Fender FR-12 preamp mod : The Hissterectomy

JiveTurkey said:
Talking Episode 7 GIF by Curb Your Enthusiasm
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WKSmith said:
The FR magic is the freq curve and cab resonance. That curve looks a lot like the FVM tone stack curve with everything at 12:00. It just feels more like an amp.
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I thought you aimed for a “more” flat frequency curve? That way the modelled amps/speakers can do their thing without anything “extra” being added to that character. Then you offer a usable way to tweak the lows and highs due to fletcher munson (exagerated at bedroom levels, flat for loud).

Isn’t it the resonance of the plywood cab/its dimensions that give the amp in the room familiarity?
 
Nope 🙂
I wanted (and painstakingly re-created) the exact same freq response with the knobs at noon and the cut at zero. With an entirely new original eq design, a tuned front end and gain stage, and a tuned crossover..

Like spooky close cloned the exact response.

And I cut the hiss way out. And fixed a lot of dumb stuff while I was in there.

It is easier to get flat(ish) than the stock pre.

But they are not flat and should not be trusted for creating presets or critical listening. They do take the same exact IR baked in FOH sound ..and make it feel just like a real amp behind you.

Several of us have expensive "flat" FRFR monitors gathering dust ...after getting most of the way back to a real amp behind you again with the FRs.

I have modeled almost the exact freq response of the stock FR with actual hardware. That is the V2 and soon V3 preamp solution. When you turn my eq knobs though... it gets crazy great.
 
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I noticed a really dumb thing about the FR design. The cut knob graphics have a 1 and a 12 ... but there are only 11 marks. 🤓 maf is hard.

Since the marks go perfectly from 7:00 to 5:00 I am going to use that to discuss knob positions.

The V3 cut control is working almost exactly like the full sweep of the stock cut knob when the V3 cut is set from 7:00 to 1:00. Past 1:00 it further reduces those freqs until set at 5:00 where the horn is completely turned off.

I like it with the extended range. I am going to implement it this way without a switch or any extra voltage division to match the stock control's range. They should have done it this way to start with.

I also bumped the highs a smidge in the 7k-20k range, like I bumped the lows a smidge in the v2. V3 Tuning is almost done 🙂
 
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WKSmith said:
I noticed a really dumb thing about the FR design. The cut knob graphics have a 1 and a 12 ... but there are only 11 marks. 🤓 maf is hard.

Since the marks go perfectly from 7:00 to 5:00 I am going to use that to discuss knob positions.

The V3 cut control is working almost exactly like the full sweep of the stock cut knob when the V3 cut is set from 7:00 to 1:00. Past 1:00 it further reduces those freqs until set at 5:00 where the horn is completely turned off.

I like it with the extended range. I am going to implement it this way without a switch or any extra voltage division to match the stock control's range. They should have done it this way to start with.

I also bumped the highs a smidge in the 5-15k range, like I bumped the lows a smidge in the v2.
V3 Tuning is almost done 🙂
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Typical Fender.

I line knobs up sp the highest number is where they stop turning up, and let "less than 1" sort itself out.

Some line up 1 with all the way down, and you get to turn past the highest number a bit.

What say you, Nigel? Where is the fine line between clever and stupid on this one? :D
 
this makes me smile.

This is a bright mod to go with the gain mod.
red is the stock FR-12 pre
green is the V3
yellow is the V3 with the bright mod on.
all eq on 12:00 - cut off CCW 7:00

purple is a simple flat eq setting with the bright mod on. It is crazy loud. And a beautiful flattish curve.
treble 2:00 -1 click
mid 2:00
Bass 11:00
Cut - off

if you feel that the FR is a little dark, this bright mod puts some shine on it.
Both the gain mod and bright mod will be user selectable on the V3 board.

V3 bright mod.png
 
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WKSmith said:
this makes me smile.

This is a bright mod to go with the gain mod.
red is the stock FR-12 pre
green is the V3
yellow is the V3 with the bright mod on.
all eq on 12:00 - cut off CCW 7:00

purple is a simple flat eq setting with the bright mod on. It is crazy loud. And a beautiful flattish curve.
treble 2:00 -1 click
mid 2:00
Bass 11:00
Cut - off

if you feel that the FR is a little dark, this bright mod puts some shine on it.
Both the gain mod and bright mod will be user selectable on the V3 board.

View attachment 144209
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That's downright impressive!
impressive darth vader GIF
 
WKSmith said:
this makes me smile.

This is a bright mod to go with the gain mod.
red is the stock FR-12 pre
green is the V3
yellow is the V3 with the bright mod on.
all eq on 12:00 - cut off CCW 7:00

purple is a simple flat eq setting with the bright mod on. It is crazy loud. And a beautiful flattish curve.
treble 2:00 -1 click
mid 2:00
Bass 11:00
Cut - off

if you feel that the FR is a little dark, this bright mod puts some shine on it.
Both the gain mod and bright mod will be user selectable on the V3 board.

View attachment 144209
Click to expand...
That purple line is flat as hell. Great work Liam!
 
davi_ssilva said:
Good lord, I've yet to put my hands on the V2 and I'm already wanting the V3.

I should've stopped following this thread a long time ago...
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The only small thing on the v2 is the clip light on clear volume knob.
Don’t need a clip light and the black eq style pot/knob on the volume would have been perfection…for me.
Not complaining! The new pres were worth it. 😀
…but…I would buy 2 more if I could get that feature.
 
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200man said:
The only small thing on the v2 is the clip light on clear volume knob.
Don’t need a clip light and the black eq style knob on the volume would have been perfection…for me.
Not complaining! The new pres were worth it. 😀
…but…I would buy 2 more if I could get that feature.
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I'm not complaining either, hahaha! I'm sure the V2 will bring me an infinite amount of joy!




But, seriously, someone's got to stop Liam! That man is driving us all crazy with those teasers about the V3!
 
davi_ssilva said:
I'm not complaining either, hahaha! I'm sure the V2 will bring me an infinite amount of joy!




But, seriously, someone's got to stop Liam! That man is driving us all crazy with those teasers about the V3!
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It's a real preamp, not just teasing. I modded a V2 into a Frankenstein V3 and tested all this crazy stuff . I am putting together the order for some proofs now.
 
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The V3 is for grown ups with some self control. It has enough power to really tear some stuff up in the FR... And we don't have replacement parts.
Nothing against the kids that crank their stuff to 11, but this pre is not for them.

I set the trigger for the clip light much higher ..so when it glows angry red its time to back something off. It can do 125-130dB in the flat setting with the volume near noon.
 
200man said:
The only small thing on the v2 is the clip light on clear volume knob.
Don’t need a clip light and the black eq style knob on the volume would have been perfection…
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Maybe I'm strange but I don't watch the clear volume knob when gigging, or rehearsing, or even when practicing at home, so for me it's a non-issue.
 
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