TTE User Manual
Contents
1. Owner s Manual Version 7 Covers serial 3664 and higher June 2013 and later Basic History of major TTE Revisions Serial 2326 6 2008 Discontinue 12AT7 for V3 Erase tube Change to Fulltone 12AU7 Warning You must use either Shugwang 12AU7 or Fulltone 12AU7 Most tubes will not erase properly no matter how much you d like to use that vintage NOS tube you bought for way too much money Serial 3179 4 2011 Discontinue padded gig bag first TTE with removable hinged Lid Majority of production uses Blonde Tolex Serial 3460 5 2012 Changed Preamp circuit revised EQ of preamp to be more Full range with less change to the original instrument tone Previous versions were much brighter lacking in bass frequencies Serial 3480 10 2012 First production TTE with Relay Activated Echo Cancel This is a major improvement in that using an Echo Cancel Footswitch no longer has a negative effect on the sound quality and volume of the Echoes From this point on you are not limited to using a short cable for an Echo Footswitch and instead can use up to 500 of any 2 conductor standard instrument cable Fulltone unveils our Echo Cancel Footswitch ECF which requires no external power for its status LED s more info or purchase here Serial 3664 6 2013 TTE goes to all black metal and black Tolex cabinet amp lid Major improvement to tape transport initiated by changing the spacing on the tape guide posts eliminating much2. Fulltone Musical Products Inc and its employees is not liable for any damages or injuries resulting from the misuse of this unit and or carelessness of the user For service please contact engineer fulltone com Please check www fulltone com for regular revisions to the posted Acrobat PDF Manual or contact us for a printed revised version in the future Fulltone Musical Products Inc 11018 Washington Blvd Culver City CA 90232 fax 204 0156 www fulltone com email sales fulltone com
3. Conversely turning this trimmer CCW warms up the repeats and pushes them into the background Tip 12 O clock or Lower is the normal setting when running the TTE at High Speed but when running at Low Speed find that 5 O clock yields a nice clarity to the repeats Relay Activated Echo Cancel jack see 10 This jack is designed to accepta Standard tip grounding 14 amp style footswitch not included With the TTE s Cancel function you still get the benefit of running through the unit s tube preamp even when the Echo is cancelled Because this feature is Relay Activated you can use any length of cable to the Cancel jack with absolutely no adverse effect on the TTE s sound unlike older versions of the TTE and every Echoplex ever made where the Playback Signal was significantly affected by the cable length Page 7 All about Stereo Refer to Diagrams on Pages 2 and 3 and 9 Warning Running multiple amps can be dangerous or even fatal due to the possibility of a ground loop being created when two or more AC powered devices do not share a common ground reference point Care must be taken to ensure that your signal chain effects amps and even P A system is configured correctly to not only be hum free but to ensure the safety of you and your band mates One of the things you should do is to always put your various AC powered devices on the Same wall outlet to ensure proper grounding Another thing that some people do is lif
4. when the TTE is set for longer delays 500ms or longer Position 3 is excellent for super short slap back Country Style stereo splits Also try making one amp wet with Reverb and one amp dry without reverb Page 8 Service Diagrams Removal of Chassis from Cabinet Top View Bottom View Close up Fuse Diagram Only use a 250volt 2 amp Slo Blow 20mm x 5 2mm Page 9 Service Diagrams Continued Main Chassis Diagram A DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE May cause severe injury or death Disconnect power before servicing Do not change without V1 v2 consulting with Fulltone as this tube plays a crucial Playback Amp Instruments Amp role in the bias erase function of the TTE Motor Assembly Diagram Close up Page 10 Tape Tape Heads and Transport Refer to diagrams on Pages 2 and 3 Most of the procedures outlined on this page require the removal of the Top Cover Plate for an explanation on how to do this see page 4 Tape Cartridge ETC 1 is available for direct purchase only for sale with proof of TTE ownership at our website Your ETC 1 is a plastic cartridge that houses about 1 minute of Hi Quality Recording Tape Under normal use you should get many months of service out of the ETC 1 especially if you follow the guidelines set forth in this manual Care must be taken at all times that the tape flows with proper tension a key to the proper tension is the Tape Felt see 26 and Tape Felt Tension Arm see 27
