Tube Power amp research

[chunktone]

What about 3 poweramp sections to make a WDW rig possible with only 1 poweramp ?

Giga.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

[Juggernaut]

how about a stereo amp with a switch to make the whole thing one massive monoblock of power?

 

[FUZZboat]

a volume control and 5-way tone switch !!

1. VHT

2. Cameron

3. Recto

4. Bogner

5. Blankenship

 

[Digital Jams]

If a company was going to design a new tube power amp for preamps, should the unit be stereo or mono and what features would you like to see?

Full/Half power
the ability to use/choose multiple tubes for the o/p section
Stereo but with bridged mono feature or the ability to use only one channel without popping a tube and the unused channel.
Fail safe for those knucklehead moment that you might turn the poweramp on without a speaker load
Independant Presence controls for both chanels
Independent graphic EQ for Each Channel...If set to flat Its flat.
Footswitchable EQ....on/off for more tone shaping.

When it comes to Tube Poweramps most companies overlook the Bridged mono feature. It's a fact that not everyone will like to lug multiple cabs to a gig for a stereo rig and/or have to re-wire there mono 2x12 - 4x12 in order to use the poweramp!!

All the best!!

~R~

Oh good one with the graphic eq per side.

 

[Greazygeo]

It should weigh at least 200 lbs.

 

[Variable]

How about something that's never been done before?

Optional tube/SS rectifier.

Something with power-scaling built in.

Ability to switch out tubes ala THD Univalve without having to bias, as well as mix 'n match. This includes EL84s.

Post-phase-inverter, attenuated, speaker-emulated XLR/TRS direct out. Please make the speaker emulation not suck. Hell, you could probably use some digital tomfoolery for this one... Cab impulses anyone?

Built in variac (that preferably doesn't fry the poweramp...)

Presence and depth controls.

Class A/AB, Single-ended mode would be VERY cool.

A latching 1/4" switch to change between each tube bank, or to mix 'n match (kinda like the Road King). This way you can program different power tubes for each patch using a switching system. Better yet, give me MIDI control. Of everything.

Built in tube tester that tells you how your tubes are doing via a digital display. Switching to automatically isolate and remove any fried tube from the signal chain.

Emphasis on making the entire poweramp sound musical. It shouldn't color the sound per se, but it SHOULD make anything plugged into it sound better.

 

[manyaxes]

I still can't understand why would 95% of guitars players want a stereo power amp. Right now we are forced to lug around stereo monsters that weigh more than a good head, and that's just for the power amp, and most people don't even use it! They just feed the same signal to both channels. On top of that, people who DO actually use the stereo capability, just have a stereo 4x12 cab, with very little separation between fields, so the player is lucky to get any stereo separation, and the audience won't get any. Real stereo is achieved with two cabs, one each side of the band, or micing two cones (make sure they correspond to different channels!) and going to FOH.

Why doesn't anyone make a good mono poweramp, with only one transformer, smaller and much lighter, and if you need stereo you can always buy another mono one and just carry when you need it, or have one at rehearsal, one at home and get both when actually necessary!

 

[guitarslinger]

I still can't understand why would 95% of guitars players want a stereo power amp. Right now we are forced to lug around stereo monsters that weigh more than a good head, and that's just for the power amp, and most people don't even use it! They just feed the same signal to both channels. On top of that, people who DO actually use the stereo capability, just have a stereo 4x12 cab, with very little separation between fields, so the player is lucky to get any stereo separation, and the audience won't get any. Real stereo is achieved with two cabs, one each side of the band, or micing two cones (make sure they correspond to different channels!) and going to FOH.

Why doesn't anyone make a good mono poweramp, with only one transformer, smaller and much lighter, and if you need stereo you can always buy another mono one and just carry when you need it, or have one at rehearsal, one at home and get both when actually necessary!

The reasoning is there, but, for example, my 2290 isn't going to modulate in mono. I must have stereo.

 

[tweed]

I'd like to see a lot of the features that have already been listed, but with a pricetag that's under 1k. And a healthy warranty to go with it

 

[Digital Jams]

It should weigh at least 200 lbs.

You must be asking for Boogie specs!!!

 

[blackba]

I still can't understand why would 95% of guitars players want a stereo power amp. Right now we are forced to lug around stereo monsters that weigh more than a good head, and that's just for the power amp, and most people don't even use it! They just feed the same signal to both channels. On top of that, people who DO actually use the stereo capability, just have a stereo 4x12 cab, with very little separation between fields, so the player is lucky to get any stereo separation, and the audience won't get any. Real stereo is achieved with two cabs, one each side of the band, or micing two cones (make sure they correspond to different channels!) and going to FOH.

Why doesn't anyone make a good mono poweramp, with only one transformer, smaller and much lighter, and if you need stereo you can always buy another mono one and just carry when you need it, or have one at rehearsal, one at home and get both when actually necessary!

I have thought the same thing. Also alot of people complain about the volume of getting a 100Watt Marshall amp into its groove, yet alot of these power amps are 100Watts per side. I know its not that much louder, but I doubt most people need the headroom.

 

[guitarslinger]

I have thought the same thing. Also alot of people complain about the volume of getting a 100Watt Marshall amp into its groove, yet alot of these power amps are 100Watts per side. I know its not that much louder, but I doubt most people need the headroom.

It's about the sound, man. I hate the sound of a dimed power section. It sounds like crispy, sonic meltdown. It's not my bag. Power tube distortion only muddies up the sound of a good preamp, IMO.

