4/15/2017 BuildYourOwnReampBox:RecordingMagazine

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Whichoneofthese
SoundLibrariesareyou
mostlikelytopurchase?
DIY
StudioFurniture BuildYourOwnReampBox World
ThisDIYprojectwillgetyoureampingin
Acoustics notime... Harp
ByScottDorsey
Mods&Upgrades
Orchestral
Withreamplificationinmind,youfirstrecord
Projects
adirectinstrumentsignalfromtheguitaror Jazz

bassduringtracking,andlaterplaythat
MagazineExtras signalbackthroughaninstrumentamp. Piano
Reampingcanbeagreatsolutionifyouhave
Mixing& alimitedamountoftimefortrackingand
Submit
Mastering maynothavethetimetogettheexacttone
youwant,oryouarentsurewhattoneyou
Tracking reallywant.Evenifyoudogetthetoneyou
wantatthetimeoftracking,youcanstill
YourStudio Thefinalassembledbox... recordaDIfeedfromtheinstrumentaswell,
DIY givingyouadditionalflexibilitylateronifyou
changeyourmind.
HowStuffWorks prev next
Anotherscenario:Awellknownguitarplayer
Forthe hasareputationforconstantlyturninghisampupoverthecourseoftheevening,startingwithit
Songwriter muchtoosoftandendingupwithitmuchtooloud.Forliverecording,thecrewrecordsaDIfeed
offhisinstrument,thenreampsthetrackslateroninthestudio.
FortheBeginner

WebStore Forreampingyouneedaboxthattakesthebalancedoutputfromyourconsoleorrecorderand
ArticleExtras turnsitintoahighZunbalancedoutputthatmatchestheimpedanceofatypicalinstrumentso
thatitcangointoanamp.Sincethereissomeinteractionbetweenthepickupandtheamplifier
inputstage,itcanalsobeworthwhiletohaveadevicethatmodelsthesourceimpedanceofa
typicalpickup.Anditsimportanttobeabletoisolatetheinstrumentampgroundfromtherestof
thestudiogroundingsystem.

OneexcellentwayofdoingthiswaspatentedbyJohnCunibertiandissoldcommerciallyunder
theproductnameReamp.Thisproductrequiresaspecialtransformerandwhileitdoesan
excellentjob,itonlyallowsonesortofpickuptobemodeledanditsexpensive.

Howitworksinside

Withthisproject,Ihavetakenatotallydifferentapproach.Iamusingaveryinexpensive(infact
downrightcheap)600:600ohmtransformerbecauseitiseasytomanufactureagoodlowratio
transformercheaply.Theoutputofthetransformergoesintoa680ohmloadresistorwhich
absorbsmostofthesignalgoingintoit(andalsomakessurethetransformerisasneutralas
possiblebecauseitsproperlyloaded).Atinyamountofsignalistappedoffofthisandrunthrough
avolumecontrolandthenintosomeresistorsandinductorsthatsimulatepickupsource
impedances.Sincethetransformerisexpectedtobeneutralandnottobepartoftheload
simulation,wegetaroundmuchofthehighcostcomponentryofearlierdesigns,attheminor
expenseofsignallevel.Evenso,thereisplentyoflevelavailablegoingintoalmostanyamp.

Theimpedanceswitchallowsyoutoselectbetweenapurelyresistive(1Megohm)source,oran
inductiveone(10Kohmplus0.1Henryinductance).Thesearesomewhatsimplifiedmodels,andit
shouldbepointedoutthattheinductanceofmanypickupsismuchhigherthanthat,butthey
bothgivegoodsoundsthatareroughlyrepresentativeofsomepickups.

Buildingit

Thehardpartofbuildingthisboxisactuallythemetalworking.Theboxisaverysoliddiecast
aluminumone.TheholefortheXLRjackisan11/16"hole,andIhavealwaysdonetheseby
drillingoutwitha3/4"holesaw(theonessoldforusewithwoodworknicelywithaluminumif
youkeepthemwelllubricatedwithcuttingoilasyouusethem),thenfiledtheholeouttosize
withchainsawfiles.

A1/4"holefortheswitchandtwo3/8"holesforthepotentiometerandthephonejackwilldo
nicely,butmayalsoneedtobefiledoutalittlebit.Theswitchalsorequiresasmallholetobe
drilledinthecasetolockthefrontnotchedwasherintoplace(seethetopphotoatright).

Theswitchisonethatlocksintoplaceyouhavetopulloutonthetoggleinordertomoveit.I
findthisahugeadvantageforDIboxesandothergadgetsusedinstageenvironmentsandjust
decidedtousethesameswitchhere.Ifyousubstituteforanothertypeofswitch,besurethatits

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4/15/2017 BuildYourOwnReampBox:RecordingMagazine
onewithgoldplatedcontacts.Becausethelevelsinvolvedherearesosmall,switcheswith
conventionalcontactswilltendtobecomeunreliableafteracoupleofyears.

Thediagramandphotoshouldbeenoughtohelpyouassembleit.Besuretocementthetopof
thetransformerupsidedowntothecasesothatitdoesntmovearoundalittleepoxyorsilicone
goowillworknicelytokeepitinplace,andsinceyourenotactuallygettinganyonthewiringyou
dontneedtoworryaboutspecialadhesives.

AllofthepartsrequiredcanbeobtainedatDigiKey,1800DIGIKEY

IthinkyoulllikethewaytheunitsoundsfellowcontributorDarwinGrossehadonefortesting,
andreallyenjoyedit.Thetwodifferentswitchpositionsgiveverydifferenttonalcharacteristics,
bothveryusefulonbothguitarandbass.

ScottDorsey(talkback@recordingmag.com)isanelectricalengineer,andanaudioengineer,
residingsomewhereinthequietpartofVirginia.

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