Removing Soldano SLO FX Loop?

[psychepool]

I'm interested with make a Soldano SLO.
It is very famous and popular schematic. So it will be very comfortable to make it with original schematic, but I like to try some mod for my taste and usage.

It is made up with only crunch and lead channel, so I want to add Mesa type clean channel for fenderish clean and american OD sound.
The cathode value of first stage has the same with mesa rectoverb. So this modify needs only one tube.

Only one problem is too many tubes.
There will be 6 12ax7s. It's too many for me.
So I thought to remove one tube for fx loop like below link.(In this case, I will replace the fx loop with solid-state schematic.)
http://s935.photobucket.com/user/psyche ... v.jpg.html

Of course, there's no chance to compare it. Just imagine with the schematic. So I always feel cumbersome with the fx loop schematic of SLO.
But Mike Soldano is very able engineer. Certainly there's meaningful reason to add this fx loop stage.

I heard the fx loop of SLO is +4dB type. So It helps to make the aggresive sound.
But in my opinion, SLO has 5 gain stages in lead channel(include the cathode-follower) so it already has plenty of distortion.

I want to hear your opinions.
Is there anybody that remove the fx loop of SLO?

[shoggoth]

There's a whole forum dedicated to the SLO-100 and high-gain amps in general, you'll get definitive answers there: http://www.slocloneforums.com

It will change the tone, you'll end up removing one recovery stage and DC-coupled cathode follower. That just makes it different, not necessarily better or worse. Probably somebody on the above forum has done it and has sound clips.

[pdf64]

http://bmamps.com/Schematics/Soldano/soldano_slo100.pdf
The FX loop is before the MV, so the signal levels will be pretty high and the DCCFs may be contributing to shaping the wave, see http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/dccf.html
Having 2 in series as per the original will mean that if that's the case, the DCCFs will act to symmetrically round off the wave.
The significance of the effect probably depends on what the signal levels are at the DCCF grids.

If that's reduced down to a single DCCF, then the DCCF contribution may only be asymmetric.

[psychepool]

There's a whole forum dedicated to the SLO-100 and high-gain amps in general, you'll get definitive answers there: http://www.slocloneforums.com

Oh, I have forgotten this forum! Thanks for remind it to me!

Having 2 in series as per the original will mean that if that's the case, the DCCFs will act to symmetrically round off the wave.
The significance of the effect probably depends on what the signal levels are at the DCCF grids.

If that's reduced down to a single DCCF, then the DCCF contribution may only be asymmetric.

Oh, it's really vital tips!

What's the different result between symmetric and asymmetric?
Is the symmetric has more compressed sound than asymmetric?
Is the asymmetric has more vintage or natural sound than asymmetric?

[shoggoth]

I don't think you have to worry about symmetric vs asymmetric clipping, the return signal from the FX loop is small. The FX loop works with the clean channel too, so the recovery stage shouldn't be generating any kind of clipping.

Check this thread out: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index. ... d.1437639/

I'm probably going to build a 6v6 SLO-inspired amp in a Peavey Stereo Chorus 400 I've got laying around this winter.

[psychepool]

Check this thread out: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index. ... d.1437639/

Thanks. I read the page and heard the sound clip.
I couldn't notice the difference between loop in and bypass.
May be I can feel the difference if I hear it in front of the real cabinet. But I think bypass sound also good enough to me.

Frankly, the amount of gain of SLO lead channel is not necessary to me.
The amp that I really want to make is Fenderish Clean/Marshallish OD 2 channeled amp.(Like AX84 Renegade or Bogner Shiva)
So I need the clean channel more than lead channel. I think the lead channel such as a bonus.

I still didn't choose what to make.
But if I make a SLO, I'll make a clean channel instead of the fx loop.

[JMFahey]

There are no clean and dirty channels in a Soldano, it´s a single channel design where gain is varied at various stages to get the different sounds.

Notice *potentiometers* and a couple gain setting resistors are switched but active electronics stay the same.