AquaRegia

I answered my own question last weekend... YES for the MkI SV, but NOT the MkII. I forgot that the MkII amp/shortboard combo treats the pedal settings the same way it treats the knob positions - stored as software when you save a tone. So regardless of the physical position of the volume pedal, as soon as I click to another preset, channel volume reverts to 100%. Ouch. Got a few dirty looks during sound check for that. Now I'll have to investigate if changing ALL 40 of my saved tones' pedal preset info can do what I want, i.e., lower the volume of all 40 presets evenly.

Just to be clear (I'm doing this for the first time): a. when the Edit program says "receiving presets", it's copying them from the amp to working memory, and b. when I choose "File -> Save Bundle", it's saving them all to my hard drive? Then, when my current amp dies (it's bound to happen eventually) I can 1) buy another SV MkII 2) hook it up to my computer 3) choose "Load Bundle" 4) choose "Send All" and the new amp will be a clone of my old one. Sound right?

SV MkII with Shortboard, gigging regularly. Same issue - channel volumes saved as low as possible (any lower and I get the channel-switch pop), and yet with master volume barely on, stage volume is difficult to manage. The sound guy would say "your amp can come up a bit," and I'd tap it - couldn't even tell if it moved - and he'd say "WHOA, way too much!" Now he says "OK, I need you to BREATHE on your amp volume." LOL I'm thinking about trying the Shortboard volume pedal as a workaround. I never use it while playing - my feet are just not coordinated enough for wah (I've tried - hopeless) and the volume knob on the guitar is fine. Maybe I could physically block the volume pedal at 50% permanently...? Thoughts?

About 2 years ago I started having intermittent problems (volume fading) with my SV MkII 112. After reading similar reports here, I concluded that it was the DSP chip overheating. I opened the cases on both my Mk I and Mk II amps, located the DSP, cut an old aluminum nameplate holder into 1-inch blocks, and used thermal adhesive to attach them as heat sinks. I have had no problems since, and I gig almost every weekend. Hope this helps some others!

To my knowledge, the Spider Valve original (i.e., Mark I) amp cannot connect to a computer. I was also disappointed to find this, and I bought a Mark II for exactly this reason!

Unfortunately, channel volumes below 11 or 12 o'clock can cause digital confusion. Keeping channel volumes up, however, requires the MASTER volume knob to be turned down for moderate overall volume levels, and sometimes THAT'S a problem also. Be aware the CHANNEL volume is saved for EACH separate saved tone, while MASTER volume is always in effect, regardless of tone. Once you get a few tones where you want volume-wise, tweak channel volume for the others to match. Took me quite a bit of fiddling, but eventually I got things the way I wanted, and I use just about all 36 slots on my SV Mk1.

I have had (thankfully very few) overheating issues. Toward the end of one daytime warm-weather gig, my SV Mk1 started cutting out for no reason I could see, which I found was a common symptom of the digital signal processor (DSP) chip overheating. I decided to attach a heat sink to the delicate chip. I found an old aluminum nameplate holder in my basement and used a hacksaw to cut off a 1-inch square. I sanded the flat side as smooth as I could, likewise sanded the top of the DSP housing, applied some good thermal adhesive and stuck that sucker on. Have not had any trouble since. Did the same to my SV Mk2, even though it had never acted up. I can upload pictures; if anyone wants to see them, let me know. Other than that (and of course not being able to transfer my custom tone settings), I love everything about my SV amps.

Just in case anyone ever has the desire to do so, I'd like to report that yes, it's perfectly possible to put a SV Mki amp into a Mkii 1x12 cabinet, and vice versa. I did have to drill two new holes in the top of each cabinet, as the Mki amp is smaller. As far as I can tell, the speakers are identical. Both "custom" amps still work fine. I wanted the Mkii amp with more functions, but I like the "handle" on the back of the Mki cabinet; the Mkii cabinet lacks this nice feature, and it also seems a bit heavier. I swapped the feet, as the Mkii has grippy rubber ones (don't swap the screws, though, as they are not the same), and the handles - the old Mki handle was getting worn out.

