2. amps-preamps
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A Black Box to Solve Everything

Tubes vs. solid state?? There's a thread out right now about this exact question (there always is), but I didn't want to take it off subject. So my question is; is there a device that could go between the preamp and amp that has variable harmonic distortion capabilities? I know there are tube buffers, but they are not really addressing the point because they use line level signals and don't have the distortion of a good 300B tube being pushed beyond its limits. My thinking is that of a black box with switches and knobs to adjust harmonic distortion to mimic different tube types. It would also have to have a bypass switch so we could readily and quickly A/B the thing. Any ideas?

koestner
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,815 posts
 

THAT'S the one @clio09! So it's a pre-amp, not an amp. I'd love to hear Nelson and Ralph Karsten discussing the related subject together. Roger Modjeski too, but that's not going to happen.

wolf_garcia
6,704 posts
 

Who wants their hifi rig to push a 300B to distortion? Hmmm...Pass is into "tube like" sound as illustrated by his XA-25. I have one and it sounds great but not particularly like tubes to my ears...I switch between that amp and a Dennis Had SEP.  SS guitar distortion pedals into a tube guitar amp can sound amazing. I have various ones including my old 1980 ProCo Rat that is my fave...a supposed magic Motorola LM308 transistor is the key to that tone.

greg_f
106 posts
 

I guess you could try a unity gain tube buffer which is normally used for impedance matching between components, I remember reading somewhere there was even a SS device which emulated the 2nd (and others?) harmonic of a tube and the distortion (magnitude of harmonic) was applied in variable steps. I can't recall where I have seen it, I will have a search.

tomrk
73 posts
 

Such digital signal processors already exist.   I've seen them and used them.   They can mimic tubes, all sorts of distortion, and create a unique sound in many ways:

The secret of the perfect sound

snoidslap75
17 posts
 

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket here, but why would I add another component in the chain? I happen to own multiple tubes, so play what you have, and be happy! JMO.

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