Does tube rolling make a difference?
Tube changes are not essential The amps and preamps are voiced using those tubes and there is absolutely no need to change them. Tube rolling is about experimentation and fine-tuning.
How long do 12AT7 tubes last?
about 10,000 hours
Small signal tubes like a 12AX7 or 6922 will work well on average for about 10,000 hours.
Does changing tubes change tone?
Most of us have experienced a noticeable change in sound quality when changing tubes. Although these changes are almost always attributed to the tube alone, it’s not that simple. Actually, it’s not the just tube— The difference you hear is tube/amp interaction.
What is amp tube rolling?
Tube rolling is the process of trying out a number of tubes in the same spot in an amplifier and selecting the one that sounds best to you. This can be very helpful in optimizing the tone of the amplifier. CAUTION: Tube amplifiers run on dangerous high-voltages and the tubes get very hot during operation.
How do you know when your power tubes need replacing?
A: These are the most common signs that tubes need replacement:
- Excessive noise (hiss, hum) including squealing or microphonic tubes.
- Loss of high end.
- A muddy bottom end; Sounds like there is too much bass and note clarity is lost.
- Erratic changes in the overall volume.
- The amp doesn’t work!
Do tubes need time to break in?
10-14 days is the general rule, but new tube gear can significantly improve by the hour / day in my experience.
How often should you replace the tubes in your amp?
You can expect a conventional amplifier tube to have a service life ranging up to 10,000 hours. Tubes with military specifications are built to last up to 100,000 hours.
Why is it called tube rolling?
Simply put, tube rolling is the process of trying out a variety of different tubes in the same socket in an amplifier in order to find the one that sounds best to you. The name comes from the circular rolling motion used to slide the tube’s connection pins out from their sockets in the amp.
What should you not touch in a tube amp?
Don’t touch the caps soon after unplugging, and you should have no problems. To be pedantic, you can touch the caps, but not the leads connecting them to the circuit. Mostly, it’s best not to touch any bare wires at all until several minutes after the amp is unplugged.
What is a 12AT7 tube?
The ’12AT7′ Tube. The 12AT7 is a miniature, high-mu twin triode designed for use as a grounded-grid radio-frequency amplifier or as a combined oscillator and mixer at frequencies below approx 300MHz. This tube has a mu factor of 60, as compared to the higher gain 12AX7 with a factor of 100, and the 12AU7, with a mu of only 20.
What is the difference between 12AX7 and 12AT7?
The 12AT7 is a miniature, high-mu twin triode designed for use as a grounded-grid radio-frequency amplifier or as a combined oscillator and mixer at frequencies below approx 300MHz. This tube has a mu factor of 60, as compared to the higher gain 12AX7 with a factor of 100, and the 12AU7, with a mu of only 20.
What is a 12AT7 triode used for?
The 12AT7 is found in many high fidelity applications, as each triode section in normal use operates as a class A amplifier. They also turn up in line and microphone preamplifiers, musical instrument amps, and vacuum tube equipped recording equipment. By their design, they are inherently low noise, making them a good choice for these applications.
Can you use 12a_7 tubes for audio?
Some tubes in the 12a_7 family were designed for audio, and others were not so use of them in audio circuits is not universally recommended either despite some having reported success using 12a_7 tubes in various applications. The 12au7 can be found with many different names on them and a number of closely related tubes exist as well.