BillFitzmaurice.info

Sigh.

All amplifiers have distortion. I built a pair of 300b single ended tube amps. The distortion is an octave lower so you do not hear it. And while test equipment can find the distortion the ear only perceives sonic perfection. The amps are completely transparent. Octave lower than what? If they are ...

I'm off to Google "How valve amps work" now - certainly better than doing any work today. Try this one: http://lenardaudio.com/education/14_valve_amps_2.html Hmm, if distortion doesn't belong, then valves don't belong. Their non-linearity is all of their value in a world where good transi...

This argument is getting old. I've never used a valve amp, nor ever think I will need to, but this thread is interesting (for me). I never quite understood how valve amps worked (still don't 100%) but a few more bits of the puzzle have been revealed. I'm off to Google "How valve amps work"...

BassheadUK wrote:A Pal of mine used to have a Matamp for his mobile, he changed it for a Yamaha P1500

He still have the matamp about?

Running valve amps into dead short if fine, as many people who have nothing plugged in but crank the volume anyway find out (but usually think they got lucky). Sometimes they blow a fuse anyway from being cranked right up. Not generally the transformer that frys though, usually there is a flashover ...

The JBL thing about power and speakers was cited at the end, which is some of the underpowering stuff, but I read it ages ago and it was for saving tweeters.

My mate is studying this course. he sent me the lecture powerpoint slides, since I have an interest in such things. Includes this: Danger Low Power If an amplifier is over driven: harmonic distortion increases more high frequency energy than usual tweeters may be underrated DC signal generated induc...

Old Brit amps are sort of my area. Look out for Matamp Quasar power amps, awesome devices.

Stuff that comes from a basic education, plus after I started I got a job in a hifi factory briefly, which mean lots of soldering practice. Basic common sense and engineering instinct covered most stuff. A lot of people that don't have those kid themselves they do though.

I started with broken ones.

hmm, logged out instead of posting first try. Happy enough with my amps that speakers is the gear territory with most room for improvement (aside from my playing, different territory) so figure this forum is place to be. Valve amps are my area, getting them to couple up well with cabs is the real fu...

Bass drum on a horn you say?

Check out this thing I made: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leadtowill/7610407178/

Didn't actually get a kick beater on it, but hitting it with stuff was pretty loud, might not have been typical drum sound, but I've never heard a 28" kick.