I drew a thing-- would anybody buy it?

[calypsocoral302]

Mods-- I thought there was a DIY forum somewhere, but I can't seem to find it, so this one is the next most appropriate forum I could think of. If it needs to be moved, please let me know.

So I created a thread a while back about floating the idea of a modular bass rig, where power would be supplied by a power amp, and the tone shaping and voicing would come about through the use of various pre-amp pedals. I've been scouring the internet looking for what I have in mind, and not much has come up-- the GR Bass 800 PURE, Demeter Minnie 800, Guitar Sound Systems "Sumo", and Jad Freer CODA are pretty much it, and none of them are quite what I had in mind.

So I booted-up AutoCAD, loaded some amp photos that I then scaled to serve as a template for my design, and got to work drawing. I apologize in advance for my aggressively-mediocre CAD skills.

The concept is basically a rack-mounted pro-audio power amplifier, swapped-out the Class AB, G, or H power section for Class D, and shrunk it down to modern bass amplifier head proportions.

The name "Triton" comes from a popular frankenstein'd cafe racer that put a TRIumph engine in a NorTON frame, as Triumph reputedly had the fastest engine and Norton had the lightest frame. "Light and powerful" was a theme I repeatedly drew upon, so I thought it worked. Your mileage may vary.

I conceptualized this from the outset to be used with an external preamp, be it a pedal, preamp head (like Demeter or Jule), or onboard preamp installed in a bass (like Mike Pope, Nordstrand, Bartolini, etc). I wanted something that could be plug-and-play with a single set of output controls, OR serve as a "doubler" power amp-- user-selectable.

As for chassis and layout, I'll give credit where it's due-- I started with a Darkglass Microtubes 900 v1. If the knob shape, rear panel layout, and fan location look familiar that's why. I'm certainly not married to that design, but their website had an actual size photo that I was able to scale accordingly in the CAD drawing. It also helps that I consider theirs to be the most aesthetically-pleasing head design currently out there (though Trickfish is also up there as well).

Again, this is just a concept that I want to see if anyone out there has any actual interest in, or not. Constructive feedback welcome!

So, please see attached my concept drawing for the Triton Twin!



Edit: Ugh! I just realized I forgot a drawing note for the LED's! The little dots above and below the switches are LED's indicating the input and output selected. In "doubler" mode, they would both be illuminated.

 

[abarson]

Needing two speakers, one for each channel, is a non-starter for me.
If I needed two channels, I’d just get a PA amp.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Mods-- I thought there was a DIY forum somewhere, but I can't seem to find it, so this one is the next most appropriate forum I could think of. If it needs to be moved, please let me know.

So I created a thread a while back about floating the idea of a modular bass rig, where power would be supplied by a power amp, and the tone shaping and voicing would come about through the use of various pre-amp pedals. I've been scouring the internet looking for what I have in mind, and not much has come up-- the GR Bass 800 PURE, Demeter Minnie 800, Guitar Sound Systems "Sumo", and Jad Freer CODA are pretty much it, and none of them are quite what I had in mind.

So I booted-up AutoCAD, loaded some amp photos that I then scaled to serve as a template for my design, and got to work drawing. I apologize in advance for my aggressively-mediocre CAD skills.

The concept is basically a rack-mounted pro-audio power amplifier, swapped-out the Class AB, G, or H power section for Class D, and shrunk it down to modern bass amplifier head proportions.

The name "Triton" comes from a popular frankenstein'd cafe racer that put a TRIumph engine in a NorTON frame, as Triumph reputedly had the fastest engine and Norton had the lightest frame. "Light and powerful" was a theme I repeatedly drew upon, so I thought it worked. Your mileage may vary.

I conceptualized this from the outset to be used with an external preamp, be it a pedal, preamp head (like Demeter or Jule), or onboard preamp installed in a bass (like Mike Pope, Nordstrand, Bartolini, etc). I wanted something that could be plug-and-play with a single set of output controls, OR serve as a "doubler" power amp-- user-selectable.

As for chassis and layout, I'll give credit where it's due-- I started with a Darkglass Microtubes 900 v1. If the knob shape, rear panel layout, and fan location look familiar that's why. I'm certainly not married to that design, but their website had an actual size photo that I was able to scale accordingly in the CAD drawing. It also helps that I consider theirs to be the most aesthetically-pleasing head design currently out there (though Trickfish is also up there as well).

Again, this is just a concept that I want to see if anyone out there has any actual interest in, or not. Constructive feedback welcome!

So, please see attached my concept drawing for the Triton Twin!

View attachment 4744930

Edit: Ugh! I just realized I forgot a drawing note for the LED's! The little dots above and below the switches are LED's indicating the input and output selected. In "doubler" mode, they would both be illuminated.

There's no eq? Just pass filters?

 

[calypsocoral302]

There's no eq? Just pass filters?

No, the whole point is to be used with an external preamp.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

No, the whole point is to be used with an external preamp.

Make 2 versions then, one that can be rackmounted.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Make 2 versions then, one that can be rackmounted.

...then why not just buy a rack-mounted power amp from Crown, Crest, or QSC if you're going to schlepp around a rack anyway? The only significant feature I added that those amps don't already have are the variable filters-- most rack-mounted power amps have fixed LPF & HPF as part of their speaker protection circuits.