5. with all stainless steel hardware every bolt and spacer Super Tough Baltic Birch ply cabinet with Blonde Tolex covering Proprietary Erase Record and Playback heads designed to outlive you All Hand Wired point to point Audio pathway All Handmade in the U S A Removable Lid should be closed and latched while transporting 2 Speed operation with trimmer adjustment for a choice between Hi Fi or Warm Vintage sounds Adjustable Tube P owered Volume Control for up to 25 dB volume boost A Tone control affecting the Repeats only Our own Echo Tape Cartridge ETC 1 is loaded with Mastering quality tape and designed to last many months unlike the few weeks you get from other Echoplex type cartridges True Bypass toggle switch for setting the right Volume for your rig as well as a 1 4 jack for Echo Cancel allowing you to keep the TTE s Tube Preamp in the signal path at all times Top Panel Diagram Page 2 Input Stereo Mode Switch True Bypass Switch Guitar Volume Echo Volume Record Level Echo Repeats ON DUM RAUN Echo Tone 9 Power Status Lamp 10 Echo Cancel Relay Activated 11 Output 2 12 Main Output 13 Transport Clutch 14 Tension Spring 15 Pinch Roller Mount 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Fixed Corner
6. Tape Guide 26 27 28 29 30 Capstan Pinch Roller Tape Speed Switch Playback Head Tape Guide Playback Head Mount Playback Head Record Head Record Head Mount Record Head Tape Guide Tape Felt Tape Felt Tension Arm Top Cover Mounts ETC 1 Tape Cartridge Thumb Screw Page 3 Additional Diagrams Right Side View 33 IEC power connector w fuse compartment 31 Top Cover Thumb Screws 34 IEC power cable included 32 Top Cover 35 ON OFF Switch Tape Path Diagram A O fe Page 4 Operating your Tube Tape Echo Warning Always unplug the guitar cable from the Main Output when not in use Not doing so for an extended time period may cause the pinch roller to go out of round making the tape transport unstable the repeats out of tune and may void warranty service claims relating to this issue Initial Set Up Refer to Diagrams on Pages 2 and 3 1 Remove the Top Cover Plate see 32 by unscrewing the 2 thumbscrews see 31 and N WwW A wu ee N tW sliding the plate carefully off to the left side of the TTE Make sure thatthe Thumbscrews for the Echo Tape cartridge ETC 1 are secure see 30 and that the tape is following the correct path see Tape Path diagram Page 3 Make sure that the ta
7. being loaded with excellent quality tape you won t experience the shedding and build up associated with other Echoplex type tape cartridges But occasional cleaning of the Heads Tape Path Capstan and Pinch roller are necessary to keep the sound and performance up to par perhaps once a month First Remove the tape from the Tape Path and remove the ETC 1 Second Use American Recorder Technologies americanrecorder com Item S 721H 4 Tape head Cleaner Itis safe to use on the TTE s heads rubber roller all guides everything For Pinch Roller see 17 DO NOT USE ALCOHOL to clean this as it will cause it to dry out and crack Again recommend using the S 721H 4 fluid Page 11 Tape Tape Heads and Transport Continued Refer to diagrams on Pages 2 3 8 and 9 With the TTE is turned on dab some S 721H 4 on a Q Tip engage the Transport Clutch and press the swab up against the roller with pressure being careful not to get the swab caught in between the Pinch Roller and the Capstan see 16 Repeat process until swab stays appears fairly clean and is relatively free from brown color Now clean the Capstan in a similar manner Demagnetizing Heads Once every couple of months it s not a bad idea to demagnetize the recording heads using a low powered demagnetizer such as the 17 Specialty AV Brand which is available through amazon com Follow the instructions included with the demagnetizer and always make sure that there is no a
