Adapter Tube
My tube-driven distortion pedal isn’t working?
So yesterday I bought a new tube driven behinger distortion. Model vt911. The little blue LED is on when I click the switch and the 9v adapter is in but the distortion just isn’t working. I checked my cords and what not and that’s fine but the distortion just won’t work. It worked last night. It was new in the box. Help?
I’ve looked it up, being unfamiliar with the model. It sounds pretty cool… its not easy to find inexpensive tube-based equipment, although its becoming easier these days. What’s really cool is that a lot of it is very customizable (think the Epiphone Valve Jr, for instance!).
Even if it worked last night, you need to go through and check every part of your signal chain to make sure its the pedal and nothing else. So plug your guitar straight into the amp – if that works, then that’s good, its the pedal. It sounds stupid, but you have checked the volume, right? *grin*
I would want to know if the power adapter was functioning….
Alright, so I looked up the documentation (first link) and the user reviews at harmony central (second link), and it sounds like part of the issue is that with a 9v power supply a 12ax7 tube isn’t being supplied with full voltage. This is called a “starved plate” circuit, btw. Normally 12ax7 tubes expect hundreds of volts, so running them on less results in a more non-linear sound… it’ll still have a “tube” sound, but it’ll be harder to get a “smooth” distortion versus a more gritty, ratty sound.
Anyways, because of the low supply voltage, it may take a few minutes for the tube to warm up and work correctly. Plug it in, then give it a few minutes!
Second, the tubes they’re using are kinda cheapo junk. It would be worth your time to swap it out for something else. Higher gain tubes will have a “dirty” sound, while lower gain tubes will have an overall cleaner, louder sound.
Even though my tube preamp is running at full plate voltage, I find the same thing happens with me, too – with only one tube you have two gain stages (one tube has two sides to it, so it can amplify a signal twice) while most high-gain amps have three or four *tubes*, which means anywhere from 4 to 8 gain stages. What this means is that you can have a smoother overall tone…. anyways, enough with the technical junk….
With a lower gain tube like a 12at7 you’ll have a cleaner, louder, smoother sound, but it’ll more of an overdrive. It actually can make multifx and distortion pedals in front of it sound pretty good!
With medium-gain 12ax7′s like an ElectroHarmonix or Ruby, you’ll have a little more gain and grit…. with a high-gain 12ax7 like a JJ ECC803S you’ll have a pretty ratty overall sound. Not necessarily bad, but not clean and pretty!
Anyhoo…. check out the tube in the pedal. If its discolored, that’s bad. If you can see it glow when its on, if its glowing anything other than bluish then something could be going badly as well (ie tube malfunction).
If none of this helps, take it back and trade it in for another one. I strongly urge you to consider modding it (look up the Bitmo mods, don’t have a link at the moment) or to at least swap out the tube! One of the coolest things about tube pedals and amps is that you can swap them out for different types and get different flavors and tones….. in that respect, very cool!
Don’t leave your tube equipment in a cold environment. Might not hurt anything, but …. well, take care of your gear! Tubes aren’t nearly as fragile as some people think they are, but its best to not take chances either!
With a halfway decent tube, there is no reason to believe that the tube in the pedal will go bad…. well, ever. Starved plate topology means that little current is flowing through it, so its not really stressing it at all…. it shouldn’t have to be replaced due to failure for years and years.
Good luck!
Saul
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