I thought of this concept knowing full well it was a niche idea. The point of this thread was to see exactly how niche it really is, and the answer-- especially given the number of views vs. replies-- appears to be "extremely".

Oh well. If I can re-educate myself on power electronics sufficiently, maybe I'll just build a prototype for myself, play my Darkglass, Genzler, & Phil Jones preamp pedals through it, & call it a day!

 

[Matthias]

No, the whole point is to be used with an external preamp.

I see your point, but I have a different approach:
I use the EQ of my tube preamp pedal to set my basic tone ('set and forget') which also goes to FOH, including cab sim. Then I use the EQ on my amp head to adjust my stage sound if necessary. (The signal to the amp is without cab sim.)

 

[agedhorse]

Some power amps have variable HPF and LPF within onboard DSP.

Some preamp pedals already have onboard variable HPF.

 

[abarson]

Thinking out loud…
The front inputs are at instrument level coming from the preamp, which would be typical and most common.
The rear balanced inputs would accommodate most rack preamps, and some subset of matching pedal preamps.
Using the XLR inputs would mean that you wouldn’t have a way of sending signal to FOH from your preamp, as I’m not aware of preamp pedals with dual balanced outputs.
Aside from different HPF/LPF settings, I’m not grokking the significance of dual channels. I don’t see how switching between the two is beneficial. Maybe if you had two cabinets that are tonally different?

 

[agedhorse]

Thinking out loud…
The front inputs are at instrument level coming from the preamp, which would be typical and most common.
The rear balanced inputs would accommodate most rack preamps, and some subset of matching pedal preamps.
Using the XLR inputs would mean that you wouldn’t have a way of sending signal to FOH from your preamp, as I’m not aware of preamp pedals with dual balanced outputs.
Aside from different HPF/LPF settings, I’m not grokking the significance of dual channels. I don’t see how switching between the two is beneficial. Maybe if you had two cabinets that are tonally different?

Subway pre-DI pedals have duel balanced XLR outputs, one post line level for driving pro audio power amps (or line level only interfaces in a recording environment) and the other pre-post switchable at mic level for driving consoles and the like.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Needing two speakers, one for each channel, is a non-starter for me.
If I needed two channels, I’d just get a PA amp.

Fair point, but the switching options allow this to be used as a single-channel amplifier with dual output sections if preferred.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Subway pre-DI pedals have duel balanced XLR outputs, one post line level for driving pro audio power amps (or line level only interfaces in a recording environment) and the other pre-post switchable at mic level for driving consoles and the like.

Many "premium" level pedals, like my Darkglass A.D.A.M., have a D.I. out already, hence why I didn't include it. I was a bit conflicted on that decision, but spatial constraints inevitably factored into that. I was trying to keep the unit small enough to fit atop a vertically-oriented Barefaced 210 without overhang, and adding a D.I. Out felt too much like trying to cram too many connections into too little real estate.

 

[mikewalker]

Two Ohms, Please!!

 

[mdogs]

I fail to see any point in this other than to make things waaaaaayyyyy too complicated.

 

[seamonkey]

IMHO - I wouldn't buy it.

A Pro Power Amp with a DSP has all the HP/LP filters and includes variable frequencies. DSP include presets so you can use them with a couple of different cabs and just switch the preset. And a switch to dual mono if you want both channels to different cabs.

 

[calypsocoral302]

I see your point, but I have a different approach:
I use the EQ of my tube preamp pedal to set my basic tone ('set and forget') which also goes to FOH, including cab sim. Then I use the EQ on my amp head to adjust my stage sound if necessary. (The signal to the amp is without cab sim.)

This is constructive feedback, thank you!

Let me pose the following hypothetical, though-- if some dastardly fellow were to steal your head and leave in its' place a power amp head and an EQ pedal roughly equivalent to that on your head's pre-amp, would you find yourself frustrated (aside from the understandable frustration of having your equipment stolen, of course!) by the different physical location of the EQ\tone stack?

Follow-up question-- did you already own the head when you bought your tube pre? If so, is it likely that familiarity with that head is factoring into this particular setup preference?

Thanks again!

 

[Slevage]

I lived the modular time of the 80’s and 90’s. Before that I owned a 360, a Model T and an 800 RB.

I’ll take the convenience, weight, and sound of a modern combo or head/cabinet over anything I’ve previously used.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Some power amps have variable HPF and LPF within onboard DSP.

Some preamp pedals already have onboard variable HPF.

True. My Darkglass pedal splits the signal, one side of which is sent through those 2 filters. Not every preamp does this, though, and the vast majority of rackmount power amps have them in some form, so it felt like a good idea to include them.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Maybe if you had two cabinets that are tonally different?

There are a few preamp pedals out there with 2 balanced outputs, but they are indeed few. That's a good point.

The two-channel idea was driven by the desire to accommodate multi-instrumentalists, and depending on what those different instruments are, the cab types can indeed be quite different. Looking back at my concept description, I wasn't terribly-clear about that.

 

[calypsocoral302]

IMHO - I wouldn't buy it.

A Pro Power Amp with a DSP has all the HP/LP filters and includes variable frequencies. DSP include presets so you can use them with a couple of different cabs and just switch the preset. And a switch to dual mono if you want both channels to different cabs.

Thanks for being honest! If you don't mind my asking, do you already carry other rack equipment to your gigs?