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Any good NAMM rumors involving NuTubes?

#24
Really?
Another product that "sounds just like a tube?
This is like the 80's when manufacturers advertised that their SS technology "sounds just like tubes".
Why not just buy a tube piece of gear; it's not like they are not readily available.

Waiting for the day when "sounds just like SS" is the marketing gimmick.
 
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#26
dxb said:
Korg claims they can configure nutubes to work like power tubes, at least according to the English subtitles in the video explaining the technology. If that's true, then I'd love to see an all-tube bass head like an SVT shrunk down massively in size (and hopefully cost).
Click to expand...
Don't hope too much, Nutube screamer now is 40% more expensive than TS9. This is ridiculous, they say the new tech is much cheaper and safer!! than real Tubes.
 
#29
Mili said:
Don't hope too much, Nutube screamer now is 40% more expensive than TS9. This is ridiculous, they say the new tech is much cheaper and safer!! than real Tubes.
Click to expand...

Nutubes are expensive right now because they're brand new technology. But based on how simple they are, I expect prices will drop significantly over time.
 
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#30
dxb said:
Nutubes are expensive right now because they're brand a new technology. But based on how simple they are, I expect prices will drop significantly over time.
Click to expand...

It's old technology, VFD, it has already lived out it's lifetime of usable devices. It's not useful for modern displays.
Find old equipment that used them and they are all burned out. Dimm blue displays.
This is just some way of re-using old tech, and fooling people because the electrons travel in a vacuum. So they can say "tube". They have a plate of glass glued onto a plastic body. They don't use a getter process to purify the vacuum. They are microphonic. They rely on SS components for both input and output to get any usable levels. They won't scale to power tubes.

Lifetime will probably be as long as VFD in displays, and there won't be socketed replacements.

The old "Has a tube" checkbox is checked, but it's just a gimmick.
 
#32
seamonkey said:
It's old technology, VFD, it has already lived out it's lifetime of usable devices. It's not useful for modern displays.
Find old equipment that used them and they are all burned out. Dimm blue displays.
This is just some way of re-using old tech, and fooling people because the electrons travel in a vacuum. So they can say "tube". They have a plate of glass glued onto a plastic body. They don't use a getter process to purify the vacuum. They are microphonic. They rely on SS components for both input and output to get any usable levels. They won't scale to power tubes.

Lifetime will probably be as long as VFD in displays, and there won't be socketed replacements.

The old "Has a tube" checkbox is checked, but it's just a gimmick.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know where you got all this from. I've been wanting to read more about nutubes but there isn't a lot of info out there beyond speculation. Korg won't say much about certain aspects of how they work citing patent concerns. I do know that VFDs aren't new but this isn't a VFD, its a different application of that technology.
 
#33
Mili said:
Yes i understand but overall it doesn't sound better and in the best case it sounds like a real Tube one. I can't get the point.
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Who ever said a nutube would sound better than a regular tube? The point was to make something smaller, cheaper, more power efficient and not dependent on the aging, decades-old equipment used to make traditional tubes. I'm not sure why this is so controversial. If it turns out they aren't all that great they'll simply fade away. If they are, then we'll have a viable alternative to tubes that's still analog and works in a similar way.
 
#34
VFD amplifiers are all over the internet machine.
Old books and magazines have also been scanned into archives. Some behind paywalls.

VFD are triodes, and it has been known since they were invented. Many old DIY articles on making a VFD amplifier projects for headphones - crystal radios. Later made for VCR and electronics display they moved to plastic chip like case with a plate glass glued on. This form factor was good for displays but even worst for audio triodes.

They are just trying to sell the idea of a "tube" in a signal path.

This a tube?
056aa23069455428a8f5f5ff5d6eccd1_pc.jpg

Maybe a "Valve" but it's not "NuValve"

I doubt the sound they are getting has anything to do with the NuTube buffer in the signal path, and more to do with supporting SS circuitry. I suspect any buffer could be put in place and still get the same sound out of these heads. Which may be the fix in the future - replace the NuTube with an Op-amp equivalent.

The search for tone is not found solely in a "Tube" has to be in the signal path. There is many great sounding pre-amps without any electrons flying in a vacuum.
 
#35
seamonkey said:
VFD amplifiers are all over the internet machine.
Old books and magazines have also been scanned into archives. Some behind paywalls.

VFD are triodes, and it has been known since they were invented. Many old DIY articles on making a VFD amplifier projects for headphones - crystal radios. Later made for VCR and electronics display they moved to plastic chip like case with a plate glass glued on. This form factor was good for displays but even worst for audio triodes.

They are just trying to sell the idea of a "tube" in a signal path.

This a tube? View attachment 2884106
Maybe a "Valve" but it's not "NuValve"

I doubt the sound they are getting has anything to do with the NuTube buffer in the signal path, and more to do with supporting SS circuitry. I suspect any buffer could be put in place and still get the same sound out of these heads. Which may be the fix in the future - replace the NuTube with an Op-amp equivalent.

The search for tone is not found solely in a "Tube" has to be in the signal path. There is many great sounding pre-amps without any electrons flying in a vacuum.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I wasn't aware there have already been VFD amplifiers. And yes, I'm aware they're not cylindrical but like you said tubes are also known as valves so I didn't make a distinction based on the shape. In any case, I'm still curious to see where this nutube thing goes.
 
#39
Jim C said:
Waiting for the day when "sounds just like SS" is the marketing gimmick.
Click to expand...

Under "Topology", PositiveGrid has "Solid State"

dbe9e1-crop-dffe9c-DSC_1119.jpg


Some other that have SS amp models
IK Amplitube, Mark Bass Studio, GK modelers ...

You won't really ever get major brand power amplifiers as "models" because they are just be modeling a "wire with gain". Straight through, no distortion or dynamic compression. New SS heads are mostly tone from the pre-amp. You'll find more and more models of them.
 

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