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what does a Rectifier tube do?

I have an Air Tight Atm1 amp which uses 2 5ar4 Rectifier tubes. The manufacturer calls it Mullard Rectification. My question is what is Rectification? I ask becuase AirTight makes ATM3s which use the same tubes (EL34) but do not use 5ar4s for Rectification. Would that mean there is a different sound even though both amps use the same Output tube?
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jc2000
92 posts
 
A rectifier turns alternating current and turns it into direct current. I don't know this from my own experience, but I've heard it said that the type of rectifier used does have an effect on the sound.
clueless
763 posts
 
A rectifier tube (diode) changes alternating current into little lumps of direct current. See

www.electronicstheory.com/html/e101-39.htm

I remain,
ezmeralda11
303 posts
 
To answer the question: A rectifier (or rectification) is anything that allows something to flow in one direction without hindrance, but not the other. Its possible for a loudspeaker's port to start acting as a rectifier: air doesn't flow out as easily as it does in, or vice versa. I believe its called a full-wave bridge rectifier that's used in solid-state to convert AC (alternating current) into DC (direct current).
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I've no clue about Mullard rectification but I have two assumptions that the second diode tube either rectifies a phase inversed signal or the split-phase signal(where one phase is lagging bihind another by 1/2period making a twice as freequet "lumps" that are much easier to smooth up with capacitors that have proper time delay. Inverting phases as well as splitting phases can be done using a transformer.
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