Valve amplifiers are still the most desirable sound in guitar music despite the vacuum tube being made obsolete by transistors in the 60s. What is going on inside to make them still sound so good all these years later? We analyse the circuit of the Orange AD30 to find out more. Get your AD30 - Thomann - www.thomann.de/gb/orange_ad30htc_gitarrentopteil.htm?offid=1&affid=367 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/WZN7M Reverb - reverb.grsm.io/orangead30 AD30 Gain Appreciation: ruclips.net/video/p1tfB-HBdcc/видео.html This video contains paid promotion from Orange Amplification #valveamp #tubeamp #orange More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Join CSGuitars Discord - discord.gg/d7b6MY8 Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store Website - www.csguitars.co.uk Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk
in my memory, if it has push pull then it's class AB. a strict class A would have a single amplifier stage (one output valve) and then removal of the DC bias via the output transformer
I think it would have been prudent to mention that a gain stage with grid input and plate output has an inverted output polarity compared to the input, which is part of how the phase inverter/phase splitter works. (This amp's phase inverter is a kind of circuit is called a Long Tail Pair or Williamson inverter, but I'm sure you know that). Otherwise kudos on a good basics video.
Your simplified description of class A vs AB is, in my opinion, one of the best and easiest to understand. Thanks for that. On a side note, do you record to tape? Or was that just for show?
Possibly the best PSA I've ever heard! "I'm not responsible for any electric shocks, injuries or deaths that result from the stupidity of you ignoring this warning" 😂 On another note, brilliant explanations! This kind of thing is something I really enjoy learning. I've been building pedals for a bit now and have a background in electrical and electronic engineering. I don't have any valve amps to tinker with though so I'll not die just yet 😂
i've been tinkering with tube based amps for almost 60 years since before age 12, with the amount of caution that a reasonably mature 12 year old can muster. Though I appreciate the warning, one can go too far with such things, and not describe how to be careful (which one should) in such a video), and not encourage people to try things at home,... no one really learns anything except through experience.
Can confirm that the old tube electronics pack a hell of a punch. I only wish my Dad or brother had given me this warning when they were fixing an old floorstanding radio model when I was 5. It was off and unplugged, but don't expect a little kid to NOT touch something that has that warm glow.
This is the good basics stuff that is still difficult to find unless you browse through forums and it's almost never as coherently explained. Even the literature is a bit here and there and not necessarily available anymore. Very good episode. Does the single half of a triode invert the signal btw? In the graphics it was still in the same phase, but how does the blocking of the grid actually affect the electron flow? Does it depend on other features if the valve inverts the phase? I also sometimes see techs preferring to bias for slight crossover distortion, which to me is very interesting when many times you see people talk about crossover distortion as something you absolutely don't want. I understand that most of the time if the amp is rated much above 5 W, you can be almost sure it's class A/B instead of A, that it would become so costly to amplify with more power in A. Any thoughts on the common ranges of class A? And like you said, probably the first part of the amplification is in A often times.
Yes, the triode inverts the signal (when its provided through the grid), if taken from the anode. When taken from the cathode, it keeps the original phase.
Yes, the signal is inverted relative to the input control grid signal, by a common plate circuit, in which the output is taken at the plate resistor ( higher value or equal to the cathode resistor ). Magy Himself, is correct,.. although in the case of the phase inverter, the bottom half of the circuit , which is called a "differential pair", produces a non inverted output signal relative to the top signal grid because it's grid is referred to ground, but the sum of the two currents at the cathodes (where they join together is a point of unity (no signal)), so the grid of the lower part of the differential pair receives a degenerative feedback signal at it's grid which, is out of phase with the signal applied to the top grid. I know that sounds confusing, but that is how it works. The bottom half of the circuit receives a "virtual" signal at it's grid because the two currents sum together to equal a constant current, at the cathodes.
That was the best explanation of what true class A vs AB are I’ve heard yet! Very nice! It DOES get confusing when you see amps calling themselves class A that have more than one output tube. If you REALLY want some sag, stick a 5y3 in there! A GZ34 is extremely close to SS diode performance.
