I’m building an effect module of sorts for my modular and will include 1-3 Safety Valves circuits in the build.
My question is:
If you have tried it, what sounds ‘best’ (more crazy but still workable, etc) in your opinion:
Three separate complete Safety Valve circuits chained (with op amp and all in all three circuits) OR three daisychaned valve circuits with just one op amp (as in the three valves are just connected to eachother with the output stage only on the last one)?
I have watched the vids on the single unit and the 10* unit, and the first one. But now I cannot find where it was mentioned Sam tried daisy chaining three valves without the op am in between. It might be that I misheard or dreamed it or something like that though…
The op amp in the safety valve is in the signal chain. The op amp was added to boost the level up to synth level (and I assume to lower the impedance for the modules diwn the line). My guess is that the assumption was that the ovedriving distortion would be at the second tube stage, with the op amp providing just some clean boost. Chaining several safety valves means that you will be likely driving the op amps if the second and (surely) third safety valve to distortion. Do you really want TL071 op amp distortion in your signal chain? Its all a matter of preference, but I would say that it beats the purpose of overdriving op amps (and particular op amps that are not known for being particular desirable distortion, whatever that means…) when you’re working with a tube circuit. Having six tube gain stages should be enough to achieve some overdrive and boost the end signal to synth level. And if you want to lower the impedance, make the last triode a cathode follower. Five gain stages are more than enough. I’d say get rid of all the op amps.