5 ms·
Even if it is, we can coat it in epoxy and deal with it. And even if we can't, remember the first semi-conductor was germanium. If we have a theoretical and pra
by dtx1 3y ago
Even if it is, we can coat it in epoxy and deal with it. And even if we can't, remember the first semi-conductor was germanium. If we have a theoretical and practical reproducible RT Superconductor we will very fast find new, better ones.
- tnecniv 3y agoAnd audio nerds everywhere are still lusting after germanium transistors to this day!
- bick_nyers 3y agoCould you explain why? Sounds intriguing.
- jacquesm 3y agoSounds noisy...
- Ccecil 3y agoMy understanding is that it is due to the lower voltage drop across the base junction. Germanium is .3v vs Silicon .7v, so with germanium you get less "crossover distortion" when the input signal is crossing the 0 line. edit: I understand that typically this is biased out with diodes...but the matching is not perfect and it is easier to start with half the distortion.
- jacquesm 3y agoNever mind that any half decent amp design biases the base voltage to make sure that you're not going to have that problem.
- ruined 3y agomusicians often use them to generate distortion, which is purely an electrical phenomenon. germanium components tend to filter high frequencies and don't clip as sharply as silicon, generating tonal effects that can't really be replicated. but mostly, a lot of early guitar pedals used germanium components, and so they are associated with prestigious historic guitar players. here's a video demonstration. silicon first, then halfway through they flip the switches and play the same circuit with germanium components. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3F8-EAxlXA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3F8-EAxlXA
- dtx1 3y ago> generating tonal effects that can't really be replicated. Seems my headphones can replicate it judging from hearing the audio. Am I missing something?
- ruined 3y agoyou're listening to a recording. a musician wants to make sound
- wahnfrieden 3y agoSynthesis not sample
- piwi 3y agoThere are simulators such a Kemper or neural DSP that can reproduce fairly well any amp, but it is expensive, and imperfect. When you play on emulation it's difficult to know if it is faithful without having used the original. Some musician appreciate them, others avoid them. When you happen to finally get the real gear, you often realize it sounds better, and have a wider range of usage. The convenience of real dedicate knobs, without menus is unmatched. There is some pleasure with getting the real thing, and use it by yourself.
- Blackthorn 3y agoWell, it's the creation rather than the playback that's important, but you aren't really missing anything. It's not like the various waveshaping functionality of those aren't documented, they're entirely reproducible in software.
- fennecfoxy 3y agoThis is why most "audiophile" stuff is redundant in my mind, a lot of people seem to act like valves have some sort of magic that we cannot profile and just reproduce in software. But then again there's nothing wrong with people romanticising stuff as long as it's more "valves are cool because they're retro and nostalgic" over "valves are cool because they're objectively better".
- ssklash 3y agoGe transistors clip audio signals in a "smoother" way. A softer knee, its called.
- bacon_waffle 3y agoHmm, superconducting inductors seem like an audiophile thing. Patent?
- wiml 3y agoI've read that superconducting inductors are handy for making very high-Q filters (no parasitic resistance!) and are even used in places as prosaic as cellular towers (LN2-cooled microstrip structures).