Any other solid state players?

[Stink Monkey]

Let's talk about distortion. And distortion specifically in a sound wave. Imagine a soung wave you here but can't see - something like a mountain with peaks and valleys. Distortion can come from clipping of the audio signal (frequency out of the paths range). In an anolog signal path the sound clipping at the peak and valley of the wave is rounded by nature of the the tube circuit. For SS or digital amps the peak and valley of the signal is cut straight across (digital clipping) and this is where the warmth is lost. If you listen closely to CDs you can actully here digital clipping (like a little static charge), If you ever go back and forth from a CD and Tapes you will notice the tapes maybe not clearer but warmer sounding. Try a rap Tape with allot of bass and and then compare the CD version you will see what I mean.

 

 

OK, so I play tube, hybrid and SS, the distortion on my Hybrid comes from the tube preamp and then through the massive SS main amp. At full master volume the hybrid SS main does not clip. (There's no top out and no bottom out with this peticular head and cab.) It certainly sounds warmer than my straight SS amp, I can get the tube crunch and Brown distortion through it too and actually comes close to my Zinky Blue Velvet (which is a to die for tube amp tone tube amp). So what's up with the wave form there? Does the SS keep the wave form from the tube preamp through the SS main? Is it somewhere in the middle? I know on my deeps the digtal clip sounds awful, but that's on a SIAB not an amp. How come it doesn't sound like that using the gain on an SS amp? Different types of digital clipping? Or is it electronically controlled to simulate a tubes over saturated state?

[The Dog Boy]

Props for being in a Steely Dan tribute band.

Thanks mate!.....

[grumphh]

Let's talk about distortion. For SS or digital amps the peak and valley of the signal is cut straight across (digital clipping) and this is where the warmth is lost.

Let's talk about how digital clipping is something that happens in a digital environment, not an analogue one

That said, AFAIK SS clipping is harsh by nature, and probably closer to digital clipping than a gently overdriven tube.

But you can get quite horrid distorted screeches out of tubes too if you wish to - the circuit design actually matters

[jds22]

If you listen closely to CDs you can actully here digital clipping (like a little static charge), If you ever go back and forth from a CD and Tapes you will notice the tapes maybe not clearer but warmer sounding.

 

 

In order to stop that, you need to take a green marker, not just any one but one made especially for CDs, and coat the edges of the CD. The green ink diffuses the stray laser particles, thus warming up the sound of the CD.