What would you most like to see for new products? Choose one

[Doc B]

Trying out the forum polling feature that we have kept dormant for the past few years. Which of these kit ideas floats to the top of your kit purchase wish list? Hopefully you might see more than one idea you like, but please just vote for the one kit that you would be most likely to buy.

 

[Jamier]

Is that 2500.00 per pair or a piece? I'm assuming that this is the "Big Betty" 50W mono. If it's per pair I'm going to vote, like, a hundred times.

Jamie

 

[Doc B]

Not Betty. PB came up with something recently that I liked better, and there may be other ideas, too. Do note that it says $2500+. I'm not setting a price, I'm assuring that people don't think we are making a 50W amp for $499.

 

[Natural Sound]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a DI Box?

 

[Doc B]

A direct input allows one to connect an electric guitar or bass directly to a PA system or a recording console without having to use an amp. Tube DIs are known for imparting some of the warm tone that a tube guitar amp adds.

 

[sl-15]

What is a modular tube mixer kit? Is this like a Dj kind of mixer or a studio mixer? How many channels would it have? Thanks

 

[Doc B]

A basic studio/PA mixer, that is, strips that one could add together for as many channels as you require. Modularity might mean include adding EQ, limiting and other things like that. It's not a fully developed idea at this point and I'm seeing if there is any interest at all because it would take quite a bit of effort to work out the details.

 

[Karl5150]

I don't play but have friends / family that do.
Karl

 

[raymondp1138]

The 50W SE amp sounds really interesting. What are the output tube candidates for it? Can you list some of the design specs of the recent "something" PB has?

 

[johnsonad]

This is a hard one for me Dan. I voted for a mic pre but am interested in others.  Here is a short list with my reasons....

1. My number one item would be a mic preamp.  There are plenty out there available, but this would translate well to a kit.  I would want something that has a very clean user selected drive voltage and gain.  I want something that sounds good, but could be used with a variety of mics.  I'm not going to own the caliber that Jim works with any time soon, but the Shure KSM 32 and KSM 137 are on my short list as are other LCD and CD mics.

2. I really like the idea of a nice DI.  The problem is that you have decent competition out there.  A few of the requirements needed for me to even consider it would be:
  a.  user selectable voltage taps.  I would need to switch between 100v, 120v, 220v depending on location of the gig.
  b.  Adjustable input impedance tap. My Line 6 POD HD has this and It's something I don't want to live without again.
  c. Effects loops and pedal input (e.g. volume pedal, wah wah, etc.)
  d.  A broad EQ ability from clean to impressive over-driven distortion.
  e. SE to Stereo output and stereo to stereo output ability with both SE and balanced output with low noise.
  f.  It must play will with mixers, direct to powered monitors and class D amps driving cabs.
This is a tall order for a user built item but the competition is impressive out there.

3.  A HP amp would be a consideration, but it would need to sound at least as good as your Paramounts/Kaiju systems.  If not, I would rather build a system to these amps vs. compensating for inefficient speakers.

4. A synth unit.  Can you tell me what this would be????  I'm getting more and more into analog synth sound generation.

Thanks for taking it to the customer!  Your products have defined how I enjoy a majority of music and I'm open to new areas.

 

[sl-15]

Thanks for the info Doc. Sounds like it potentially could be used to mix two turntable together...Anyways I unfortunately already voted on another idea but a mixer would get my vote as well.

 

[Tom-s]

Is there an option for a improvement upon Mainline? The next step-up. If it's even possible?
Getting the DHT magic into headphones / DHT for a reasonable price (compared to the 845 amp).

I'm not thinking 845 tubes. I'm thinking a single stage parafeed DHT tube headphone amp with all the shunt regulator / C4S HV stuff and a fancy regulated filament supply.

There's DHT with a mu of 10-20 that i'm aware of (cough.. Russian.. think BH Smash), Beepre in front and ready to go?

PS: Yes, i'm aware i can buy the Stereomour II for this (for now i'm already saving up (Thanks Deke609! ^^)), but there's something magical about the Mainline (i personally think it has to do with the single gain stage, hence my question).

 

[Doc B]

DHT headphone amp is a cool idea, but I have a concern that we might get too many complaints about microphonics from the 4P1L. We'll talk about the idea a bit and see where it goes.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

There's DHT with a mu of 10-20 that i'm aware of (cough.. Russian.. think BH Smash), Beepre in front and ready to go?

That seems to be just not quite enough gain for a single stage transformer coupled headphone amp unfortunately. 

 

[jjvornov]

For myself the big amp would be cool for a less efficient speaker. But for Bottlehead's business, the synth would be a natural expansion path. Everyone is crazy about analog synths and those are all SS! How many tubed synths exist in the world?

 

[elcraigo]

There is one tube synth that I know of. It's very expensive, but it sounds great and looks great.
Yep, you are right the old school synths are SS.
I think it's great this is not off topic on the Bottlehead board.
Here's a photo of my old school synth, can you image if this was tube based?

 

[Doc B]

Man I'm old. I learned about synths on one of these -

 

[johnsonad]

Dan, I would love an analog synth!  A Moog Mini new or used is silly expensive and I can't imagine something like this would be cheap even as a kit.  What are you thinking?  I still am unsure of what you would offer as a synth? 

 

[jgarr4714]

I vote for synth modules.  Back in the late 70’s a company called PAIA electronics put out SS synth modules, lots of fun to build, and play with, I built a number of them.  But the down side for those was monophonic only.  Polyphonic capability would be advantageous.

 

[mightygrey]

I'd be super-keen for a 300b tube buffer.