Lint Audio KWELA TONES, Assembly Instructions Manual

Page: 31 / 32

31
Op Amp Rolling
The Kwela tones is ideally suited for OP Amp Rolling…
Firstly..What Is Tube Rolling?
Lint audio make a range of Tube amps (in the UK, its called a valve)
Simply put, tube rolling is the process of trying out a variety of different tubes in the same socket in an amplifier in order to find
the one that sounds best to you. The name comes from the circular rolling motion used to slide the tube's connection pins out
from their sockets in the amp.
The quest for the next best tube, meaning the one that sounds different or better than the one your amp came with or the one
that you’re currently using, is what makes tube rolling so addicting. This is what we mean when we say that tube rolling offers
the ability to tweak your music. Depending on your amp, changing tubes can have a big impact on system synergy and the
tonal characteristics of your amp. Synergy in a system is all about getting your components to sound best as they work
together.
So in this project we call it OP Amp rolling, but we don’t roll them, we unplug them ! It’s a great place to start at minimum
expense. Just remember a 8 pin dual channel jfet op amp in the specs..
As the Op Amp drives the headphone direct, we have included a 10r audio grade resistor for the optimum experience.
Lets cite some examples
TL072 It’s a audio grade Op Amp from the 80s and in itself a legend, supplied as standard
LM358 A general purpose Op Amp, ideal for speech and the hard of hearing with TV its not a audio chip
OPA 2164 The real Legend of audio Op Amps, now obsolete..Burr Brown, say no more !
OPA 1642 Its only available in a SOIC package but we supply on a DIP adaptor. Replaces the OPA 2164 and is
stunning in its reproduction.
LME 49720 This is a very high end Op Amp and compares with the OPA range of chips.
AD 823 Analogue devices answer to the above, very colourful.
I suggest that you google, have a decent pair of headphones and then experiment before you start on a valve amp !
Suppliers, RS South Africa, Mantech Electronics, Electrocomp, Communica and Mouser (use Electrocomp) to import
and Farnells (use Mantech to import)