Not only can guitar amps store lethal doses of electricity when unplugged, they can actually store it for YEARS even unplugged. So really, listen to colin and DON’T FUCK AROUND.
I was about to start recording when my Fender Blues Jr. decided to quit on me. So I thought, hmmm , perhaps I can save some money by fixing it myself. Ha ! While this viedo was wonderfully precise and interesting, it only served to make me realize I am out of my league entirely ! I think I'd need a degree in electircity in order to comprehend the complexities. And, make no mistake, the warnings about tinkering around inside a tube amp are well taken. I DON'T want to die ! So anyway, I suppose I'll have to spend my hard earned $$$ - AGAIN - to fix this bloody problem !!! Methinks I'd do better to invest in a solid state ... 🥵
It was well before the 60s, I have a solit state amp from the 50s and it sounds fantastic. Germanium transistors an all. Just had to replace the caps that went bad. Other than that shes a beauty.
That was awesome! now I understand the class A vs class AB concept so much better. I still don't fully understand how the myth of the Vox AC30 being class A got started but that would be more of a history lesson right?
I'm not sure but perhaps AC30s are biased in such as way as to spend most of their time in class A. They certainly sound more class A than your typical Fender or Marshall amp.
Yes, it's a tube shield to prevent interference from power supply and transformers. They also usually contain a spring which will keep the tube locked in the socket, preventing vibrations from unseating them.
TATA- is there any difference between tube/valve amps and transistor amps besides the component doing the amplifying? I have a surface level understanding of transistors from some classes almost a decade ago, and all that low power contro circuits
i've got pretty strong comprehension skills and this stuff flew right past me. is there any prerequisite material you can recommend so that I can digest what looks like it would have been a very interesting video?
Production is documentary quality. For a second I felt like I was watching a documentary in a science class. Tube amp funny. I'll stick with solid state.
Very thorough! I wanted to watch just to see how well you'd explain things. (Plus, I like it when you say "zed") I'm impressed! You went through phase splitting and impedance matching as well. The only thing you didn't do was explain how to drain a capacitor so you could safely handle it, but you weren't teaching how to work on an amp, just how they work. And you let us know never to turn on a tube (or valve) amp without a load. Well done!
When I bought my first valve amp (many) years ago, pre-internet, I didn't know anything about them but I kinda guessed the importance of attaching a speaker, going by the bright red indicators around their input jack sockets. ✌️🇦🇺
Is the preference for valve amps because valves actually do sound more "musical" and feel more responsive to play, or is it because the first solid state amps were not designed with what guitarists want in mind (read: lots of even harmonics added in distortion and compression in the power section before distortion) and were designed for clean, boring signal amplification with any kind of distortion generated being met with "well it sounds like shit, but that's what the kids want"?
I’ve been using tube amps since 1994 and nothing else can match the sound and touch sensitivity. Now I’ve 6 tube amps amps and have no issues with owning many more!
Again, AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING VIDEO! But here is a nagging question: do power tubes have an inherent tone? Let me elaborate: When we talk about Fenders (a Twin Reverb for example) - we automatically think of the 6L6GC power tubes. On the high gain side, the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Then when we talk about Marshall (a JCM 800 for one or say a Super Lead) we automatically think of EL34 tubes On Vox AC30, we think of EL84 tubes. We guitarist can almost instantly know each amps sound without looking at it themselves That is why I asked that question. Ceteris Paribus, can a Twin Reveb still sound like a Twin Reverb if we use EL34s? Or will a JCM800 still be JCM800 if it used 6L6GC?
The differences are subtle but notable. There are amps designed to work with either EL34 or 6L6s and they do sound differently depending on the valves used. There are even amp sims that let you change between different power amp valve types and hear the difference with ease.
@@bpabustan Different grid bias voltages, the design of the control grid and plate assemblies, size and shape of the tube etc. In short, they amplify the input signal slightly differently because of their design.
