Tube preamp vs. tube emulator - what's the difference?

**Ukiah Bass** · #1 01-21-2009, 03:59 PM

I use a Genz Benz Shuttle 6 and love the woolly, warm sound of its tube preamp. I replaced the stock Ruby tube with an old Telefunken and love it even more. So -- I've been reading about the Tech 21 VT Bass and am left wondering if it will enhance the tube-yness of the Shuttle+tube pre. I do not have experience with tube amps. I do not need overdrive. How would the VT bring a significant advantage with tone control? Thanks!

PilbaraBass · #2 01-21-2009, 04:02 PM

save your money...the GB shuttle 6 is all you need...WORK IT, BABY!

nothin' against the VT...but if you don't want overdrive and already have the tube thing happening, you won't get a benefit from it, IMO.

OptimusPrime · #3 01-21-2009, 04:02 PM

Yeah, the fact that I have an EBS ValveDrive running into an SVT is kinda redundant.

attackbass · #4 01-21-2009, 04:06 PM

If you love the sound of your preamp I wouldn't worry about the VT. Unless you are also looking for a different sound to use live or going to use it for your direct sound to FOH orrrrr... looking for a bit more edge or bite (gain basically) to your tone?

From personal experience I 've found sansamp products to enchance a hybrid/solidstate head tone giving it more depth... the VT will give you a great emulation of an SVT or a fender bassman if that is what you are looking for. Since going to an all tube head i use my Sansamp with the parallel output going to the amp as in my opinion doesn't work as effectively as it does with a hybrid etc

**Ukiah Bass** · #5 01-21-2009, 04:26 PM

Thanks for your comments. I play a Fender Aerodyne jazz bass with SD basslines and can get plenty of edge and bite with the J pup. I usually have it dialed way back and keep the bass boosted for a warmer tone. My inexperience with tube amps is showing. Are there huge differences in tone between an SVT and others? I was dividing the world into solid state/hybrid vs. tube, but imagine there are plenty of tonal subdivisions on the tube side.

OptimusPrime · #6 01-21-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukiah Bass

Thanks for your comments. I play a Fender Aerodyne jazz bass with SD basslines and can get plenty of edge and bite with the J pup. I usually have it dialed way back and keep the bass boosted for a warmer tone. My inexperience with tube amps is showing. Are there huge differences in tone between an SVT and others? I was dividing the world into solid state/hybrid vs. tube, but imagine there are plenty of tonal subdivisions on the tube side.

I was just saying that's it's redundant for me to be running a tube preamp pedal into an all tube amp.

agedhorse · #7 01-21-2009, 05:30 PM

FYI, on the Shuttle 6.0, not only is there a (real) tube preamp, but there's also a power tube output stage emulation circuit in the power amp's drive processing. The output clip/limit light shows power amp power tube emulation limiting for approximately the first 6dB of it's range and after that the power amp gradually begins to clip.

bongomania · #8 01-21-2009, 05:32 PM

There are loads of different tones possible from different tube devices. It's actually a big mistake when people (not in this thread) say they want "tube sound" or "it sounds like a real tube" or "it has a tube so it gives me that fat tube tone" etc. Tubes can be implemented in many, many different ways- different plate voltages, different gain structures, different application of different stages within one tube, different amount of gain going into each tube, etc.

You really have to take each so-called tube or tube-emulating device on its own individual merits. It's not even a question of price or quality- there are inexpensive devices that give a lot of the tube coloration that some one user might want, and there are expensive high-falutin' devices which sound nothing like you might have hoped or expected just having a tube.

There are also some emulators that do a better job of sounding like an all-tube amp than some preamp pedals that actually contain a tube. Take them all strictly case by case, seriously.

Higgie · #9 01-21-2009, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

There are loads of different tones possible from different tube devices. It's actually a big mistake when people (not in this thread) say they want "tube sound" or "it sounds like a real tube" or "it has a tube so it gives me that fat tube tone" etc. Tubes can be implemented in many, many different ways- different plate voltages, different gain structures, different application of different stages within one tube, different amount of gain going into each tube, etc.

You really have to take each so-called tube or tube-emulating device on its own individual merits. It's not even a question of price or quality- there are inexpensive devices that give a lot of the tube coloration that some one user might want, and there are expensive high-falutin' devices which sound nothing like you might have hoped or expected just having a tube.

There are also some emulators that do a better job of sounding like an all-tube amp than some preamp pedals that actually contain a tube. Take them all strictly case by case, seriously.

+1

Well said, sir.

agedhorse · #10 01-21-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgie

+1

Well said, sir.

I agree.

There are some generally accepted principles and goals that are used to accomplish both real tube sound and emulated tube sound. For example, I use a very different approach to tube circuit design in a guitar product then in a bass product because I want to accomplish different things and maintain different degrees of control over the signal throughout the entire range. Also, microphonics is quite a bit different (due to low frequency mechanicals) in a bass amp so I must be aware of this to avoid problems in the design... especially if it happens to be a combo amp.