Catalinbread Formula 51 Effect Pedal User Manual

Catalinbread Formula 51 Effect Pedal

Specifications

• Model: Formula 51
• Release Year: 1956
• Production Period: 1956-1964
• Preamp Simulation: Yes
• Power Amp Simulation: Yes
• Transformer Simulation: Yes
• Controls: Tone, Volume, Gain

FAQ

• Q: How do I achieve the best overdrive tones with the Formula 51?
• A: Start with the Gain knob at low settings for gritty cleans and gradually increase for cranked Tweed tones. Experiment with different guitar volumes and playing styles for varied overdrive effects.
• Q: Can I use other pedals with the Formula 51?
• A: Yes, using gain-based pedals can significantly alter the amp’s response. Experiment with stacking pedals to discover unique tones.

OVERVIEW

I’m so glad you’re here! You’ve just purchased the Formula 51, our homage to the pound-for-pound workhorse of the amp world, the humble Tweed Champ. Born from a melange of circuit revisions, the 5F1 was released in 1956 and was produced until 1964. It’s renowned for covering nearly every flavour of rock ‘n’ roll and it can be dimmed without blowing out your ear drums. Do so, and you’ll be treated to some truly divine overdrive at a very reasonable volume. Tweed amps are well known for this spongy transformer saturation and have been so utilized on records since day one. Our Formula 51 captures the essence of that machine by simulating not just the preamp but the power amp and output transformer as well. The discrete preamp is designed to slightly limit the headroom to give you a pleasing warmth at any point on the Gain knob, and the power amp sim is configured to simulate a 5F1 screen-equipped power section. We give you the option to load down the output transformer and employ a popular Champ mod that morphs the Tweed properties to a later “blackface” tonal profile. It’s a highly refined version of the Tweed Champ sound, and we think you’re going to dig it.

CONTROLS

Sag: This control essentially loads down the power amp and transformer section, giving you a spongier attack and a more blown-out quality to the overall tone. This control is highly interactive with Gain, Tone, the pedals run in front and even the input voltage, and as such it is designed to give you the widest range of tones no matter what you’re working with. When set down, the power amp and transformer are running at full tilt, and the section begins to load down as you inch up the dial. The stronger the signal fed into the power amp and output transformer, the higher you can turn up the Sag. More on that later.
Tone: Some time ago, back when amp geeks had just started to trade information over the Internet, a “mids” control mod began popping up that was pulled from an amp called the Framus Cobra. This control, wired in reverse, essentially scooped out the mids and turned a burly, mids-focused Tweed amp into a more scooped “blackface” model. And so, we have given you this control as a Tone knob. When it’s down, you’re in Tweed town. When it’s maxed, you’ve got a “blackface,” Jack.
Volume: The Formula 51 sounds great when this knob is set at any position other than zero. Try it!
**Gain:** This knob functions as the “volume” control on the original Tweed Champ; it controls the preamp gain, or how much juice hits the power amp and transformer. When it’s down, you’re treated to the slightly gritty cleans of the original, as you roll it up you get a cranked Tweed and finally some heavy distortion at the end.

NUTS AND BOLTS

Just like any low-headroom amp and especially the Tweed Champ, the Formula 51 is incredibly sensitive to input volume and playing dynamics, even when set on the verge of meltdown. Try fiddling with your guitar’s volume control, even if the F51 isn’t first in the chain.
As said before, the Sag, Tone and Gain controls are extremely interactive. When you’re running the Formula 51 at very low gain and with the mids scooped, the Sag control veers into unusable pretty quickly. This is because the Sag wants to see a strong signal, just like the original amp. You wouldn’t expect the transformer to start overloading with the volume at 2, would you? If you’re running other gain-based pedals into the F51, this alters the Sag control rather significantly. Using the F51’s volume as a “master volume,” you can overload the transformer rather easily and the full range of the Sag control is usable.
Likewise, when you’re running the F51 at up to 18 volts, the power amp and transformer are running at much higher headroom and so the Sag control again opens up. There are many, many tones to be had when stacking and 18V operation are in play. Try them all!

DESIGNER NOTES

Fewer things sound better to my ears than the sound of a cranked tiny Tweed amp. Many years ago, my friend and former coworker, Dan played in a band that seemed like it was always on tour. Though his band played in the States just a handful of times, he toured all over the world, selling out venues everywhere. The first time I ever saw his band play, I was shocked to discover that his entire rig fits in a small-ish suitcase—a Tweed Champ and a volume pedal. When he cranked that thing up and let it rip, I fell in love. He told me he found it in the garbage a decade prior and it had been worked on a million times. Its tolex was covered in scuffs and grime. This was quite simply a rock machine in every sense of the word. Since then, the Tweed Champ has long been one of my favourite amps.
I designed Formula 51 to emulate this sound and beyond, from “not-quite-clean” to white-hot and everything in between. Cranking the Sag control causes the transformer to dip and cut out, providing musicality proportional to the signal strength. This threshold changes dramatically when the F51 is hit with another pedal, giving extra depth to your dirt section.
I tend to design based on flexibility but I also thought that many of my circuits sound better run at a certain voltage that I set for you, be it 20V on the Dreamcoat, +/-9V on the Giygas and so on. But the F51 just sounds so good in different ways between 9 and 18, so that exercise has been happily left to the reader. I think it’s a nice little homage, and I think you will agree with me.

STARTING POINT

• I like to start by setting everything fully counterclockwise except for the Volume, this sets the gain to a minimum, with no sagging or mids adjustment.
• Ease up the Gain control until you find a sound you like (totally OK if you just dime it immediately), then move on to the Tone control. Try matching this to your amp, but don’t go too far at first, this is supposed to be a Tweed amp after all, the mod came much later in the amp’s history.
• At this point, begin slowly moving up the Sag control. There’s a lot to be found in the first little bit of this knob when you’re playing it all by itself. Adjust sparingly. You can get it cranking when running the F51 at up to 18V or when it’s fully integrated into your existing dirt section. If you have an always-on drive pedal, put the F51 right after it to take advantage of the Sag.

POWER SUPPLY

• The Formula 51 requires a center-negative DC power supply between 9 and 18 volts that supplies at least xxmA of current.
• Any more current than that is fine.
• Don’t give it the wrong polarity, don’t give it anything outside the recommended voltage range and for Pete’s sake don’t give it AC.
• Not only will you BBQ the pedal’s innards, but you will also void your warranty. We just can’t recommend it.

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