8. believe it or not The Tape Felt must be resting against your Tape holding the Tape against the Corner Roller see 25 and this tension can be adjusted although you won t need to touch it until you change the ETC 1 further down the road Tip You ll know when the pressure is correct when the Echo Repeats sound in tune and are not modulating out of pitch in a rapid fashion The way to adjust this pressure is simply by bending the Tape Felt Tension Arm until itis barely putting any pressure on the Corner Roller If the Tape ever unravels and starts rolling off the TTE remove the guitar cable from Main Output immediately which will disengage the Transport Clutch see 13 Now check that the tape is following the Tape Path see page3 correctly not caught up on one of the Tape Guides see 19 and 24 and that there isn t too much tension on the tape somewhere After this is corrected engage the Transport Clutch again and most likely the ETC 1 will stabilize after a minute or so of motion Record Erase and Playback Heads There are what appear to be only 2 heads on the TTE one used to Record the signal Record Head see 22 and one used to Playback the recorded signal Playback Head see 21 But there is actually an Erase Head located within the Record Head assembly that erases the Signal after the Tape makes a full pass through the ETC 1 approximately 1 minute after you ve played something Cleaning your Tape Path Due to the ETC 1
9. eats faster also called Shorter delay time a Page 6 Let s Play in Mono Continued Refer to Diagrams on Pages 2 and 3 Another way to alter the available Delay Times is via the Tape Speed Switch see 18 With this switch you are given a choice of High Speed or Low Speed tape movement and you will see the Tape flow at a slower or faster rate depending on which setting you choose Tip As a general rule of thumb The faster the tape speed the more in tune the repeats will be the more full range the repeats will sound and the lower the noise level will be Conversely the slower the tape speed the less in tune the repeats will be the warmer the repeats will sound and you ll get more of a Vintage Echoplex vibe Available Delay Range set to Low Speed factory internal Trimmer setting 40 milliseconds to 1 3 seconds Available Delay Range set to High Speed factory internal trimmer setting N oo WO 20 milliseconds to 650 milliseconds Locate the Echo Repeats Knob see 7 turning this CW will increase the number of repeats Conversely turning this knob CCW will reduce the number of echo repeats Tip Turn this knob up to around 2 O clock or higher and you can geta very cool recycling regenerating sound that adds tremendous depth to especially non distorted clean sounds Locate the small Echo Tone trimmer see 8 and notice that as you turn this CW the repeats sound brighter and a little louder
10. need to mess with these but we ve marked factory settings just in case you do and want to go back to our settings later Caution setting the Low speed trimmer too slow can cause the transport to become unstable and may cause the motor to emit a strange whining noise Page 12 Additional Tape Path Maintenance There should be about 3 64 1mm gap when the roller mount is not activated this distance can be adjusted by moving the motor assembly MA There are 3 screws to secure the MA with top plate loosen these screws and push the MA towards the desired direction then tighten the screws 3 64 gap 1 The capstan must be parallel with the pinch roller Observe both 1 components from the side while turning the lever slightly to the right If there s uneven gap take a plier and bend the roller gently 11 33 aes Page 13 upes Refer to Page 9 Main Chassis Diagram Tubes in your TTE Buy Fulltone Tubes at the following link http www fulltone com products tube tape echo tube trio Tube 2 V2 is a 12AX7 which is powering the Guitar Preamp section and Tube 1 V1 is a 12AX7 powering the Echo playback stage of the circuit You can experiment with other 12AX7 s but your unit comes with Pre Tested and selected Fulltone 12AX7 s which are the most natural and uncolored sounding 12AX7 s you can find for your Tube Tape Echo V3 is actually the most CRUCIAL tube as itis used for the Bias Oscilla
11. of the friction and reducing tape jam Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Table of Contents Product Overview Top Panel Diagram Additional Diagrams Operating the TTE Initial Set Up Let s Play in Mono Let s Play in Mono Continued All about STEREO Maintenance and Service Service Diagrams Service Diagrams Continued Tape Tape Heads and Transport Tape Tape Heads and Transport continued Additional Tape Path Maintenance Tubes Rewiring transformer to 220 240 Operation Warranty and Contact Page 1 Product Overview The Fulltone Tube Tape Echo although inspired by Market Electronics Echoplex of the early to mid 60 s is a far more evolved design which eliminates all of the noise inconsistencies and reliability issues associated with the Echoplexes Some of the TTE s features include L 1 1 1 RO 1 WwW 14 1 oi 16 1 x 12AX7 Tubes for Record 1x12AX7 for P layback 1 x 12AU7 Use only Fulltone brand 12AU7 for V3 Erase tube or unit may not erase properly Mono and Stereo outputs with 3 distinct stereo image choices DC on the Tube filaments for no hum operation Torroidal Transformer for low EMF quiet operation Brushless 3 phase DC Servo Motor for reliable quiet tape transport Blushless DC Fan to keep the whole thing running cool Nickel plated steel
