Tube Power Amp Simulation on Monitor Out

  • Depth is a detail in the sound that you get from a tube amp.
    The tone seems to be very fine, so fine that your ears can't feel the end of the details.
    I try to explain a feeling with words...not sure about my english so.


    By opposition with a SS amp and in this case PA amps you always get a "thick" sound. With expensiv PA or SS preamps marketing talks about "silk" sound. In fact "thick" is improved and has become "silk" but there is always something which doesn't make the tone as deep as transparent. That's why tubes stay superior.
    What can kill depth? ROHS norms for sure. :D
    I don't know today one component which allows to achieve what you get with tubes, and ROHS does not help.


    Think about talking to your buddy about the KPA. Now take your phone and call your buddy to talk about the KPA.
    the difference of sound will give you an image about the difference between great tubes amps and SS circuits.

    Edited once, last by mba ().

  • mba, your comment has an esotheric tough.


    Guitar power tube amps all have a nonlinear frequency responce. This is not a property of the tubes themselves but of the surrounding circuit. You can easily adapt this to solid state amps (SS) by changing the frequency responce.
    Unless this isn't done, you cannot tell that tube amps have a better sound than SS amps, since you cannot compare them correctly. Tube power amps simply color the tone by simple methods such as frequency dependend feedback. Sounds complicated, but is simple. Usually you change this feedback and thus the sound by e.g. the Presence control. But you never know what the linear setting is, if any.


    About Rohs: For those who don't know what that is: it's a new law in Europe that came up in the last decade that led must not be included into the soldering tin. That makes soldering more difficult, but does not change the conductivity or inpact to the circuitry.


    mba,
    tube amps are Rohs compliant since years as well as SS amps. What amp can we trust now? ;)

  • A few thoughts....


    Technically, a perfect amp has a perfect linear response at all audible frequencies. Not Thick or Silky...just perfect. Typically the loudspeaker is responsible for most of the loss of fidelity anyways.


    I doubt anyone can honestly "hear" what type of low conductivity solder is used in a circuit. Audiophiles use all types of esoteric terms with little or no proof that their special cable or solder is worthy of the price they charge. Now actual circuit design and components used matters, of course!


    Trying to convince an audiophile is nearly impossible but most will refuse to take a double-blind audio test to prove they can hear the difference.


    All of that has little relevance to guitarist since our instruments are fairly low-fi in the grand scheme of things,


    Their is no argument that tube amps sound different...but better? That depends on the application. In a guitar amp, I prefer tubes to alter my tone in a pleasing way. The KPA sounds like a tube amp according to the vast majority. Running it through an additional non-linear tube amp to alter it more makes it better? I prefer the most linear, non-colored, transparent amp I can afford to make my already tubey tone louder. The characteristics of sag and non-linear compression are all handled by the KPA. A good SS amp just makes it louder, (hopefully) not different.


    To those that need tubes, more tube power to you! To each their own...


    bd