Tube and Solid State... things.

**J1oNE** · 05-10-2012

So I've just started reading The Mastering Engineer's Handbook (2nd edition)... and I'm still at the beginning so everything is going down real but Bob speaks about Tube and solid state limiters... I know you also get tube distortion, compressors and pre amps... I must say I really enjoyed using 'tube stuff', especially using some SPL tube pre amp last year. It just sounded better and had more character than the other pre amps (which I assume were solid state.. I don't remember the names, but there were two Neve pre amps too which weren't specifically written Tube)..

Can someone give some insight into how and why 'Tube stuff' sounds the way it sounds and anything else interesting? Hopefully I can stop calling it tube stuff after this lol.

**moses** · 05-10-2012

Tubes circuits sound different, but definitely not fatter/more colored than solid state.

The most coloring gear I know is either solid state or digital (API, Neve, SSL, Crane Song), funny isn't it?

IMO, most (proper) tube gear sound "finer" more "gentle" than cheapish solid state gear. But the picture isn't clear at all when comparing modern tube gear with modern solid state technology. There are very good (sonic) reasons why tubes virtually disappeared from the market. The Hype you see in the last 5 years has more to do with ad agencies than audio engineers.

Most gear companies, SPL included only use tubes in a very cheapish "distortion" setup. That is, the circuit itself has nothing to do with tubes, there's just a simple tube based distortion circuit at the end. This has nothing to do with "pure" tube gear Manley and few others produce (the price alone is significantly different). And still, I wouldn't call them particularly characterful in direct comparison with the super famous solid state or digital character boxes (e.G. Neve EQ, API compressor, Crane Song Hedd, ect).

**J1oNE** · 05-12-2012

So Tube gear (nowdays) basically came back as just a gimmick? On that whole 'analogue is better sounding than digital' then? Coz I was convinced, I pretty didn't use the neve pre amps at the studio coz I liked the SPL stuff waaaay better... Unless I forget to patch it in... Are there any modern tube distortions or pre amps that ARE recommendable or are able to compete against modern solid state stuff? Coz honestly idk, that SPL gear always impressed me... I feel like I've been lied to... Plus the pre amp we used was gold.. so much more attractive lol

**moses** · 05-12-2012

In case you're looking for a color box, don't look for electronic parts. Just try the unit out.

For example, Empirical Labs build impressive "color boxes" (it's their concept), none of them use tubes. Try them out! Also, have a look at Crane Song's TDM plugins and/or the HEDD.

Tubes produce less distortion than solid state for certain measures and this is why they still exists - and why audiophile still love them (for example the much less restricted slew rate, the feedback free circuits, ect). Also, a huge sound factor of tube circuits are related to their mandatory audio transformers (and not the tubes themselves). The topic is too complicated to generalize anything. Just look at circuits/algorithms and how they sound, don't worry about the parts.