Posts Tagged ‘hiwatt’
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Come and see TubeSync / DIVO in action at the Northern Newcastle Guitar Show:
Northern Newcastle Guitar Show
The Lancastrian Suite, Federation Brewery, Lancaster Rd, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9JR
on Sunday 6th March 2011
With Blues Guitarist : Mitch Laddie
 
Tags: 6v6, Bias Engine, directions, entry, exhibitors, Federation Brewery, fee, Gateshead, guitar, hiwatt, Lancastrian Suite, Mitch Laddie, Newcastle, Newcastle Guitar Show, Northern, Show, TubeSync, TubeSync Bias Engine, valve matching
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
For over 30 years, Geoff Pugh has been providing the musicians’ community with vital repair services. We repair, modify and produce high quality valve amplifiers. Our services extend beyond that of just valve amplifiers and therefore we are highly skilled in repairing and modifying other products such as effects pedals, solid state amplifiers, hi-fi amplifiers, etc.
Aston Electronics is the home of Volt Amplifiers. Volt Amplifiers are a range of high quality hand made amps built on demand. Specific features and requirements can be provide you with the ultimate amp of your choice.
Aston Electronics is also the home of the Darktone pedal series. These high quality hand made pedals provide you with a huge range in tone and depth which can be vital to a players live setup.
We are proud to annouce that Aston Electronis is now an approved installer of TubeSync.
To find out more visit : http://www.voltamps.co.uk
Tags: anode, Ashdown, Aston Electronics, Bias Engine V4, bias problems, birmingham, Frankfurt, guitar amp repair, Guitar amp repair scotand, guitar amp tech, guitar amplifier repair, guitar valve amp repair uk, Happy Mondays, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, kent, Laney, Manchester, Mesa Boogie, middlands, north wales, Saun Rider, Sean Syder, Shaun Ryder, south wales, Steve ryder, surrey, technician, TubeSync Bias Engine, v4, valve matching, Volt Amps, wales, warranty
Posted in Tube Amplifiers, TubeSync | Comments Off
Friday, October 8th, 2010
The extravagant disco pop group The Scissor Sisters have purchased a Hiwatt amp for recording and live performances. They have just been announced as support to Lady Gaga for the North American leg of her Monsters Ball tour and have a new single “Any Which Way” out now.
Tags: amp, Any Which Way, Ashdown, band, biasing, current, Frankfurt, guitar, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, Lady, Lady Gaga, Monsters Ball tour, Musikmesse 2010, North American, Output transformer, Scissor Sisters, Technology, Tour, tube failures, US
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Friday, September 10th, 2010
TubeSync technology
TubeSync streamlines with the amp’s circuitry to constantly test and monitor the amp without altering the fundamental amplification process, tone or sound. It eliminates the need for bias current matching, increases tube life by micro-adjusting the bias on each tube, predicts tube failure and can, in the event of tube failure, even run the amp at half power, preventing catastrophic amp damage.
The result is an amp unhampered by many of the problems associated with conventional tube amplification allowing musicians to enjoy classic tube sound quality without the frustrations.
These are just some of TubeSync’s unique features:
- Eliminates the need for bias current matching of output tubes
- Micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure its full potential is realised
- Assures reliability
- Maintains optimum performance
- Increases tube life
- Reduces quiescent power consumption
- Sets tubes at their optimum temperature as soon as you power up
- Detects tube failure and prevents catastrophic damage to amp
- Switches out faulty tubes and runs amps at half power until tube can be changed
A new industry standard
TubeSync technology has now been incorporated in new amp designs from some of the world’s most prominent amp manufacturers. Hiwatt, famed for their legendary reliability, was one of the first OEMs to recognise the potential of TubeSync for further enhancing the reliability and performance of their amps. KBO Dynamics continues to work with the industry’s biggest names to raise the bar in tube performance and reliability, creating a new industry standard in amp design and manufacture.
Introducing the Bias Engine
The Bias Engine is the hardware that encapsulates TubeSync’s unique technology. Fitting the Bias Engine is a straightforward procedure, with all necessary components supplied within the retrofit kit. It is stipulated that the Bias Engine is fitted by an accredited technician.
 The Bias Engine is sold as a part of the TubeSync Professional Amp Upgrade Kit containing:
TubeSync Bias Engine Hardware
TubeSync hardware is wired straight into the amp’s circuitry. The Bias Engine is a very compact component that can be incorporated in both point-to-point and PCB wired amps.
Tube fault LED indicator harness and amp chassis LED plate
The Bias Engine is wired to 4 LED indicators that permanently illuminate when the tube is faulty and ‘flash’ when the tube needs to be replaced. The LEDs sit on the amp chassis, surrounded by the LED plate.