Super good video, really appreciate it. Also in North America it's actually 120v. There is a standard called ANSI C84.1 that effectively says we allow +/-5%, meaning 120v is the target but anywhere between 114-126v is okay. Also it's 120v because we are splitting a single phase of 240v in half.
TATA: I've noticed that some Power-cords have a small box of some kind at one end of the cable. Supposedly, those are supposed to be magnets, as far as I can gather. Now, the TATA is: What, if any, difference does this make in a guitar-rig?
Colin, your videos and succinct explanations of these various topics are brilliant. I’m probably not the first to ask, but have you done any content on “valvestate” amps? Or would you? I own a Marshall AVT150 that I acquired years ago and played it for a little while before moving in the direction of Fender tube amps. I like the idea of acquiring another Marshall but I’d like to explore what that AVT150 can/can’t do first. Anyone’s thoughts are appreciated! Thanks
Oh wow, I bought one of these around when they first came out, then, I guess, in ‘05. Sold it a few years back, just way too much for me to lug around between apts when I had so much other stuff. Now looking for my first tube amp since I started playing again and gotta get sth lower wattage.. I loved this thing tho!
Thanks for the video, it was quite good, but as with most things, it was not perfect. In describing the class 'A', 'AB' and 'B' I felt that the role of the output transformer was a little neglected. A description of the voltages and currents in this vital lump of metal would make things a little clearer.
I'm looking into making my own tube amp. My solid state fender champion 100 made magic smoke. So I may put a tube amp in place of the solid state circuits. Since i have an empty cabinet now
The 1m reistor on the imput isn't just a pull down resistor, it is also the grid leak resistor that allows for the cathode bias of the first preamp stage to occur. Also, this amp is NOT class A push pull. It is assuredly class AB like almost every other push pull valve amplifier for guitars. The AC30 is not class A neither is this amp. Also, if an amp were to operate in class A at all, the size of the output transformer would need to be increased substantially.
Another clue that the AD30 operates in Class AB is the sag when digging deep. While all the output tubes are conducting, the current draw from the rectifier is constant, but increases when two valves are cut off, so there would be no sag if the amp were true Class A.
The mid scoop on the oscilloscope shows off that the internet is full of BS when they say these are mid rangy amps. This whole time, they’ve been hearing the Celestions EQ curve.
I'll have to watch this a few times to understand what I need to. I'd also like to make a dual rectification set up like the road king so that Valve rectifiers for clean and edgebof breakup tones and diode rectification for crunch and distortion.
Hello Colin，i want to ask a question to TATA，why -39db is the highest attenuation on market(expect boss waza tube amp expender which has a different way to attenuate)? Or i am wrong -39db is not the highest please tell me what is the highest and why the number stops at that level. Thank you.
I think the impedance part was exactly the opposite: a load with lower impedance than the output, you demand more current from the transformer...bye-bye transformer - a load with higher impedance than the output, you demand less current from the transformer and everything still works ok.
you are thinking solid state. If you short a transistor it pukes everything it has, up to the power rail. AC tubes and OP transformers have a lot more going on because they operate more in the frequency domain. a transformer has 2 parts. if the energy generated in the primary cannot be bled off in the secondary via the magnetic induction via the core, the primary basically shorts out the tube output and it cooks. if you short the secondary, this relieves the tube and primary. remember, the primary and secondary of a transformer are not electrically connected. you could still possibly melt the secondary if you had enough power, i suppose, but you would have to work at it.
Man on my crate tv 6210( used) I lost all the tubes and the pilot light. The amp comes on the trans warm up the led channel switches and lights up but not a tube heats up. Is the pilot light in series with the tubes?
So, a true class A should consist of one power tube as to not allow for anything else. I 've had a class "A" amp that the tube was "always-on" {conducting} except while you were playing it, in which case it dimmed only as you played it. Otherwise, it stayed lit/full on. How do you get that with more than one tube? I understand "A" vs "push -pull {AB}...I think.
