9 |
P a g e
A: Yep. You
’
re using your amp exactly as normal with the V4 pedal turned off in
‘
Amp
Through Mode
’.
Q: What is the current draw: will the V4 Series Pedal Preamps run off my DC Brick?
A: Probably not
–
remember there are four valves in there running at proper plate voltage
with current-hungry heaters inside. That requires some serious juice. You need 12V DC
and a minimum of 800mA. Each V4 Series Pedal Preamp comes with an included power
supply.
Q: Some of the settings of the
‘
Bright Switch
’
are extremely sharp/dull. Is that normal?
A: Yes, it is and it depends entirely on your amp. Effects loops vary drastically from amp
to amp depending on how the loop and the power stage of the amp are configured. In
fact, you won
’
t believe how different they can be
…
so we included the three-position
‘
Bright
’
switch exactly for that reason. There will be one setting that is optimum for your
amp. There
’
s no best, no worst
–
just use the one that sounds and feels best to you, and
don
’
t worry if one of the others sounds broken!
Q: Can I change the valves?
A: You can but we
don’t
recommend changing them just for the sake of it as the Mullard
CV4014s are arguably one of the best quality valves ever made. The valves comprise 1 x
EC900 triode and 3 x CV4014 pentode, both have 7 pins rather than the normal 9. Please
replace only with valves of the same type. Replacements are available from
www.victorystore.co.uk
among others. They are NOT swappable with normal dual-triode
types (12AX7/ECC83 etc). Valve changes should ideally be done by a qualified technician.
To change the valves, first unplug the power supply and leave the unit for a few minutes
to allow all internal capacitors to discharge. Then remove the 4 x M4 Countersunk Posi-
Drive bolts that hold the base plate on using a No.2 Point Posi-Drive screwdriver. The
valve PCB is attached to a plate which needs to be loosened. There are 2 M3 Nylock nuts
with flat washers holding this is place which can be loosened using a 5.5mm Nut-Spinner,
socket or spanner
–
no need to completely remove them as we just need to angle the PCB
& plate assembly upwarsds slightly to get hold of the valves. They are held very tightly in
the ceramic bases so a slow circular motion is required to ease them out. When
replaceing, be sure to line the pins up correctly, (there is a gap between pins 1 & 7). Now
re-tighten the M3 Nylock nuts but not too tight as the plate sits on rubber damping
grommets to minimise microphony. No Biasing or setup is required when changing valves
and the screenprinting on the base plate shows which type goes where.
All Victory amplifiers are constructed using Posidrive Screws & Machine Bolts. These are
an improvement on the Phillips type of fixing which uses a 4-blade screwdriver. The
Posidrive uses an 8-Blade screwdriver which allows for more precision and higher torque.
Please try to use Posidrive Screwdrivers when working on a Victory amplifier to avoid
