Project: Icepower Combo

TimmyO

I keep having the hankering to do something that @Danny1969 unwittingly planted the seed for - basically the Fender-less Not-Tone-Master thing. 

I have a TMDR and I really like it - and I'm intrigued by the notion of other amp sounds in that package. 

As I understand it, it'd be a case of getting a particular IcePower power module, finding a way to safely attach it to an unloaded cab so as not to touch any ouchy bits, get power in to it, fit a Neo speaker (I like the idea of light things) and use a Tonex One as the modelling. 

It'd rely on being able to use a profile that modelled the pre and power sections, but not the cab (I'm assuming profiles like that are available?) 

I'm congenitally non-practical so would need to find REALLY simple ways to do each bit. 

thoughts, opinions, interest, ideas, suggestions, encouragement, discouragement all welcomed. 

digitalscream

TimmyO said:

It'd rely on being able to use a profile that modelled the pre and power sections, but not the cab (I'm assuming profiles like that are available?) 

Yes - in fact, most of the ones I've looked at are available with cab and cab-less.

Danny1969

On a good day you can pick up an Icepower 50ASX2 SE version which is 2 x 50 watt stereo for less than £50, I picked up one for £44 last week. The BTL version (Bridge tied load ) is mono and about 170 watts into 4 Ohms, but in reality that is a stereo amp fundamentally it's just the 2 sides are fed opposing signals and the output is taken from what would have been the 2 hot speaker contacts. 

If you look at the bottom of the SE there's a link with SE and BTL written next to it but knowing how bridge mono works I can't see how one link could convert the module from stereo to bridge mono but to be honest I haven't been that interested in the mono version anyway. All the work i've done so far has been in stereo because even the small width of a 2 x 12 in stereo sounds better to me than mono. 

If you buy a module make sure the jumper is set for 230V not 115V ... otherwise you will fry it when you plug it in. Although it's a switch mode design it's not auto sensing 

If you run a buffer / pre amp / power for the modelling from the Icebreakers dual aux supply then watch the size of your filter / bulk caps. Too big and the inrush current with blow the onboard SM fuse. 

TimmyO

Ah. That's more involved than I'd thought it might be.

Chris.B

I'm  intrigued by this idea.  I also have a Tonemaster and really like the idea of having a modification that allows the user to bypass the digital bits and run a Helix or similar into the input of the Icepower amp - ideally just with a switch or a jack plug or two.

Probably not easy to do commercially as it would require some modification to the TMDR.  I might have a look inside the TMDR if it keeps raining - once I have checked that the guarantee has expired. 

Danny1969

Sorry @TimmyO ; I was rambling a bit. 
Basically you can make what you want just by putting the module into a box with a speaker and feeding it some mains and an audio signal. 
I went off on an unnecessary tangent explaining that the modules are available in different versions and I like the stereo versions.  Then another tangent explaining the stereo version and mono version is essentially the same but configured differently on the PCB.  

So I like the 50ASX2 stereo module

If making a mono amp like the Tonemaster then the BTL version of that module is a better bet (used in the Seymour Duncan PS170 ) or another of the modules like the 200AS1 ... which I think is a common module used in Tonemasters

The buffer, pre amp etc I mentioned would only be necessary if the modeller you used didn't provide enough of a voltage signal level to suit the Icepowers module inputs sensitivity. The NUX modelling I hacked out an MO2 didn't have enough level so needed to be boosted before the Icepower module. Many modellers designed for line level output wouldn't need a buffer or pre amp though. 

@Chris.B

What you want to do is easily do'able ...... basically cut the audio signal going from the Fender DSP board to the Icepower audio input header and wire that to a switched jack socket. So when nothing's in the socket the sigal will go through as normal. When you plug a jack into the socket though it will break contact with the Fender DSP and pass that jacks signal direct to the Icepower module 

I would also wire in a 10K pot as a volume control as well. 

Sporky

I'd be tempted to start with one of these. 2x 100W, cheap used, very well designed, no hacking about needed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266818533225

Chris.B

@Danny1969 Thanks Danny, perhaps I will have a closer look at the internals when the warranty has expired.

It would be great to have both a TMDR and a powered cab in the same device. 

goldtop

IIRC, one of the IcePower series is in the Kemper Powered Kabinet. Short cut to your plan? Hard to find used though.

Also need to check the module specs and your use case carefully. Some of these Class D amps must never have either speaker terminal connected to ground. If you only ever connect to one speaker driver with no other parallel circuit, you'll be fine, of course.