All I can say, as a regularly gigging SV Mkii 1x12 owner, is that I have never once seen any reason to wish for another speaker. The 1x12 amp is SO LOUD that I've never had to turn the master volume past 5/10 (12 noon) EVER, even for the biggest venues (of course, at large shows, I mic the amp). In my basement, 2/10 (8 pm ish) is too loud. I think it sounds great - sharp and clear - but I've never owned a 2x12. My vote is no, it's not worth any money for the extra speaker - just makes a heavier amp to have to carry around!

Just another data point that may help future member with similar problems: I love my Spider Valve Mk i, so when I saw a good deal on a Mk ii, I grabbed it. I verified it worked and stashed it in my basement for about 6 months, until I had time to play with it. I turned it on a few days ago, and after a brief crackle, no sound. No hum, no "bad" noise - total silence. Lights on, tubes glowing, but no noise. I came here and read some topics, including this one. I checked the two fuses accessible on the back panel. I verified that the new speaker worked by outputting my old amp into the new speaker; I verified the new amp would NOT send a signal to the old speaker. I removed the 4 screws, pulled out the amp head from the cab and checked the two motherboard fuses - both fine. Next step - check tubes. Sure enough, one of the 12ax7b preamp tubes had failed, which I discovered by replacing them one at a time with old ones I had replaced and saved. Apparently a dead tube can look just like a good one (especially if, like me, you have little experience regarding what you are looking at).

I'm happy to report I had no trouble swapping out the tubes and biasing them. The new Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC and Sino 12ax7b tubes sound pretty much the same as the old ones, which is exactly what I hoped. Thanks all!

I apologize in advance for resurrecting a topic from WAY back 4 months ago, but I'm in the same boat - bought a used Mk1 112 two years ago and have been using it pretty regularly (5-10 hours a week, including at gig volumes). Now the tone is getting mushy and it seems a safe bet it's time for new tubes. Which ones? I'm reading posts here and my head is spinning! One guy here claims the SV amps shipped with Sovtek 5881 6L6WGC power tubes... but someone else says the SV needs 450 volts, and the tech specs on the Sovtek WGC say "Maximum plate voltage is 250 volts". Then there are WXT, WXT+, and I don't even know what else... and all the User Manual says is "Sovtek 5881". A complicating factor for me is that the "presence" function on my amp doesn't function, so I'd like to keep the tone as bright as possible - tubes that "darken" the tone will not be good for me. Amazon has Sovtek 5881/6L6WGC matched sets for $30 + $5 shipping. Is this my best bet for reproducing the original tone of my amp, or is the 250 V vs 450 V really a problem? Also, I plan to replace the preamp tubes while I have the amp open, so... Shuguang 12AX7b? Some people say they are noisy and quick to wear out. JJ, Sovtek, TungSol, EH, others? Thanks in advance for any help.

Holy crap thank you! I never would have figured out that "bank up THEN pick a letter" thing. It's even BETTER than I thought it would be. And yes, I just needed to really STOMP on the toe of the pedal to get it to switch. Thanks a million for your help!

Well, my used shortboard arrived today, and before I get REALLY angry, I want to make sure what I'm seeing is correct. a) The "bank up/down" buttons seem to be for EDITING the patches only. I was expecting to be able to switch - while onstage - between my #2A and #3A. But when I hit the "bank up" button, the display reads "3A", but the sound stays #2A, with the A light flashing as if I'm going to save patch #2A to the 3A slot. Fine... but completely useless for live gigs, which is the whole point of a foot controller. Is this really the designed behavior? If so, grrrr. Why waste space on a floor pedal for EDITING functions? Unless this unit is malfunctioning. b) According to the manual, there should be a toe switch of some kind to toggle the pedal from volume to wah. I pushed on that thing as hard as I could and nothing happened. I got volume, no wah. Is my unit broken, or am I misunderstanding something?

That is what I figured. Now looking forward to playing with my shortboard. Thanks for the help!

Welcome to the Valve family. All you need to do is tweak the "channel volume" knob to a desired level - say, increase the volume of the quieter patch (I'll assume it's the clean A tone). Hold down the A button to save it, then tap A again (to keep same name). You may have to change B also, or even go back and forth a few times, to get them where you want them. Every tone you save will have its own channel volume, separate from all the others, and the amp will remember. No matter what you set the "main volume" to, the channels will retain their relative volume levels. As I filled up my Valve's tone slots (yes, all 36 of them now), I spent quite a while clicking through them, tweaking and saving, tweaking and saving, to get the relative volumes where I wanted them. It's a perpetual work in progress for me, in fact. I do find that the relative volumes are not always exactly the same at low (rehearsal) volume as they are at high (live gig) volume, especially with very different amp models (like Clean vs High-Gain). But you should not need to make huge adjustments with a pedal EVERY time you switch tones. Enjoy!