Wiring harness and mechanical fixings
The wiring harness, bundling all necessary wires and connectors, completes the kit along with a full set of mechanical fixings for securing the Bias Engine.
TubeSync Bias Runner software
Improving amplifier biasing methods, servicing and fault diagnostics
Interfacing with Bias Engine hardware, our Bias Runner software has been designed to allow OEMs and professional amp technicians to interrogate the status of an amplifier, alter bias settings, perform field diagnostics and configure the amp for best performance, further adding value to your services.
Bias Runner is easy to install, offering full fault diagnostics, enabling tube biasing with and without audio present, either collectively or as individual tubes. It is the perfect tool for warranty provision and servicing, providing a database of hardware serial numbers and storing amplifier parameter settings for full traceability.
Total service hours
Reads and displays the total number of hours the amplifier has been powered up. Optional reset facility available if required.
Total duration with audio
Reads and displays the total number of hours the amplifier has been driven with audio. Optional reset facility available if required.
Total hours idle
Reads and displays the total number of hours the amplifier has remained idle i.e. has not been driven with audio. Optional reset facility available if required.
Faulty tube log
Reads and displays the number of times a tube has been switched off due to a fault during the lifetime of the amplifier. A reset function is available for each individual tube.
Bias current (Audio present)
Enables the user to adjust tube current bias settings collectively or individually
Bias Current Idle (No Audio Present)
Enables the user to adjust tube current bias settings collectively or individually
Hardware and version status
Displays the serial number of the TubeSync module and the hardware version number
Serial number and settings database
Stores all serial numbers together with amplifier parameter settings in a database for full traceability
Our commitment to you
We work closely with all of our partners to promote high standards and to support you in realising the full benefits of our truly innovative and impactful core technology and associated products.
As a TubeSync retailer or accredited technician you will receive:
Guaranteed product quality
All of our products are manufactured to the highest quality standards using state of the art assembly equipment. All components are ROSH compliant and uniquely identified for full batch traceability
A comprehensive solution
A complete package of hardware and software supports ease of use and easy configuration
Technical support
Our approach is founded on product and service quality. We offer our retail partners generous technical support to ensure that you are fully equipped for promoting TubeSync technology and advising your customers appropriately.
As an authorised retailer you will appoint a technician(s) who will receive training from our own technical team and who will be required to become certified as an accredited TubeSync technician before performing installations.
Warranty
All components come with a 12 month warranty which commences from the date of installation. Full warranty terms are available on request.
Tags: amp, Amp tech, backliners, bias, bias problems, EL34, EL34 Valve, guitar, guitar amp repair, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, KBO Dynamics, London, Marshall, Output transformer, technician, the plasa, Tubes, TubeSync, TubeSync Bias, UK, valve, valve amp repair, valves
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Thursday, July 1st, 2010
An interesting phenomenon that some ‘leaky’ tubes, removed from conventionally biased amps, appear to improve when run with TubeSync. The reason may be that when the tube gets hot, g1/cathode leak causes a current increase, but it is automatically biased ‘back’ to compensate, which allows the tube to cool down again and thus reduce leakage et al. After a while the leak sometimes reduces or disappears completely – we surmise that the getter gets a chance to mop up stray gas molecules or the metallic deposit gets ‘boiled off’ the mica supports. This type of fault in a conventional amp would normally blow the HT fuse, however TubeSync can avoid is and rectify the problem! Cool eh?
Tags: 100W, 50W, AD 200, amp, Base Head, bias, bias problems, current, Custom, DR103, EL34, fuse, gain, hi, Higain, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, HT, Huiwa, JC900, JCM800, JCM900, KT88, Laney, Marshall, orange, Output transformer, Pacemaker 100, Problem, PV5150, Rockerverb 50 Combo, Thunderverb, Thunderverb 200, tube failures, TubeSync Bias Engine, valve, valve failure modes
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
IT TAKES more than sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll to make a guitarist sound great. John Hill meets North East amplifier makers at the cutting edge of technology.
ANDY Fallon and Colin Arrowsmith are not guit- arists. Their affair with the valve amplifier isn’t born of a youth spent practising solos or arguing over kit specifications next to the counter of their local guitar store.
In fact, Andy’s experience lies in automotive and military engineering, while Colin is an expert in microelectronics.
However, their contribution to a piece of kit beloved of the White Stripes, The Who and Black Sabbath has attracted the attention of major international amp-makers.
Andy and Colin are co-founders of KBO Dynamics, a Consett company created to market technology designed to improve audio and guitar amplification.
They are the men behind TubeSync, a “tube management system” which monitors the performance of valve amplifiers to avoid meltdowns while maintaining sound.
The product won the innovation award in the Durham and Wearside heat of the nebusinessawards 2009, run by The Journal and Evening Gazette.
KBO co-founder Andy said: “We were looking for a niche market. Neither of us plays the guitar, but we did a lot of brainstorming.
