ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear
ADA Preamps => Original MP-1 => Topic started by: Chip Roberts on April 25, 2017, 10:16:04 AM
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Alright dudes, just got my Marshall 8004 and was so excited to arrange everything all nice and purdy. My setup is the MP1 into the Midiverb II into the 8004; very simple. Stompboxes are on their own drawer that comes out all the way and functions as a rackmounted pedalboard. Everything is powered by a standard Furman power conditioner. I know some of you say it's not necessary, but I want clean power and I appreciate the convenience of having the power available in case it's needed for other stuff during rehearsal/gigging. Then came the wall warts.
First off, I had to order a very specific power supply for the MVII, since NONE of my supplies would fit into the slot (the ones that did didn't have the correct voltage or whatever :facepalm:)
So long story short, the damn wall wart is blocking everything else from mounting properly, and then there's ANOTHER wall wart required for the MP1's phantom power! Pedal drawer can't slide in all the way because the wall wart's sticking out, can't plug it in if it's mounted above or below anything because it takes up too much space; SO, a few ideas to bounce off of you.
- Replacing the MVII with a different delay unit; I have an SPX90II sitting around that might work
- Mounting a clean power strip somewhere in the rack case out of the way of all the god damn cables
- Tracking down an adapter of some form so the wall wart can just chill out of the way and then plug into the adapter, which plugs into the Furman; this seems like the most cost effective solution
Any input is appreciated as I'd like to keep the MVII because I appreciate it's simplicity and it's 80s-ness, both aesthetically and sonically. There's a MVIII at the pawn shop for $50, can't remember if it utilizes a wall wart or not. The other option I've been looking at is replacing it with a Roland GS6, which has multiple effects and a noise suppressor, or a GP8. I'd like to keep the rack as 80s as possible, cutoff year is 1991.
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I had the same issue with my Quadraverb. HUGE wall wart, blocking other things.
I fashioned an adapter by shortening a very cheap extension cord and tucking that into my rack with two wall warts plugged into it - one on each side.
Just exactly like the one pictured here
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That's kinda what I'm leaning towards right now. And while the SPX90II looks rad and has some other useful features, like a pitch shift, noise gate, and EQ, I simply couldn't get the delay sound I wanted. I just love the simplicity of the MVII and how it doesn't color my sound. Plus the interface is MUCH easier to toggle between presets.
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Hey Chip, Alesis wall warts have been the bain/pain of my rack(s) for ages. I get that it's better if there isn't a transformer in the case (noise etc) but finding a place for the transformers and "fixing" them :facepalm: or finding enough space on the powerboard :facepalm: . Lucky they sound so good :thumb-up: . and Dante, great tip/idea :thumb-up: :wave: .
While I'm not a fan of chaining through Fx units to the poweramp (I prefer to use a mixer and Fx sends), you could put the SPX90II as last in the chain and just use the pitch shift, gate, (overall) reverb, eq.. so delays will be shifted rather than pitch shifts delayed... IIRC the SPX90II has analog pass through :dunno: so the wet/dry mix is akin to using a desk and shouldn't wreck the sound (worth a try ?)
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That's not a bad idea, rnolan. I always say that every man needs to know his limits and occasionally create them if he doesn't want to go overboard. For me, I'm limiting myself to a 6U rack case, because I know how my brain works and I know if I have any more than that I'll start to look at it and say "Hmmmm..." So I can only choose either or. Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel :dunno: I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
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Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel :dunno: I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
That's when a compressor comes in handy after the gate to replace the sustain the gate removes :thumb-up:
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Well I also was fed up with wall warts, so since I only use ac voltages (3 x 9Vac and 1 x 24Vac) I bought some toroids with those voltages and build then in a small 19" rack an IEC connector that goes to the furman and some of those dc jacks and gone are those wall warts.
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I wish my brain was big enough to figure that stuff out
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Worse comes to worst, I can always end up throwing my NS2 in the MP1's effects loop for my rhythm channel :dunno: I prefer my leads to have no gates at all for sustain and whatnot.
That's when a compressor comes in handy after the gate to replace the sustain the gate removes :thumb-up:
I never thought of putting the compressor after the gate. Would that work for when I turn my guitar down as well?
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Yes Samuraipanda it will work just fine. My G-force and G- major both use this concept. :headbanger:
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Mmm, IMHO it's better not to do any of this and if your gain structure is set up reasonably correctly you shouldn't have to.. :facepalm: . This is like applying a band aid to a cut that doesn't have to be there (not meaning to poo poo the idea BTW, I can see it has its applications).
Compressors reduce (squish) dynamic range, so if you feed 100db (softest to loudest signal) into it, it will squash it (well the bit above what threshold you've set) by the ratio you select. So louder sounds are softer and softer sounds are louder..
Gates turn the signal off (or fade them) when it reduces to a selected level (threshold). So a softer sound is artificially increased by the compressor so the gate won't turn it off yet (comp pre gate) or in this instance, whats coming through the gate is artificially increased by the compressor after the gate (but will only hear signals that were loud enough to exceed the gate threshold, but will make them sound louder than they were, hence make the sustain)..
but why :dunno: , is your gain structure that bad that you need to do this ??
