Solid State Rectification

[Saartan]

I have heard and read so much about the HT not being an "all tube" amp, that I wanted to take this discussion here and just add my point of view to it.

As any of us already know, the HT use a solid state rectifier. Allthough the rectifier itself is (as I understand it- tell me if I am wrong) not in the actual
signal path, it should be obvious that it is - like any other component of an amps circuit - involved in the shaping of the tone. However this does not make
the preamp a solid state circuit, since the actual amplification is done by the tube circuit.

It like the opposite side of the spectrum: a solid state circuit will not become a tube circuit by adding a "starved plate" tube circuit to it that is not actually
part of the preamp.

I'm not a technician but I do have some kind of knowlege in physics and that's what I take out of what I read.

I am pretty surprised by the fact that - talking about solid state rectification - people say the Mesa Rectifier IS a all tube amp while
the BS HT series is not.

Don't get me wrong: I know that there is the option of setting the Mesa to tube rectification, but those people were mostly using the "modern" voicing
(the high gain voicing). I know that I'm much more into reading the details about amps and other technical equipment, but I doubt I am the only person on the
web that knows the Mesa Rectifier uses a silicium Diode in the modern channel.

So wether or not you prefer the Mesa over the Blackstar: if you're using the modern channel on your rectifier, you're as much solid state as anyone using
the Blackstar HT series.

Another reason people assume there is some solid state involved in the preamp is the fact that the HT has only one preamp tube per channel where most
other high gain amps have 2 of them.

I cannot prove them wrong, since I am not a technician (as said before), but just because they don't need 2 tubes per channel doesn't make it need solid
state preamplification on top... there can be several reasons why you use one tube instead of 2:

if you use one single class A preamp stage, that's all you need.

Using class B, you'd need 2 of them, but since there is a rectifier up front, there is no class B (as I understand) because you have 2 positive parts of the sinus wave
(because the rectifier reflects the negative part to the other side making it a second positive one... out easy. I know how that works, but it's just too much
background to put it here).

So using 2 tubes in the preamp there could be one preamp with 2 tubes involved (for added gain) or you have two single tube gain stages in series. Both would
leave you with 2 tubes and a lot of gain.

Other than that, I understand that there are many parts in the circuit's design that determine the amount of gain provided, so you can't just say more tubes = more gain.

Basically, I think that - without actually taking that amp apart "reverse engineering" the circuit, there is no way to determine if there is any solid state component
used. However, the reasons why people think the HT might not be "all tube" are - in my opinion - complete nonsense.

In the end, I wouldn't care anyways because that amp provides the exact sound I was looking for, and I didn't even think about wether it is a tube amp or not.
Simply because it's the sound that matters to me, nothing else.

[majikmojo]

good post Saartan...

i pay absolutley no attention to the s/s vs valve debate on any amp...
how a amp builder acheives tone to me is best left to engineers which i am not - what does matter to me
is how it sounds , how reliable it is , and is it road worthy - thats it..

you could have little gremlins in there making gain and clean channels as far as i'm concerned - doesnt matter
to me as long as it has the "sound in my head"

[IM4Tone]

good post Saartan...

i pay absolutley no attention to the s/s vs valve debate on any amp...
how a amp builder acheives tone to me is best left to engineers which i am not - what does matter to me
is how it sounds , how reliable it is , and is it road worthy - thats it..

you could have little gremlins in there making gain and clean channels as far as i'm concerned - doesnt matter
to me as long as it has the "sound in my head"

Agree 100%

[ronnie robinson]

The worst thing about forums on the internet is that there are so many 'experts', if anyone sounds like they know what they are talking about other people will read it and take it as gospel

[majikmojo]

amen brother.....

[KKND]

Isn't this what is known as cork sniffers.......

I remember the guys over at the Marshall forums going outrageously mad about the new Slash AFD amp only because it had a PCB not hardwired circuit.

Well, it sounded good to me, regardless what is there in it.

The Axe Fx seem to be doing a good job, its digital isn't it?

All tube, hard wired, tube rectifier, tube fx loop, tube reverbs.......doesn't mean an amp will sound awesome.

And Vice versa

[Bummer]

But on the other side... it's not just about the sound. Try to repair an amp built on a PCB and full of digital parts - for example, HT-Venue amps have a 8-bit controller inside - if it gets broken, nobody but Blackstar will be able to replace it. What if there's no licensed Blackstar service center in your country?

[redknuckles]

Saartan-

I agree with you if it sounds good thats the only thing that matters.

But good golly god someone has to tell you havent the slightest clue about amplifiers.

I see this all the time, people making statements regarding the build desgen and passing incorrect info and no one correcting. Your post is so full of jiberish I dont know what place to start. I appologise If I come of way to harsh. Its not my intentions

It seems Blackstar are alot of peoples first valve amplifiers and the new owners get way to caught up in the whole Solid state?/ all valve?/ hybrid? thing when they first find out.

Play different amps, buy the one that sound good for your needs. Dont worry what the media says. Its as simple as that.

[boxofspiders]

I love critical posts from the grammatically challenged.

[ronnie robinson]

]But on the other side... it's not just about the sound. Try to repair an amp built on a PCB and full of digital parts - for example, HT-Venue amps have a 8-bit controller inside - if it gets broken, nobody but Blackstar will be able to replace it. What if there's no licensed Blackstar service center in your country?

Whether an Amp has a PCB or is hard wired should nt come in the equation. How does it sound ? The majority of all valve Amps have a PCB including many high End and Boutique Brands, while it is clearly cheaper to produce Amps with a PCB many Amp manufacturers swear it also leads to a more reliable product.