Thundergod Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I think this has been asked before but there are lots of new members since that so here it goes again. How do you guys feel about using solid state and digital preamps with all tube amps? Does it defeat the purppose of an all tube amp? Is it a waste of a good amp? What about tube pedals/preamps with digital or soid state amps? (I think that makes more sense but doesn't sound as great as anything through a tube amp). I'm currently using analog pedals with a tube amp, and I like it so far, but am considering adding a digital multifx unit (one that sports a tube preamp) and was wondering how you guys feel about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 My philosophy is to use whatever works as long as it sounds good (or at least the way you want it to sound) but will admit to being an analog effects and tube amps kind of guy. What I find ironic is that some guys who don't like any effects or pedals have no issues with using high gain amps which typically have a nontube section before the tube section of the preamp to ramp up the signal. In effect (pun intended), a boost not unlike a clean boost pedal. More so, some of the purists allow wiggle room in their philosophies if you're talking about a Tube Screamer or Fuzz Face or something else traditionally acceptable. As for digital effects like reverb, delay and other time based stuff, I think digital works very well. There's something to be said for analog and tape delay, but I think people like those because either they're looking for a particular type of echo that is not what would occur naturally in a space or they like the way the device effects their tone (as is the case with units like the Echoplex). However, digital delay has often gotten a bad rap in the past because it did it's job too well in replicating the repeats; that is, in a space, echoes decay each time a sound wave bounces off of a surface, becoming more scattered and darker sounding and digital just kept it the same but decreased volume. Analog delays, because they suck at retaining the original sound, excel at creating a natural sounding decay as they create each repeat. Makers of digital device noticed that and now make much more natural sounding delays by using filters that darken and degrade the repeats. Okay, I went off on a tangent... As I said in the beginning, I'll use whatever sounds good. For me, I use a relatively clean boost to whack the preamp of my amp. At home, I use an overdrive pedal to create dirty tones, even with my Blues Junior that has a preamp gain control because I think the preamp in the BJ sounds like crap and the nontube pedal much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 It's the final output sound that matters so what ever is sounding good going into a tube amp can only sound good coming out imo - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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