To "Stand-By" or Not to "Stand-By"

[Jind]

Someone posted a thread over at the TDPRI.com forums in the Amp Central topic are about the use of a tube amp "Stand-By" switch. The OP was wondering how people used their "Stand-By" switch. Did most users have it off prior to starting up their amp? Did they use it when taking a break, switching it off and then back on when they return? Did people leave their amp on all day, just in "Stand-By" when not in use? Did people put it in "Stand-By" prior to shutting down for the day?

The responses ran the gamut from think it was for those times when you walked away from the amp for a bit, having it off prior to starting up, leaving an amp on most of the time just in "Stand-By" mode. I had always just had it in "Stand-By" prior to starting up for the day, but generally if I was only walking away for say 15 - 30 minutes I would leave it off, just with my volume turned down on my guitar.

A responder posted this white paper by Hartley Peavey titled "“Standby…...For the Truth" where he provided the history of the "Stand-By" switch, and it's intended usage (which in some cases is probably uncalled for these days). I found it interesting and though some of our tube aficionados here might like the read as well.

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/hartley/chapter_6.pdf

Part of the larger collection of Hartley Peavey's other white papers found HERE

Enjoy!

 

[drew_drummer]

Haven't read it yet, but as I understood it, the standby cuts the HT voltage to the tubes, thus saving the tube life. That's probably a way simplistic understanding, so it will be good to read and get an idea of what HP thinks.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Haven't read it yet, but as I understood it, the standby cuts the HT voltage to the tubes, thus saving the tube life. That's probably a way simplistic understanding, so it will be good to read and get an idea of what HP thinks.

The standby swith in most amps only cuts off the screen voltage to the power tubes and the HT of preamp tubes. They are used merely for mute switches and its not really needed and in worse cases, if the standby is left off for too long can cause cathode sickness in the pretubes if they are left on for too long. They aren't needed as they don't harm anything unless you have a DC coupled stage in the amp whihch then they are needed.

A good design for a standby swith would just cut the screen votage to the tubes, but eventhen cathode sickness can still strike the power tubes as long as the heaters are getting power.

The reason that standby switches where used back in the day is not longer needed, but in older amps they had to be used.

 

[Omega_Void]

We done this one already:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/587751-sleeping-sickness-how-use-your-standby.html



Thanks for the Peavey links, dude.

 

[::XeS::]

Just use the stand-by for a minute or two when you power on the amp, and switch off the stand-by for 30 seconds when you power off the amp.
If you do little pauses during the reharseals, use the stand by. If you don't use the amp, simply switch off the amp.

 

[>>>GENZ<<<]

Cathode sickness - that's a name for a song