quiet!

imellor · Post by **imellor** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 4:30 pm

I have an AD15/12.

I'm also looking to reduce the volume of the amp. I live in a flat at the mo and am worried about annoying the neighbours. At the mo I have the amp master on full and the drive right down as this gives me the right tone. Does this damage the amp?

It's been suggested that I substitute one or all of the 12AX7's preamp tubes with 12AU7's. I've heard this will provide a smoother drive. Is this correct, as I don't want to damage the amp?!

Tango · Post by **Tango** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:13 am

Buy a Crush.

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:21 am

They're lower gain valves... not necessarily quieter. Why have you got your volume up so loud? I've got an AD30R, and it hardly ever gets past the 2nd dial, and i'm happy with that. Do you just want a loud clean sound?

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri May 07, 2004 12:22 am

Ooops, I meant the 2nd notch on volume...

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...

imellor · Post by **imellor** » Fri May 07, 2004 11:27 am

The reason I had it so high was to chieve a loud clean sound. However things have moved on now as I've just joined a band. This means I now need to get gear to gig with,

I'm intending to use my AD15 and strat. However, I think I could do with some new stuff. Anyone got any ideas on what is essential for me to do the lead in a classic rock outfit? I was thinking reverb, but maybe thats nots important playing load in large rooms? I guess I should get an overdrive pedal for soloing etc?

grgurich · Post by **grgurich** » Fri May 07, 2004 2:14 pm

Imellor, I do the opposite of what you do with my ad 15/12, i.e., I crank the drive and edge up the master. I can't see why running the amp in this fashion or the vice-versa fashion you do would cause any damage.

JG

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 2:22 pm

The AD15 is a Class "A" amp. The tubes are always running at 100%.
Cranking the master won't drive the tubes harder, just make your neighbors annoyed with you.
The amp should sound great at any volume level.

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 3:18 pm

With a Class "AB" amp the output tubes are driven harder when its master is cranked up, giving different tones.
The Class "A" will sound the same no matter what the master is at.

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 3:32 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Class A means that the power tube conducts the same amount of current all the time,
whether idling or producing full power. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

That quote was from here:
http://www.mosweb.com/tp4.htm

More on class "A"
http://www.aikenamps.com/ClassA.htm

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Fri May 07, 2004 4:38 pm

I'm lost already... so if you crank up the master volume on a Class A, you get more volume... does it also change the tone? I was under the impression that it didn't... certainly it doesn't seem to on mine. Then again, i've never really pushed it that hard...

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...

grgurich · Post by **grgurich** » Fri May 07, 2004 5:52 pm

Cranking the master most definitely affects the tone. The higher the master goes, the better the sound, to me anyway. When I max the master and set the drive at six o' clock, it's a whole different world of sound; it literally leaps out of the speaker big and clear. Isn't this why people like us still want to use these valve amps, because of the dynamics that happen when we crank the "volume"? Isn't that what "rock guitar" is really all about, i.e., getting that power amp section working? I know there's speaker breakup involved here too, though. Is that only what's happening when you crank the volume? Maybe I don't understand this stuff either.

JG

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:09 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Cranking the master most definitely affects the tone. The higher the master goes, the better the sound, to me anyway. When I max the master and set the drive at six o' clock, it's a whole different world of sound; it literally leaps out of the speaker big and clear. Isn't this why people like us still want to use these valve amps, because of the dynamics that happen when we crank the "volume"? Isn't that what "rock guitar" is really all about, i.e., getting that power amp section working? I know there's speaker breakup involved here too, though. Is that only what's happening when you crank the volume? Maybe I don't understand this stuff either.

JG
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Yes. This is true, and how an "AB" amplifier would work. Mine as well.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> I'm lost already... so if you crank up the master volume on a Class A, you get more volume... does it also change the tone? I was under the impression that it didn't... certainly it doesn't seem to on mine. Then again, i've never really pushed it that hard...
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Yes. This is true, and how an "A" amplifier would work. Mine as well.

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:17 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> Now, what are the differences, you might ask? Well, for one, the Class AB amplifier is biased in a more non-linear portion of the
characteristic curves, which means it has more distortion than a true class A amplifier. Also, the efficiency will be greater than is
theoretically possible with a class A amplifier at these levels. There is a very real difference in tone and operating conditions
between a true class A 10W amplifier running at say, 1W, and a 10W class AB amplifier running at 1W. Same output level, same
overall power level, *but* a different class of operation, different amount of distortion, different efficiency, *and* a different tone,
even though neither one of them is in cutoff for any portion of the output cycle at that low level. This is due to the bias point
differences and load line differences. The differences become even more apparent when the amplifiers are run at their full
undistorted output power. The true class A amplifier will have no crossover distortion, while the class AB amplifier will. The
average plate current for the true class A amplifier will not change, or will change very little, from idle to full output power, while
the average plate current in a class AB amplifier will increase dramatically. This will lead to "sag" in the power supply that
doesn't exist in the true class A amplifier, which again results in a tonal change.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

This was from the Aiken page:
http://www.aikenamps.com/ClassA.htm

Meole · Post by **Meole** » Fri May 07, 2004 8:20 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

I've seen this comment over and over again ad nauseum
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

This is true. I'm getting sick of it too.

irish_admiral · Post by **irish_admiral** » Sat May 08, 2004 10:13 am

Cool, that was helpful thanks. Not that i'm going to tell my sound man that...

Don't tell me the best way, just tell me the cheapest way...

quiet!

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