I feel a bit like a heretic. I've just been trying to get a really strong, thick but not insane overdrive/distortion sound. And going through Amplitube it was really, really hard to find. And then, to my horror, I found it - in the Solid State section.
Up until this point I thought only heathens and poodleheads liked solid state. Is there actually a place for it?
Any other closet transistor lovers out there? It's a bit like all those Pot Noodle advertisements...
Is it wrong to like solid state?
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- KVRian
- 541 posts since 19 Jun, 2002 from London, UK
Three shall be the number of the counting
And the number of the counting shall be three.
And the number of the counting shall be three.
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championrabbit championrabbit https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=53166
- KVRian
- 559 posts since 30 Dec, 2004
There are some great, great solid state amps.
There are also plenty of crappy valve amps.
Joe Meek said...well, you know the drill...
There are also plenty of crappy valve amps.
Joe Meek said...well, you know the drill...
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
I think what Marshall did with valvestate and using diodes (leds) in the pre-amp was better then transistors
edit of course they still had transistors..
edit of course they still had transistors..
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
Nothing wrong with solid-state. You're not crazy. Or a heathen.
On the other hand, the purists would crucify you for using Amplitube instead of a real amp, period.
On the other hand, the purists would crucify you for using Amplitube instead of a real amp, period.
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- KVRAF
- 2285 posts since 20 Dec, 2002 from The Benighted States of Trumpistan
Speaking as a guitarist:
Solid-state can be absolutely wonderful, even without considering FETs and clever diode tricks. It is perfectly fine to enjoy it. Furthermore, since solid state can be less distorted than hollow-state, one may successfully argue that solid state can be, in some cases and ways, better -- higher fidelity, even. Seek not absolution, for there is no need of it.
However, for creating that warm, squishy, authentic Voice-of-God thunder, tubes are still the best way to go. Otherwise...
Mind you, I've heard amazing things about combining a FET with a bipolar transistor in a semi-Darlington configuration... anybody care to comment?
Btw, I prefer liquid state. Alcohol is much easier to consume when in a liquid, as opposed to solid, gaseous, or igneous, state...
Solid-state can be absolutely wonderful, even without considering FETs and clever diode tricks. It is perfectly fine to enjoy it. Furthermore, since solid state can be less distorted than hollow-state, one may successfully argue that solid state can be, in some cases and ways, better -- higher fidelity, even. Seek not absolution, for there is no need of it.
However, for creating that warm, squishy, authentic Voice-of-God thunder, tubes are still the best way to go. Otherwise...
Mind you, I've heard amazing things about combining a FET with a bipolar transistor in a semi-Darlington configuration... anybody care to comment?
Btw, I prefer liquid state. Alcohol is much easier to consume when in a liquid, as opposed to solid, gaseous, or igneous, state...
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
fwiw there was a time where I would say tubes only...but as technology grows that just isn't the case any more. In fact what has happened as a result really suks. Tube amps are greatly overpriced, you're paying for simple circuts and bragging rights.
My preference is not using distortion pedals, but overdrive. It use to be that was the only way to create the tone I crave. Today that is not so, I can achieve that tone with something as simple as a sansamp. So I think today it's more of an ego thing and those who don't believe you can have joy with both tubes and solidstate are only hurting themselves...I myself have both...for live I like my tube pre-amp, recording I don't use it at all...
My preference is not using distortion pedals, but overdrive. It use to be that was the only way to create the tone I crave. Today that is not so, I can achieve that tone with something as simple as a sansamp. So I think today it's more of an ego thing and those who don't believe you can have joy with both tubes and solidstate are only hurting themselves...I myself have both...for live I like my tube pre-amp, recording I don't use it at all...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRian
- 1325 posts since 6 Mar, 2001 from London, UK
Trojan Badger wrote: Up until this point I thought only heathens and poodleheads liked solid state. Is there actually a place for it?
Wash your mouth out with soap and water you filthy heathen heretic!
But seriously...
Whatever works, works.
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- KVRAF
- 2565 posts since 30 Mar, 2004 from Phoenix AZ USA
We need both depending on the application.
