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AMP - Hi Octane Demo by MasonAtom [Email]
Genre: Rock

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Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

SONG STATS:
Hits: 992
Comments: 23
Votes: 0
Plays: 663
Last Played: Jul 23, 2008 - 11:41:53 AM
Downloads: 56
Fans: 3
Uploaded: May 07, 2007 - 07:42:16 PM
Last Updated: Apr 21, 2008 - 05:15:30 PM



Description:
This is the fist time I've attempted to record the new amp I built.

So here it is, The Atom Smasher, a 5 W single ended MONSTER. The file included here is only about 50 seconds long and features a snippet of a song I've been working on forever.

I will have pictures to accompany it soon.

BTW - building an amp is an incredibly fun experience. If you are interested, check out this link: AX84





Atom Smasher and Marshall 1936 cabinet. Exterior Cosmetics coming soon.




A look at the guts of the Atom Smasher.

Lyrics:
none

Hardware:
TMI Atom Smasher 5W head w/ Marshall 1936 2X12 cabinet, Sennheiser e609, JoeMeek sixQ channel strip.

1982 Gibson SG w/ Seymour Duncan bridge pickup.

Software:
Tracktion 2.1, Reason 3/Redrum for drum track.
You must be registered and logged-in to comment.

I like it! &mdash 05/07/07 - 07:48:48 PM
Killer tone, I hope to hear more!

[ Reply to This ]
Cool riffs &mdash 05/07/07 - 07:53:16 PM
This sounds great. The guitar has a really excellent sound, and the chunkiness kicks ass. You should make this full length, lay down lead tracks and complete the song (or is that already the plan?) Nice going. I guess the amp works :)

[ Reply to This ]
thanks &mdash 05/08/07 - 02:43:35 AM
PV - the riffs are from a song that I've been working on forever, but I couldn't really get the guitar sound I wanted using amp sims. This is much closer to where I want to go with it.

I was also having trouble getting a good sound out of my Marshall since it tends to sound really muddy until you crank it, but I can't crank it living in a townhouse... hence, I decided to build a low power tube amp as an alternative. So far it has exceeded my expectations.

Mason

---
The latest offering by Tiny Man Inside - Rubicon

[ Reply to This ]
WOW &mdash 05/08/07 - 08:32:13 AM
You built that? Awesome! Sound sgreat man! Tell us more!

[ Reply to This ]
yes &mdash 05/08/07 - 08:42:18 AM
so happy to hear this creation of yours finally...sounds killer....nice work and good crunch....peace....

[ Reply to This ]
soundz great &mdash 05/08/07 - 03:07:18 PM
that amp of your is great

[ Reply to This ]
killer tone!!!! &mdash 05/09/07 - 01:44:29 PM
i need an amp like that! great wall of sound. excellent playing. grooving!!

[ Reply to This ]
Nice Tone____ &mdash 05/11/07 - 12:13:19 PM
Mason, I love the tone and your riffs. Maybe someday you can build me one? ($) I Love the sound.

Thanks for sharing,

mvh : )

[ Reply to This ]
cool &mdash 05/11/07 - 04:42:41 PM
glad you like the sound (and riffs). Not sure if I'd be willing to build one for another person just yet, as I'm still getting my techniques down and learning how to tweak. That said, I'm already working on a design for a new amp and once I have a little more experience I might be willing to do some work.

BTW - the amp sounds great for solos too. If I ever get the time, I'll record a bit more and upload it.

Mason

---
"The pump don't work cuz the Vandals took the handle"

[ Reply to This ]
Cool! &mdash 05/21/07 - 10:50:17 AM
Dude! That sounds great! I love that it's 5W, so you can crank it and get that tone without blowing out the neighbors (or your eardrums!)

Did you build this thing using that site? Or are you just an electronics genius? Maybe both!

I know my way around a soldering iron, and I'd love to spend some time with my son working on a project like this, but I don't have the knowledge to just hit Radio Shack and start buying resistors, so thanks for the link.

Bottom line- Nice job, man, sounds killer. Can't wait to hear you post something else with some leads done on it, too!

~Brian Weiland

[ Reply to This ]
some answers &mdash 05/30/07 - 07:55:17 AM
Brian,

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I built this amp based on a kit that I bought from dobermanamps.com and a heck of a lot of help from the good folks over at the AX84.com forums. I came into it with basically no knowledge of electronics.

