Solid State "Tubes"? 0_o

[Nadz1lla]

Is there a point to these?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S2Y6HH_VRklgueK0fnPuPMfi1pS2YCu6e2ARVOcaAb0/edit?pli=1

I mean if you want tube tone, you get a tube amp...or am I missing something?

I think they might be going for "sounds like a cranked tube at all volumes" kind of thing.

[tekbow]

Have seen something similar, jet city has something like it. sceptical

[Toe-Knee]

These actually look really cool both visually and the idea.

Especially the tiny amount of heater current.

I've heard some clips of the jet city ones that were really impressive.

They were being used to add more gain though. Really got a stock jcm800 into modern metal territory without a boost using just two of the suckers.

[Dmoney]

Jet City's product is only a 12AX7 type preamp 'valve'. This is the first power valve I've seen, which makes it interesting, slightly.

The 12AX7 type things aren't new. Mesa used to use the Fetron in one of it's amps way back when. What annoys me about some the jargon surrounding things like this, is the emphasis on them being 'analog' devices. They aren't vacuum tubes, so they must be some kind of solid state device. That doesn't make them 'digital' though I guess the words 'solid state' would usually put most people off. Wattgrinder was a prime example of this... 'ok, honestly, this is what they are...' followed by what sounded like jibberish suggesting he'd found a "non-vacuum vacuum device" which wasn't solid state but wasn't in a vacuum.

I find these gizmos interesting, and they might sound ok, or at least be good as reliable spares for touring. I'd like to tear a few apart.

[Frank]

Seems like a great way to convert any decent valve amp into a Valvestate.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Gotta admit, they look really cool.

[richard]

If they work - great. Have a suspicion they don't.

[BigB]

Seems like a great way to convert any decent valve amp into a Valvestate.

+1  :lol:

[HTH AMPS]

Its easy to be a Luddite about this, but one day they will nail it and we'll all be chuffed to bits when we can have plugins that never wear out, go microphonic or cost a small fortune each - especially when they sound like Mullard ECC83s (we can wish, right?)

 PDT_003

[richard]

No business makes a product that never wears out. As soon as everyone that wants one has bought one - no more business. I wonder what makes these things wear out ?

[MDV]

I'm all for them working as advertised. Cant be a bad thing.

Will believe it when I hear it though.

[MrBump]

Its easy to be a Luddite about this, but one day they will nail it and we'll all be chuffed to bits when we can have plugins that never wear out, go microphonic or cost a small fortune each - especially when they sound like Mullard ECC83s (we can wish, right?)

 PDT_003

I don't know.  I think that no matter how good stuff sounds (and lots of modelling stuff works brilliantly, and most of us would struggle to tell the difference from the amp that's being modelled), we would still cling to valves, analogue delays, germanium pedals.  And guitars...

 :D

[Toe-Knee]

This has just  made me realise that valves need kickass looking heatsinks!

I am definitely intrigued by these.

[jpfamps]

This has just  made me realise that valves need kickass looking heatsinks!

I am definitely intrigued by these.

These are quite cool.

http://www.pearl-hifi.com/03_Prod_Serv/Coolers/Coolers.html

[jpfamps]

Look like interesting devices.

Certainly solid state pre-amp "valves" have been produced before (and not really set the world alight), but I've not seen a solid-state power "valve" before, although this of course could be due to ignorance on my behalf.

The filament current draw is intriguing, as is the maximum cathode/ heater voltage rating, as solid state devices (usually) don't have heaters.

The transfer characteristic of a MOSFET look not dissimilar to a power pentode/ beam tetrode, however there is no equivalent of the screen grid in a MOSFET, and the a key feature of these devices is that they seem to have a "screen grid". I can't think how this has been achieved, and will apply some thought to it.

It says it can take 800V on plate and screen and 50W dissipation, so the 6L6WS would have the potential to deliver much more power than a conventional 6L6, perhaps as much as 150W for a push pull pair.