Lingenberg Sound - 6AL5 Distortion

ppluis0 · Post by **ppluis0** » 20 Jan 2011, 01:47

Hi folks,

There is a manufacturer in California named Richard Lingenberg that build a distortion unit using a tube type of twin diode known as 6AL5:

Also makes another version that employ a 12AX7:

Someone in the forum have any info about any of these models ?

Cheers,
Jose

himister · Post by **himister** » 20 Jan 2011, 02:15

Hmmmm let's see...dual triode, dual diode, 4558D, lil bit of opto elements...we could guess all we want!

Looks nice inside, if there's a demo somewhere! I hope someone has this one for gut shots! I'd really like this one RED!

himister · Post by **himister** » 20 Jan 2011, 02:23

Just google it...there's a quite info about the guy!
Link and bit of explanation how it works!

Greenmachine · Post by **Greenmachine** » 20 Jan 2011, 02:39

I wasn't able to find any info on that pedal.

Any guesses as to what an optocoupler is doing in a distortion pedal?

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 20 Jan 2011, 02:59

Some clips would be a handy addition to that website.

himister · Post by **himister** » 20 Jan 2011, 03:02

This pedal uses a 6AL5 twin diode vacuum tube to deliver a stunningly good organic tube distortion. It also has a special high voltage driver feeding into the 6AL5’s twin diodes. Like many distortion pedals it uses diodes to generate the distortion. The main difference with this one is that it uses high voltage driving tube diodes instead of semiconductor diodes.
Controls:
The Squash control ( S ) sets the level where the 6AL5’s twin diodes begin to distort. This control can be adjusted for cleanest at 0% to over-squash at 100% with the most distorted being about 65%. There are also two trimmers inside to adjust for the differences in the 6AL5’s used.
The Drive ( D ) control sets the gain of the signal going to the 6AL5’s twin diodes.
The Level ( L ) control sets the pedal output level.

This is from the site. First thing crossed my mind about optocoupler is that maybe has some kind of compression function, 2-nd gues it would be feedback voltage control for the HV supply, if it's SMPS based but somehow I doubt it...looks like a VTL opto and I don't believe it would be usable for power supply.
Just few first guesses sooooo...anyone else?

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 20 Jan 2011, 03:07

My guess is that it's a TS style circuit coupled with some form of compression.

mcaviel · Post by **mcaviel** » 20 Jan 2011, 23:50

Greenmachine wrote: Any guesses as to what an optocoupler is doing in a distortion pedal?

I thought it is a gut shot if a different pedal,
could be wierd if its a distortion pedal.

Emanuele · Post by **Emanuele** » 21 Jan 2011, 22:03

Using a vacuum diode for clipping is so banal that I wonder why we aren't doing it from ages..

At the moment I'm so bored with the innatural sound of leds and diodes in genera and this makes me want to buy some of those little tubes..

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 21 Jan 2011, 23:06

Emanuele wrote:Using a vacuum diode for clipping is so banal that I wonder why we aren't doing it from ages..
At the moment I'm so bored with the innatural sound of leds and diodes in genera and this makes me want to buy some of those little tubes..

I've never tried it personally. but I've read that the sound of a tube diode clipping is nothing special at all.
If that's the case, then using them just because they're big, glass and look cool.. is really just marketing.

ppluis0 · Post by **ppluis0** » 22 Jan 2011, 06:15

Greg_G wrote:I've never tried it personally. but I've read that the sound of a tube diode clipping is nothing special at all.
If that's the case, then using them just because they're big, glass and look cool.. is really just marketing.

I think that the approach made by himister in another post about use the 6AL5 with low heater current deserve be tested in place of the Si diodes or leds or whatever clipper are mounted into an overdrive or distortion unit.

After all, everyone already have a clon of a TS, ProCo Rat, Guv`nor and so on either in the workbench or in use at the pedalboard, and the addition of a tube instead a couple of semiconductors can be simple to try.

I am agree with Greg that if there is not any difference in sound compared with a couple of 1N4148 back to back connected, the addition of the tube are merely a matter of marketing.

(Its just a sort of LED, but expensive...

)

Cheers,
Jose

himister · Post by **himister** » 22 Jan 2011, 06:27

I agree with everyone!

as long as we have fun and possibility to learn more and keep more options open to experiment!