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Well for me, I am after that 80's compressed tone. This does the trick, squished/compressed "glamish" tone. ;)
Low threshold, high ratio.
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I'm with rnolan. I try to use optimal gain staging to keep noise down. I'm not a fan of gates for guitar.
On the wall wart issue, I usually use shorty extension cords to move them off the power strip, then velcro or tie them to the rack case back out of the way of other stuff. Since I took the Quadraverb GT out in favor of the Intellifex, I am down one gigantic wall wart too, which helps.
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One gigantic wall wart; you're lucky. I have two: one for the Midiverb, one for phantom power, and if I wanted to implement a whammy into my board, that would make THREE. Ye-no.
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Well I also was fed up with wall warts, so since I only use ac voltages (3 x 9Vac and 1 x 24Vac) I bought some toroids with those voltages and build then in a small 19" rack an IEC connector that goes to the furman and some of those dc jacks and gone are those wall warts.
Ohh I've spent all day trying to find something i can just plug into furman and from 3 or 4 9vac (1amp) and something that has 16vac for my rack wah... soo many big wall warts and yes they do bring in noise. Id love it to mount it rear top opposite my furman..
how hard is that to make.. im yet to talk to my amp repairer for a quote but is that something youd be interested in building for me?
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It's not so hard to make, if you want I could help you out.
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It's not so hard to make, if you want I could help you out.
Ohhh yes please.. how much patience do you have? Maybe a list of parts first for say 4 9vac and then 1 16vac.. id need 9vac upto 1amp and the 16vac is 1.5amp.
I was looking at the voodoolabs pedal powe AC.. but doesnt have 16vac
Edit.. my rack wah says 24v AC 170ma but the wall wart is 16vac 1.5amp and works.. so not sure which it is..
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What rack wah do you have? Is it the dunlop?
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What rack wah do you have? Is it the dunlop?
Yes the first version dcr1 .. it has a strange din power plug but its only using 2 pins for power (after market wall wart). Im not sure why there is all the other pins for power?
Edit.. i read the power supply that comes with the wah is 20VAC even though it says 24VAC on the back of the Wah.. .. it seems you can xombine 2 x12vac ports on a voodoolabs power AC to work for it... but they are expensive. . Curious to see if i can make it for less than$$250aud that the voodoo labs sells for.
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Yeah you can make it for a lot less then 250$
You just need a small 19" rack, a few toroid transformers, an IEC connector, some fuse holders and a few small dc jacks.
I have 3 toroids in mine (for the housing I used an old Behringer patchbay 19" rack I had lying around).Two toroids with 2 x 9Vac and 1 with 2 x 12Vac, this way you have 4 independent 9Vac outs and one 24Vac (put the 2 x 12Vac in series to get 24Vac).
I have the second version the DCR2 and mine works on 24Vac and it also has the standard 2.5 dc jack.
I think the DCR1 uses a 180° 5 pin din jack (which is the same as a midi plug). Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Yeah you can make it for a lot less then 250$
You just need a small 19" rack, a few toroid transformers, an IEC connector, some fuse holders and a few small dc jacks.
I have 3 toroids in mine (for the housing I used an old Behringer patchbay 19" rack I had lying around).Two toroids with 2 x 9Vac and 1 with 2 x 12Vac, this way you have 4 independent 9Vac outs and one 24Vac (put the 2 x 12Vac in series to get 24Vac).
I have the second version the DCR2 and mine works on 24Vac and it also has the standard 2.5 dc jack.
I think the DCR1 uses a 180° 5 pin din jack (which is the same as a midi plug). Correct me if I'm wrong.
Ohh cool well happy to put it in a hobby box from electronucs store and just rack it at the back.
Yes the dcr1 has a 5pin midi type connector. The guy i bought the unit from had a random 16vac 1.5amp wall wart with only 2 pins or wires being used gnd and + .. which is interesting as to why there are 5 pins. Ill open it up to see if they go anywhere.. but happy to keep that stock and just create a cable with 1 end midi atyle and ither end 2.5mm .. ok so where do i nees to start? Isnt there resistors and capacitors and all that stuff? Lol. Ill start investigating prices on the parts you mentioned.
Edit.. this guy mounted it inside his furman by the looks
http://www.voodoolab.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7258&view=previous
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Where do you buy your electronics stuff, I can have a look and send you some links of what to buy.
No resistors or caps or any any electronic stuff needed!!!
Depends which Furmann maybe an older model, they had a lot of room inside, the new models, don't think so.
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Where do you buy your electronics stuff, I can have a look and send you some links of what to buy.
No resistors or caps or any any electronic stuff needed!!!
Depends which Furmann maybe an older model, they had a lot of room inside, the new models, don't think so.
Ok cool thanks!! .. locally its jaycar.com.au or https://au.rs-online.com/mobile/