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#270057 - 07/01/10 06:59 AM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Noise_Maker]
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Not the DJ
Forum Council Member
Old Timer
Registered: 25/02/04
Posts: 1605
Loc: Kenilworth
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I keep seeing Valves and Tubes refered to. Are they the same thing?
Yes, different names for the same thing.
I think Americans tend to call them tubes, while over here in dear ol' Blighty they're valves.
Col
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#270112 - 08/01/10 04:56 AM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Noise_Maker]
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Oldjono
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 15/09/09
Posts: 842
Loc: Dorset
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#270336 - 11/01/10 05:40 PM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Oldjono]
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Gary_W
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 16/04/09
Posts: 123
Loc: Derbyshire, UK
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IMO, it really depends on what you want to achieve and 'do'.
As everyone has said so far, valve amps are a lot louder than the 'watts' figure would suggest and herein lies the problem. Many do not reach the best of their abilities until they are cranked. Whilst they still have the ability to sound good down low, cranked is where they excell.
If you go and buy a 15 or 30 or 50w valve amp for home practice, you will either not be using it at its best or you'll be blowing out your windows. This is why the little 5w end of the market is doing nicely at the moment....
Me? I use software. I daresay a valve amp would sound a bit better if I could crank it in the manner it demanded. However, I can't. Software gives me the ability to get some great sounds at any volume I like. Even through headphones. On the rare occasions I gig, an FX pedal into the PA has sufficed. Obviously this wouldn't 'do' for everyone but I feel that pointing out that which technology is 'best' (if there is such a thing) is entirely dependant upon what you need it to do!
As to the chap that said 'valves sound better and they always will'..... Many years back, I was told by a psychology lecturer that a computer would never ever beat a grand master at chess as a machine would never outstrip the human mind at such a complex game. 1997, a computer beat Kasparov. Never say 'never' in terms of what a computer will be able to do. A valve is a component that can be modelled. It has been done so already to a very high level of refinement. In the last 10 years, we've seen amp modelling go from the early Zoom and Digitech stuff through to the (IMO astonishing) things being done by Native Instruments and the Re-Valver software that Peavey knock out. If you want to get a cranked sound onto disk, it does it quickly and easily. It's not there quite yet as far as getting the same sound through a cabinet, but give it time and IMO it will be. 'Never' is a long time 
Gary
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#272608 - 25/02/10 10:01 AM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Gary_W]
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ZombieX
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 25/02/10
Posts: 22
Loc: Birmingham
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Valve all the way, but more so if you playing larger gigs....Ive played all types and there is no comparison...only negative point about valve amps, which I think has already been mentioned, they are better when they are pushed/ cranked, so in the home only environmnet you need a very low wattage one to get the best sound! Of course also I have played through some great sounding modelling stuff, in fact I use a Line6 Spider mk4 at home as a practice amp and must say I can get some great bluesly tones ut of it, unfortunately that great tone disapears with increasing volume!
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#273803 - 17/03/10 07:17 PM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Noise_Maker]
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Ozzuk
Old Timer
Registered: 21/12/02
Posts: 1899
Loc: Pencoed/Bridgend South Wales
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This is an interesting topic and when I started out I always used to think the snobs were snorting something when they could hear the difference between modelers and valve amps, but being a lot more experienced while the differences are sometimes subtle or difficult to describe you almost always can tell when someone is using a pod or digital software...
Whilst modelers have replicated the valves I dont think they will ever get it too 100% even the fractel audio axe FX ultra still has digital mannerisms...
One thing valve amps still have the upper hand in is the mildly overdrivven tones from the power section being pushed, digital amps just dont have that nice sweet decay...
A lot of the good modelers also suffer from sounding like a finished and often overprocessed CD which some might like john petrucci has that kind of tone with his racks which many dont like...
Often people with modelers often use far too much gain presence and treble which gives that digital fizz, the peavy envoys suffer from fizz if you have too much treble and gain...
I used to have a blackstar HT-5 but I sold it as I find my valveking to have more range in it's tones, and a clean that has decent volume, I also never crank it at home and still get a decent sound without breaking my windows or ears!
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Current Gear:
Ran Vision Swinseheads, RR Custom bareknucklest, 2001 Ibanez RG 550 (sangria red finish)
LTD EX-50 Eternal Decent protype Loki graphic +kahler 7200 model,Partsocaster
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Valveking 212, 6505+ 112
Boss NS-2/digitech bad monkey od
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#276701 - 30/05/10 05:08 PM
Re: Amps (Valve vs....well the other sort!)
[Re: Noise_Maker]
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soul4sale
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 30/05/10
Posts: 5
Loc: High peak, Derbyshire
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Bit late on this one as I have just joined. But one thing I always do is eliminate my own ability from the decision making process.
For instance I have a pretty cheap camera, nothing like my gf's DSLR. But, whenever I think I need a new one, I just check out what other (more talented) people on Flickr are getting out of it. A few amazing shots and I know I haven't outgrown it yet.
Same thing with amps. A few searches for audio or video of someone with great ability playing through my amp and I know I need to try harder to get better tone (with my technique, not the amp).
I play a modelling amp (Roland Cube 30x) at the moment and it sounds great to me with my no-name tele. The humbuckers on my gretsch are a bit noisy with it is the only drawback.
On the solid state stuff, I'd rather listen to a talented player through a SS amp than a bad one with valves. And there are good SS amps out there - I have an old trace elliot tramp with a stunning clean channel. I also rate Peavey's Transtube stuff. I have had valve amps and they didn't make me sound any better.
Gaz
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