“Colin worked with microelectronics, but he’s also an expert with valve technology. We realised very quickly that the biggest application for valves was inside guitar amps.”
The valve amp isn’t exactly a rapidly advancing technological product. The technology was developed between the world wars and uses a series of vacuum tubes to regulate a signal. It was present in items from TVs to radios, but fell out of favour in the 70s.
The resurgence of such equipment has been prompted by high-end users in the audio and guitar amp market, who praise its natural sound.
Andy said: “There’s a warmer, more rounded tone to it. Anyone who’s serious about playing a guitar would only use a valve amp.”
When they developed TubeSync, the pair didn’t set out to change the sound. Instead, they set their sights on the downside, the problems that plague valve amp users looking for that special sound.
He said: “The closest you can compare it to is an engine management system on a car. It’s like having a maintenance technician looking after your amp 24/7 without you noticing it. It’s continuously monitoring the circuit, looking for faults.
“We got a market research report from Think M in Newcastle. It conducted a series of live interviews with OEM companies and guitarists.
“We looked at the problems people were talking about, but we didn’t change the sound.
“It can detect faults. It can disconnect a pair of valves if it finds one is faulty. You normally have to buy valves in matched pairs and you need to take the amp to a technician to tweak it, but with TubeSync you only need to buy one valve if one fails and it can tweak the system for you.
“One faulty valve can blow up the output transformer. TubeSync can detect this and prevent catastrophic damage.”
KBO had support from a number of North East backers. It won £90,000 from NorthStar Equity Investors’ Proof of Concept fund, developed its prototype with help from Business Link and got £20,000 from the North East England Investment Centre. The process was then advanced by a grant of £20,000 from One North East.
In all, Andy estimates the product has taken 18 months and around £200,000 to develop.
He said: “We built and developed it from the bottom up. We tried to use components that were available in the marketplace and we created our own unique algorithm.
“We don’t think there’s a similar product to this on the market and we’re hoping to receive a patent in the next couple of months.”
Right now, KBO is on the hunt for buyers. The team has just returned from the international Musikmesse instrument trade show in Frankfurt, where they saw a live band perform using TubeSync technology for the first time.
He said: “It was being used by a band playing Pinball Wizard by The Who. We’re expecting to see the technology on stage properly some time this year.
“The lead time on the product is about eight weeks so it could well be appearing in the summer.”
British amp manufacturer Hiwatt, whose users include Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and The Kooks, has incorporated TubeSync into its amps and Andy says that others, such as fellow Brits Orange, are keen.
The company is talking to manufacturers about fitting it in amps this year and down the line it may create variants of the product that could be fitted by amp technicians or even end users.
Tags: 100, amp, Bias Engine, current, Frankfurt, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, Hiwatt custom amp, how to, KBO Dynamics, Musikmesse, Musikmesse 2010, orange, Output transformer, tube failures, Tubes, TubeSync, TubeSync Bias Engine, valve, valve failure modes, valve matching, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers, TubeSync | Comments Off
Friday, March 19th, 2010
About me:
I am a revolutionary new amp component, enhancing amp performance resulting in pure valve magic. My superior amp technology overcomes many of the problems associated with conventional tube amplification. With a little help from me there is no need for bias current matching, I can increase tube life and take your valves to their optimum temperature as soon as you power up. I can be easily integrated into any guitar valve amplifier. I take care of the detail, so you can concentrate on becoming a master of the strings . . . You can find a lot more about me on my main website www.tubesync.co.uk
 The TubeSync Bias Engine Eliminates the need for bias current matching of output tubes
Increases manufacturing efficiencies
Micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure its full potential is realised
Maintains optimum performance
Increases tube life
Assures reliability
Reduces quiescent power consumption
 TubeSync
Tags: amp, anode, Ashdown, bass, current, Custom, Frankfurt, guitar, hi, hi gain, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, Hiwatt custom amp, KBO Dynamics, Marshall, matched pairs, Musikmesse, Pacemaker 100, Technology, Tube Amp Doctor, tube failures, Tubes, TubeSync, valve, valve failure modes, valve matching, valves
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Never hang your guitar tubes upside down as many horrible things may happen!!!
The heat from the electrodes will go directly to the base pins and cause problems with oxidization. The heat will also cause micro-cracks on the pins of the tube / valve, which could result in failures.
 So don’t do it !!…….
Tags: amp, anode, Ashdown, Bias Engine, biasing, cathode, current, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, KBO Dynamics, Marshall, Musikmesse, orange, technician, Technology, Tube Amp Doctor, tube failures, TubeSync Bias Engine, UK
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Until the introduction of the germanium transistor in the late 1950’s, there was no alternative form of high quality audio amplification to the thermionic valve (American terminology was always ‘Tube’). The 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s saw a steep decline in the usage of valves for all purposes except audio amplifiers, to the point that, with a few exceptions, they were almost entirely replaced by transistors and integrated circuits. However, since the late 1980’s, valve amplifiers have experienced a renaissance which has, in the last decade grown rapidly year on year.
