How much tube it too much?

[mshilarious]

The number one importance is cowbell.

I use tubular bells

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

it's easier to screw with a tube because there are more parameters. You can change their performance by modifying plate voltage or filament current. Changing bias can alter the sound in a major fashion.

True, but it's been a long time since I've seen a compressor or a mic pre with grid, plate, or load controls on them...and I'm not about to put my old Yaesu linear amp in my signal chain .

The question was whether there was such a thing as having too many tube devices chained together. If it wasn't a problem for Ellington, Sinatra, (Arlo) Guthrie, Elvis (pre-Costello), or the Beatles, it's not a problem for us. No more than having all transistors in line is a "problem".

Like Fletcher is always fond of saying; what people seem to misunderstand these days, quality tube gear is designed with the attempted goal NOT to color the signal. If there was a major "tube sound", the design was thought inferior.

PS My Apple ][ experiments would have been c. 1983-4. By that time one didn't need to write a network protocol, because 300 baud modems were commercially available

What, a 110 baud acoustic coupler wasn't good enough for you?

Nah, we were just connecting across the room using homemade (what would later come to be called) "modem cables" made out of 4-conductor phone line. No need to convert to analog and back again, just flip the leads for pins 2 and 3 (TX and RX) and throttle the signal via either pin 5 or 7 (I forget which one now). If we wanted to connect over the phone there were acoustic couplers available even in '79-'81. But we never bothered with that until the 300 baud modems became available. But when the Hayes-Stack 1200 came to town, that was heaven, Baby!

G.

 

[cusebassman]

I also wonder - what tube pre ya usin?

If its the Behringer Ultragain, the tube is doing you a disservice.

If its a nice Avalon, then it should be okay. Using all tube shouldn't make a difference if you like the sound. period

Are you using an all-tube console???? http://www.vintec-audio.de/

Man... if you piped the heat from that console well enough, you could heat your entire studio

 

[mshilarious]

True, but it's been a long time since I've seen a compressor or a mic pre with grid, plate, or load controls on them

Don't tempt me I've been mulling over a guitar pedal design that combines control of a miniature tube with a modulator circuit that modulates the clean and tube signals (which would potentially contain a massive amount of harmonics). In fact, I like the name "tubular bell" for it Way too lo-fi for a mic amp though.

What, a 110 baud acoustic coupler wasn't good enough for you?

Well, my Hayes COULD be switched down to 110, in case I had to call somebody that was still in the stone age

But when the Hayes-Stack 1200 came to town, that was heaven, Baby!

I remember drooling over that! Unfortunately, I was just 12 or 13, and couldn't legally work yet I got a job at 14 though, but I wasted all my money . . . I bought a US P-Bass

 

[xstatic]

Are you using an all-tube console???? http://www.vintec-audio.de/

Man... if you piped the heat from that console well enough, you could heat your entire studio

It does not require a tube console to run hot enough to heat things. I have a large format non-tubed console that never lets my control room get below 65 degrees or so, maybe even 70. Thats with a door that does not have a good seal, and three old windows that are not very efficient either. That is also with very cold temperatures outside. When it hits -10 or so the cold starts to catch up, but then all I have to do is turn on the second half of the console. The bad news is the power bill when I leave it on like that In the summer I almost have to turn it off.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

In fact, I like the name "tubular bell" for it

I love it! Of course you'll have the disgruntled few who will return it because they thought it could make their guitar sound like Mike Oldfeld . But hey, you can't please everybody.

I remember drooling over that! Unfortunately, I was just 12 or 13, and couldn't legally work yet

I was going to say that I thought you'd be a bit on the young side for the genesis of the PC revolution. You were just that much more advanced than most kids .

To this day if I'm stuck on dialup (as I temporarily am here for now ), I still insist on an external modem with the LED dashboard to let me know whatsup. Some old habits never die, they just become disconnected .

It does not require a tube console to run hot enough to heat things.

Hell, leave a 1604VLZ on long enough and you can warm your hands over the power supply...I have .

The bad news is the power bill when I leave it on like that

OK, I think all you circuit engineering types have a wonderful marketing window that's wide open right now... The Green Mixer! 96 tracks of low noise AND low carbon footprint!

You line up Carlos Santana and Sheryl Crow as early customers/spokespeople, and you're laughing all the way to the bank in your new Prius.

G.

 

[mshilarious]

OK, I think all you circuit engineering types have a wonderful marketing window that's wide open right now... The Green Mixer! 96 tracks of low noise AND low carbon footprint!

In a back to the future move, germanium transistors are starting to get new consideration for ICs, because the lower forward voltage results in less heat dissipation . . . of course since nobody makes RoHS compliant germanium transistors, or any discrete germanium transistors anymore as far as I know, it would limit their application to pro audio gear, at least on a large commercial scale.

 

[cusebassman]

So... those transistors will be on the parts list in my next Behringer purchase then?

As for console heating... I've done work with my 24-channel Yamaha on, along with the DAT decks, pre's and monitors, and that room has gotten 10+ degrees hotter with the door closed

 

[xstatic]

Like I said, wait till you see the heat that a 10 ffot wide and 5 foot deep console puts out. In the winter the difference between console on and console off is about 40 degrees and $70+ dollars of electricity

 

[noisewreck]

I say, turn everything up to 11

 

[cusebassman]

Like I said, wait till you see the heat that a 10 ffot wide and 5 foot deep console puts out. In the winter the difference between console on and console off is about 40 degrees and $70+ dollars of electricity

Oh, I can well imagine