AMT WarmStone "Tubes"

[devastone]

Re: AMT WarmStone "Tubes"

They should mimic the amplification characteristics of real tubes, ss just doesn't need 300V to do it. Tubes are quite inefficient, but that's part of why they sound like they do. But yes, even ss needs a reference voltage, it's just much lower.

I'm guessing they have designed the circuit to use whatever is on the heater circuit, 12VAC or 12VDC, easy enough to do.

FWIW, I got some of the Jet City Retrovalves last night and got to try them for a few minutes in my AMT preamp, they sounded good, I need to spend some more time with them before I give more details other that they seem voiced a little darker than the tubes I had in it, but that's probably by design.

[devastone]

Re: AMT WarmStone "Tubes"

Just a follow up on the Retrovalves, they sound good, but not like tubes, they don't seem to have the complexity, especially in the highs. They also seem to have less sustain. Probably would work fine as a PI, but I wouldn't recommend them in the tone shaping stages.

FWIW, I tried a pair of amber RVs in an AMT SS-11, so in a "real" amp, YMMV, etc... although it seems like I've heard similar things about them in amps. Haven't tried the AMTs, based on their FET based preamps I've tried, I would probably have higher expectations for them, but I got a great deal on the RVs and thought I'd give them a shot.

My <$0.02...

[LLL]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

WeberVST has "Copper Cans" (IIRC) which serve a similar function for tube rectifiers.

[devastone]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

Rectifiers work different than amplifier tubes, but the Copper cans do mimic the sag and other properties of a tube rectifier over just replacing the tube rectifier with a diode bridge. I wouldn't hesitate to use one of those at all.

[Red_Label]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

I'm all for the day that we can ditch tubes!

But I don't see that day coming any time soon. Having owned or at least played through some really great non-tube gear in my lifetime (including the 11R and Kemper)... I still cling "bitterly" to the gear-that-glows, because at the end of the day... tone/feel are all that matters to me any more. When I can plug into an amp without glass tubes and experience the same quality interactive experience, as with tubes... then I'll be on-board. "Joy" and "ecstasy" are a couple of descriptors that come to mind... and I don't recall my non-tube experiences ever being quite that passionately felt in 30+ years of doing this. It's just not the same [yet]. Amps with glowing tubes versus amps without are like human beings versus androids for me. A state-of-the-art modeler or SS amp has millions of times more processing power within its circuits. And yet, a simple tube circuit has more LIFE in it... when it's getting power of course. Seriously... tube amps are like "magic".

[Demanic]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

+1^^

[IMENATOR]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

This was an interesting thread. Now I understand those are meant to be uses as Preamp tubes and nothing to do with power amp section. Here a link where someone is making some sound demos and shootouts. I am interested in this again as I was victim of what I suspect was micro phonic noise so I may be pulling the trigger and get me one of these. The guy is using a strat at some point of the video.

[Animal]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

Will any of us even see the day when 12AX7s become a scarcity? There must be millions of them that arn't even being used and will survive at least another half-century.

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

I love that song! Superterrorizer!

Honestly, I've always been curious about these tubes and the Jet City Retrovalves.

[EDX]

Re: AMT WarmStone &quot;Tubes&quot;

is it just my idea or in the video the amt sounded bolder and smoother, it's like the e-h tubes he was using were crispier but both seemed equally as clear

from what they write on their official site amt claims to be almost there on jfet based tube emulation, specially with their stone head amps, and the warm stones, i just wonder, how long before they have working warm stone replacements for power tubes