CurvyMama is a special preamp that will give flesh, curves and grit to harps and guitars…
It can also fatten and overdrive amps that sound too skinny.
In that aim, it features an original tone control and a germanium output preamp.
CurvyMama, 2022 model.
Main features
• Gain control to get clean sound or overdrive with any mike.
• Original tone circuit, improving the nuances
in the low medium and at the medium-treble junction..
• Phase invert switch.
• Germanium NOS transistors in the output stage
bring a mild and organic overdrive.
• High level low impedance output.
To order
1. Specify the shipping zone.
2. Click <Add to cart>.
3. Click ‘Cart’ on main menu, or keep on visiting.
CurvyMama
Unique version
169 €
Preamp-corrector for harp, or guitar.
as described on this page.
• 5 basic controls :
drive, bottom, biting, contour, volume.
• 1 switch : phase inverse.
LikeYourFace, harp
Shipping costs (by the french Post) :
France: 8 € — CE + Switzerland: 14 € — Other countries: 24 €
Technical details
Universal input
• 200kΩ high impedance, friendly connectible on every source.
• Admissible level: 10mV to 500mV, adjustable by the Gain / Drive potentiometer.
Piezo or ceramic bullet pickups
(antiques: JT30, Green Bullet… neo-antiques: Superlux D122C)
• Nominal output level: 200 to 500mV, high impedance.
• Standard setting: gain between the minimum and 9h00;
• Less Mids filter on.
• NB: With the D112, the gain can be set higher because its output level is moderate.
Old or neo-vintage dynamic microphones
(Shure Control Magnetic, Shure 515, 588 switched to HiZ, … Bottle O Blues, Silverfish …)
• Nominal output level: 100 to 500 mV, medium or high impedance.
• Standard gain adjustment: between minimum and 10:00 am, depending on the mike.
Modern dynamic microphones
(Shure 55SH “skull”, 565D, SM57, SM58, Audix Fireball V …)
• Nominal output level: 10 to 30mV, low impedance.
• Standard gain setting: around 12h00…
Output level
Output volume potentiometer
Standard setting : around 13.00.
With these standard settings, the output levels in bypass mode and effect mode will be balanced.
Nominal output level : -15dBm (150mV).
Tone controls
• Bandwidth and tone settings have been designed specifically for the harmonica.
• 3 controls : Bottom, Biting, Contour…
Bottom : the belly of the harp sound, at the junction of bass and low medium.
Biting : The global roundness or sharpness of the sound, according to the played styles.
Contour : Carves symmetrically mediums and presence …
Auxiliary controls
Invert Phase Switch : phase inversion in order to minimize the risks of Larsen.
New Old Stock transistors of the output preamplifier, with their bias trimmer.
Output/Overdrive stage
• The output preamp uses two NOS germanium transistors.
• It consists in an adaptation of a classic circuit from the sixties.
• The overdrive is adjustable using the Gain control, from a clear sound to a fuzzy grit.
• In between, overdrive is progressive and organic, like coming from the heart of sound.
•The tone controls work upstream and define the texture without washing it out.
Power supply
CurvyMama is powered by a 9V battery or an external 7 to 12V supply.
• Sound is typical with 9V, more dynamic with 12V, dirty and compressed with 7V.
• An internal electronic filtering eliminates common supply noises:
Hiss of switching power supplies, hum from transformer power supplies.
• Typical consumption with 9V: 8mA.
Like all germanium circuits, Curvymama gives its best sound after 5 to 10 minutes under power, when its internal temperatures have stabilized.
To know more…
Technical links
Technical sheet (downloadable pdf )
Audio links
