trinityamps.com

Trinity Amps Guitar Amp Forum
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:11 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2020 11:46 am
Posts: 2
My wife and I purchased my son a TC15 kit for his birthday some months back. Years ago my son and I built an Allen Accomplice together, which replaced a Pro Reverb as his main gigging amp. He's been wanting to build another amp for a while now. The TC15 seemed a perfect choice. We just completed it a few weeks ago (photo attached). My son's a call the guy guy, practically needing direction on which end of the soldering iron to hold, so this project was a major accomplishment. I'm an EE, with decades of experience designing linear and switching amplifiers for industrial markets, so I'm very comfortable with construction, design, and debug although my professional work is all with solid state gear. I'm also a bass player (44me), so killer tone with good control over volume is near and dear to my heart (we gig a lot together). I pretty much just directed and inspected, and did very little of the actual assembly and soldering. The finished product is not quite as neat as some of the works of art I've seen here, but the workmanship is still solid. We only had one assembly error, which was a missing ground connection to the channel 2 pots. We built the Accomplice the same way, and have had no issues after hundreds of gigs over 10+ years.

A few other things worth noting. The head and speaker cabs were made by TRM Guitar Cabs in New Hampshire. The speaker cab - a bit of an experiment - is a variant of TRM's side ported "3D" model. The hope was that this would produce a bigger bottom like a closed back or much larger cab while still retaining much of the airiness of of an open back cab. It's loaded with a Neo Creamback. Both cabs are pine, so this is a nice, lightweight rig. Subjectively, it seems to hit that middle ground nicely while being reasonably compact and light, but we haven't A/B'd it against any other cabs yet.

Overall, we're both very pleased with the tone. My son uses very few effects so he relies heavily on being able to get a good tone right around either side of breakup. This leads me to my question. We built the amp without the VRM, as recommended. He's used it for a few rehearsals, and we are now ready to install the VRM. It seems more intuitive to me to only regulate the power section voltage, and leave the preamp and phase inverter running from fixed voltage. Most of the amp then runs as-designed, but the output stage runs at lower voltage with the master volume setting the drive signal level to what is appropriate. However, Trinity recommends regulating the entire amplifier's high voltage, so maybe I'm over thinking this.

Has anyone tried various configurations (whole amp as Trinity recommends, just power section and phase inverter, just power section)? I've tried searching, but VRM is too short, and not much comes up for Voltage Regulator Module.


Attachments:
200301_TC15_Guitar_Amp__DSC7933.jpg
200301_TC15_Guitar_Amp__DSC7933.jpg [ 3.16 MiB | Viewed 6119 times ]
Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:59 pm 
Offline
Experienced
Experienced

Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2018 5:17 pm
Posts: 374
Location: Shawnee, OK
44me, check Board Index, Back Stage, Resources Forum, bottom of page 3 and click on VRM link. Coco describes the VRM as a Variable Voltage Regulator, also. Also, has schematic(s), etc. Hope this helps :thumbsup:

_________________
"The only problem with being retired is you never get a day off"


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 2:50 pm 
Offline
Experienced
Experienced

Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2018 5:17 pm
Posts: 374
Location: Shawnee, OK
and here is the link. viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1176

_________________
"The only problem with being retired is you never get a day off"


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:05 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2020 11:46 am
Posts: 2
Thanks! We'll install it to modify voltage to the entire amp. It doesn't seem like there's a reason to pursue a more complex configuration.

- John


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 10, 2023 4:15 am 
Offline

Joined: Wed May 10, 2023 3:56 am
Posts: 1
Do you know anywhere else that sells the same TC15 kit as yours?
trap the cat


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 3:52 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2023 3:49 am
Posts: 1
It's great to hear about your experience building the TC15 kit and the success you and your son had in completing the project. The photo and details you provided are appreciated. Drift Boss
Regarding your question about the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) in the TC15 amplifier, Trinity recommends regulating the entire amplifier's high voltage rather than just the power section. While it's understandable to consider regulating only the power section and leaving the preamp and phase inverter running from fixed voltage, Trinity's recommendation may have specific design considerations in mind.
Regulating the entire amplifier's high voltage can help ensure consistent power supply voltages across all the stages, including the preamp, phase inverter, and power amp. This can contribute to overall stability and optimal performance of the amplifier.
While it's possible that some users may have experimented with different configurations, such as regulating only the power section or specific stages, it would be best to consult Trinity's documentation, forums, or reach out to their support directly for specific experiences and recommendations regarding the VRM installation in the TC15 amplifier.
Additionally, Trinity may have designed the amplifier with the intention of using the VRM for the entire amplifier's high voltage regulation to achieve the desired performance and tonal characteristics they intended.
Considering your expertise in EE and experience with amplifier design, you could potentially evaluate and experiment with different configurations if you are comfortable doing so. However, it's important to exercise caution and ensure the safety of the amplifier and its components during any modifications.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:51 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:45 am
Posts: 1
44me wrote:
geometry dash world said:
My wife and I purchased my son a TC15 kit for his birthday some months back. Years ago my son and I built an Allen Accomplice together, which replaced a Pro Reverb as his main gigging amp. He's been wanting to build another amp for a while now. The TC15 seemed a perfect choice. We just completed it a few weeks ago (photo attached). My son's a call the guy guy, practically needing direction on which end of the soldering iron to hold, so this project was a major accomplishment. I'm an EE, with decades of experience designing linear and switching amplifiers for industrial markets, so I'm very comfortable with construction, design, and debug although my professional work is all with solid state gear. I'm also a bass player (44me), so killer tone with good control over volume is near and dear to my heart (we gig a lot together). I pretty much just directed and inspected, and did very little of the actual assembly and soldering. The finished product is not quite as neat as some of the works of art I've seen here, but the workmanship is still solid. We only had one assembly error, which was a missing ground connection to the channel 2 pots. We built the Accomplice the same way, and have had no issues after hundreds of gigs over 10+ years.

A few other things worth noting. The head and speaker cabs were made by TRM Guitar Cabs in New Hampshire. The speaker cab - a bit of an experiment - is a variant of TRM's side ported "3D" model. The hope was that this would produce a bigger bottom like a closed back or much larger cab while still retaining much of the airiness of of an open back cab. It's loaded with a Neo Creamback. Both cabs are pine, so this is a nice, lightweight rig. Subjectively, it seems to hit that middle ground nicely while being reasonably compact and light, but we haven't A/B'd it against any other cabs yet.

Overall, we're both very pleased with the tone. My son uses very few effects so he relies heavily on being able to get a good tone right around either side of breakup. This leads me to my question. We built the amp without the VRM, as recommended. He's used it for a few rehearsals, and we are now ready to install the VRM. It seems more intuitive to me to only regulate the power section voltage, and leave the preamp and phase inverter running from fixed voltage. Most of the amp then runs as-designed, but the output stage runs at lower voltage with the master volume setting the drive signal level to what is appropriate. However, Trinity recommends regulating the entire amplifier's high voltage, so maybe I'm over thinking this.

Has anyone tried various configurations (whole amp as Trinity recommends, just power section and phase inverter, just power section)? I've tried searching, but VRM is too short, and not much comes up for Voltage Regulator Module.

The finished product looks great, and it's admirable that you prioritized solid workmanship over mere aesthetics.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group