Im kinda not likein the high gain tubes on the 1990. So I ordered some 5791? And some 12 wd7's. And some 6ca7's. Would these different tubes solve the brittleness? Ive been too lazy to change yet i wanna use these 5881's that came in it a little more. I probly got 22 hours in 6 months on the head. Oh it aint nowhere as good as my 2100 that got stole.
This has to be one of the very best explanations of how valve amps work that I’ve seen in over fifty years of working with the damn things! Loving your channel Colin.
Valve amplifiers are still the most desirable sound in guitar music despite the vacuum tube being made obsolete by transistors in the 60s.
What is going on inside to make them still sound so good all these years later?
We analyse the circuit of the Orange AD30 to find out more.
Get your AD30 -
Thomann - www.thomann.de/gb/orange_ad30htc_gitarrentopteil.htm?offid=1&affid=367
Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/WZN7M
Reverb - reverb.grsm.io/orangead30
AD30 Gain Appreciation:
ruclips.net/video/p1tfB-HBdcc/видео.html
This video contains paid promotion from Orange Amplification
#valveamp #tubeamp #orange
More from CSGuitars:
Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars
Join CSGuitars Discord - discord.gg/d7b6MY8
Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store
Website - www.csguitars.co.uk
Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk
in my memory, if it has push pull then it's class AB. a strict class A would have a single amplifier stage (one output valve) and then removal of the DC bias via the output transformer
Class A push pull is also possible as described in this video.
What you are thinking of is Single Ended operation which can only be Class A
@@ScienceofLoud ahh yes ok. I was taught in a naval workshop but it was goddamn years ago now - thanks ;)
I think it would have been prudent to mention that a gain stage with grid input and plate output has an inverted output polarity compared to the input, which is part of how the phase inverter/phase splitter works. (This amp's phase inverter is a kind of circuit is called a Long Tail Pair or Williamson inverter, but I'm sure you know that). Otherwise kudos on a good basics video.
Your simplified description of class A vs AB is, in my opinion, one of the best and easiest to understand. Thanks for that.
On a side note, do you record to tape? Or was that just for show?
Mad respect for teaching some real engineering here.
90th like
I learned this in electronic tech school back in the ‘70s. Great to see this here.
Possibly the best PSA I've ever heard! "I'm not responsible for any electric shocks, injuries or deaths that result from the stupidity of you ignoring this warning" 😂
On another note, brilliant explanations! This kind of thing is something I really enjoy learning. I've been building pedals for a bit now and have a background in electrical and electronic engineering. I don't have any valve amps to tinker with though so I'll not die just yet 😂
Same! Ikr lol. Loved that
i've been tinkering with tube based amps for almost 60 years since before age 12, with the amount of caution that a reasonably mature 12 year old can muster. Though I appreciate the warning, one can go too far with such things, and not describe how to be careful (which one should) in such a video), and not encourage people to try things at home,... no one really learns anything except through experience.
One more perfect TATA video that I'll be re watching many times !
Me too. Maybe I'll even understand it one of these times.
with all these diagrams and wonderful explanations, I am still waiting hopefully to purchase some day the guitar related electronics course :)
If I ever take a break from weekly videos here on YT then I'll have the time to make it happen.
Lol
Lul
Ha ! Yep !
Such an underrated series, couldn’t ask for more.
Therapist: Southern Colin isn't real and cannot hurt you.
Southern Colin: 18:03
That was a two-sentence masterclass in impedence matching!
its not like im going to go and build an amp but this was interesting and good to know ... thanx
This brings me back to analog circuit class back in college in 2006, thank you
I build amps as a hobby and I have to say that is a very clear and concise explanation. Can you do that with the switching section of a Boogie?
@@dr.know-it-all5148 actually, Brad the Guitalogist is the only person I've seen on RUclips take on a Boogie.
@@jcool0122 he's qualified
@@knowmusicman157 He's also nuts. ✌️🇦🇺
Can confirm that the old tube electronics pack a hell of a punch. I only wish my Dad or brother had given me this warning when they were fixing an old floorstanding radio model when I was 5. It was off and unplugged, but don't expect a little kid to NOT touch something that has that warm glow.
