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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 22, 2008 16:36:18 GMT -5
I have spoke with a local amp tech and let him look at the inner workings of the Nitro. He thinks a master volume can easily be added to the signal chain. The knob will have to be small. I'm thinking about letting him put it on. The lack of a master volume is the only thing that erks me about Splawns.
I've been using the volume box in the loop, but it sucks some the tone out due to the loop. I can compensate with pre amps in the mix recording, but dude can a brotha get a master volume? I want to record the Nitro raw with no juice. ;D
The Texas Heats I'm using are super easy to mike. I can go straight on axis and get good tone.
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Post by windsen on Mar 22, 2008 16:38:49 GMT -5
do you mean putting a second volume pot to control the preamp volume?
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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 22, 2008 16:41:41 GMT -5
Yeppers. A true overall master volume pot that controls amp volume. Then you can use the master on the gain and clean to balance out the two. Basically work like the volume box in the loop, but just on the front of the amp. No tone suck from the loop anymore.
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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 22, 2008 16:45:22 GMT -5
I meant use the volume on the gain and clean to balance. So basically you can turn up the volume more than 9O clock on the gain without causing your elderly neighbors to have strokes and have the brutalz at lower more speaker friendly volumes.
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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 22, 2008 16:59:35 GMT -5
I just thought of something. If this mod works........Scott is really going to kill me. First I painted the logo silver to match the faceplate and now I'm modding his masterpiece.
I'm not sure how long it will take to put the master volume on. I want to make sure that it is an easy fix if it doesn't work well.
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Post by Ayton(e) on Mar 22, 2008 21:15:35 GMT -5
I'm not quite sure what all this means, but if it works, let us know! Have you been quoted a price to have this mod done?
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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 22, 2008 22:16:01 GMT -5
Nope no price. I'm not exactly sure how it will be done as far as connecting the extra volume pot in the chain. I know companys like VooDoo do stuff like this to Mesa, Bogner, marshall, etc relatively cheap, so I'm thinking $100 range parts, labor, aspirin, bandaids, yada yada.
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Post by Silverwulf on Mar 23, 2008 0:37:15 GMT -5
I would think any competent tech should be able to add a Master Volume pretty easily to the Nitro.
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Post by SonicExplorer on Mar 23, 2008 1:02:19 GMT -5
If the Splawns were more than two-channel amps then I might be worried about not having a master volume. But the reality is, when you record you get things set up once and leave it alone. And when you gig there's many dynamics involved from stage to stage and gig to gig (including the mere moving of the amp itself which can jar knob settings). So all that usually requires at least a little tone/volume tweaking anyway. Therefore, under the circumstances I don't see the Splawns lack of master volume being a limitation at all. Maybe if somebody is confined to playing in their bedroom and constantly adjusts volume levels....but for those people who actually use the amps to truly gig or record then not having a master volume shouldn't be a problem.
Having said all that, if at some point in the future Scott creates a three or four channel amp then a master volume is probably going to become a necessity, IMO.
Sonic
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Post by Silverwulf on Mar 23, 2008 1:35:48 GMT -5
Unless I misread, I think you missed the whole point of why he wants the Master Volume in the first place. He wants to have it so he can crank up the OD channel and then regulate volume with the MV knob. Considering there's multiple threads here about the volume, and more people than I can shake a stick at using either a volume pedal or volume box in the loop...there's obviously quite a few people that feel the need to have some sort of control acting like a MV does.
A MV would be great IMO, especially because the volume pots are so sensitive and the amp goes from from too quiet to too loud by moving it a hair. At least then you could set relative volume levels - cranked - for both channels, then roll into a gig and just move one knob to set your volume, which could be a cranked sound at lower volumes to make the sound man happy.
Just my take on it at least.
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Post by snappinnecks on Mar 23, 2008 21:15:07 GMT -5
Yeah exactly what Silverwulf said. Splawns are the only amps I have ever owned that didn't have a master volume. Super brutal tones are achieved due to the master volume having more control over power tube saturation. I have found that amps with a master volume give you some flexibility to use a good mixture of preamp and power tube distortion. Also you don't crap your pants accidentally bumping into a way too sensative volume on the gain channel. Basically it relieves the sheer volume issues and gives even more tone shaping possibilities. Also when you find that good balance between the clean and gain channels then all it takes is just turn up the master volume and both channels keep the same even level when you crank it up for live shows. I don't have practice amps etc, so I use either the Nitro or my live rig to write and practice.
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Post by SonicExplorer on Mar 24, 2008 3:25:48 GMT -5
Just FYI: The master volume mod you refer to has little to do with power tube distortion, it's simply changing the circuit by re-locating the area where the volume is controlled. That is not the same effect as power tube distortion at all.
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Post by DonaldDemon on Mar 24, 2008 8:46:21 GMT -5
Just FYI: The master volume mod you refer to has little to do with power tube distortion, it's simply changing the circuit by re-locating the area where the volume is controlled. That is not the same effect as power tube distortion at all. I think SE is right here. Puttinga master volume is not going to act as an attenuator like you may be wanting. It will simply just put another volume that will control the level of the clean and distorted channels together. It will still need to be cranked up loud to get the power tubes working hard and get the most out of your tone like you are expecting. I could be wrong, but I would think Scott would have added one if he thought it was neccesary. They are more useful on amps with more than 2 distorted channels so you can set levels easier. |
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Post by windsen on Mar 24, 2008 9:36:17 GMT -5
i agree with both sonic and DD
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Post by Silverwulf on Mar 24, 2008 9:43:09 GMT -5
I think you guys are assuming. His tech never stated where the MV would be in the circuit or how it would be added. He just stated he could add one.
Even if the mod itself would just relocate where the volume was controlled - something we don't know since we don't have mod details - it would still solve the "too quiet to too loud" problem and let him maintain a relative balance between his cleans/OD and adjust hi overall volume with one knob, and one would like to think on a much smoother taper where the volume would scale better for lower volumes.
I don't think many of us here are too worried about power tube distortion. Most engineers would probably tell you we'd never be able to perceive the difference power tube distortion would add because it would have to be cranked to levels where it's a wash to us. And they'd also tellyou that we shouldn't be able to hear but a minimal difference in power tubes in general. But, my ears tell me differently. No offense to engineers and what I'm "supposed" to hear, but I trust my ears and will always side with what they hear over their theories and textbooks any day. Just my opinion though.
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