Mute switch but no standby

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

I'm well aware, and not all do.

I figured you should be.

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

I've read that flipping to standby for a few seconds (well maybe 10-15sec) before turning the power off actually drains some of the charge from the caps.
Is this true and is it a good thing or not,,,,,,,,or should I just flip the power off first so that the caps hold full voltage for better storage conditions?

Which way is better if you know it won't be played for months or years even,,,,???,,,,,hypothetically-speaking.

It seldom ever does. And those caps can stay charged unless there is a discharge path to ground. Some amplifiers have this discharge path by default because there is often balancing resistors fitted across both the capacitor networks feeding the screens and plates. it is often the case a series combination of capacitors is used in both locations in order to meet the voltage requirements without exceeding the ratings that of a single capacitor, and these balancing resistors are used to ensure charge is distributed equally across both. They will also provide this discharge path to ground.

Whether you use a stand by switch or not has no bearing on weather or not the capacitors hold their charge if the amp is on or off for any period of time.

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

I'm well aware, and not all do.

If designed right they shouldn't be on the b+ side anyway. Although some amps that use two phase rectification do so by lifting the hv secondary's CT, which can be equally problematic.

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

In the current guitar culture, extensive electronic knowledge is not necessary. (As you know) Leo designed his first amps by using the suggested circuits provided by GE. There have been many successful tube amp designs to form the basis of any new amp company's design. Same with pedals, there are only so many ways to amplify, EQ and clip a guitar signal. Now, the important thing is the ears of the builder/tuner. As an example, I am more educated in electronics than Brian Wampler. Brian Wampler's ears (and business sense) is 100 x's mine, hence the reason he is a household name in the guitar world and literally no one has heard of me.

Trust me I'm well aware of this. And I'm not discrediting the worth of a keen business sense. You can be the Einstein or newton of music electronics, but none of that will be of any consequence if can't sell yourself or your products. Jim Marshall knew nothing of electronics, and Ken Bran/Bradly Craven barely knew enough to build the first jtm45 proto, it took both of them to execute that endeavor, but low and behild Marshall is the father of loud, one of the biggest names to ever enter the industry, and I'm just some dude Joey.

I do disagree a little bit on the need to repackage and that there are only so many ways. I honestly believe there are a ton of ways to be creative in the industry that have yet to be touched upon, especially in music electronics, so I don't believe that everything began and ended with either Leo or Jim.

And yes Leo licensed the western circuit from GE/western electric. It was what became the bassman, and subsequently the jtm45

[Mincer]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

It seems like a built in 'soft start' would be a better way of doing the same thing. I know many tube amps don't have a standby, but most do- my class A Blue Angel does, but if you were to just flip both switches on from a cold start, it would take about 30 seconds to get sound. I use the standby because it is there, but for people who didn't grow up with tube amps, it seems silly to keep fitting amps with them.

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Mute switch but no standby

It seems like a built in 'soft start' would be a better way of doing the same thing. I know many tube amps don't have a standby, but most do- my class A Blue Angel does, but if you were to just flip both switches on from a cold start, it would take about 30 seconds to get sound. I use the standby because it is there, but for people who didn't grow up with tube amps, it seems silly to keep fitting amps with them.

It is, and some commercial amps try to have something similar, like the 90's Laney Line, although those still used a standby. A standby switch is also cheaper than a well designed soft start, so there is that as well. The argument also is that the Capacitors used in both the DC reservoir, and screens are slow enough to charge that the use of a standby switch is even more redundant, especially if the switch is placed in an ideal place like the AC side of the circuit.

On occasion I confess that I use the standby switch also, but mostly as a mute. I never use it to power the amp on or off.

As silly as it is, this is not going to go away anytime soon. The habit has gone on too long, and the user expectation is too high. I think if most amps advertised having a soft start instead of a standby switch, it would go over a lot smoother.