Tubes on Tubes

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Innovations

Innovations

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I have relatively little experience with tube gear and this question came into my mind.

Once having added 'tube coloration' to your signal chain is there much to be gained by adding it again? In other words do you get not a whole lot more by putting a tube pre behinc a tube mic (or vice-versa).
 
<In other words do you get not a whole lot more by putting a tube pre behinc a tube mic (or vice-versa).>

I don't really see how it could work vice-versa.
I can tell you that good solid state pre sounds better than bad tube one, and vice-versa. As other folks have said--try it.
 
Yep and really good tube gear may sound better than good solid state gear.

There is no such thing as 'coloration' in good tube design.
A different sounding distortion, with lots of even harmonics.

But I guess you knew that didn't you?
 
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<A different sounding distortion, with lots of even harmonics.>

Yep. Just for sake of historical completeness--there were some commercial completely balanced designes (RCA for example), where the even harmonics were canceled.
 
In ancient times, my man, most studio mics (except ribbons) had tubes, and all preamps had tubes, and the open reel recorder had tubes, in fact, virtually everything had tubes. And- the world did not come to an end in an orgy of "analog warmth". The inadequacies of early digital equipment has led us to a cult of the vacuum tube, believing that somehow, the wonderful sounds of vintage recordings, made with expensive hand made mics and expensive preamps will be duplicated by sticking a tube into a cheap piece of Asian gear. Well, it won't.
If you want to get good sound, use an expensive hand made mic and an expensive preamp in a great room, with the mic well placed. Whether there is a tube involved is *completely irrelevent*! If you plug a Neumann U87i into a Neve, it will probably sound good (no tubes). If you plug a Soundelux U99 into a Pendulum MDP-1, it will probably sound good (tubes).
The vacuum tube is probably the biggest red herring in current recording technology. There is simply good equipment and better equipment, and great equipment. Some of the worst stuff and the best stuff uses tubes, or doesn't. Concentrate on the usefulness of the equipment, and ignore the frigging tube.-Richie
 
Where would we be without the tube?
Toothpaste would come in bags, Nothing to float on in your pool, bike tires would be flat, not to mention preparation H and lubricants
The Tube..........I LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!!
In His Name
Big Kenny
 
Innovations said:
...In other words do you get not a whole lot more by putting a tube pre behinc a tube mic (or vice-versa).

I agree that high quality gear is what you should be looking for. I've heard some suggest that you only want one tube in the chain. I would have such a hard and fast rule. You DO have to be careful about putting a highly colored tube mic into a highly colored pre. Though, many pres have the ability to alter negative feedback on the tube for a less tubey sound. The sound may work for one track or a few, but may not be the best choice for all your vocals on a particular song.

So to answer your question directly, Yes it can be done with little to no problem. However, if you're getting a real tubey sound, you may not want to have that sound on every track.
 
There's even tube gear with a nice glowing firebottle which you can see from the outside, where this tube has no function at all.
 
<There's even tube gear with a nice glowing firebottle which you can see from the outside, where this tube has no function at all.>

Han! Why no function??? The most important one--to catch newbies eye. Also, to draw some additional current from the transformer. :D
 
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