Post by watchtower on Apr 13, 2015 15:19:06 GMT -6
I just put up an article with clips on my website showcasing different tubes in a Peavey 5150. Please check it out here: Listen to the different tubes
I bought my 5150 about ten years ago, used, and never swapped the tubes until now. I just bought two new sets of 6L6 power tubes, as well as a set of new preamp tubes (12AX7): A TAD RT080 7025WA for V1, three JJ ECC83S, and a Sovtek 12AX7LPS with balanced triodes for the phase inverter (V4). I put these preamp tubes in for (most of) the shootout.
I recorded the beginning of a song (Carcass' "Heartwork") on drums (please forgive my lack of drumming skill), so that there would be some "full-mix" context to judge the guitar tones. I then recorded two guitar DI tracks, which I used to reamp through the different sets of tubes. This way, the guitar performance, amp settings, mic position, etc. would all be the exact same, and the only variable would be the tubes. This gives us the best chance at judging how the different tubes affect the 5150, with a more real-world context than just listening to lone guitar tracks. That being said, I did not include a bass in the mix, as I did not want to further obscure the tube differences, and the recorded guitar tones were left raw (no processing) in the DAW.
For the test, I had three different sets of power amp tubes (6L6):
The 10+ year old 6L6GCR "Made in China" tubes that came in the amp when I bought it. I cannot determine the brand of these. They look, and feel quite old.
The TAD 6L6GC-STR.
The Sovtek 6L6WXT+, which are made in Russia.
I then decided on a favorite set of power tubes, left them in, and then put the original, 10+ year-old preamp tubes back into the 5150. These were two Sovtek 7025WA, and three totally unlabelled 12AX7 tubes. I then recorded a fourth take of the reamped DI tracks.
So, again, we have four different passes: Power Tube Set 1, Power Tube Set 2, Power Tube Set 3, and Power Tube Set Mystery + Old Preamp Tubes. These four different takes are randomly labelled A through D. Here are the files so you can listen and make your own judgements. Let me know what you think.
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20A.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20B.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20C.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20D.wav
I bought my 5150 about ten years ago, used, and never swapped the tubes until now. I just bought two new sets of 6L6 power tubes, as well as a set of new preamp tubes (12AX7): A TAD RT080 7025WA for V1, three JJ ECC83S, and a Sovtek 12AX7LPS with balanced triodes for the phase inverter (V4). I put these preamp tubes in for (most of) the shootout.
I recorded the beginning of a song (Carcass' "Heartwork") on drums (please forgive my lack of drumming skill), so that there would be some "full-mix" context to judge the guitar tones. I then recorded two guitar DI tracks, which I used to reamp through the different sets of tubes. This way, the guitar performance, amp settings, mic position, etc. would all be the exact same, and the only variable would be the tubes. This gives us the best chance at judging how the different tubes affect the 5150, with a more real-world context than just listening to lone guitar tracks. That being said, I did not include a bass in the mix, as I did not want to further obscure the tube differences, and the recorded guitar tones were left raw (no processing) in the DAW.
For the test, I had three different sets of power amp tubes (6L6):
The 10+ year old 6L6GCR "Made in China" tubes that came in the amp when I bought it. I cannot determine the brand of these. They look, and feel quite old.
The TAD 6L6GC-STR.
The Sovtek 6L6WXT+, which are made in Russia.
I then decided on a favorite set of power tubes, left them in, and then put the original, 10+ year-old preamp tubes back into the 5150. These were two Sovtek 7025WA, and three totally unlabelled 12AX7 tubes. I then recorded a fourth take of the reamped DI tracks.
So, again, we have four different passes: Power Tube Set 1, Power Tube Set 2, Power Tube Set 3, and Power Tube Set Mystery + Old Preamp Tubes. These four different takes are randomly labelled A through D. Here are the files so you can listen and make your own judgements. Let me know what you think.
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20A.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20B.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20C.wav
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1579861/5150%20Tube%20Shootout%20D.wav
