 Re: Solid State or Tubes?
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,602
connoisseur
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connoisseur
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,602 |
Quote:
VERY and I mean VERY diplomatic answers guys.
TuB3z SuXz0r.
Nah, seriously though... to add to JohnK and Ken's posts, while I prefer the cleaner solid state sound (assuming your amplification isn't overdriven!) for final playback, but like almost everyone on the planet, I prefer tubes where they make the most sense - in the original instrument amplification. A rock (blues, jazz) guitar and bass sound just ain't right without tube amplification. Micing a solid state amplifier for recording is almost as bad as using a DI (though I have to admit, a bass through a SansAmp sounds as good as amped and miced with a lot less hassle!). By the time it's mixed and pressed, though, it's mixed to sound right (except for pop recordings which are too heavily compressed for my tastes... (may Phil Spector rot in hell crushed under his Wall Of Sound)).
Playing back the recording through a tube amp adds another layer of overdrive, one that changes from system to system (and tube to tube as they deteriorate over time)... kind of like shaping the sound with an effects pedal you have no control over. Some people love the tube sound, some people love vinyl (NSFW), sound people love fuzzbox (safe for work) guitar, some people love mid-range.
Tubes get fans for a lot of reasons... the hipsters like them because they're so ironicly retro. The tweakers like them because, oddly enough, they're one of the few things you can have control of. You CAN stand out from everyone else that owns the same product as you by tinkering with it! Some like the warm, round sound it adds, while to others (like me) it sounds unclear and reminds me of the paper cone speakers I grew up with.
So when speaking of "better", JohnK is right - S/S amps are more accurate. If we're defining "better" as pleasing, then you and your ears are on your own.
Bren R.
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Re: Solid State or Tubes?
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,488
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,488 |
Jack, you might enjoy Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Oatmeal inspired by the breakfast from its historic namesake. My three-legged stool for cholesterol maintenance includes oatmeal, bourbon and exercise. The exercise portion is not tube-friendly, but the bourbon and oatmeal don't seem to care one way or the other.
bibere usque ad hilaritatem
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Re: Solid State or Tubes?
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441
shareholder in the making
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shareholder in the making
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 16,441 |
Sounds familiar. My attack plan is oatmeal, exercise, wine, and cutting out and/or minimizing the worst offending foods.
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Re: Solid State or Tubes?
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,331
axiomite
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axiomite
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,331 |
Thanks for the tips guys. Until about 5 years ago, I was in great shape (arthritis aside), exercising at my local health club at least 9 hours per week, swimming, nautilus, and riding a stationary bike. But being a captive in my home, I've fallen into bad habits, which have embellished my frame with 30 pounds I don't need (I wonder if it's the chocolate chip diet I'm on and if the 2 scoops of ice cream before bed have anything to do with it?  ). I'm happy to say, I've just banished all sweets from my home. Now, if I can just get in the habit of riding that stationary bike I have in my basement.
Jack
"People generally quarrel because they cannot argue." - G. K. Chesterton
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