| Author | Message | ||
| radio_silence
New Username: radio_silence Post Number: 1 Registered: 2-2004 |
Hi: I'm looking for a DS5 or DS5-R. I have tried to locate one on the web and have been watching eBay but no luck. I noticed in some earlier posts that several of the members of this board either had an extra one or one they might be interested in parting with. I have no idea what the price would be for one of these, but any assistance would be appreciated very much. Thanks in advance! Mike | ||
| poor_nigel
Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 51 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hey Mike: Since you asked for 'any' assistance, then I qualify. Cool! From experience, I would say DS5's on eBay go for between $80 and $100 alone, no cord included. I have seen them go for as high as $220 with a cord included (Newer cord). I have no idea what the company sells DS5's for, but new cords are @ $190 and DS5-R are @ $425. Note: If I had extras, I would not sell them. Watch out for the old cords on eBay, as they are probably not worth more than @ $80 in what appears to be good condition - I believe they are 15 to 18 feet long, and new are 20 feet, plus. You never really know the inner condition of a cable, and being a complicated one makes one more weary about used ones. Call Susan or Mica for new 'exact' prices. I am sure they have some in stock. If you are electronically competent, you can get schematics from the company to build your own power supply. BTW - Welcome to the club, and have fun and take care. Post some pictures of your Alembic bass(es), before the Pauls get ya! Just noticed you don't have an Alembic, yet. Not a problem. You are just as welcome for having the taste and sense to want an Alembic, as you would if you already owned one. Again, welcome. (Message edited by poor_nigel on March 01, 2004) (Message edited by poor_nigel on March 01, 2004) | ||
| bassman10096
Intermediate Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 176 Registered: 7-2003 |
Mike: Welcome to the Club. Somewhere on this Board (if you use Search, I'm sure you could find it), there is advice on making your own cords to use with the DS's. Pleased to make your aquaintance - Don;t be a stranger. This is a good, friendly and helpful community. Bill | ||
| radio_silence
New Username: radio_silence Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2004 |
Hi again, and thanks for the nice welcome! I did get a drawing form Mica today and I was able to find some pics of the DS-5R here on the boards. However I have a question for anyone who has a bit more electronics know how than I. The drawing that Mica was kind enough to send to me indicates the use of a 24-30 VAC transformer center tapped to produce the 15-20 VAC needed to power the bass's circuit. Would it be possible to use a 15-20VAC power supply say from a laptop or other sensitive electronic device instead of the transformer? Or for that matter could I use any kind of clean power supply as long as I stay within the 15 to 20 VAC range. And is it actually AC and not DC. Only asking becuase of the batteries being DC. The rest of the diagram is pretty easy to flollow. Any and all assistance wouls again be appreciated! And again thanks for the warm welcome. I'm a guitar player(of I hate to admit almost 30 years)who has just started to play again after a bit of a break (you know business owner, marraige, kids, house, etc.)I'm building a small studio in my basement (mid life crisis) and starting to record again with some musician friends from the past and a couple of young guns. I've been tracking the bass lines with my Roland GR-33 and I must admit I'm not happy with the sound. So time to get serious and invest in a bass that will be as versitile as my writing. As well as an instrument that will help me grow as a musician. My first and only choice was an Alembic. I played in a band about 12 years ago with a guy who had a series 2. I fell in love with the sound, look and feel of that bass the first time he took it out of the case. Now it's my trun! | ||
| poor_nigel
Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 52 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hey Mike: I am gonna have to hit on time is money on this one. Plus, toss in the factor of dependability. If you buy a series bass, they generally come with a power supply and cord. So this is not a sweatable event, until after your purchase. Alembic electronics are, indeed, pricey stuff. Especially if you open the boxes and see what is inside of them. However, all parts used are of the highest quality and I never worry about dependability on an Alembic item. In my opinion, best to mess with other hand-built projects, if you are electronically inclined, and acquire the real deal on the power end of your sound in this instance. By the time you buy all the best components and solder it all together, find a suitable box or rack mount, you will have invested more than the price of new stuff. If you use a laptop's power supply and adapt it, you come into the same situation, as they are not free and still needs extra parts. Are they dependable? Then there is looks. I am getting old and tired. I love to work out in my shop making speaker boxes, but I make too much in my day job to mess with building what would end up costing me more in time and parts than just buying the already fabricated item. If you love messing with electronics, then go for it. Otherwise, I would go with the store-bought setup. Then again, if it ain't wood, I ain't messing with it much. | ||
| bob
Intermediate Member Username: bob Post Number: 152 Registered: 11-2002 |
Nigel, (I know that's not your name, it's just how I think of you - and you started it. If it bothers you, speak up. I also acknowledge I'm way off topic, but felt like saying hello, and maybe just talking a bit.) I'm getting old(er) too, but rather than tired, I tend to think of it more as developing a better sense of priorities. Yes, time is money, and as you start running down on time (and hopefully, have more money...), time becomes much more precious. You also raise an interesting (to me, anyway) contrast between working with electronics and wood. If you love electronics, or you're really good with them, or even just want to learn, then it can be worthwhile. None of that applies to me, however, and there are tons of people and companies (perhaps even entire countries...) out there who can put something together in a fraction of the time and cost that it would take me. Better yet, if they screw up, there's a good chance they'll fix or replace it for me. But working with wood is much different, perhaps in too many ways to list: every piece is unique, it certainly smells better (except maybe that zebra stuff), it's more physical, more forgiving to some extent, and so forth. I don't actually do enough to call it a hobby, but aside from the typical bookshelf projects and such, in the last five years I've built (and designed) a number of