3 ms·

Nice rant, but, what if there's a perceptible difference between tube and solid state technologies? Just because it cannot be objectively measured doesn't mean

Nice rant, but, what if there's a perceptible difference between tube and solid state technologies? Just because it cannot be objectively measured doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

kahawe 15y ago
I have to admit, I just emphasized on what is strange or downright wrong about selling guitar-related gear. There certainly are a lot of great companies out there and if you swear you hear the difference or just like their products and can afford it, then by all means, more power to you! I myself am prone to spending big bucks on gear myself... I just find it funny when you take a cynic look at it from the view of a hacker and not a musician/artist. Guitar players and selling gear to them is somehow a whole different ball game compared to, say, bass players who are generally much more open to new stuff.
- mattgreenrocks 15y ago
  There's a certain mystique specific to the guitar, it seems...or there's a billion more guitar players, perhaps?
stdbrouw 15y ago
That's not what he wrote. He's talking about hand-soldering (vs PCBs) and using certain components or technologies that work really well when marketing but have no effect or even a detrimental effect on sound. For example, people want Class A amps, not Class AB ones, even though the designation is purely a technical one and is not correlated with sound quality. The difference between a tube amp and a solid state one, by the way, is one that you can objectively measure through spectrograms.
- mattgreenrocks 15y ago
  Ah, I see now. Thanks.
- fr0sty 15y ago
  Re: A vs AB. The difference is the fundamental mode of operation with different distortion characteristics. Class A amps will have both odd and even-order harmonics but class AB will be mostly even-order. That is both an audible and and electronically quantifiable difference. If you are talking sound reproduction then A vs AB is insignificant because you only see the difference when the amplifier starts distorting. If you are a guitar player who drives an amp to distortion as a matter of course this difference is germane.
babycakes 15y ago
It can be objectively measured. Tubes tend to produce even harmonics, which are pleasing to the human ear. The even harmonics sound like octaves of the original pitch, creating a rich sound. Solid state tends towards a mix of even and odd harmonics. The odd harmonics are not pleasing to the human ear because they produce pitches not easily resolved to the intended pitch. Ironically, solid state amps can have a lower total harmonic distortion than tubes but produce a sound less desirable to humans (in general).

Nice rant, but, what if there's a perceptible difference between tube and solid state technologies? Just because it cannot be objectively measured doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

kahawe 15y ago

I have to admit, I just emphasized on what is strange or downright wrong about selling guitar-related gear. There certainly are a lot of great companies out there and if you swear you hear the difference or just like their products and can afford it, then by all means, more power to you! I myself am prone to spending big bucks on gear myself... I just find it funny when you take a cynic look at it from the view of a hacker and not a musician/artist. Guitar players and selling gear to them is somehow a whole different ball game compared to, say, bass players who are generally much more open to new stuff.

mattgreenrocks 15y ago
There's a certain mystique specific to the guitar, it seems...or there's a billion more guitar players, perhaps?

stdbrouw 15y ago

That's not what he wrote. He's talking about hand-soldering (vs PCBs) and using certain components or technologies that work really well when marketing but have no effect or even a detrimental effect on sound. For example, people want Class A amps, not Class AB ones, even though the designation is purely a technical one and is not correlated with sound quality. The difference between a tube amp and a solid state one, by the way, is one that you can objectively measure through spectrograms.

mattgreenrocks 15y ago
Ah, I see now. Thanks.
fr0sty 15y ago
Re: A vs AB. The difference is the fundamental mode of operation with different distortion characteristics. Class A amps will have both odd and even-order harmonics but class AB will be mostly even-order. That is both an audible and and electronically quantifiable difference. If you are talking sound reproduction then A vs AB is insignificant because you only see the difference when the amplifier starts distorting. If you are a guitar player who drives an amp to distortion as a matter of course this difference is germane.

babycakes 15y ago

It can be objectively measured. Tubes tend to produce even harmonics, which are pleasing to the human ear. The even harmonics sound like octaves of the original pitch, creating a rich sound. Solid state tends towards a mix of even and odd harmonics. The odd harmonics are not pleasing to the human ear because they produce pitches not easily resolved to the intended pitch. Ironically, solid state amps can have a lower total harmonic distortion than tubes but produce a sound less desirable to humans (in general).