What the heck is bias anyway?


I'm getting a new tube amp that will need to be biased. The process of doing it seems fairly straight forward, but I am curious: what are you actually doing when you bias an amp? In english, for us technical Ludites.
grimace
Wow! Elizabeth posts a totally incorrect response - and Grimace grasps the main concept anyway.....
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Geez Herman, no need to go off on Elizabeth.

She even stated that she was making a “simple explanation,” from which Grimace was able to grasp the general concept.

I can see what she meant. Perhaps if she would have changed a few words, you would not have taken such offense; i.e.: “Bias predetermines the amount of power (i.e.: voltage), to be directed to (applied to) the vacuum tube, to push the electrons through.”

In general (“simple” terms), people tend to think of current and voltage as “power.” Elizabeth wrote: “Bias is the power put into a tube to push the electrons across the vacuum in the tube.” In general, that’s not completely different from saying something like, “the bias predetermines the voltage (“power”) that is made to flow to the tube, and required to push the electrons through.”

Intelligent people can comprehend both complex and simple concepts. I have read that extremely smart folks (i.e.: geniuses) have a hard time with simple concepts. Herman…you genius, please don’t pick on us simple folks who have “our own way” of communicating!!!!!

(All in fun!)

_Ben