Just wonder if anyone out there have a copy of the instructions for biasing the tubes for the Joule Electra LA 100 Mk III; much appreciated if you can email or mail me a copy. I have a copy of the owner's manual, but doesn't mention anything about biasing the tubes.
Sorry for getting back to this late.. The LA-150 line stages do have bias adjustments. They are not meant to be constantly fiddled with though (like on the LA-100), if memory serves bias instructions are not included with the preamp.
The batteries in the Joule preamplifier are under no load and don't really have an effect on the bias settings used for the line stage. They will last many years. You don't really need two meters to set the bias... I normally do it with one DMM. I have LA 100 bias instructions scanned as a jpeg which I can email. They are not easy to make sense of (a diagram of the line stage board with some numbers scrawled on it), but they get the job done. It does require poking leads on points of the circuit board (there are no easy access test points to stick your meter), so one does need to tame appropriate care when poking around inside a live tube preamplifier.
I stand corrected. I knew there was battery bias in my LA150, but I thought that was just a matter of replacing the battery at some point. Sorry for my misleading comments.
There is a bias setting in the preamp for the driver tubes (I believe batteries are involved) and the manual discusses how the bias is set at the factory. IIRC the manual also states that changing the bias can allow one to tailor the sound a bit. Jud sent me the instructions for biasing a while back when I owned the LA-100 MkIII. I may still have them. I will warn you in advance they are a bit complicated and requires two volt meters to be used simultaneously. Send me an email and I will see what I can do.
As Truman says, there is nothing to balance in the Joule preamp. What you do is buy tubes that are tested forn noise and matched. I would call Jud and have him discuss the issue. It sounds like you just got the preamp? If I remember correctly, the preamp needs a 5751 and 6350 tube, and a pair of OA2 and 6EM7 - I would recommend sticking with Jud for tubes as long as he is involved and selling to the market.
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