The unique character of the ‘Tube Sound’ has once again attracted both amateur and professional interest in the areas of High Fidelity (HiFi) amplification, Musical Instrument (MI) amplification (notably the electric guitar) and Audio amplification. The dominance of digital technology now, means that the valve amplifier is seen as new to younger people and as nostalgic to the older generation. Please note it is estimated, that the electric guitar amplification market consume as many as three out of four of the world’s production of audio tubes.
 EL34 Valve Many arguments have been put forward as to why tube amplification ‘sounds’ better than digital. Some differences can be proved using measuring instruments, whilst others are down to the nuances of the human ear. Whatever the reason, evidence shows more and more listeners appear to prefer the sound of a tube amplifier.
The demand for tube amplifiers is rapidly growing, with products ranging from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds, depending on quality and output power, with tube sales worldwide currently standing at over $100,000,000. Today vacuum-thermionic devices hold sway over the US $100 million worldwide guitar amp business. One rough estimate shows a 10-percent-per-year growth in demand for tubes used in MI instrument amplifiers and high-end audio since the late 1980s, with no apparent slackening.
However, the problems with existing tube amplifier technology is that the circuits used are based on ‘classic’ designs developed in the 1940’s and 50’s and, although more modern technology has occasionally been applied, this is usually confined to regulating the power supplies. One of the principle disadvantages of existing tube amplifiers is that they are very inefficient in converting electrical power into audio power. This is largely due to the ‘classic’ methods of controlling them. All analogue high power amplifiers require a system known as ‘Biasing’ to be applied to them. This controls the output devices and prevents them from ‘Thermal’ overload and eventual destruction. It does, however, incur a heavy cost in loss of output power and increased heat dissipation. In addition valves also need to be used in ‘Matched’ pairs, in order to control distortion of the output signal. This process is time consuming and expensive when carried out on a commercial basis.
THE SOLUTION IS ……..
 EL34
Tags: 6v6, amp, amps, anode, bass, bias, bias problems, current, Custom, EL34, EL34 tube, EL34 Valve, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, KBO Dynamics, KT86, KT88, Marshall, Output transformer, Sound, Tube Amp Doctor, tube failures, Tubes, TubeSync, TubeSync Bias Engine, valves
Posted in Tubes | Comments Off
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Pure tube magic – that warm, uncluttered sound powered by superior amp technology deserves the best. TubeSync takes care of the detail, giving unsurpassed performance from any tubes.
Plugging straight into the tube powered heart of your amp, in perfect harmony with its fine tuned circuitry, TubeSync’s Bias Engine eradicates the need for bias current matching, increases tube life and takes your tubes to their optimum temperature as soon as you power up . . .
and there’s more.
The result: a well honed tone tyrant with none of the problems hampering conventional tube amps; a streamlined orchestrator of analogue magic.
 Ashdown Amp With TubeSync POWER UP HOT
The Bias Engine’s ‘Hot Anode’ cranks up the heat and has you running hot from the very first cord. It knows the optimum temperature for your tubes best performance and gets them there the minute you start playing.
JUST PLUG IN AND PLAY
The Bias Engine is easily incorporated into your amp’s systems at manufacture. It removes the need for bias current matching but still achieves the absolute best tone.
INCREASED EFFICIENCIES
Increased manufacturing efficiencies (due to reduced testing) are achieved by eliminating the need for bias current matching.
ROOTING OUT THE RENEGADE
Fear not the cherry red glow of a failing tube! The Bias Engine continuously monitors the performance of each tube during operation and searches for typical tube failure modes and trends. If the Bias Engine
detects a faulty tube, it can automatically ‘switch out’ the offending tube and run the amp, at half power, until the defective tube can be changed.
HARDER, BETTER, LONGER
Work your tubes at their full potential. The Bias Engine automatically micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure its full potential is realised throughout its working life. The amplitude of drive signals supplied to the grids is dynamically measured and performance is optimised accordingly. Tubes work harder, better and for longer.
RAISING THE BAR
TubeSync revolutionises convention by completely replacing traditional testing methods. Every time you power up TubeSync runs an automatic ‘in circuit’ test and assures reliability.
MINIMUM POWER, MAXIMUM OUTPUT
Less power input, same big output. TubeSync reduces quiescent power consumption by an average of 20% compared to conventional amplifier biasing techniques.
Tags: amp, anode, Ashdown, Bias Engine, current, hi, hi gain, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, Marshall, orange, Pacemaker 100, Tubes, TubeSync, valve failure modes, valves
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