acoustical sound traps and diffusers - that all pretty much work as intended, and some of them even look nice. Better yet, each time I get into one of these projects, it feels more like a vacation than anything else. And yes, the materials are cheaper, you're more likely building something which is somehow unique to your particular needs, so maybe the time/cost tradeoff is different. But I also used to work on cars a lot when I was a kid, and I wouldn't even consider it today. Nowadays, I agonize (very briefly) over whether to vacumn/wash/wax/condition the leather myself, or pay someone else to do it - more quickly, with recylced water, and so forth. Maybe I'll spend 15 minutes touching up a few small spots they missed, but it seems like the right call to me. Somehow, I don't think this is just a matter of age - the times themselves are changing, so to speak. You're an interesting character, Nigel - nice to have you here. Oh, and Mike: I was also a guitar player for almost 30 years, but you're never too old to learn where the good stuff is. If you enjoy playing and writing music as much as it sounds, I encourage you to think about whether you'd rather spend X number of hours doing so, vs. investigating the subtle differences between AC and DC :-) No offense intended, I'm one of those people still using the battery testers that come with Duracells because I haven't quite progressed to buying myself a multimeter (but I'm thinking about it, really). Just fast-forward five or ten years and reflect on whether it was worth the gamble to maybe save yourself a few bucks instead of writing that great song you had in mind. Welcome. -Bob | ||
| poor_nigel
Member Username: poor_nigel Post Number: 53 Registered: 7-2003 |
Yo Bob: You quite eloquently said just what I was getting at. Actually, tired for me means I have less patience with doing projects, and I do have more money, so I tend to let others make a living at what I don't want to do any more. It is still tax season here at the tax prep company I work for, though it is not as crazy as it was. That means I have a bit more time, but not enough to really put things the way I want to say them, or even read em back much to see if I didn't do a 180 on what I was trying to convey. Speaking of which, gotta run. Ya'll have fun and take care. And you can address me pretty much as you please and I will not be offended. Later. | ||
| rob_steen
New Username: rob_steen Post Number: 3 Registered: 8-2002 |
Hi Mike, I hope I remember correctly, I can't find the diagram here. But I think the Alembic power supply is a split voltage meening minus15v to 0v to plus30v and the center zero volts or ground is needed. Hence the center tap off the transformer. Also, the output is DC. Normally there is a single rectifier (an AC to DC convertor) in a power supply but because of the split output here there should be two one for the -15toZero and one for Zero to +15v. I tried to make one once but made a mess of it. Some day I'll try again but the original I have works fine. So, the bad news is that that laptop power supply won't work, I've been looking for a place that manufactures a matching power supply with no luck, I'd love a nice small power supply that isn't made to withstand an explosion! I hope this is correct and helps. All the best, Rob Steen. | ||
| radio_silence
New Username: radio_silence Post Number: 3 Registered: 2-2004 |
I'm sitting here chuckling at the interesting and diverse answers and comments to my original question. You guys are great! :-) I am very much a novice when it comes to electrioncs however, the hobby interests me and I like to learn by doing. I didn't learn to play my guitar by paying someone to play it for me. I like technical challenges and the satisfaction of knowing I built something for a specific application and it functions as intended.I was planning on building something custom to "fit" into a pedal board situation. I guess I'll watch for one here or on ebay. If any body knows of one for sale please let me know. If any of you might have a parts list or the model #'s of the transformer and rectifier or a couple of close up pics of the guts of a DS-5 and would be will to email, I'm all eyes. Thanks for your conversations. I look forward to more of the same. My quest continues. Sincerly, Mike | ||
| peter_jonas
Junior Username: peter_jonas Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2002 |
Mike, Here is a photo of the inside of a DS-5R.  The DS-5 is even simpler as it does not have the rear output jacks, and it may not have the voltage selector switch on the back either. Also, some of the earlier versions did not have the mono switch. The secondary winding on the transformer could be 30 volts AC centre tapped, or it could have two separate 15 volt windings as the little toroidal one below.  These transformers are readily available from electronics hobby stores. After the rectifier and the filter capacitors you should end up with a ground and about +/-20 volts in relation to ground, both unregulated. You would then have to wire in the 5 pin XLR jack (either Switchcraft or Neutrik). The pinout: Pin 1: ground (also connected the the chassis) Pin 2: Channel 1 (Bass) Pin 3: Channel 2 (Treble) Pin 4: +22 volts Pin 5: -22 volts. In any case, you'd only need this kind of power supply for a Series 1 or 2 Alembic bass, and it is very likely that the one you buy already has one. The Series basses are top of the line instruments, and (unless you get real lucky) they will set you back a minimum of USD2,500.00, even in average used condition. (And allow many times that for a new one.) In my opinion, for about a further USD150.00 it is not worth risking to compromise their sound quality by using a noisy or hummy home made power supply. Second hand factory ones do come up regularly on Ebay, or sometimes even here on the club. There is not much that can go wrong with these, but if something does happen they are easy to fix. However, if you know what you are doing, then good luck and have fun constructing it. Cheers, Peter Jonas | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 1460 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here's what my dad clearified the transformer: -------- hi Mike, the diagram shows a bridge rectifier and two capacitors that convert the output from the transformer to DC. the note on the schematic is about the transformer picture near the note, and does not refer to the output voltages provided on the 5-pin connector. in looking at the .pdf file, the dc voltage is usually about +22V and -22V when connected to a bass without LEDs but unloaded runs about +24V and -24V. these are higher voltages than supplied by the batteries in the bass. -ron ------- The most common thing I see go wrong on early DS-5 is the line cord becoming frayed and sometimes someone tries to "fix" where we connect the thermal protector with wire nuts and they solder this connection. Of course, the thermal protector blows and nothing else gets hurt. |
