Any Wels (Music Unlimited) festival reports coming in? Love to read some - woulda gone if it hadn't been the wife's bday weekend... -- Vincent Kargatis np: David Bowie - "Moonage Daydream" (Ziggy Stardust)
A friend and I are looking to build a Theremin as a project. We've scoured the internet for schematics and have found some good ones. We are left with a question whether to use vacuum tubes or transistors. We've discussed the durability and cost differences between the two, but we're curious as to how much different the two sound. All that I've been able to gather is that tubes sound vaguely "better." Does any one have any experience between the sound of tubes v. transistors? Thanks in advance. Zach
At 1:54 PM -0500 11/16/02, Zachary Steiner wrote:
A friend and I are looking to build a Theremin as a project. We've scoured the internet for schematics and have found some good ones. We are left with a question whether to use vacuum tubes or transistors.
Not sure about the sound differences for theremins, but I'd say that tube amps generally sound better to my ear. As a tube afficionado, however, I'd suggest that if it's your first project or one of the first, go with the transistors--there's easily enough current flying around in tube circuitry to kill a person, and transistors operate at much lower power. Still, it all can be done safely with precautions (bleeding capacitors, never reaching in with both hands, making sure you're not a good path to ground, etc). Best of luck, M -- Maurice Rickard http://mauricerickard.com/
On Sat, 16 Nov 2002 14:09:51 -0500 Maurice Rickard wrote:
At 1:54 PM -0500 11/16/02, Zachary Steiner wrote:
A friend and I are looking to build a Theremin as a project. We've scoured the internet for schematics and have found some good ones. We are left with a question whether to use vacuum tubes or transistors.
Not sure about the sound differences for theremins, but I'd say that tube amps generally sound better to my ear. As a tube afficionado, however, I'd suggest that if it's your first project or one of the first, go with the transistors--there's easily enough current flying around in tube circuitry to kill a person, and transistors operate at much lower power. Still, it all can be done safely with precautions (bleeding capacitors, never reaching in with both hands, making sure you're not a good path to ground, etc).
But the argument for vacuum tubes mainly applies to power amps, not low level signals, right (because as far as I know I am not aware of 16-bit D/A converters made out of vacuum tubes, and every CD player has two such beasts)? Since the point of the Theremin is the production of a low level signal whose frequency is dependent on the position of its environment, I don't see a point in using a vacuum tube oscillator (except for fetichist reason, it goes without saying). Patrice.
At 9:38 AM -0800 11/18/02, Patrice L. Roussel wrote:
But the argument for vacuum tubes mainly applies to power amps, not low level signals, right (because as far as I know I am not aware of 16-bit D/A converters made out of vacuum tubes, and every CD player has two such beasts)?
Good point, but not inevitably so--witness the proliferation of tube preamps. But I agree that the power stage, and quite possibly the output transformers moreso than the tubes, are more characteristic of "tube tone," so the application to the theremin is doubtful. And I suspect that a tube theremin will be much more of a pain in the butt to haul around than a solid state one would be. -- Maurice Rickard http://mauricerickard.com/
On Mon, 18 Nov 2002 20:55:39 -0500 Maurice Rickard wrote:
At 9:38 AM -0800 11/18/02, Patrice L. Roussel wrote:
But the argument for vacuum tubes mainly applies to power amps, not low level signals, right (because as far as I know I am not aware of 16-bit D/A converters made out of vacuum tubes, and every CD player has two such beasts)?
Good point, but not inevitably so--witness the proliferation of tube preamps. But I agree that the power stage, and quite possibly the
They might proliferate but I am still skeptical due to the fact that the source of the sound is coming from 100% solid state devices (I am of course thinking of CD players, turntables with electro-mechanical cartridges are another story). Having a couple of vacuum tubes down the signal path to strenghten the signal by few dozen of dBs does not change the fact that the "evil" is at the source. If vacuum tube are so perfect, a music audiophile should refuse playing CDs (maybe they do). But maybe audiophiles are like non-meat eaters: you have the vegetarian who want they power amplifier with vacuum tubes, and the vegans who want as many vacuum tubes as they can afford :-). Patrice.
They might proliferate but I am still skeptical due to the fact that the source of the sound is coming from 100% solid state devices (I am of course thinking of CD players, turntables with electro-mechanical cartridges are another story). Having a couple of vacuum tubes down the signal path to strenghten the signal by few dozen of dBs does not change the fact that the "evil" is at the source. If vacuum tube are so perfect, a music audiophile should refuse playing CDs (maybe they do).
That sounds like the computer motherboards (Like AOpen's AX4B-533 Tube) with tube amps in their integrated sound. I've never heard of anything so silly... It's still a digital (aka evil) source. Zach
At 8:48 AM -0800 11/19/02, Patrice L. Roussel wrote:
On Mon, 18 Nov 2002 20:55:39 -0500 Maurice Rickard wrote:
Good point, but not inevitably so--witness the proliferation of tube preamps.
They might proliferate but I am still skeptical due to the fact that the source of the sound is coming from 100% solid state devices.... Having a couple of vacuum tubes down the signal path to strenghten the signal by few dozen of dBs does not change the fact that the "evil" is at the source.
Ah. I get you. I was mainly thinking of tube preamps in recording (and home) studios, where "evil" is the ultimate destination, not necessarily the source. Believe me, I'm not against digital at all. And if there's a main culprit in some digital systems sounding awful, it's more likely the result of cheap D/A converters than it is the result of digital itself being inherently eeeeevil. -- Maurice Rickard http://mauricerickard.com/
participants (4)
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Maurice Rickard -
Patrice L. Roussel -
Vincent Kargatis -
Zachary Steiner