Dear Eve, why don't you ask Adam? LOL! Sorry, I couldn't let that one go, even though I let plenty go, in private.

But it seems that you have an Aphex 107 and you speak like you have never used it, or know how it sounds? Why? Or is it you just don't like the way it sounds?? The 107 is a device, designed to include some "depleted plate" voltage overload saturated, tube sound, to have that tube like character, since it is a transistor input. Modifying it, to me, seems counterproductive? You buy something because you like the sound of something, not because it's on sale (unless you are a JAP, like me where you have to buy anything that's on sale). You purchase something because you think you can use "that sound", of that device. If it's not the sound you want, it's going to become a modified device that doesn't sound like you want, after modifications. Is that better? Worth the money? Worth the time? Like reinventing the wheel? You can't even really describe what kind of sound you want, or what the purpose of modifying it might be? Make it better? Make what better? Make the distortion better? You want a wider frequency response so you have wider distortion components?? You need more second harmonic distortion or less third harmonic distortion? Maybe you want the other way around?? Maybe it's the IMD (intermodulation distortion) that bothers you? Or is it the THD (total harmonic distortion) that bothers you? Second harmonic?? Signal-to-noise ratio or noise to signal ratio?? So I doubt, that you would want to modify anything? Maybe your Toyota would be better if you put a VW engine in it?? I mean that's German engineering which is the best, like Beringer? Right? No.

EBay is but a click away.
Ms. Remy Ann David

For most acoustic instruments a JJ ECC83S tube will sound very nice in the 107 and that's the cheapest mod there is; just roll in a quality tube and you can help an inexpensive pre become a very useable tool.

For the Oud (yum yum, god I love the oud) roll in an NOS philips 12AT7. The oud is all about strong, accurate midrange frequencies and the NOS philips AT7 is the best tube I know for ac guitars and their "predecessors".

Hmmm....the Aphex 107...

I like it - a LOT. Even stock I like it. It's made well and even though I thought I replaced the OpAmps, I went back through my logs and discovered...nope, I sure didn't. The stock OpAmps were actually Analog Devices (silly me, I though I put those in there.)

As for the tube, CT is quite right. The 107 does not do what a lot of other starved plate designs do and try to create distortion where there is none. In fact, the 107 is immensely clean sounding! Place a good tube in there and you should be golden!

Personally, I also replaced the cheesy pots with stepped switches (from Goldpoint). It took a little modifying since, IIRC, there were 3 capacitors behind the pot which needed to be adjusted to account for the extra depth of the Goldpoints.

Good luck (and keep the 107!)

J.

unless you are a JAP, like me where you have to buy anything that's on sale

Except for shoes :roll: