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Hughes & Kettner Cream Machine

jgyn

New member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
783
Bought something unusual today- a used Hughes and Kettner Cream Machine, a
late 80s West German device.  It's a half rack, 1-2 watt amplifier with
both a pre and power amp tube.  The front panel has pre amp gain and master
volume levels, and the back has power amp level; and there are separate
outputs to guitar amp, line level, line level+cabinet emulator, and
straight to external speaker (I tried this straight into a 2x12 closed cab-
sounded like a Marshall with a cranked 1-2 watt head! (which is what it is,
essentially)).

Anybody know anything else about this thing?
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
I had one so long ago I can't even remember what it sounded like!
 

becks bolero

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Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,810
I bought one, tried to get decent sounds out of it for over a week, and took it back. not so much "cream" machine, as "bird chirpy" machine. painful high end spikes that couldn't be eq'd out. I couldn't get anywhere near the smooth tone ( "spoonful") I was shooting for. and I tried about 5 different amps: a 100w plexi, BF/SF twin, 30w marshall combo, some 5w no name thing, and an SVT. there was no variability in the crunch, it was full on raging pie or nothing.

otherwise, it's a cool idea. I was disappointed, I thought it would work for me. well built though. & I like how you can use it direct into a speaker. I have an older, original H&K tubeman: no comparison - the tubeman got me better sounds. so I brought back the CM.

FWIW maybe you can mess with the circuit......I seem to remember a cap on the output you can remove, but I didn't want to void the return policy.
 

The Fet

New member
Joined
Jul 23, 2001
Messages
103
I think this has an ECC83 in the preamp and an ECC82 in the power stage , ie it uses what is usually a preamp valve as a power amp valve.

The 'Bluesmaster' or 'Crunchmaster' (same unit) has an EQ section and I think uses an ECC83 in the preamp and an EL84 in the power stage. Some people think this to be a better unit.

The Fet.
 

lure555

Swirling Vortex of Sound, Classic Club
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
3,417
Were these units meant to go in front of an amp, or strictly for direct recording?
 

jgyn

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
783
H & K Cream Machine

lure555 said:
Were these units meant to go in front of an amp, or strictly for direct recording?

It can do all. There's 5 outputs: one direct to speaker (it's a one watt amp), two to guitar amp (one wet, one dry), and two line outs (one with and one without 4x12 cabinet emulator.)
 

Klif

New member
Joined
Aug 10, 2001
Messages
738
Info

I found some info on it. There's a whole line of these things (Crunch Master, Blues Master, etc) but there's references to the Cream Machine as well. It looks as though there's a manual too, in case the unit you bought didn't come with one.

http://www.amptone.com/hkcrunchmaster.htm
 
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