Tubes Vs Digital

[ParsonsMatt]

I hear this debate all the time, and I thought I might try and settle it once and for all.

Here is a clip: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=442291&songID=6405436

I recorded this for my old band, Jenovah. However, we broke up before we could finish it, and all we got done were one track each of guitars, and drums.

There's another board where someone posted similar clips like this, so I thought I'd upload mine.

On one side, we have an HD147 on top of an Avatar 412 with CL80 speakers.

On the other, we have a 6505+ on a Marshall 1960B with Celestion G12T75s.

They are both miced in the same way, with no digital effects.

Your job is to guess which amp is tube, and which is digital.

Go!

 

[Endo]

I'm gonna guess the left channel is tubes, the right is digital. In order to be really scientific, though, you should run them through the same cab, or at least the same speakers.

 

[razoredge]

left is tube right is digital but later in the song I could change my mind.... lol Do you have effects and mix down going on in there too? Never mind, read it forgot it...

I play through both in stereo with effects which has a tube pre amp. I love the mix. But they are old amps and easily identified from each other. A Randall RG80 and a Carvin X100B through an Art SGX. Neither one alone sounds anywhere near as good as they do together but the Carvin has more meat and the Randall is like a rasp. Pros and cons to both solid state and tube, as years go by solid state keeps getting better. My Randall has got the job done for years and never let me down, wish I could say the same for the Carvin.

What is a HD127 ?

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I'm gonna guess the left channel is tubes, the right is digital. In order to be really scientific, though, you should run them through the same cab, or at least the same speakers.

In order to be really scientific, I would have to do a lot more than the same speaker...

I'd need to have a solid state preamp and power amp, as well as a tube preamp and power amp.

I'd then run the exact same guitar track reamped through the SS preamp into both poweramps, miced the same way, then the same thing through the tube preamp.

The HD147 is Line 6's "metal" amp.

 

[razoredge]

So thats like possibly the leading advanced amp in tube modeling ?

the 5605 is all tube right ? conventional tube amp ?

I'll say one thing while we are on it. I just watched Joe Satriani's live DVD from '06 and the tone from those Peveys just floored me for the whole 1.5 hours. thick, beefy, phat, color, presence, smooth, responsive... on and on, you choose the term. Years ago Pevey did not impress me so I kinda turned, swearing to never look back...... Im looking now, the have my attention. (I realize Joes fingers/mind/technique have alot to do with it but didnt want to turn the thread in the who like who direction) Just saying what a sound from those THREE half stacks

 

[razoredge]

forgot : great riffs-writing-structure

and on second listen I still think the right side has the digital "bite" and the left has the flow. It is a hard call at times.

 

[panzerfaust666]

Meh I am a purist I love Tube amps personally. but I do have a Solid-State, so i may be a hypocrite

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Meh I am a purist I love Tube amps personally. but I do have a Solid-State, so i may be a hypocrite

Whats your vote then?

 

[panzerfaust666]

oops, good point.

Well, With a tube amp you can craft much Better( arguable) ,natural, tones, with use of tone control etc. something about them, dunno.

But then with a solid state you can do some of the same things, and they always sound good, as with tube amps you have to be playing well to craft the tone nicely.

so....TUBE!!!


p.s., bassed on personal experiences etc

 

[razoredge]

yeehaw !

Panzer, you didnt read the very first post, double check, its about identification, not preference

 

[ParsonsMatt]

Yeah... Which side is the tube amp, and which is the digital?

 

[waif]

Right is digital.
But they both sound good. I like the song.

I prefer tube amps, but I can't afford them. So I use a little 30W Vox solid state. It works fine; my friend (who has an AC30, an Orange, and a Marshall) constantly makes fun of it, but fuck him. It sounds a little harsh, but I don't really mind. If I could, though, I'd get a tube amp.

 

[Symbiant]

Tubes create even harmonics. Solid state is more jagged and uneven distortion. But now a days they can pull it off as technology grows more and more..

 

[razoredge]

so many non comitters here

 

[waif]

you wanna tell us?

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I'll tell when I get some response! So far only one, two guesses? I want at least 5.

 

[razoredge]

you have three, mine not a guess Im committed, Ill be alright should I be wrong. But like I asked, I think you are talking about the best tube modeling circuitry with that Line 6

it is amusing that few of us took a jab at it...... its the fear of the solid state epidemic. My Randall was pretty advanced in its day and considering it was 1/3 the price of a Marshall half stack it was a better deal, sounded better clean and cut through the mix better on gain than the Marshall my comrade was playing through. I had presence.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

You don't win or lose anything if you're wrong. There's no pressure.

I just want to see if all the people who constantly rag on digital amps can tell a digital from a tube amp in a raw recorded context.

 

[De_Angelis]

To me,the point is not to prove is the digital capable of doing the same thing as tubes but one other thing.
While there is a certain digital stuff that really can come close to tubes and trick us in the mix there are some serious intuitive problems that I've encountered very often with digital equipment.Ok,some guys really can nail the tone similar to mesa boogie etc. using guitar rig or whatsoever and while I do like what I hear,when I personally try to play these presets I get hugely dissapointed and it simply does not work for me.It simply doesnt have the response,harmonic content and dynamics of tubes.
The result on the record may be good but the process of actual "playing" the presets and making it happen is just fake.
For example,I can make some very convincing sounds on pod XT and make it sound good as a real amp situation but I simply hate playing it,it just doesnt respond well to my picking and nuances.

 

[razoredge]

yet... another willing to take the 1 minute to commit to a answer.

116 views.... 3 willing participants

cowards ! Ey should slaughter the lot of ya

Ah gee Matt.... I thought I might win that 5605 head as runner up and the Endo the HD147.... least we be wrong