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  #1  
Old 02-19-2019, 06:05 PM
Mikado463 Mikado463 is offline
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Default interesting 'tube' article

For those that might be interested, even tho it was written some time ago ......

https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-e...sound-of-tubes
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  #2  
Old 02-19-2019, 09:35 PM
JBT JBT is offline
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thanks for posting
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Old 02-24-2019, 10:29 AM
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Really informative article, thanks!
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Old 02-24-2019, 11:58 AM
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Interesting article. My overall take is that tube equipment is generally preferred in applications involving two basic factors: Clipping and amplified musical instruments. Only in specific types of music are the results of clipping desirable - the effects of which are part of the intended musical expression itself.

However, these effects would almost never be desirable in the mastering/recording process using nonamplified (acoustic) instruments.

For playback however, clipping is never desirable under any circumstances, regardless of equipment type. Therefore, the advantage of tubes for playback becomes a bit murkier.

I'm reminded of a story from @mrz80(?) a/k/a Bruce McIntosh, grandson of McIntosh founder Frank H. It was Bruce's 18th birthday (or thereabouts) and the old man was going treat him to a birthday gift of Bruce's choosing.

The destination was a guitar store that also carried guitar amplification equipment and associated electronics. Bruce wanted a device that artificially mimicked the effects of clipping. Upon realizing the device's intended purpose, the old man was almost in disbelief: "I've spent my whole life trying to eliminate distortion from equipment and you want something that puts distortion in?" (Or something to that effect.) I got a chuckle out of that.

Last edited by 62caddy; 02-24-2019 at 05:07 PM.
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Old 02-24-2019, 12:32 PM
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I found this quote especially insightful:

“Since no one knows exactly how to model the human auditory system, no one knows exactly what engineering measurements are appropriate to evaluating the performance of audio equipment”
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Old 02-24-2019, 04:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmarin View Post

“Since no one knows exactly how to model the human auditory system, no one knows exactly what engineering measurements are appropriate to evaluating the performance of audio equipment”
I'd say they have a good 99.99% of it nailed down.

Last edited by 62caddy; 02-24-2019 at 04:28 PM.
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Old 02-24-2019, 05:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 62caddy View Post
Interesting article. My overall take is that tube equipment is generally preferred in applications involving two basic factors: Clipping and amplified musical instruments. Only in specific types of music are the results of clipping desirable - the effects of which are part of the intended musical expression itself.

However, these effects would almost never be undesirable in the mastering/recording process using nonamplified (acoustic) instruments.

For playback however, clipping is never desirable under any circumstances, regardless of equipment type. Therefore, the advantage of tubes for playback becomes a bit murkier.

...
Agreed. It seems playback should be low-distortion.

I think one sentence might be worded differently than intended:

"However, these effects would almost never be undesirable in the mastering/recording process using nonamplified (acoustic) instruments. "

did you mean "desirable", in the context of the sentence?
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Old 02-24-2019, 05:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clpetersen View Post
Agreed. It seems playback should be low-distortion.

I think one sentence might be worded differently than intended:

"However, these effects would almost never be undesirable in the mastering/recording process using nonamplified (acoustic) instruments. "

did you mean "desirable", in the context of the sentence?
Corrected. Thank you!
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  #9  
Old 02-27-2019, 01:18 PM
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Very interesting article and funny to see that tube still survive in this niche. If the whole recording chain is tube based (from the guitar amps to the recording station) then the best way to reproduce it is through tubes as well

I was interested to learn about the Moth Audio 304TL. This looks like a beast and quite a unique design. I would love to listen to it and learn more about it.



As well as the Transcendent Sound amp

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  #10  
Old 02-27-2019, 02:31 PM
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The aim of any amplifier design should be low distortion, regardless of whether tube or solid state.

Neither topology has any inherent advantage in reproducing distortion artifacts deliberately incorporated into the original material - regardless of what type of equipment had been used to produce the distortion artifacts in the master recording.
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