Showed my 8 year old my old 90s 5150. He said it was loud and asked what the volume was at. I told him zero and his jaw dropped. Lol
This is the good basics stuff that is still difficult to find unless you browse through forums and it's almost never as coherently explained. Even the literature is a bit here and there and not necessarily available anymore. Very good episode.
Does the single half of a triode invert the signal btw? In the graphics it was still in the same phase, but how does the blocking of the grid actually affect the electron flow? Does it depend on other features if the valve inverts the phase?
I also sometimes see techs preferring to bias for slight crossover distortion, which to me is very interesting when many times you see people talk about crossover distortion as something you absolutely don't want.
I understand that most of the time if the amp is rated much above 5 W, you can be almost sure it's class A/B instead of A, that it would become so costly to amplify with more power in A. Any thoughts on the common ranges of class A? And like you said, probably the first part of the amplification is in A often times.
Yes, the triode inverts the signal (when its provided through the grid), if taken from the anode. When taken from the cathode, it keeps the original phase.
Yes, the signal is inverted relative to the input control grid signal, by a common plate circuit, in which the output is taken at the plate resistor ( higher value or equal to the cathode resistor ). Magy Himself, is correct,.. although in the case of the phase inverter, the bottom half of the circuit , which is called a "differential pair", produces a non inverted output signal relative to the top signal grid because it's grid is referred to ground, but the sum of the two currents at the cathodes (where they join together is a point of unity (no signal)), so the grid of the lower part of the differential pair receives a degenerative feedback signal at it's grid which, is out of phase with the signal applied to the top grid. I know that sounds confusing, but that is how it works. The bottom half of the circuit receives a "virtual" signal at it's grid because the two currents sum together to equal a constant current, at the cathodes.
The varying current (electron flow) flows in a plate resistor to the positive supply. At idl
Sorry, changed my mind. I remembered that I posted an explanation elsewhere in these comments, then hit the wrong button.
i don’t play metal, but i love your channel a ton. it’s useful for everyone who’s interested in music or audio.
Thumbs up for the Laphroaig 👍
That was the best explanation of what true class A vs AB are I’ve heard yet! Very nice! It DOES get confusing when you see amps calling themselves class A that have more than one output tube. If you REALLY want some sag, stick a 5y3 in there! A GZ34 is extremely close to SS diode performance.
Great explanation, thankyou. I still use my Fender Bassman 135 silver face for regular gigging on bass!
Thank you, Scottish Macauly Culkin!
Colin, this is a marvelous explanation. I am an electrical engineer but just into the transistor era of training. I think you covered it well. Thanks!
Brilliantly delivered warning. And fair.
Out of curiosity, how many deaths / shocks did this video generate?
Discord notification squad!
Squaddddd
SQUAD!!
SQUAD
Le squad
Сквад!
That phase splitter circuit at 8:30 is a long-tailed pair in vacuum tube form! :D en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_amplifier#Long-tailed_pair
Not only can guitar amps store lethal doses of electricity when unplugged, they can actually store it for YEARS even unplugged. So really, listen to colin and DON’T FUCK AROUND.
I was about to start recording when my Fender Blues Jr. decided to quit on me. So I thought, hmmm , perhaps I can save some money by fixing it myself. Ha ! While this viedo was wonderfully precise and interesting, it only served to make me realize I am out of my league entirely ! I think I'd need a degree in electircity in order to comprehend the complexities. And, make no mistake, the warnings about tinkering around inside a tube amp are well taken. I DON'T want to die ! So anyway, I suppose I'll have to spend my hard earned $$$ - AGAIN - to fix this bloody problem !!! Methinks I'd do better to invest in a solid state ... 🥵
It was well before the 60s, I have a solit state amp from the 50s and it sounds fantastic. Germanium transistors an all. Just had to replace the caps that went bad. Other than that shes a beauty.
The Messa Bogie Dual Rectifier right now is shivering that he is next. lol. i hope. in next video please.
