Power Amp - Tube or Solid State?

S

spanny

Inspired
I currently use an Axe FX through a tube power amp and it sounds great, if I were to switch over to a solid state power amp (such as a Matrix), would I be missing out on anything? I'm looking to cut down on some weight but dont want to sacrifice sound.

Thanks!
 
This is a depends question.....what do you play? I find that certain situations - tube sounds better and in other solid state. I like a tube power amp my self - esp a regular in amp since I can use it a multiple ways.
 
IMO since The axe fx models the power amp section of a tube amp, if you use a solid state power amp which is tonally neutral in your required volume, there should be extremely little to no sacrifice in sound


And you’re not stuck in a certain tube power amp’s “color” to your tone , you’ve more freedom in options in the axe fx if you choose to use Solid State Power Amp + Guitar Cabinet

Thread 'Table: amp settings, depending on power amp and speaker'
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/table-amp-settings-depending-on-power-amp-and-speaker.185259/
 
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I have SS, but one advantage of a clean tube p.a. (i.e. Fryette LxII) afaik is that the correct IC will automatically lock in, so no need to determine it / find it / set it ...
 
I have both the LXII and an SD Powerstage. The LX II sounds great but is heavy and prone to interference and and also requires it's power be on a hum-x plug. The Powerstage is a great power amp and fits in my case for the FC10. Solid state allows you to dial in a wider variety of tones as the tube power amp will always have the sound of it's tubes(6l6 in my case) when cranked. I play mostly fender models so the 6L6 is fine for me and does feel great but I suspect it would alter a Marshall tone unlike the Powerstage.
 
Feflicker said:
A power amp is a power amp. Having tubes should not change the tone. No one would pass a blind test. 🤷‍♂️
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Every part of an audio system affects the sound of that system — ESPECIALLY the power amp. If you can’t hear the difference you probably should’ve been gigging with hearing protection…

Many users (me included) tend to prefer using SS (less intentional coloration than tubes, assuming at least some base level of quality) so the AFX can “do the talking”.

If it’s just you at home let your personal preference reign supreme. If you’re also feeding your AFX to a PA or studio system you’d probably want your presets to “translate” to SS without being colored by having been optimized for/with tube amplification.
 
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touch33 said:
Every part of an audio system affects the sound of that system — ESPECIALLY the power amp. If you can’t hear the difference you probably should’ve been gigging with hearing protection…

Many users (me included) tend to prefer using SS (less intentional coloration than tubes, assuming at least some base level of quality) so the AFX can “do the talking”.

If it’s just you at home let your personal preference reign supreme. If you’re also feeding your AFX to a PA or studio system you’d probably want your presets to “translate” to SS without being colored by having been optimized for/with tube amplification.
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Ill tell you what. Ill post 3 songs, you tell me which one had the SS power amp, which one had the Tube power amp, and which had no amp at all. If you get it right, your perfect hearing is better than mine (was just tested last year when i got my custom IEM molds, I hear like a teenager still apparently). 👍
 
I get being happy with your sound/equipment, but still wondering what else is out there. In my own tone search, I thought that I'd be able to tell the difference between a SS and tube power amp with my FM3, and yes, isolated I totally can. In the mix though, I was surprised to my ears how little difference there was. Other than not having to change out tubes, and maybe being a bit more forgiving in terms of road use, and per your post - weighing less there is not that much difference - again in a mix or live situation. If you can, I'd suggest trying out a solid state power amp if you are interested. Most big music chains have a pretty good return policy if you decide SS isn't for you.
 
Feflicker said:
Ill tell you what. Ill post 3 songs, you tell me which one had the SS power amp, which one had the Tube power amp, and which had no amp at all. If you get it right, your perfect hearing is better than mine (was just tested last year when i got my custom IEM molds, I hear like a teenager still apparently). 👍
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FractalAudio said:
IMO columns 4 and 5 should match columns 2 and 3 respectively. A "neutral" tube power amp (if one exists) is no different than a solid-state power amp.
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I’ll leave this here aswell
FractalAudio said:
Any tube power amp is going to add highs due to the low damping factor. Make sure the presence on the power amp is all the way off. You may also want to reduce the HF Resonance in Amp block to compensate for the treble boost of the power amp.

