Orange Amplification - Dark Terror head
I got myself a Dark Terror a couple of weeks ago and I decided to trace it. For the naked eye it looks like a black Tiny Terror with an effect loop and a couple of extra tubes, but all the controls are all the same. I thougt it would be interesting to see what differed on the inside and found that the main differenses was the pre stage (obviously), the loop and a couple of things in the power stage. That may not leave so much unaltered if you look back at the TT circuit but at least the transformers are the same Oh, the cicuit is put down on a double sided PCB. Well, here you go!
Corrected Schematic
Corrected Schematic
Last edited by modman on 22 Jul 2015, 22:54, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: attached schematic
Reason: attached schematic
Don't recreate - create!
(exept when it comes to puttin' Mel Schacher in a box)
- andregarcia57
- Cap Cooler
DesertCruiser wrote:I got myself a Dark Terror a couple of weeks ago and I decided to trace it. For the naked eye it looks like a black Tiny Terror with an effect loop and a couple of extra tubes, but all the controls are all the same. I thougt it would be interesting to see what differed on the inside and found that the main differenses was the pre stage (obviously), the loop and a couple of things in the power stage. That may not leave so much unaltered if you look back at the TT circuit but at least the transformers are the same Oh, the cicuit is put down on a double sided PCB. Well, here you go!
https://img97.imageshack.us/img97/9011/darkterror.png
is checked?
- diagrammatiks
- Solder Soldier
I like it. Standard orange shape control.
That cathode follower for the effects driver is interesting.
It's actually significantly different then the TT or the DT.
4 stages instead of 3. No post phase inverter master volume.
That cathode follower for the effects driver is interesting.
It's actually significantly different then the TT or the DT.
4 stages instead of 3. No post phase inverter master volume.
Thank you very much for this schematic!
Does anybody have a layout for this amplifier ? I cannot find any.
Does anybody have a layout for this amplifier ? I cannot find any.
- Dr Tony Balls
- Diode Debunker
Good lord. Theres a lot of stuff going on in this amp.
Please excuse me for bringing this old thread up again, but when I was going to try to cut the feedback loop in the PA the other day I took another close look at the circuit board and found some flaws in the schematic posted above. Here is the corrected one:
https://imageshack.us/f/829/darkterror2.png/ and why not post some guts while I'm at it
https://imageshack.us/f/842/20130322144419.jpg/
https://imageshack.us/f/94/20130322141422.jpg/
https://imageshack.us/f/835/20130322141148.jpg/ Look at those loosely twisted heater wires
https://imageshack.us/f/829/darkterror2.png/ and why not post some guts while I'm at it
https://imageshack.us/f/842/20130322144419.jpg/
https://imageshack.us/f/94/20130322141422.jpg/
https://imageshack.us/f/835/20130322141148.jpg/ Look at those loosely twisted heater wires
Don't recreate - create!
(exept when it comes to puttin' Mel Schacher in a box)
- JiM
- Diode Debunker
Information
- Posts: 967
- Joined: 11 Mar 2008, 22:56
- Completed builds: Completed builds :
Proco Rat
MXR MicroAmp in a volume pedal
TubeDriver (w/ NoS russian tube and big muff tone contol) + Phase 45 (w/ univibe cap ratio)
Dallas Rangemaster (w/ noisy OC75, negative ground)
SubCaster tube booster (w/ NoS russian tube, PtP)
Hot Harmonics
Music From Outer Space SubCommander in progress
Crackle Not OK
Simple bass blender in a 1590A
Bazz Fuss with a photo-darlington - Location: France
- Has thanked: 70 times
- Been thanked: 66 times
- Contact:
I've found that the Dark terror preamp is really similar to the high-grain channel of the Rockerverb preamp.
The only differences are :
The only differences are :
- obviously the tonestack vs. shape control
- the cathode resistor of V3 (1.5k for Dark Terror, 2.2k for Rockerverb)
- the way the FX send is coupled with the cathode follower.
- I don't have the supply voltages of the Rockerverb, these may differ
I only give negative feedback.
Hey DesertCruiser,
I made a log in to this site specifically to thank you for posting this schematic. I loved the DT when I played it but not enough to drop the cash... so I built the preamp into a pedal box. I used the whole front end, the output is taken from the junction of R19 and R20.