Great video very informative
Can we use the modern electronics with the same specifications in this amp circuit
That was awesome! now I understand the class A vs class AB concept so much better. I still don't fully understand how the myth of the Vox AC30 being class A got started but that would be more of a history lesson right?
I'm not sure but perhaps AC30s are biased in such as way as to spend most of their time in class A. They certainly sound more class A than your typical Fender or Marshall amp.
This channel is pure gold. Thanks a lot mate!
From one scientist (MSEE) to another (Colin): Nice presentation! Probably one of the best on RUclips...
Keysight scopes! Does Colin have a friend in Canada? One who practically conducts electricity at this point, perhaps?
Someone whose name ends up in "boom" maybe?
yeah, maybe someone who originates from the middle east.
Brilliant vid, I learned a lot there Colin.
The "too afraid to ask" series has been inspired.
Danger makes things exciting!! It’s why motorcycles are soo fun!
O hai. This is a great comment left for this great video on this great channel, and my great plan is just to make the algorithm happy. Great!
Does anyone know why preamp tubes have the metal jacket? I've noticed some tube amps use them and some don't.
I think it's to reduce interference.
Yes, it's a tube shield to prevent interference from power supply and transformers. They also usually contain a spring which will keep the tube locked in the socket, preventing vibrations from unseating them.
TATA- is there any difference between tube/valve amps and transistor amps besides the component doing the amplifying?
I have a surface level understanding of transistors from some classes almost a decade ago, and all that low power contro circuits
Just watched this after a 12 hour shift; my brain hurts now. Thanks Colin.
If only all safety warnings could be put like that.
CSGuitars: Your knowledge of seventy-fifv-year-old electronics is surprising.
I see you have good taste in scotch. I love that smokey peat bog goodness
2:28 Can someone please write an EDM track and sample '15 watts in a push-pull pair'. I think it would be epic.
Poosh Pyule Pierre
It's saturday night, I've got my dram of Laphroaig, lets go!
Indeed, valves tend to Klingon :p
Such well presented, accurate information. Subscribed!
Music labels at 17:01 : Wait, that's illegal.
“That there” Scott chews on this words before spitting them out (teasing man, I love your content)
i've got pretty strong comprehension skills and this stuff flew right past me. is there any prerequisite material you can recommend so that I can digest what looks like it would have been a very interesting video?
Any chance of hearing about that magic tube to your right? :-)
Production is documentary quality. For a second I felt like I was watching a documentary in a science class.
Tube amp funny. I'll stick with solid state.
I absolutely adored this video! Thank you!
Very thorough! I wanted to watch just to see how well you'd explain things. (Plus, I like it when you say "zed") I'm impressed! You went through phase splitting and impedance matching as well. The only thing you didn't do was explain how to drain a capacitor so you could safely handle it, but you weren't teaching how to work on an amp, just how they work. And you let us know never to turn on a tube (or valve) amp without a load. Well done!
When I bought my first valve amp (many) years ago, pre-internet, I didn't know anything about them but I kinda guessed the importance of attaching a speaker, going by the bright red indicators around their input jack sockets. ✌️🇦🇺
Turning on a tube amp with no load is not a problem. Attempting to amplify a signal with no load causes damage.
Is the preference for valve amps because valves actually do sound more "musical" and feel more responsive to play, or is it because the first solid state amps were not designed with what guitarists want in mind (read: lots of even harmonics added in distortion and compression in the power section before distortion) and were designed for clean, boring signal amplification with any kind of distortion generated being met with "well it sounds like shit, but that's what the kids want"?
I’ve been using tube amps since 1994 and nothing else can match the sound and touch sensitivity.
Now I’ve 6 tube amps amps and have no issues with owning many more!
Again, AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING VIDEO!
But here is a nagging question: do power tubes have an inherent tone? Let me elaborate:
When we talk about Fenders (a Twin Reverb for example) - we automatically think of the 6L6GC power tubes.
