|
Post by dixiechicken on Jan 7, 2008 8:14:44 GMT -7
DC here! If you go to this link: mbsb.psy.umu.se/clips/clips.htmlScroll down to the RED SECTION - youll find seven clips I recorded with my Route and 2x10" cab. I decided to do this little test - because there's been a lot of talk on how various tubes can affect your overall sound. The NOS power tubes GEC KT66 are used in all clips. For the rest - the table explains what tubes were used for what clips. Check out the clips and tell me what you think!!! Please remember I'm not exactly a professional player ( gotta be the understatement of the year ) Cheers: Dixiechicken
|
|
frank9310
Full Member
Now dig this baby...
Posts: 146
|
Post by frank9310 on Jan 7, 2008 9:24:50 GMT -7
Hey DC! Man you could have wrote an ebook on the Route 66 and sold it for how well organized and laid out you have that page. Fantastic job! I wish I could make my clips that organized. I'm going to study that in-depth when I get some time to absorb it all. One thing you mentioned that stuck out was you said "how different the Route66 sounds in the recorded clips - compared to what I experienced live with my own ears - down in the studio....Many people have described the Route66 as a "midrich" amp - in the soundclips this is evident. - always think of the Route + the cab as bright."
I always think my bass strings due to the type of pickups being used were causing the same thing where the bass attack sounds to sharp and thuddy but on recorded sound clips the bass strings sound warm and vibrant! It must have something to do with how the treble frequencies hit the ears faster than bass waves as compared to how they get recorded. That's basically how the BBE Stomp Box works where it says it aligns the frequencies so that they all hit the ear at the same time but when I tried one it just seemed to add a nasal tube screamer type sound with more treble and seemed kind of fake so I went au'naturale again. It's a real science. I keep wondering if it would sound better if I could position my speakers about 15-20 feet away instead of standing right in front of it when I play may sound better.
About recording, little tip from tone master Robin Trower, he usually records with a mic like an SM58 pointed to the outer edge of the voice coil on an angle like 90 degrees about 1 foot away and then another mic sometimes about 10-15 feet back like a condenser mic to pic up room ambience to make it sound bigger. However, for the most part he uses the sm55 right by the speaker edge as do many other recording folks I've talked to.
Anyway. thanks for all the great info! Will study it all later. Beautiful rig bythe way!
Cheers, frank9310
|
|
|
Post by dixiechicken on Jan 7, 2008 13:25:50 GMT -7
DC here! Thanks for the encouragement. As you can see by one of the pics - I have tried to place the AKG C5900 condenser just like that - albeit i bit closer than a foot. Again I haven't really tested IF I myself - really can hear a difference placing the mic centered or closer to the voice coil edge - I just go by what most people seem to do. Cheers: Dixiechicken
|
|
|
Post by Ed M. on Jan 7, 2008 14:39:12 GMT -7
D.C
So what did you end up leaving in the amp??
The NOS ef86 British sounded a little brighter to me which would be a good thing in my opinion. Thanks for sharing!
-ed
|
|
|
Post by dixiechicken on Jan 7, 2008 15:54:43 GMT -7
The tubes from clip no 6)
Brittish EF86 - Telefunken PI and Jan Phillips 5AR4 Rectifier.
Cheers: Dixiechicken!
|
|
|
Post by highway61south on Jan 7, 2008 18:30:53 GMT -7
Go dixiechicken!!..........................Sterling................... ;D
|
|
|
Post by dixiechicken on Jan 8, 2008 4:43:59 GMT -7
I should perhaps mention that I did NOT change the settings of any tone or volume controls on either the amp or the guitar - between tube changes.
Cheers: Dixiechicken!
|
|
|
Post by dock66 on Jan 8, 2008 12:55:17 GMT -7
Job well done DC. Thanks for posting.
|
|
|
Post by zdogma on Jan 8, 2008 15:58:49 GMT -7
Good stuff DC. I downloaded all the clips to the desktop, they were taking a long time to buffer, and I'm going to have a good listen tonight.
I'm using a Mullard EF 86 and I recently switched my PI to a NOS West German 6681 (mil spec 12AX7) Its not a matched tube, and its very similar in tone and plate structure to the Telefunken (like you used in the test), and I really like what it does. It brightens things just a bit and makes the amp sound a bit "thicker" Very nice, IMO.
|
|
|
Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 8, 2008 20:34:25 GMT -7
I could definitely hear differences, but they all sounded pretty good to me. It would be hard to choose one over the other if I was forced to pick one. The buffer time is because the files are uncompressed .wav files. You can save a huge amount of space by rendering the files as .mp3, but pick the highest bit rate (think it's like 320k or so) and you'll get the same quality but files that are 1/8 as large. Oh, almost forgot - nice job DC!
|
|
|
Post by dixiechicken on Jan 9, 2008 15:42:00 GMT -7
DC here! Thanks guys - I'll add my take on what I thought I heard when swapping tubes around. ( I've deliberately waited i bit to get some comments first ) Compared with the first clip with "stock tubes" except for the the GEC KT66 of course. First off I must say - I thought the differences was rather minute - but: 1) Changing the the Dario for the British military EF86 to my ears gave both a bit more crunch/distortion but also a wee bit more sparkle and glassy top end. 2) Changing the Sovtek LPS for the Telefunken ECC83 - I thought made the sound a bit clearer, more spacious and less muddy a little More articulate. 3) Changing the JJ GZ34 for the JAN Phillips 5AR4 - added a bit more bottom end, fattened the sound up and also added a little volume - perhaps because of the added bottom end. I thought changing the rectifier yielded the biggest change then changing the EF86 and then changing the PI-tube. Feel free to comment & criticize. ;D Cheers: Dixiechicken!
|
|
frank9310
Full Member
Now dig this baby...
Posts: 146
|
Post by frank9310 on Jan 22, 2008 9:06:00 GMT -7
All great info DC! I have a bag full of preamp tubes icnluding the new JJ gold tips and regulars, several EH and Groove tube 12ax7M mullard reissues, and a few of the 5AR4s Sovtek LPS etc. and a couple sets of the KT66s and the best config I've found is the new 12AX7EH (Electro Harmonix) in P1 Telefunken EF86 (sweetest sound - maybe some sound different than others?) JJ GZ34 (might try the Jan Philips as you say!) JJ KT66 set at 36mA That coupled with 2 x 12 of the new Celestion G12C speakers as used in the JH100 Hendrix Stack and the Marsall VIntage Modern amps sounds fat and warm, with super sweet mids and highs. If I hook up a THD Hotplate, I can add a 1x12 Celestion Vintage 30 so the combination of the 2x12 G12C Greenbacks with the Vintage 30 adding brightness and edge and bottom end brings whole new dimension but requires more taming of treble with fuzz and overdrive pedals.
It's funny how all these little things can add or change the dynamics of the sound. Add to that several fuzz or overdrive pedals, high or low capacitance cables, ash bodied guitars with bright pickups and maple necks or alder bodied guitars with warm and open 50s style pickups and rosewood necks and everything changes, but it sure is a lot of fun to tinker with it all! ;-)
|
|