MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
nder:
Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
- Thread starter MetalManiac
- Start date
nder:
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Perfectly said.
Perfectly said.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
^ Of course this logic would hold true for modern music, however don't you think part of the sound we love from vintage pre-solid state vocals was due to the richness and diensionality of the Tube PA? I am actually considering restoring an old tube PA I have for use to try and grab some of the sweetness of a Billy Holiday vocal tone for instance...maybe put a solid state rectifier in to tighten up the dynamics some.
^ Of course this logic would hold true for modern music, however don't you think part of the sound we love from vintage pre-solid state vocals was due to the richness and diensionality of the Tube PA? I am actually considering restoring an old tube PA I have for use to try and grab some of the sweetness of a Billy Holiday vocal tone for instance...maybe put a solid state rectifier in to tighten up the dynamics some.
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Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
weight and cost.
weight and cost.
GoldenVulture
Braindeadologist
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Many modern PA amps have outputs of thousands of watts which is far easier and cheaper to achieve with SS components than valves.
To get such outputs from valves, transmitting valves are used.
-EG: - http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const9.html -
Many modern PA amps have outputs of thousands of watts which is far easier and cheaper to achieve with SS components than valves.
To get such outputs from valves, transmitting valves are used.
-EG: - http://www.chambonino.com/construct/const9.html -
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
I would hate to carry a tube PA around. Also, tubes change the sound. They are supposed to. SS technology reproduces the sound better with less coloration. You don't want the coloration a tube amp puts on a guitar to happen on the whole mix of the band.
I would hate to carry a tube PA around. Also, tubes change the sound. They are supposed to. SS technology reproduces the sound better with less coloration. You don't want the coloration a tube amp puts on a guitar to happen on the whole mix of the band.
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Some people spend big bucks on tube hi-fi. If you have heard a great vocalist or horn player through a tube hi-fi amp, one can understand why. It's totally clean but much more expressive and three dimensional.
Some people spend big bucks on tube hi-fi. If you have heard a great vocalist or horn player through a tube hi-fi amp, one can understand why. It's totally clean but much more expressive and three dimensional.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
I'm not sure, if I've seen a band with a tube PA it could only have been once or twice.
crusty philtrum
Vintageologist
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Many of the old valve (tube) PAs with their column speakers used to get used as guitar amps way back in the day, and they almost always sounded great for that purpose.
Many of the old valve (tube) PAs with their column speakers used to get used as guitar amps way back in the day, and they almost always sounded great for that purpose.
GoldenVulture
Braindeadologist
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Well, they do but they're not *supposed* to. It's called a shortcoming. The fact that we have come to expect them to color the tone and love it doesn't mean they were designed to color the tone. Back then that's the best they had to achieve amplification.
I know you're extremely knowledgeable about all this by the way. I'm not trying to correct you. Just adding a bit to what you said.
Well, they do but they're not *supposed* to. It's called a shortcoming. The fact that we have come to expect them to color the tone and love it doesn't mean they were designed to color the tone. Back then that's the best they had to achieve amplification.
I know you're extremely knowledgeable about all this by the way. I'm not trying to correct you. Just adding a bit to what you said.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
It's very interesting to look at Fender amp designs through the years and see how they got cleaner and cleaner as they got more and more powerful and more efficient. It's also interesting how different players have preferences for the different eras... Early or late Tweed, Brownface, Blackface, early or late silverface, Rivera era...
It's very interesting to look at Fender amp designs through the years and see how they got cleaner and cleaner as they got more and more powerful and more efficient. It's also interesting how different players have preferences for the different eras... Early or late Tweed, Brownface, Blackface, early or late silverface, Rivera era...
DankStar
Her Little Mojo Minion
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
You already had a tube PA - the bogen challenger that you sold. I have the same one, it's a sick amp. I have a total of 5 tube PAs - a realistic, two bogens and two precision electronics. They were a little more weird before the whole lunchbox craze, now small tube heads are a dime a dozen.
What you might be seeking is more of a DIY harp mic - that'd give you a cool vocal tone. They look pretty easy to do up too.
Wait, does The Jerry sing?!
You already had a tube PA - the bogen challenger that you sold. I have the same one, it's a sick amp. I have a total of 5 tube PAs - a realistic, two bogens and two precision electronics. They were a little more weird before the whole lunchbox craze, now small tube heads are a dime a dozen.
What you might be seeking is more of a DIY harp mic - that'd give you a cool vocal tone. They look pretty easy to do up too.
Wait, does The Jerry sing?!
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MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
I'm not a singer..lol. God the heck no . I'm a 'blurter'. The Bogen I had was transubstantiated into a guitar amp. I think Edhwuld had it right... a great Solid State PA ,and a great Tube Mic Pre-amp leaves about nothing to be desired.
I'm not a singer..lol. God the heck no . I'm a 'blurter'. The Bogen I had was transubstantiated into a guitar amp. I think Edhwuld had it right... a great Solid State PA ,and a great Tube Mic Pre-amp leaves about nothing to be desired.
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
Back when I was a wee lad, PAs were Bogen amps, a simple Shure mic Mixer and a pair of Atlas bell horns. Then some of the companies started doing tube mixer-amps. Leslie West used a SUNN PA head for "Mississippi Queen".
Then along came the Shure Vocalmaster c. 1970. They were groundbreaking. I had one, made my career with it for 20+ years. But unless you added more speakers and more amps, it couldn't compete with the Marshall and Dual Showman stacks of the day. And guys didn't know how to set the gain or even how to set up the speakers for that matter, and they got a bad rap. And then Peavey did his magic...he was bringing stuff to market that you didn't realize you needed...until you used it.
And when you look at modern systems, lo and behold, the Bose L1 uses the same line array technology as the old Vocalmaster system, albeit with a lot more power, a subwoofer, and a TON of EQ and dynamic processing.
Tube PAs are no longer practical, but they bring back a lot of memories for this old dog.
Bill
Back when I was a wee lad, PAs were Bogen amps, a simple Shure mic Mixer and a pair of Atlas bell horns. Then some of the companies started doing tube mixer-amps. Leslie West used a SUNN PA head for "Mississippi Queen".
Then along came the Shure Vocalmaster c. 1970. They were groundbreaking. I had one, made my career with it for 20+ years. But unless you added more speakers and more amps, it couldn't compete with the Marshall and Dual Showman stacks of the day. And guys didn't know how to set the gain or even how to set up the speakers for that matter, and they got a bad rap. And then Peavey did his magic...he was bringing stuff to market that you didn't realize you needed...until you used it.
And when you look at modern systems, lo and behold, the Bose L1 uses the same line array technology as the old Vocalmaster system, albeit with a lot more power, a subwoofer, and a TON of EQ and dynamic processing.
Tube PAs are no longer practical, but they bring back a lot of memories for this old dog.
Bill
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Re: Why don't they make Tube PA's anymore?
I was wondering when someone was going to mention those. How much do those things weigh?
My arms hurt just looking at that.
I was wondering when someone was going to mention those. How much do those things weigh?
My arms hurt just looking at that.