The main reason why I built the amp is because my job has taken me more and more towards the field of electronics. While I am a chemist by training, I have been working on polymer films for capacitor applications, and some of the characterization techniques require some basic understanding of electronics. I figured if I built a tube amp on the side, I'd learn a lot to help me out in my job. Turns out I was right!

It was incredibly fun to do - I spent a lot of time reading and learning basic theory, then learned how to solder and wire everything up. I have taken what I've learned and already finished the schematic for my next amp, which is a modification of a 2 Watt push-pull with a tube rectifier and 3 12AX7 preamp tubes. This should give a fatter sound and even more gain than the amp heard in this clip.

If you already know how to solder, this would probably make a great project for you and your son. You can honestly do the work AND learn the theory at the same time. Heck, you don't even really have to learn the theory if you don't want to. I can put you in touch with Chris Hurley if you'd like. He's the guy who created AX84 and he sells kits... they run between $190 and $300 for low wattage amps.

If you have any further questions, shoot me a message in my mailbox and I'll be happy to help out.

Mason

---
"The pump don't work cuz the Vandals took the handle"

[ Reply to This ]
Hey! &mdash 05/21/07 - 10:51:59 AM
By the way, I forgot to mention...


...the song sounds great, too!

Post more!

~Brian Weiland

[ Reply to This ]
Good tone &mdash 05/21/07 - 04:28:43 PM
Whoa, the tone is good, especially for a self-made amp. Jeeze.

[ Reply to This ]
This is fascinating, Mason! &mdash 05/21/07 - 08:12:50 PM
I'm impressed, awe-struck and envious...

Great tone from that little monster...

So cool to see the innards, too.... Point to point wiring... Cold fusion power supply...the works....

Ed

[ Reply to This ]
Too Cool! &mdash 05/30/07 - 08:58:26 PM
Your own amp. I am impressed! Great sound.

The interior work would freak me out. Looks complicated and frustrating.

May hat's off to you.

Thanks for the kind words on Romanza-Danza. I really appreciate it!

[ Reply to This ]
dang &mdash 06/03/07 - 07:38:24 PM
I gots to build me one This is kickin!!

[ Reply to This ]
Oh man &mdash 06/09/07 - 12:22:45 PM
You're way out of control - Love it! Fantastic sound you're getting!!!

[ Reply to This ]
nice tone &mdash 06/17/07 - 09:52:17 AM
i would like to hear it a little less muddy, kinda dirty blues rock... it has a really warm undertone that would be great for a single coil drunken bar band dirty love song.....

[ Reply to This ]
thanks for the comments &mdash 06/28/07 - 12:56:37 PM
If I back off on the gain somewhat I can get a really nice dirty and gritty sound without the heavy saturation. Makes for a nice bar bluesy sound like you suggest. On the other hand, this thing doesn't do clean well at all. One of my friends just built an 18 Watt clone of a JTM45 that does clean and slightly distorted VERY WELL, I think you'd like the sound of that.

---
"The pump don't work cuz the Vandals took the handle"

[ Reply to This ]
WOW &mdash 06/19/07 - 02:22:13 PM
Cool Amp! For 5W that thing is a beast! I love how it doesnt have a case, but if you wanted a nice one they have custom ones on eBay. The phaser sounds really cool. What is the effect that makes it sound like nothing is in the center? It was cool but annoyed my ears. Nice amp!

[ Reply to This ]
case &mdash 06/28/07 - 01:03:39 PM
George,

I'm in the process of building the enclosure for it. It is very similar to a THD bivalve with a perforated metal grill. Looks pretty badass IMO.

Regarding the effects - there are actually no effect applied to this track other than the EQ/Comp from the channel strip. What you are hearing is that I doubled the guitar and panned it right and left. I actually offset the right and left tracks from each other by a few ms. When I do the harmonic slide riff, it creates a bit of delay between the guitar lines. The constructive and destructive interference patterns between the harmonics then combine to form the phasing type of effect that you mentioned.

---
"The pump don't work cuz the Vandals took the handle"

[ Reply to This ]
Knobs are cool... &mdash 07/20/07 - 04:19:33 PM
Made your own amp! That is freaking impressive! Sounds good too!
I love your banner with all the different knobs on the amp... excellent!

[ Reply to This ]
thanks &mdash 07/22/07 - 08:23:50 AM
the banner is a mock-up of what the amp's faceplate is going to look like when its completed. I'll put up pictures once I'm done with the cosmetics.

---
"The pump don't work cuz the Vandals took the handle"

[ Reply to This ]
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