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Demeter Club
- Thread starter bucephylus
- Start date
It seems like 40 seconds. I will check it out tonight. If it's longer than 20 seconds, I'll report back.
I’ve been told it takes 100 hours “break in”the tubes in full tone after you buy the new tube amps. Your thoughts ?!
jacoby75
Supporting Member
- Mar 11, 2010
- 5,661
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- Endorsing Artist: Mike Lull Custom Guitars, DR Strings
I'm not smart enough to definitively answer that question. I have never owned an all-tube amp or power amp. Only amps with a tube preamp, or, in the case of my Demeter VTBP-201s, a rack tube pre into a solid state power amp. Though I have played some all-tube amps, like the SVT, at festivals and the like. 100hrs sounds like an urban legend. It might be true, but I doubt it. My best educated guess would be that it would take longer for something that is "all-tube" like an SVT to break in than it would something like the Demeter or another tube rack preamp. But the longer the gig goes on, the amp will change in its response and responsiveness as the tubes heat up, especially with all-tube amps.
I think mainly it's an audiophile myth or non myth for a million years . With an all tube bass amp . At about hundred hours you just really start digging the amp . My ears can't remember what an amp sounded like a month ago , If it sounds good , it's good . I've never noticed any change breaking in pre amp tubes .
Santa was VERY good to me this Christmas, my wife found and bought a VTBP-201. I have wanted one for years, so she got me good! It has a unique build, with what appears to be 2 balanced outs, one with a standard Jenson transformer, and one with a Cinemag, microphone style transformer. Has anybody seen one like this before?
Congrats on the preamp!!
No idea what that “balanced out” transformer is doing. Could be just giving you a balanced out. More power amps are using balanced XLR cabling for input. The newer Mesa amps exclusively use balanced XLR outputs from the preamp. I would call the shop. Good idea to know if this was their mod or not; and in either case they may be able to tell you what that transformer is doing. Another idea would be to message @agedhorse , as he may be able to shed some light on what that particular transformer is doing.
Enjoy!
Thank you bucephylus! I probably need to call James Demeter's shop and ask him, as you suggest. The Jensen out sounds incredible, the other one ("+4 BALANCED") has a nasty buzz/hum, will definitely have to check that out...
I believe I saw that one being sold on Reverb.com. If that's the one than it may be one of the very earliest 201's. Definitely call James about it.
That is the one my wife bought off Reverb, I will be calling him this week, thank you emjazz.
I'm no expert, but this sounds like the "Nashville mod" that allows you to go direct to tape with a +4dB output. A bit more info can be found in this F/S thread. Nice pre BTW - love mine!
SOLD - Demeter VTBP-201
Sweet info, thanks slagbass! That sounds about like it, the exception being the second DI transformer is not a Jensen. I am going to give James a call this week sometime, exceedingly busy the last couple of days, but I will update here when I get a chance to talk to him.
So... I’ve been using my vtbp800d connected to my Bergantino cab, with the direct out going xlr to 1/4” into my interface. Today it seemed like I wasn’t getting much signal from the direct out. Messed around with changing the input on the interface, high gain, low gain. Still sorta weird.
Is it safe to run the head unplugged from the cabinet, to just use the Jensen signal to protools? Am I correct in saying that the only volume control on the head controls the output of the di? Trying to get a good signal without blowing my apartment neighbors away with live cab volume.
Is it safe to run the head unplugged from the cabinet, to just use the Jensen signal to protools? Am I correct in saying that the only volume control on the head controls the output of the di? Trying to get a good signal without blowing my apartment neighbors away with live cab volume.
should be fine to use the amp without a cab, using just the pre into your interface and DAW. Its usually tube power amp sections that need a cab and your amp has a class D power section that should not be bothered by that arrangement.
I had a VTBP-800-D a few years ago and used mine this way for recording without any issues.
Agreed. Most of my time spent with the VTBP-800-D is using it as a fancy DI for home recording with no cab attached. Remember the output is line signal, not instrument, so set your USB interface accordingly.
I haven't had much luck using the VTBP-800-D live. It's polite and tres quirky. But it's a glorious noodling and recording gizmo. To clarify, in a less raucous live situation, it might be great.
I haven't had much luck using the VTBP-800-D live. It's polite and tres quirky. But it's a glorious noodling and recording gizmo. To clarify, in a less raucous live situation, it might be great.
