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The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:01 pm
by neonblack
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/ ... uum-tubes/
Seems like this will open up a lot of possibilities for genuine tube dirt instead of emulations. Can't wait to see what some of our resident builders do with this tech.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:06 pm
by Chankgeez
This + molecular junctions =

Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:09 pm
by Inconuucl
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:17 pm
by Gone Fission
I've lived through too many similar revolutionary developments in tube-replacement devices to invest much expectation in this go-round, but cool if it pans out.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:19 pm
by neonblack
Chankgeez wrote:This + molecular junctions =

SCIENCE!
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:30 am
by rfurtkamp
Not really holding out much hope there for the same reasons as above.
Seen too many flash in the pans to note much.
The digital stuff keeps getting better and better and better, and doesn't die after 30k hours of being plugged in/run - if I think of all the pedals on my board that have been "on" for over 3.5 years....I just can't get worked up over this type of planned obsolescence either.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:50 am
by Mudfuzz
this is boring, go buy an amp, or something Metasonix… or both...
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:24 am
by neonblack
You guys aren't thinking big enough. Or small enough? You can make a tube head that doesn't weigh 800 pounds! Tube amp-in-a-box pedals with real tubes in small boxes. Unique awesome oscillating tube fuzz. Parallel tube/molecular junction distortion!
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 5:50 am
by rustywire
Now if only they'll find a solution to modernize input/output transformers; because currently there's 1 way to get that glorious saturated "big iron sound" and it's with big iron.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 6:59 am
by antennafarm
toaaaaanfreekz and audiofiles have already said they don't sound as good as BIG OLD TUBES before they had a chance to... do anything.
cuz nothing sounded great out of solid state right!
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:41 am
by Jwar
neonblack wrote:You guys aren't thinking big enough. Or small enough? You can make a tube head that doesn't weigh 800 pounds! Tube amp-in-a-box pedals with real tubes in small boxes. Unique awesome oscillating tube fuzz. Parallel tube/molecular junction distortion!
Agreed. I think this is a huge deal. Especially coming from a company like Korg. It's about fucking time someone did this. They do make tube for other non guitar/gear related things in this type of format. This is awesome.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:52 am
by Mudfuzz
neonblack wrote:You guys aren't thinking big enough. Or small enough? You can make a tube head that doesn't weigh 800 pounds! Tube amp-in-a-box pedals with real tubes in small boxes. Unique awesome oscillating tube fuzz. Parallel tube/molecular junction distortion!
it's still just stuff that is emulating/sounding like other stuff vs coming up with a actual new idea..
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:56 am
by Chankgeez
There are no new ideas.

Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:23 am
by Dark Barn
Yeah, it's not the glass, it's the iron. Tubes don't weigh much, most tube amps are heavy due to the transformer. There are some light weight tube amp designs out there already that use regular old tubes but have SMPS power. Still these nutubes could be great, if they sound good.
Re: The Future of Tubes?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:25 am
by backwardsvoyager
Mudfuzz wrote:neonblack wrote:You guys aren't thinking big enough. Or small enough? You can make a tube head that doesn't weigh 800 pounds! Tube amp-in-a-box pedals with real tubes in small boxes. Unique awesome oscillating tube fuzz. Parallel tube/molecular junction distortion!
it's still just stuff that is emulating/sounding like other stuff vs coming up with a actual new idea..
there's probably a lot that can be done with it outside of JOHN MAYER STADIUM TOUR TUBE TOANZ IN YOOOOOUR POCKET, but i kinda agree. i can see it just fueling the whole MINIATURE EVERYTHING fad and doing nothing else.
either way, as of now korg have done something really cool so we'll see where it goes i guess.
i think it's less about coming up with new ideas and more about the gear fiend demographic mostly not really taking the digital era seriously. people will happily play through spin chip pedals but still 'have' to have tube amps
i want my gear built in Max/MSP goddamnit. the ideas are already there it's just too difficult for mere mortals to get the most out of without the programming/theoretical knowledge.