VHT VALVULATOR I
Owner's Manual

Some Common Questions
What makes the Valvulator I
TM

Can the Valvulator I

TM

do anything about the hum on my

Vacuum Tube Buffer
TM

pedalboard? Yes! We knew when we designed this product that here would be a great opportunity to help guitarists and techs build better sounding, more functional and quieter pedalboards. The Valvulator I TM has a built-in stomp box power supply that has four completely isolated and regulated 12VDC outputs. Because the outputs are isolated, it is easy to hook up several devices together with NO BUZZ OR HUM CAUSED BY GROUND LOOPS OR MULTIPLE ONBOARD WALL WARTS! In addition, any type of battery powered device, modern or vintage, positive or negative ground, can be operated from the Valvulator power outputs. Have more than four pedals on your pedalboard? No problem. These DC outputs have enough current capacity to operate up to two effects from each of the four outputs. You can even run 18VDC effects from two outputs in series. Is it safe to run my 9 volt effects on a 12 volt supply? Yes. In fact most power adapters designed for use with 9 volt effects actually produce 11 to 13 volts DC. Voltage fluctuations that often occur at the AC wall outlet can cause the output voltage of these adapters to vary wildly, causing the DC supply voltage to go as low as 8 volts, and as high as 15 volts DC. You can probably imagine what these voltage variations are doing to your sound. The Valvulator I provides filtered, regulated DC to keep your pedal effects operating at peak performance regardless of varying AC line conditions. Why do some of my vintage pedals sound better to me with a weak battery? A weak battery often causes loss of high frequency response, loss of dynamic range and signal distortion. Sometimes this weak degraded signal produces a desirable tonal quality. We have anticipated this situation. The Valvulator I can be easily modified to produce a lower output voltage. And because the individual DC outputs are isolated from each other, you can adjust the voltage on one or more outputs while leaving all of the other outputs unaffected.

design special? The unique circuitry in the Valvulator I

is designed to

�feel� like you are plugged directly into a tube amplifier. The harmonic warmth and dynamic range of the tube stage vastly improves touch sensitivity and sustain of the instrument even when multiple effects and long cable lengths are used. Since this tube stage is the first link in the signal chain, all of the other devices down the line benefit from the added warmth of the Valvulator I TM Buffer/Line Driver. Even solid state amplifiers benefit from the added punch and dynamic range due to the high voltage operation of the vacuum tube circuitry. How can I use the Valvulator I TM to improve the quality of my home recordings? Most products intended for direct recording of guitar sounds lack any tone enhancing vacuum tube circuitry. While some multi-effects units offer a vacuum tube input stage, this tube is often operating at too low of a voltage to really make the tube sing. Don�t be fooled! Even some of these devices that claim �High Voltage Tube Circuitry� operate at voltages far below that which you would find in a normal guitar amplifier. The high operating voltage of the Valvulator power supply and the full range frequency response of the audio circuitry insure excellent dynamic range and a full tonal spectrum that will give your guitar sound a more realistic amp feel. Can the Valvulator I
TM

improve the sound of bass or

keyboard instruments? Yes! Even Vocals! Any signal source that can benefit from enhanced vacuum tube harmonics will sound better live and record better with the Valvulator I in the signal path. Vocals will sound richer, keyboards will sound fatter and bass instruments will sound fuller. In fact the Valvulator I is an ideal direct box for recording and live sound reinforcement of bass and keyboards. Just insert the Valvulator I between the bass or keyboard output and the amplifier or mixer input (or both!).

5

6