speakers and basses will be - relativily - not so much dominating as before.
If you are unhappy ( i wouldīnt believe it ) with the result you can solder in a normal 22 or 47pf ceramic capacitor to the 2 tiny SMD pads on the board again !
Addtionally you can increase the C5 (47nF) capacitor by parallel soldering with a 10nF (or 22nF) film capacitor .
Result is a 57nF ( 70nF) capacitor who will reduce the startfrequency of the preemphasis network build around the OpAmp an
give the frequencies from 3,1kHz ( or 2,5 Khz) 5db more gain .
You will get much clearer (louder) higher Mids and in total a much more brilliant sound with more bite to cut through.At least you can exchange the L1 inductance ( in line with the input ) with a 1nf film capacitor to cut the (boomy) bass frequencies out of the input signal.
These mods should also work in HD147 īs , because they use the same technology inside as the Flextone III.
A few words to the Line6 developers :
I know the reasons well for building in the C4/L1 into the amps. Its because the CE and US trade specifications !
But for a musician it sounds much better without these absorption circuits. ;-) Thanks for this great Amp !!!!!!
cheers
Peter from Germany "
Vanochtend deze kleine mod ook zelf ook gedaan, (nog) niet getest in bandverband maar geeft ook thuis absoluut een verbetering....
Omdat het een klein SMD onderdeeltje is moet je wel een beetje weten wat je doet met de juiste spullen.
Kleine soldeerpunt, balgje om tin op te zuigen en een vergrootglas is aan te raden.
"Hi there,
are you tired about discussing different speakermodels for the Flextone III amps ?
So let me tell you how to get a much more brillant and crisp sound from your Flextone3 in three easy steps without a speaker change.
After unplugging the mains cord and disconnecting the speaker cables remove the Amp Chassis with the 4 large screws on top and the 4 small screws for the handle.
Remove that tiny little board with the 1/4" input and pull for disconnecting the 5pin connector.
Remove the very very small capacitor signed as "C4" from the board with a small solder pen !
If you are not aware in soldering on SMD devices please take care and better take the board to the next electronic technician or to a radio shop with educated personell. Its all at your own risk !!!
These small capacitor( 47pf ) works together with the L1 ( SMD inductance) as a trap for high frequency EMC trouble. Under normal circumstances you will not need it.
And - unfortunatly - the 47pf cuts all the highest frequencies from your guitar signal !
You will never see such a capacitor e.g. in a high class tube guitar amps in the first stage.
So, if there are no high frequencies from the strings .......the amplifier cannot amplify such details.
And the sound will not be so bright, not so clear or crisp .....or what ever words you will use.
But, if you like the open Tubeamp sound remove the C4 and you will be very happy with the improved sound.
A additional effect ist that the overall sounds are no longer so bumpy .
Because the increased mids , treble and presence frequencies will work well with the build in Line6/ Celestion speakers and basses will be - relativily - not so much dominating as before.
If you are unhappy ( i wouldīnt believe it ) with the result you can solder in a normal 22 or 47pf ceramic capacitor to the 2 tiny SMD pads on the board again !
Addtionally you can increase the C5 (47nF) capacitor by parallel soldering with a 10nF (or 22nF) film capacitor .
Result is a 57nF ( 70nF) capacitor who will reduce the startfrequency of the preemphasis network build around the OpAmp an
give the frequencies from 3,1kHz ( or 2,5 Khz) 5db more gain .
You will get much clearer (louder) higher Mids and in total a much more brilliant sound with more bite to cut through.At least you can exchange the L1 inductance ( in line with the input ) with a 1nf film capacitor to cut the (boomy) bass frequencies out of the input signal.
These mods should also work in HD147 īs , because they use the same technology inside as the Flextone III.
A few words to the Line6 developers :
I know the reasons well for building in the C4/L1 into the amps. Its because the CE and US trade specifications !
But for a musician it sounds much better without these absorption circuits. ;-) Thanks for this great Amp !!!!!!
cheers
Peter from Germany "