I need education .... Clarity

[Cullen G]

I received an article this morning from Blackstar amplifiers that keft me confused.

They were introducing a "newer" technology that is seemingly revolutionary, in their opinion. This is a small, palm sized amplifier board that is digital, and perfectly mimics a tube amp's sound....

I'm confused because when I looked deeper into this "new technology", I found it's nothing at all more than a simple digital chip amplifier, and a "tubey sounding = equalied to a curve) op amp chip.

Why I'm confused, is because the HiFi industry has been doing this forever! I was op-amp rolling 30 years ago. I have probably 20 plus different digital amps on my shelfs that are hand sized, and a cigar box with dozens of op-amps.
And each op-amp sounds different. It's a simple "tune to your sound preference" input stage chip.

So my confusion stems from this: Is our Pro gear just that far behind home HiFi with the same exact technology?

Because if so, who has the investment capital to join me for millions? I've been using a palm sized, 200 watt amplifier for 6 years, for my own cabinets. It's just honest. No sound characteristics of it's own at all.... Sooo any pre-processing makes it sound like any millions of existing sounds you want. Forget modeling amps .... ALL of it is in the preamp stages. Tube amps are easy to get their sound ... measurements show the unique distortions tubes add that are pleasing sounding to many. Grab an op-amp with those same distortions EQd into the sound, and voila.

I'm in zero way trying to argue. I really need to understand, because I am in the process of considering adding guitar and bass cabs/combos to my business line.

Thank you for help with this curiousity!

 

[agedhorse]

If you have a product line with products in this industry, or considering adding new products to your existing line, you probably should review your requirements for disclosure under TB’s commercial user policy.

Since there are no “digital chip amplifiers”, either you are misunderstanding or the marketing is misleading you.

I have tested maybe a hundred different opamps, and unless they are the wrong part for the job do not all sound different. Double-blind testing easily debunks this myth. The major difference in parts for AUDIO applications is noise floor, input impedance and output current capabilities. This is where understanding the technology is inportant.

 

[Killing Floor]

My engineering sensibilities get all tingly when a guitar gear company talks about inventing half century old technology.

9 times out of 7 it’s some marketing intern making something up.

 

[Redbrangus]

Don't get all excited; it's just marketing palaver.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Yes we bassists are all very impressed with your achievements, far more so than agedhorse's...

 

[agedhorse]

Class D amps are not digital, nor are they digital chip amps. Any professional amplifier designer should know this. It’s remedial information.

Also, remember that you were the one who asked for education in the title of your thread.

 

[groooooove]

Thank you, Killing Floor. This is what I expected was the case. Marketing BS....

Since everyone with any real world experience, knows that op-amps have different sonic signatures WHICH CAN be measured.

And of course, anyone knowledgeable knows that small Class D, TriPath, etc amplifiers, like Wondom makes, are generally termed "digital chip amps" for the past decades, as a blanket descriptor.

And lastly because some people are SICKLY presumptuous in their assumptions, I AM NOT ADVERTISING HERE!
I've been in my current business since 2009. I DO NOT NEED the Talkbass forum to advertise my business. Assuming so is paranoid and immature. Asking a genuine question about the Pro Audio industry IS NOT advertising!
Not even sideways... You CAN'T pay me to build anything for you, because I am backed up over a year in orders.
COMMON SENSE says the two laughing emojis means the whole "Investment line" was A JOKE.
That's what laughing emojis means... just joking.

Every time I've posted on this sub forum, I get pretentious answers from "some god like guru" who is trying to set me straight with my lack of knowledge and false beliefs .... HILARIOUS!!!!
I've experienced this laughable BS since 1980. And I've been laughing all the way to the bank the entire time .
44 years in the industry, and still TOO busy every day! Guess my lack of amplifier technology understanding is getting in my way.

This sub forum is TOXIC with the gods of audio and poor attitudes.
Seems like the Pro guys here hate the home HiFi sector... I don't blame them! It's FAR superior sound quality and leading technology own Pro Audio... I know, because I own both

Have a great day guys! I'm going back to sub forums where kind people enjoy sharing knowledge.

im not really sure where to start.

i think all i really want to say is there is a reason 99.9% of us on this forum take just about anything agedhorse says as fact.

it's because he has a serious resume, and a proven track record. he's not "a god," he's a trustworthy professional.

unless you hold an equally impressive position in the amplifier business, i suggest you engage in more reasonable discourse here?

i am not at all saying that it's forum etiquette to bow down to any particular user, or that one must agree with them. all i'm saying is that i have a feeling you have no idea who he is, or how knowledgable many of our users are here.

i think you may learn that there's a lot to gain from the experts. the problem is, you may be reluctant to admit that someone else may be more of an expert than you.

 

[Pings Bass]

In before the lock

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Yet, the marketing mumbo jumbo was not clear as such.

 

[Sid the Kid]

Any more news about this Blackstar amp? I’m curious to read the blurb you read. Tube emulation has been done for a great long time, but I’m all for a new application.

 

[agedhorse]

For clarification, Blackstar does use digital technology in the signal paths of some of their amps, but this is for signal processing and effects and NOT the power amps (which are class D in most cases... a non-linear analog rather than digital technology).

 

[wintremute]

I received an article this morning from Blackstar amplifiers that keft me confused.

They were introducing a "newer" technology that is seemingly revolutionary, in their opinion. This is a small, palm sized amplifier board that is digital, and perfectly mimics a tube amp's sound....

I'm confused because when I looked deeper into this "new technology", I found it's nothing at all more than a simple digital chip amplifier, and a "tubey sounding = equalied to a curve) op amp chip.

Why I'm confused, is because the HiFi industry has been doing this forever! I was op-amp rolling 30 years ago. I have probably 20 plus different digital amps on my shelfs that are hand sized, and a cigar box with dozens of op-amps.
And each op-amp sounds different. It's a simple "tune to your sound preference" input stage chip.

So my confusion stems from this: Is our Pro gear just that far behind home HiFi with the same exact technology?

Because if so, who has the investment capital to join me for millions? I've been using a palm sized, 200 watt amplifier for 6 years, for my own cabinets. It's just honest. No sound characteristics of it's own at all.... Sooo any pre-processing makes it sound like any millions of existing sounds you want. Forget modeling amps .... ALL of it is in the preamp stages. Tube amps are easy to get their sound ... measurements show the unique distortions tubes add that are pleasing sounding to many. Grab an op-amp with those same distortions EQd into the sound, and voila.

I'm in zero way trying to argue. I really need to understand, because I am in the process of considering adding guitar and bass cabs/combos to my business line.

Thank you for help with this curiousity!

Could you provide a link to the article?

 

[kesslari]

We're done here.