Hi Jose, this topic is even more well-worn then analog vs. digital but interestingly, the arguments of one vs. the other almost read the same.

Mind you, for the sake of this discussion, we're not talking specifically about guitar amps. In that sense we're off topic for this thread and forum. We're talking about cicuitry designed for high fidelity. Console circuitry, and clean power amplifiers.

Here's a start. I googled analog vs. solid state amplification and this was one of the ones on top:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/147/tubes_vs_trans.html

This is an interesting read indeed, but it doesn't concretely state anything about the beginnings of solid state electronics in music. It's just about different views on tube and solid state technology.

Mind you, for the sake of this discussion, we're not talking specifically about guitar amps. In that sense we're off topic for this thread and forum. We're talking about cicuitry designed for high fidelity. Console circuitry, and clean power amplifiers.

I understand that, but this discussion came about from a question asked by DigiDis, which I was trying to answer, and it so happens that we have different views on it . I will admit that I'm not very knowledgeable in this area but, to me, I couldn't see why a top recording engineer would give missleading information on this subject. If you want I can open another thread and we can discuss this there since I'm always open to learning new things everyday. In fact, I always try to learn something new everyday, even if it's just one thing. So just let me know if you would like that. Take care.

ORIGINAL: stratton


http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/147/tubes_vs_trans.html

I stopped reading when I got to this....

Harry: What Robert just said is absolutely logical. Electrons have to travel through matter, and they’re doing electronic jumping, whereas when you have a stream of electrons going through a vacuum, that is entirely continuous. It’s like a waterfall, as opposed to water going through a sieve.

I don't believe SS technology was invented for music. Rather it was adopted by the music industry. SS was mainly developed for military, all sorts of manufacturing processes, space & areonautics...ect

Ok, I think I'm not communicating properly what I mean when I say what I say. I'm definitely not saying that SS technology came about with music. What I am saying is that SS technology came about in music because engineers wanted a cleaner, truer sound than what they were achieving with tube equipment...very different .

:-) That's it... the holy grail

mike


edit: I was replying to Mickster above....


Jose you might enjoy giving that link a read... but Mickster has clevelry pointed out that the whole concept can be reduced to that single realization about the vacumn.


best,
mike

Nevermind .

ORIGINAL: Jose7822

Hi Jose, this topic is even more well-worn then analog vs. digital but interestingly, the arguments of one vs. the other almost read the same.

Mind you, for the sake of this discussion, we're not talking specifically about guitar amps. In that sense we're off topic for this thread and forum. We're talking about cicuitry designed for high fidelity. Console circuitry, and clean power amplifiers.

Here's a start. I googled analog vs. solid state amplification and this was one of the ones on top:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/147/tubes_vs_trans.html

This is an interesting read indeed, but it doesn't concretely state anything about the beginnings of solid state electronics in music. It's just about different views on tube and solid state technology.

Mind you, for the sake of this discussion, we're not talking specifically about guitar amps. In that sense we're off topic for this thread and forum. We're talking about cicuitry designed for high fidelity. Console circuitry, and clean power amplifiers.

I understand that, but this discussion came about from a question asked by DigiDis, which I was trying to answer, and it so happens that we have different views on it . I will admit that I'm not very knowledgeable in this area but, to me, I couldn't see why a top recording engineer would give missleading information on this subject. If you want I can open another thread and we can discuss this there since I'm always open to learning new things everyday. In fact, I always try to learn something new everyday, even if it's just one thing. So just let me know if you would like that. Take care.

Well that thread is only a start. You can imagine, there are thousands of articles about SS vs. tubes, which is better, why choose one over the other, why the studios went SS.

You seem really interested and I encourage you to investigate further. It would be a mistake to believe one guy's opinion, even mine!

For the record (so to speak), I'm saying that properly maintained high end tube equipment sounds every bit as clean as high end SS equipment, though SS equipment would measure as being more clean. The distortion we humans DO hear in clean tube gear is perceived as the fabled tube warmth and dimension, rather than distortion.

Further, the move from tubes to SS gear in studios was primarily to dramatically reduce the cost of owning and maintaining equipment with hundreds of tubes in it, and as Rev. Jim added, it was thought to be the next BIG thing.

In some cases, it has been the next big thing. Neve, API, SSL, anyone? Still, high end tube gear should not be thought of as more distorted than SS gear. It's too simplistic, and as far as what we can hear, not true.

Hope that explains my thinking, Jose.

MAN!

I just wish I could play well enough to make ANY of this relevent!

Im sure you do just fine rscain
CJ

Stratton,

I am very interested in this subject, as you have noticed. Even though I understand exactly what you're saying, this mainly applies to today's technology to a certain degree. The reason I say this is because clearly we have improved the sound in both tube and SS gear through the years. But back in the analog tape days, according to Charles Dye, the electrical engineers of the day came about SS technology, IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY (just to clear that up ), as a solution to the inherent distortion that was being added from tube mic all the way to the console into tape. I can't tell you that this is exactly the way it went down since I was definitely not around during that transition so I just go by what I've read. This is why I wanted you to give me some sources of reading material about the beginnings of SS technology in music. Why did we go there? Not why SS is better than tubes. This is just like debating the meaning of life....it goes nowhere (this might be even worse ). I hope you understand what I'm saying. Thanks.

Well mott, does this answer your original question, or should we expound a little on the topic?