Pictures:
Sounds just right!
Thanks for taking the time,
Brian
I made a log in to this site specifically to thank you for posting this schematic. I loved the DT when I played it but not enough to drop the cash... so I built the preamp into a pedal box. I used the whole front end, the output is taken from the junction of R19 and R20.
Pictures:
Sounds just right!
Thanks for taking the time,
Brian
bjosephs: Nice work, we would appreciate a demo...
agordillo:I believe that power supply is the pair of cables (blue & orange/brown) coming from the upper left corner...
They go all under the left jack, and goes to somewhere I can't see, but that's a starting point...
agordillo:I believe that power supply is the pair of cables (blue & orange/brown) coming from the upper left corner...
They go all under the left jack, and goes to somewhere I can't see, but that's a starting point...
Hey bjoseph, that looks really good, I like the clean layout with those terminal strips! As mentioned above, I guess you've got some freestanding power supply next to the box. I bet you could, if you tried, squeeze a supply in the pedal itself if you use a simple external 12VAC (say 1 amp) transformer that feed the heaters and another small transformer connected backwards (you feed the low voltage secondary winding with the 12vac and obtain a high alternating voltage on the primary). That small transformer should have the same secondary voltage as the other i.e. 12V and 230V or something on the secondary. Of course that will vary depending on where you live but here in europe we are fortunate with high mains voltage, pentodes and the metric system Then you rectify and filter this high voltage and feed the anodes with it. I have managed to obtain 270-300V using this method, depending on load current and power rating on the transformers.bjosephs wrote:Hey DesertCruiser,
I made a log in to this site specifically to thank you for posting this schematic. I loved the DT when I played it but not enough to drop the cash... so I built the preamp into a pedal box. I used the whole front end, the output is taken from the junction of R19 and R20.
Pictures:
[ Image ]
[ Image ]
Sounds just right!
Thanks for taking the time,
Brian
Of course this is only a humble suggestion, if your current arangement works good and you're happy with it then that's just fine, I just thaught this could make it a little more portable
I'm glad to see that my work have been helpful to anyone, hope to get the oppurtunity to hear it!
Cheers, Jacob
Don't recreate - create!
(exept when it comes to puttin' Mel Schacher in a box)
Hi guys,
Thanks for the compliments. The power supply is inside the box now, it was external while testing. It a little 20mA Nixie clock swich-mode power supply from ebay. I get about it 275 volts from it. The whole pedal runs on a 1 amp 12vdc wall wart (actually I'm using a laptop style ps that was originally bought for a robot project) which feeds the heaters directly and the input of the smps. In contrast to the SLO100 preamp I made before it (using ac heaters and an electro harmonix transformer), this one is dead quite. I wish I could find a good smps that would turn out closer to 400vdc.
Regards,
Brian
Thanks for the compliments. The power supply is inside the box now, it was external while testing. It a little 20mA Nixie clock swich-mode power supply from ebay. I get about it 275 volts from it. The whole pedal runs on a 1 amp 12vdc wall wart (actually I'm using a laptop style ps that was originally bought for a robot project) which feeds the heaters directly and the input of the smps. In contrast to the SLO100 preamp I made before it (using ac heaters and an electro harmonix transformer), this one is dead quite. I wish I could find a good smps that would turn out closer to 400vdc.
Regards,
Brian
- copachino
- Solder Soldier
just one thing, how do you protect the circuit from any short or something, i want to build something like this but, it scares me the fact that any leak or short in the metal case can be dangerus
Hi copachino,Re: Orange Dark Terror Schem!
Post by copachino » 03 Mar 2014, 13:11
just one thing, how do you protect the circuit from any short or something, i want to build something like this but, it scares me the fact that any leak or short in the metal case can be dangerous
I found some 1/6" sheet HDPE and drilled some holes in it. It's sandwiched between the solder side of the power supply board and the inside of the housing.
Brian
bjosephs wrote:Hey DesertCruiser,
I made a log in to this site specifically to thank you for posting this schematic. I loved the DT when I played it but not enough to drop the cash... so I built the preamp into a pedal box. I used the whole front end, the output is taken from the junction of R19 and R20.
Pictures:
[ Image ]
[ Image ]
Sounds just right!
Thanks for taking the time,
Brian
Hi, can you post a sound sample from you preamp?