12. pe is not too loose knotted up or has not slipped away from any of the Tape Guides see 24 and 19 Make sure that it is seated properly on the Corner Roller see 25 resting under the Tape Felt see 26 and Tape Felt Tension Arm see 27 Now check that the tape is resting between the Capstan and Pinch roller see 16 and 17 Insert the detachable AC cable see 34 in to the TTE AC Inlet see 33 and connect other end to a 3 prong 120 volt wall outlet Make sure to use the same outlet as your guitar amplifier to avoid possible grounding issues Turn on the Power Switch see 35 and allow unit to run for about a minute this lets the Tubes warm up Plug your guitar cable into the Input ack see 1 Slide the Transport Clutch lever see 13 to the right this starts the Tape Rolling Hold it there and insert another guitar cable into the Main Output jack see 12 This cable holds the Transport Clutch Lever in place and keeps the Tape running while you re using the TTE Tip Let the Tape Cartridge ETC 1 run for a while and it will stabilize When first turned on the ETC 1 s windings may be uneven and can cause the notes to seem out of tune Allowing the ETC 1 to spin for a minute or so evens out the Tape windings so that it rolls smoothly and stays that way for the remainder of your session Now connect the other end of the guitar cable to your amplifier Turn on your amp and you re ready to make a few setting adjustments and
13. play your TTE Important Please use Low Speed setting during first2 3 hours of operation for proper break in Page 5 Let s Play in Mono Refer to Diagrams on Pages 2 and 3 So you ve gone through all of the steps in the Initial Set Up Chapter Now you re ready to check a few more things and play Terms CW Clockwise CCW Counter Clockwise 1 You re now running in Mono only one amplifier so make sure the Stereo Mode Switch See 2 is set to Position 1 or Position 2 it makes no difference which of the two you choose But if you set this switch to Position 3 you will only hear the Echo and not the original note which can be a bit confusing See STEREO chapter for more in depth discussion regarding this switch Now locate the True Bypass Switch see 3 and toggle back and forth between Bypassed and On while strumming some open strings Is the sound louder when set to Bypass or when set to On Setting this to On will send your Guitar signal through the all Tube circuitry as well as allow you to add any amount of Echo to your sound You can adjust the volume with the Guitar Volume knob 4 Turning this knob clockwise will increase the level of the guitar sound Tip Set the On sound to be slightly louder than your bypassed sound and you will notice a bigger sound that will drive long lengths of guitar cable while restoring that ounch that is lost when there a
14. re too many effects in the signal chain between your Guitar and Amp Locate the Record Level trimmer see 6 and set it to about 3 O clock This trimmer controls the strength of the signal being printed to tape Turning the trimmer CW increases the recording level Tip This trimmer should always be set to 3 O clock or higher because the hotter the recorded signal the lower the noise and the fatter the tone of the repeats But don t let this talk of Noise concern you the TTE is quieter than all analog delay pedals most digital delay pedals and many of the most expensive rackmount units Locate the Echo Volume knob see 5 and turn it CW until you hear the desired level of the Echo Repeats Turning this CCW makes the Echo repeats more faint sounding Notice that there is a white silkscreen to the left of this knob which highlights the Suggested useable range for the Echo Repeats When properly set up your TTE Should offer an equal volume relationship between the Guitar and the Echo Repeats with this Knob set to about 9 O clock Tip Operating your TTE in this range or lower results in optimal sound quality and lower noise hiss Now it s time to decide what Delay Time you d like This can be accomplished by Setting sliding the position of the moveable Playback Head see 20 By sliding the Playback Head to the right you are making the repeats slower also called longer delay time By sliding this to the left you are make the rep