Every power amp sounds different, regardless of power amount. It just so happens, the best sounding power amps have the most power. I'll take the tone(AND volume) of a VHT 2150 any day over some underpowered 20/20 with teensy weensy transformers in one rack space.

 

[ned911]

I just want a light weight, 2 space power amp that will let me us EL34's or 6L6's with adjustable bias. If I could get just the power section of my Mod50 I'd be more than happy. Maybe limit the tube types to keep the transformer weight down.

 

[manyaxes]

I have thought the same thing. Also alot of people complain about the volume of getting a 100Watt Marshall amp into its groove, yet alot of these power amps are 100Watts per side. I know its not that much louder, but I doubt most people need the headroom.

It's about the sound, man. I hate the sound of a dimed power section. It sounds like crispy, sonic meltdown. It's not my bag. Power tube distortion only muddies up the sound of a good preamp, IMO.

Every power amp sounds different, regardless of power amount. It just so happens, the best sounding power amps have the most power. I'll take the tone(AND volume) of a VHT 2150 any day over some underpowered 20/20 with teensy weensy transformers in one rack space.

We aren't talking about a 20/20, which in fact does not color because of lack of power but because of its tubes AFAIK. I think most people don't need more than 50W in real venues. I mean, who has ever cranked a 100W Mesa Boogie in a bar? That would be insane, if you run it at more than 2 (having in mind you have to combine the master volume and the channel volumes), the owner is gonna kick your aa......... stack I mean . An in bigger venues you're gonna get miced and monitors.

A 50W mono 6L6 power amp is only 3dbs less, and would have plenty of clean uncompressed power for nearly anyone. It would only need a preamp tube for buffering, one for phase inverter and two 6L6s, with no complicated switching or modes. That would leave room for a pretty big transformer and you would still have a very light and possibly small power amp.

I'm thinking about a VHT-like power amp, very clean and uncompressed. That would make it sound good with any preamp, and a 4 or 5 space rack with a preamp and a multifx and/or wireless wouldn't be much heavier than a tube head. You could carry it with one arm!

If you need more power, buy a regular power amp, but there's plenty of those and the market is pretty saturated. The market for a mono superclean and light power amp is there.

 

[mentoneman]

a crate powerblock is the size of a loaf of bread at 75wps and costed me 100 bucks

mono/stereo, ohm selector, graphic eq, small and light

If fractal wanted to tackle something it would be a single space ss stereo power amp w/fx that modelled the various power tubes.

 

[blackba]

It's about the sound, man. I hate the sound of a dimed power section. It sounds like crispy, sonic meltdown. It's not my bag. Power tube distortion only muddies up the sound of a good preamp, IMO.

Every power amp sounds different, regardless of power amount. It just so happens, the best sounding power amps have the most power. I'll take the tone(AND volume) of a VHT 2150 any day over some underpowered 20/20 with teensy weensy transformers in one rack space.

I have rarely been able to get a power amp up and cooking yet. Except for my little Fender Champ, I am not really able to push my amps even in a bad situation. I can't get them up to a decent volume but not where the power amp is breaking up. I run my mesa mark IV for example in half power mode all the time. I wish I could just turn off 2 of the power tubes.

There is plenty of 100/100 or larger power amps available. I would just like to see a 50/50 with a half power switch and the ability to run mono with only one side on.

I know what you mean about the sound of larger amps, but what you gain in fullness and thump you also lose in the ability to control the volume as easily.

 

[jasonP]

I run a w/d/w setup and run a 395 power amp. I find that I need the 100 watts to give me the headroom I need for the high gain tones I'm going for and amount of thickness I want. In a band I have to have this amount of power.

 

[stephen sawall]

. I wish I could just turn off 2 of the power tubes.

Class A

I belive you guys that feel more power is not needed do not like a ton of bass. The more power ~ the more clean bass is there.
I like a "stupid" amount of tight bass. Small amps do not do this.
The amount of power to get below 40 hertz is......

 

[manyaxes]

. I wish I could just turn off 2 of the power tubes.

Class A

I belive you guys that feel more power is not needed do not like a ton of bass. The more power ~ the more clean bass is there.
I like a "stupid" amount of tight bass. Small amps do not do this.
The amount of power to get below 40 hertz is......

Then I guess you play alone, no other band members would like to play with you . But I wonder why you would want such a powerful amp to play alone in your basement . Did you know good soundmen cut your bass at the mixer even when you play with normal amounts of bass? I can't imagine how much bass they would cut with your tone...

Anyway, a good 50W 6L6 power amp has plenty of loud clean bass.

I still cannot understand why no one produces one. Much lighter, much cheaper, same tone, you name it. Then people wonder why a stereo power amp costs as much or more (sometimes double) than a COMPLETE amp. And when you have to replace tubes... double the cost.

 

[stephen sawall]

I have been playing in bars,clubs,theaters,arenas for 30 years this year.
I do not have a basement. I am in 2 bands and do not play out as much I did a few years ago. Three years ago I was out 3 to 5 nights a week. I have shared the stage with some very well known people.
I have spent lots of time behind the board in studio and live.
Every sound guy mixes different.


I have about a dozen amps that range from 5 to 150 watts.
I can not hear as much difference in volume as low end between a 50 and a 150 watt power amp. That and headroom. I do not always use that bass but I like it when I want. The big difference is below 120 hertz.


Depending on the keys and bass player what kind of low end you can use .....
I use a Hot Plate and play about as loud as the drummer.