In general I don't recommend using a tube power amp, regardless of how "neutral" it is claimed to be. A tube power amp simply can't be neutral without using a lot of negative feedback which then causes other problems (TIM distortion, etc.).
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I may or may not be able to hear the difference between a solid state power amp like the Matrix vs the Freyette tube amp but I am not hear to debate sound, especially in a full band setting.

The reason I picked the Freyette over the Matrix was because of feel. I have no doubts that with the Axefx III will let a person adjust that "feeling" so you can get that feel (Sag, clipping, tubes, etc)l, but I wasn't able to get the same feel from the Matrix as I was with the Freyette when I had both amps at my house. I went with the Freyette because I was able to dial in a sound immediately that I loved, and continued to play several patches and each time get the sound and the feel I liked, where the Matrix sounded a bit Muffled and too Hi-Fi for me.

Again, I know a lot more than I did a year ago (including throwing in eq filters, bias adjustments, etc etc but I still use the amp modeling with the Freyette and it doesn't sound bad with the Friedman Runt 50 in the return bypassing the preamp. But there was a feel difference for me. Metallica used Matrix live and if it is good enough for their techs then its good enough for me but until I figure out the magic formula that works for me I am sticking with the tube amp, even though its bigger, heavier, and requires new tubes every so often. So to the original poster try both and see what works for you.

Ultimately I would love to bring just an FM9 and go direct to the house and have a spare headrush FRFR when I need it, but at the moment I am going with a real Mesa Cab and a Freyette tube amp.
 
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Feflicker said:
A power amp is a power amp. Having tubes should not change the tone. No one would pass a blind test. 🤷‍♂️
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Not really... If you really want to see a dramatic change in tone, use an old master volume plexi amp block and turn off the power amp modeling option. You will hear some major difference in tones. In terms of axe fx amplification, a tube amp adds a bit more mojo to your tone. I switched to a tube amp and cab, and my tones are less harsh and sit in the band mix much better
 
chrisjnyc said:
Not really... If you really want to see a dramatic change in tone, use an old master volume plexi amp block and turn off the power amp modeling option. You will hear some major difference in tones. In terms of axe fx amplification, a tube amp adds a bit more mojo to your tone. I switched to a tube amp and cab, and my tones are less harsh and sit in the band mix much better
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Im not talking about guitar amps. Just pure power amps. Its a moot point. Someome will argue theres some low end response, or more highs, whatever, which is all negiglible with extremely minor adjustments to the global eq on the modeler. My point was 1) In a mix nobody can tell you what type of power amp is being used with a fractal and 2) Either will work fine to dial your tones.

To the OP, Ive used both the powestage 170 and 200, I recommend the 200. Its fairly transparent as a power amp should be. Just leave the tone knob in the middle.
 
I have used a whole bunch of tube power amps and the best for a modeller is easily the Fryette all the Mesa ones have way too much personality.
But when the personality suites the sound is better, bigger with nicer interaction. I now have a 2U matrix GT1000 and it is the best all rounder.
 
Personally, I want reproducible sound. So, in our practice room I use the flat full range monitors we use when we have a gig (JBL EOS 610). Still not perfect, in that have to adjust a graphic EQ for room acoustics when we play, but once that is accounted for I have a pretty consistent sound.
 
I find it extremely puzzling how anyone can debate the sound comparison of any amp in a mix. To me it's like an excuse. If your interested in an amp do you pack your whole band up to go audition the amp or take your backing tracks? Just WOW. My attraction to an amp always begins with where it sounds, next is how it responds when I hear it with my style of playing and desired hacking. If that is found then the rest would be totally irrelevant. I have never considered myself a sound engineer and how great I am at mixing drums bass and vocals with my guitar sound. Ymmv
 
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