Much better indeed. I thank you, sir. A follow up question: the "bank up/down" switches on the FBV Shortboard simply allow me to move within the 9 banks already in the amp, yes? In other words, they are not MORE saved tones, right? I've already maxed out the 9x4 in the Valve. The Pilot's Guide for my amp (the Valve Mk 1) does a decent job of explaining how the Shortboard will work, but is not really clear to me on this point. It says "the FBV Shortboard gives you 9 banks of 4 channels each. Bank 1 is the same 4 memories you get from the Spider Valve front panel A,B,C,D buttons when no FBV is connected." The wording there seems to imply some strange things. Aren't ALL the banks the same as what's there without the FBV?

I'm sorry if this question is answered somewhere, but after 45 minutes of searching I can't find it. Why isn't the FBV Shortboard MkI listed in the compatibility chart here ? Searching forums for "mki" brings up all the "mkii" mentions as well... thanks, Line 6! :-/ I acquired a used Spider Valve (MkI), and I'm now shopping for foot controllers. There is a MkI Shortboard on eBay for cheap (LED display not working) and I'd like to know if they will play nice together... but can't find any mention here. I'd hate to buy it and then find it doesn't work with my amp. Help would be appreciated!

I finally broke down and ordered a dozen knobs. $12 for the knobs + &11.40 for shipping. LOL I only need two at the moment... if anyone needs one, I'll be happy to sell you one. Email is probably best, as I'm not a frequent forum presence. "rmoyer" followed by the number "42" at verizon dot net.

Still need knobs? I have a dozen coming... I'll sell you half.

"'...so it's essentially irreplaceable if it dies' This is a possibility with any gig." No, if I still had my Spider III (or if I had a Valve Mk II) I could plug it into my computer and save all my tones. Then I could buy another similar amp and load them in, zing, done. Because I naively bought a Valve Mk I, I can't do this, and I'll eventually have to manually recreate all 9x4 of my presets on another device... hours of work. "One thing you can try is what we used to call "Zero Parking".... See if that works for you, good luck bro..." Thanks, but I'm not even sure what this is supposed to be doing for me. I'm not having any problems while playing; my amp works fine, except for the presence knob, which does nothing. Are you saying "zero parking" might fix the nonfuctional presence knob? Phil_m (5500+ posts) implies the knob may need a hardware fix.

Are you suggesting that replacing all the tubes will fix the function of the presence knob? What makes you think so? If it doesn't, haven't I taken out perfectly good tubes? (I assume that you don't mean replacing tubes will help me get my patch info out, which is my most pressing problem.)

Line 6 will sell me a dozen knobs for $12... but I don't NEED a dozen. I figure I CAN'T be the only one who's busted a plastic knob off my Valve... is there anyone here who has bought a set and is willing to send me an extra one for a dollar or two? I'm in PA, USA and use PayPal. PS: The DT series amps use the same knobs.

Yeah, found the answer to 2): "The MkI has a reasonably large number of factory presets (about 300 in all at a rough estimate) and factory user presets that you might find useful, however you cannot connect the amp to a computer to: update the flash memory; edit presets on a computer; store presets on a computer. The MkI can only be edited from the front panel." Well, crap. As this thing will not last forever, I guess I'd better start shopping for another amp.

Thanks, phil, for the quick reply! Obviously I know next to nothing about the software end of things, and little more about hardware. I guess now I have two separate issues: 1) Taking the amp somewhere to have it looked at will be a chore. I live in hickville central PA, three hours from any real civilization; I don't know anyone who actually FIXES electronic equipment anywhere near me. But I will try. 2) I really need to know if my impression is correct - that the Valve Mk I CAN'T use the Line6 patch software. If that's true, I'm in a tough spot. I've got 9x4 sounds in that sucker for 50+ songs we play, and without it, the show can't go on. We've got paying gigs almost every weekend now. I don't use any effects except what the amp has built-in, so it's essentially irreplaceable if it dies. If I'm wrong, and it CAN use that software, I need to back up my sounds ASAP just in case... at least then I could buy another used Line6 amp.