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AUDIO FORUMS >> Analog Tape >> Tube, or SS?
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Message started by Brian on 07/07/14 at 23:23:31

Title: Tube, or SS?
Post by Brian on 07/07/14 at 23:23:31

I see that some of the open reel machines have vacuum tube circuits http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1007/g36hr4.jpg
Revox G36

Around what year were the machines changed to solid state?
Is there a movement out there to convert SS machines to tube?

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by Steve Deckert on 07/08/14 at 19:47:32

The change started happening in the mid 60's. The first years of solid state were hatefully bad. By 1969 it started turning around and getting pretty good. Ironically, at least from a pro tape machine perspective, the transports themselves were pretty crude until the 1980's which is when transports became logic controlled. So when you look at old tape machines, the tube ones are going to sound better much of the time, but the transports will be more likely to damage the tape... it's a trade off like most things ;)

Steve

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by Brian on 07/09/14 at 08:18:19

Thank You, Steve.
Converting the newer machines to tube circuits sounds like a niche industry for someone who was feeling industrious.

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by JSantos on 03/01/16 at 15:15:58

I found tubes to have a 'dirty' but subtle hint of warmth compared to some solid-state equipment I own. But yep, with the overall growth of solid-state equipment, they've introduced their own flavour to the fray.

But I really love the sound of tubes, to be honest, even if the transports lose a bit of quality.

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by Steve Deckert on 03/03/16 at 03:54:17

The best of both worlds is to get a solid state machine with a good transport and wire up a pair of RCA jacks directly to the playback head. This way you can use our ZP3 phono stage with the tape option as your tape head playback amplifier. It will sound better than you think, even with stock heads.

Here is a link to the ZP3 page that has been recently updated with this new tape option.

https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZP3.htm

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by hdrider on 03/06/16 at 16:45:14

My first exposure to stereo what through a room mates Tandberg RR and some mediocre Koss headphones. Just recordings of records like the first ELP and some CSNY. Totally knocked me out. I went out a bought the best Koss phones I could afford (this is 1975 ish) Pro4AA which had the best bass response. Those phones and that RR set the path for a love of music and audio gear. When I found the Decware site and bought my little 2 watter the die was cast. Wish I had room for a RR now but the closet is full of gear. Happy listening, Chris.

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by Archie on 03/06/16 at 19:34:27

I still remember my first experience with headphones and how the music came from the middle of my head! Blew my mind. I think those early experiences implant something that grows without us even knowing.

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by JD on 03/06/16 at 21:31:27

Archie that made me laugh out loud. Just the other day I had to convince myself to stop trying to figure out how I could hear music in what seems to be the the middle of my head. I remember thinking the same thoughts 35 years ago laying on my parents couch listening to my first headphones.

JD

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by JSantos on 03/10/16 at 14:54:27

Lol archie. But i really understand what youre trying to say. Haha!

It does feel like it!

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by tony ma on 04/07/16 at 19:22:08

Hello my first post in this forum, I am the guy to design and modify of play back and recording system for Ultraanalogue Recordings, before those my first modification of RTR was Revox PR99, I have two of them, I changed all the coupling caps to a higher quality modern product in one set and compared to the other one in stock, found big different in transparency , next stared to the pro machine Studer A810, built a tube 5687 mu stage for output stage to replaced the stock stage but with a selector switch for comparison and found even a pro design still have endless space for improving, Those early cello solo tapes from UAR were recorded in Studer A80 stock and later rec amp changed to tube 6900 SE, transformer coupling and repo amp change to WE437A SE in output section for copy use , so if you have chance to compare the early recording to the latest one you will find how the tube circuit can make big improvement to a SS studio pro design
tony ma

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by Steve Deckert on 04/08/16 at 02:52:57

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the forum! Thank you so much for the fine work you did making the UltraAnalogue Tape Machines sound so wonderful, and thank you for joining us here. It will be nice to have a real tape professional around!

I've seen a lot of modded audio gear including some Decware gear that didn't need it, and while it seems like simple cut and paste stuff to many, it's not. In fact it is easy to ruin the signature of a component, and even the time constants with the wrong bypass caps. I could tell from the sound on these tapes that something was really right. I think I told Ed on the phone that whoever was doing his mods really knows what he's doing.

Steve :)

Title: Re: Tube, or SS?
Post by tony ma on 04/08/16 at 16:08:31

Thank Steve
I would like to share what I know about R to R but by no mean everything is correct only just my opinion from my experience , I am lucky to have chance to listen the real master tape and first copy of master tape ( production master ) also the copy from production master. the big different between them is transparency difference but there are no such equipment or meter to measure and show of transparency, listening compare is the only way and transparency can effect to detail, emotion, live feeling etc,the key point is the repro amp of play back deck in dubbing tape copies, a tube repro amp can have more clear sound than SS one and better quality repro amp can get less % drope in transparency so that is why Ed wants to make a good service to his customers for rerun their old copies after we had up grade the repro amp, same reason why the re issue lp can't sound same as the old lp because depend what tape deck(SS circuit ?) is used to play back for cutting
vinyl
tony ma