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- KVRist
- 271 posts since 13 Aug, 2002 from Knowhere, Texas
Dimebag used solid state and he made a pretty thunderous noise. I've talked to a few people who use tube live, and solid state to record with. Solid state has so much more clarity in my opinion. My personal choice would be to bi-amp with both solid state and tube.
Your very silence shows you agree.-Euripides
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
I understand that dimebag used sansamp as well...ResonantOrder wrote:Dimebag used solid state and he made a pretty thunderous noise. I've talked to a few people who use tube live, and solid state to record with. Solid state has so much more clarity in my opinion. My personal choice would be to bi-amp with both solid state and tube.
Curious about which way you would go bi-amping...though it's more accurate to call it a hybrid. I use a tube pre with a 400watt solidstate power amp...would you prefer a tube pre or poweramp?..
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
I've actually used a gaseous-state amplifier. No fooling.
At college back in the 1970s, I attended a demonstration of a completely pneumatic amplifier. That is, a mechanism that worked off pressurized air and nothing else, and which amplified sound coming into its input hose. I spoke into a funnel shoved into the hose's end, and heard a crudely amplified voice from its output diaphragm.
Cool demo... but impractical, at least in the simple form I saw and tried. Dunno whether anyone ever refined it.
At college back in the 1970s, I attended a demonstration of a completely pneumatic amplifier. That is, a mechanism that worked off pressurized air and nothing else, and which amplified sound coming into its input hose. I spoke into a funnel shoved into the hose's end, and heard a crudely amplified voice from its output diaphragm.
Cool demo... but impractical, at least in the simple form I saw and tried. Dunno whether anyone ever refined it.
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
Aha! So it worked with valves & tubesMeffy wrote:I've actually used a gaseous-state amplifier. No fooling.
At college back in the 1970s, I attended a demonstration of a completely pneumatic amplifier. That is, a mechanism that worked off pressurized air and nothing else, and which amplified sound coming into its input hose. I spoke into a funnel shoved into the hose's end, and heard a crudely amplified voice from its output diaphragm.
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
I understand that, my comment's pun was intended. Cool concept btw...
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
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- KVRAF
- 2017 posts since 21 Mar, 2002 from Hutchinson, Kansas
Personally, I prefer high quality vintage solid state to high-end tube gear. Maybe not specifically for guitars, but for studio gear in general. I have very nice pre-amps in my studio, and for most things, I prefer the discrete Chandler Limited/EMI TG-2 over the Manley Dual Mono Mic Pre. The Manley has many uses, to be sure, and believe you me, it sounds wonderful. However, if I had to choose between the two, the Chandler wins hands down. Even as a direct box for geetar (tho' I'll often use the Manley for rhythm tracks).
I've used a lot of "fashionable" vintage tube stuff, but I tend to reach for the solid state things first these days. Mind you, I really, really dislike cheap tube gear. I'm not talking about that stuff...it isn't even part of my studio process.
One thing I have noticed about a lot of gear that is highly-regarded: much of the sound attributed to tubes is actually the result of good transformers. Most old tube-based gear (such as the LA2a, as well as modern stuff like Manley boxes) have custom-wound inductors. So does a lot of early sought-after solid state gear (LA3a, 1176 A-E). Conversely, a lot of modern transformerless gear with tubes slapped into the signal path sounds anemic to me.
Coincidentally, as I write this post, I am waiting for delivery on a refurbished, recapped solid-state UREI LA3a...mmmm. Toasty.
I've used a lot of "fashionable" vintage tube stuff, but I tend to reach for the solid state things first these days. Mind you, I really, really dislike cheap tube gear. I'm not talking about that stuff...it isn't even part of my studio process.
One thing I have noticed about a lot of gear that is highly-regarded: much of the sound attributed to tubes is actually the result of good transformers. Most old tube-based gear (such as the LA2a, as well as modern stuff like Manley boxes) have custom-wound inductors. So does a lot of early sought-after solid state gear (LA3a, 1176 A-E). Conversely, a lot of modern transformerless gear with tubes slapped into the signal path sounds anemic to me.
Coincidentally, as I write this post, I am waiting for delivery on a refurbished, recapped solid-state UREI LA3a...mmmm. Toasty.