15. t the ground on one or more of the AC powered devices in this case the TTE by placing a 3 to 2 prong ground lift adapter on the end of the Detachable AC cord See Page 9 Ground Lift Adapter Diagram We cannot recommend that you do this for legal reasons but personally do it while running stereo when grounding issues dictate and others are known to do this as well If you do not have a Hum problem and are not receiving a shock there is no reason to use a Ground Lift Adapter Stereo eRe You ve already got one amp hooked up to the Main Output ack now it s time to take another guitar cable and plug it into Output 2 see 11 with the other end of this cable connecting to your second amp BRO With the TTE on and warmed up turn on both amps and with your guitar volume set full let go of your strings and check for any audible buzzing due to grounding issues Is there buzzing when you let go No Then proceed to Step 3 Yes Then flip the ground switches on one or both of the amps until this goes away or you may choose to install the Ground Lift Adapter Lee Locate the Stereo Mode switch see 2 this offers you 3 distinct stereo voicings Position 1 Guitar and Echo out of both Outs Position 2 Guitar strong Echo from one Out Guitar slight echo on other Position 3 Guitar only out of one amp Echo only from other Out 4 Tips Position 2 has a very lush 3 dimensional sound that is my personal favorite
16. tor E rase function of the TTE Warning Changing the Erase tube to anything other than a Fulltone 12AU7 will result in the unit not erasing properly Fulltone sells a matched amp tested Tube Trio for your TTE direct for 49 95 shipping included to US resident only You get 2 x Fulltone 12AX7 tubes and 1 x Fulltone 12AU7 Replacing Fuse in your TTE Only use a 250volt 2 amp Slo Blow fuse with a size of 20mm x 5 2mm These are widely available standard type fuses one place to get them is at amazon com Page 14 Converting Transformer to Operate at 220 240 Voltage Warning This procedure is ONLY to be done by an experienced Technician Serious injury or death and or irreparable damage to the unit may occur if done improperly Main Transformer Wiring Diagram 120V version to transformer gt Close up C d sold P 240V version ee lp t Transformer Diagram then insulate with shrink tubing to transformer gt Note the only changes are to the White and Brown Wires all other wires are left alone Page 15 Warranty Information The TTE carries a 5 year Limited Warranty Parts and Labor to the original owner only This warranty covers failure due to manufacturer s error only and does not cover items that are prone to daily wear including the ETC 1 The Tubes carry a 3 month warranty that only covers failure not breakage Owner is responsible for all shipping and insurance charges both ways
17. udio recording tape within 10 feet of this thing when it s on and this includes the TTE s ETC 1 cartridge The following procedures require that the Chassis be removed from the cabinet Refer to the diagram at the top of Page 8 Remove the 4 Chassis screws and the 2 Bottom cabinet screws but not until after you read the following Warning Turn off and unplug the removable AC Cable from the TTE before disassembling your TTE This unit contains High Voltages that may cause injury if you touch the wrong thing so use caution or don t attempt unless you know what you re doing Playback Headmount Adjustment Refer to Diagram on Page 8 The Playback Headmount must glide freely along the chassis yet be tight enough to not be pushed out of desired position by the moving Tape This balance is achieved by a combination of grease and the proper tension applied by the two locknuts which are accessed underneath the rear of the chassis You shouldn t have to adjust this but should you need to use Lithium grease and be sure not to get any on the Tape Heads or any other part of the Transport Feel free to contact us for guidance if need be Beware the slightest tightening or loosening of these nuts makes a BIG change is the ease of movement of the sliding Playback head High and Low Speed Trimmers See page 9 Motor Assembly Diagram Trimmer 1 is for High Motor Speed fine adjustment Trimmer 2 is for Low Motor Speed fine adjustment There s no
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