I tested if speaker break in is real

[dronerstone]

the amount of emphasis guitarists (and musicians in general) put on transformers being some kind of magic tonal devices that make ALL the difference is mental to me. Not saying they don’t have a tonal effect, but I think musicians just like to associate things to what looks like it makes sense.

“Big expensive piece of metal? oh must be that. Glowing valves? yep. Lots of resistors and capacitors specifically arranged to process the audio signal? It’s the transformers”

All my "big iron" amps have heaps of headroom. But there sure is a sprinkle of snake oil in some transformers, this I agree about.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

All my "big iron" amps have heaps of headroom. But there sure is a sprinkle of snake oil in some transformers, this I agree about.

Yeah I also generally prefer higher headroom amps, and am put off by smaller iron ().

sum of the parts, and the circuit itself has more influence than what individual components (of the same spec) do.

 

[Life Eats Life]

no it was like thirteen years ago lol, I used a looper pedal and did palm mute power chord fifths, one chug at a time and let it ring out to maximize vibrations/excursion, really slow. just low E root + fifth, do a few on each fret and walk it up the fretboard, wherever you get a note that really hums like crazy and you can feel it, where it's a lot louder than the others, do that one a lot. as loud as you can get it without distortion, scoop the mids on the amp too so there's more headroom for the bass. fifths are best but major tenths are good too, like open low E and 11th fret A string. 4ths don't pulse as much. figure out what notes vibrate the most and loop it and let it run ear bleeding completely clean for a long time

While I totally agree with your areas of vinbrations and the pummeling of the mutes,
what if you don’t play those notes in vibration all the time?
What happens when your normal routines/riffs and the actual listening with precision begins?
Btw, great job of explaining the strings and locations, the E at 11 is the Hendrix/Corgan familiar trusty place, drop the E to D, now that ain’t 11 and it sounds like the Foo Fighters
-like wtf man?? LTFOL!!!!
I’d like to add techniques
after your looping at lunacy loud levels,
take the amp/cabinet outside on a raunchy humid day and work through the thud of mudd from the soggy cones & pop out the otherside & make it work.

 

[0XI0]

While I totally agree with your areas of vinbrations and the pummeling of the mutes,
what if you don’t play those notes in vibration all the time?
What happens when your normal routines/riffs and the actual listening with precision begins?
Btw, great job of explaining the strings and locations, the E at 11 is the Hendrix/Corgan familiar trusty place, drop the E to D, now that ain’t 11 and it sounds like the Foo Fighters
-like wtf man?? LTFOL!!!!
I’d like to add techniques
after your looping at lunacy loud levels,
take the amp/cabinet outside on a raunchy humid day and work through the thud of mudd from the soggy cones & pop out the otherside & make it work.

DO IT IN A SAUNA

 

[MirrorProfiles]

DO IT IN A SAUNA

tried that. got too hot and went limp

 

[Stratzrus]

no it was like thirteen years ago lol, I used a looper pedal and did palm mute power chord fifths, one chug at a time and let it ring out to maximize vibrations/excursion, really slow. just low E root + fifth, do a few on each fret and walk it up the fretboard, wherever you get a note that really hums like crazy and you can feel it, where it's a lot louder than the others, do that one a lot. as loud as you can get it without distortion, scoop the mids on the amp too so there's more headroom for the bass. fifths are best but major tenths are good too, like open low E and 11th fret A string. 4ths don't pulse as much. figure out what notes vibrate the most and loop it and let it run ear bleeding completely clean for a long time

With all due respect, this seems like a colossal waste of time.

Think of your favorite guitar players. Do you think any of them did something remotely like this?

Personally, I'd rather spend my time learning how to be a better player and breaking in my speakers by gigging with them but if this is what you enjoy doing, go for it.

 

[0XI0]

With all due respect, this seems like a colossal waste of time.

Think of your favorite guitar players. Do you think any of them did something remotely like this?

Personally, I'd rather spend my time learning how to be a better player and breaking in my speakers by gigging with them.

I just wanted to see if it did anything, my cab went from being my worst sounding cab to my best sounding cab in a couple hours. if you take a brand new acoustic out of the box and tune it up, it sounds a little meh, beat tf out of it Bruce Springsteel style for an hour and then it sounds way better, same concept. I don't gig so i just seek out sounds right now

 

[Stratzrus]

I just wanted to see if it did anything, my cab went from being my worst sounding cab to my best sounding cab in a couple hours.

I'm glad it worked out for you.

 

[0XI0]

the amount of emphasis guitarists (and musicians in general) put on transformers being some kind of magic tonal devices that make ALL the difference is mental to me

well right before the speakers, is the output transformer, it's the last and final unadjustable filter+distortion stage. the whole ultimate voicing/character of the amp is right der

 

[0XI0]

there sure is a sprinkle of snake oil in some transformers

it's snake wax

 

[MirrorProfiles]

well right before the speakers, is the output transformer, it's the last and final unadjustable filter+distortion stage. the whole ultimate voicing/character of the amp is right der

right, but they aren’t spec’d to distort or do anything to the sound - that’s not to say that’s what happens, but it’s not their primary function. swapping one transformer to another of the same specs and leaving everything else constant, it’s so minor compared to other things unless they’re operating within a non linear part of their range.

Not saying they don’t make any difference at all, but it’s the overall circuit that matters. Transformers are big and heavy and easy to point at and attribute stuff to “well it MUST be the sound of that thing”

 

[Deadpan]

Taken from Mercury Magnetics website:

Sergio Hamernik: An output transformer is the last component of the audio chain. The amplifier’s voice. The final word that reaches the speaker. Because all vacuum tubes were never really designed to distort intentionally, the weight of producing desirable amplified guitar tone falls heavily on the transformers. The output transformer’s job is to coax, extract and even irritate the power tubes into tone-friendly distortion. Ever wonder why solid-state amps have always played second fiddle to tube amp tone? Is that simply because of not employing tubes or of not having an output transformer? At the very least, it’s something to think about.

The output transformer determines how the amp sounds like from fully clean (sweet with a touch of sparkle) to fully over-driven (chainsaw) distortion, and everything in-between.

 

[Cirrus]

I guess you could argue that they're spec'd to not distort, but they aren't perfect.

I've got a lot of experience with modding and experimenting with AC30 circuits, and putting an old Woden OT from the early '60s in my number one amp was a fun experience.