On the high gain side, the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
Then when we talk about Marshall (a JCM 800 for one or say a Super Lead) we automatically think of EL34 tubes
On Vox AC30, we think of EL84 tubes. We guitarist can almost instantly know each amps sound without looking at it themselves
That is why I asked that question.
Ceteris Paribus, can a Twin Reveb still sound like a Twin Reverb if we use EL34s?
Or will a JCM800 still be JCM800 if it used 6L6GC?
The differences are subtle but notable. There are amps designed to work with either EL34 or 6L6s and they do sound differently depending on the valves used.
There are even amp sims that let you change between different power amp valve types and hear the difference with ease.
@@ErebosGR thanks for that reply. Then what's with those tubes that gives them their own sound?
@@bpabustan Different grid bias voltages, the design of the control grid and plate assemblies, size and shape of the tube etc.
In short, they amplify the input signal slightly differently because of their design.
@@ErebosGR ok I am beginning to understand: the tubes not only do they look slightly different but also work "quite" differently too. Got it! 😀
@@ErebosGR thanks so much again! 😀
Super good video, really appreciate it. Also in North America it's actually 120v. There is a standard called ANSI C84.1 that effectively says we allow +/-5%, meaning 120v is the target but anywhere between 114-126v is okay. Also it's 120v because we are splitting a single phase of 240v in half.
18:03 as someone who's family immigrated from Scotland to the Southern United States, i feel like this is how i'd sound to scottish people. Lol
TATA: I've noticed that some Power-cords have a small box of some kind at one end of the cable. Supposedly, those are supposed to be magnets, as far as I can gather. Now, the TATA is: What, if any, difference does this make in a guitar-rig?
Colin, your videos and succinct explanations of these various topics are brilliant. I’m probably not the first to ask, but have you done any content on “valvestate” amps? Or would you?
I own a Marshall AVT150 that I acquired years ago and played it for a little while before moving in the direction of Fender tube amps. I like the idea of acquiring another Marshall but I’d like to explore what that AVT150 can/can’t do first.
Anyone’s thoughts are appreciated! Thanks
Suggested TATA, how does channel jumping work and how do different 4-input amp circuits compare?
Oh wow, I bought one of these around when they first came out, then, I guess, in ‘05. Sold it a few years back, just way too much for me to lug around between apts when I had so much other stuff. Now looking for my first tube amp since I started playing again and gotta get sth lower wattage.. I loved this thing tho!
Thanks for the video, it was quite good, but as with most things, it was not perfect. In describing the class 'A', 'AB' and 'B' I felt that the role of the output transformer was a little neglected. A description of the voltages and currents in this vital lump of metal would make things a little clearer.
I'm looking into making my own tube amp. My solid state fender champion 100 made magic smoke. So I may put a tube amp in place of the solid state circuits. Since i have an empty cabinet now
The 1m reistor on the imput isn't just a pull down resistor, it is also the grid leak resistor that allows for the cathode bias of the first preamp stage to occur. Also, this amp is NOT class A push pull. It is assuredly class AB like almost every other push pull valve amplifier for guitars. The AC30 is not class A neither is this amp. Also, if an amp were to operate in class A at all, the size of the output transformer would need to be increased substantially.
Another clue that the AD30 operates in Class AB is the sag when digging deep. While all the output tubes are conducting, the current draw from the rectifier is constant, but increases when two valves are cut off, so there would be no sag if the amp were true Class A.
I like your explanations. Not boring, not over complicated. Well done sir.
The mid scoop on the oscilloscope shows off that the internet is full of BS when they say these are mid rangy amps. This whole time, they’ve been hearing the Celestions EQ curve.
Sorry ,,,can I know what kind camera that you use?
Thanks before
You may be rich in knowledge, but i have Laphroaig 30. Great video!
Great sounding amp and informative video. Thanks for all you do mate.
I'll have to watch this a few times to understand what I need to. I'd also like to make a dual rectification set up like the road king so that Valve rectifiers for clean and edgebof breakup tones and diode rectification for crunch and distortion.
Hello Colin，i want to ask a question to TATA，why -39db is the highest attenuation on market(expect boss waza tube amp expender which has a different way to attenuate)? Or i am wrong -39db is not the highest please tell me what is the highest and why the number stops at that level. Thank you.
Can I ask what camera you use for your videos? They are very high quality :) Great content by the way
Allow me to say you have excellent TATAs, my friend.
I don't care what you say you cannot beat the tube amplifier
I’m a couple old fashioneds deep but this is the video i was looking for
11:15 - or, you and have the best of both worlds at the same time with Simul-Class!
Your hair looks like the ghost of Jay Sebring had his way with you as you slept.
So the tone knob on my orange is messing with my volume. Can someone plz tell me wtf is going on and how to fix it.
Had no idea what the hell you said. Damn electronics are like magic to me 🥸
16:45 Starlight - Slash, Myles Kennedy
What do Filter caps do? What causes them to go bad?
#Thermionic #Electron #Vacuum #Valve ― is full and correct term.
I think the impedance part was exactly the opposite: a load with lower impedance than the output, you demand more current from the transformer...bye-bye transformer - a load with higher impedance than the output, you demand less current from the transformer and everything still works ok.
you are thinking solid state. If you short a transistor it pukes everything it has, up to the power rail. AC tubes and OP transformers have a lot more going on because they operate more in the frequency domain. a transformer has 2 parts. if the energy generated in the primary cannot be bled off in the secondary via the magnetic induction via the core, the primary basically shorts out the tube output and it cooks. if you short the secondary, this relieves the tube and primary.
remember, the primary and secondary of a transformer are not electrically connected. you could still possibly melt the secondary if you had enough power, i suppose, but you would have to work at it.
Great southern accent “Texan or Southwestern” 👍
Man on my crate tv 6210( used) I lost all the tubes and the pilot light. The amp comes on the trans warm up the led channel switches and lights up but not a tube heats up. Is the pilot light in series with the tubes?
Thank you hope to meet you some time .stay cool
How toob amp vworks I'm Tue aafrsid tovask
YOU GET A LIKE JUST FOR THE LAST 3 SECONDS.
So, a true class A should consist of one power tube as to not allow for anything else. I 've had a class "A" amp that the tube was "always-on" {conducting} except while you were playing it, in which case it dimmed only as you played it. Otherwise, it stayed lit/full on. How do you get that with more than one tube? I understand "A" vs "push -pull {AB}...I think.
There are double ended Class A amps, both tube and solid state, often used to drive tweeters in HiFi rigs.
G.O.A.T. amplifier. AD30 > 🌏
Im kinda not likein the high gain tubes on the 1990. So I ordered some 5791? And some 12 wd7's. And some 6ca7's. Would these different tubes solve the brittleness? Ive been too lazy to change yet i wanna use these 5881's that came in it a little more. I probly got 22 hours in 6 months on the head. Oh it aint nowhere as good as my 2100 that got stole.
I just come here now to hear you say the P word. 8D
I’m dumb. Can’t even understand 90% of this.
A lot is not explaned here - an elecromechanic
Thanks for this! I have so much to talk about at parties now!
Now I have infinity 1990. 6 months new. Now the gain channel sounds dark, lost its highs compared to the clean channel.
you gotta do something about buckethead one day
This has to be one of the very best explanations of how valve amps work that I’ve seen in over fifty years of working with the damn things! Loving your channel Colin.
All well & good but will this stop valve amps ending up on the scrap heap?
@@vincentl.9469 mine certainly won’t. But I’ve got a few spare sets of valves which will see me out. Long term I don’t know, maybe you’re right.
Fantastic! This really helped me understand the schematic for my Genz Benz El Diablo 60 and identify the various pieces of the circuit.
In a Valve rectified amplifier you do not need a damn standby switch as it's the perfect soft start! Nothing but stupid nonsense.
The GZ34 is an indirectly heated rectifier which gives a slow start which doesn't happen with directly heated rectifiers such as the 5Y3