laxu
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I'm sure BluGuitar will help you with that. They are so confident in the tube's durability that it's soldered straight on the board. It's not meant to be replaced.
Power amp for modelers. Alternatives. Class D vs Class AB?
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Chocol8
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My more cynical fix to the post above:
They are so confident in the tube'sdurability probability of lasting longer than the warranty period that it's soldered straight on the board. It's not meant to be replaced, but they may be happy to charge you to solder a new one in if it's profitable.
They are so confident in the tube's
gearJunkie
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A new offering from Red Sound....
direct.redsound.it
AMP S (PRE-ORDER) “15 days of waiting” – Red Sound Shop
direct.redsound.it
OrganicZed
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A new offering from Red Sound....
AMP S (PRE-ORDER) “15 days of waiting” – Red Sound Shop
Not a lot of info given with regards to the amp design, frequency response, or THD. Also, not sufficient power to fully drive 2 16 Ohm 4x12 cabinets. There is no mention of the ability to bridge the channels for mono operation either.
While the weight is nice a light (likely pointing towards a class D design), the dimensions are odd. Much like the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 700, it is too large to use on a pedalboard but it is also an odd size to rack mount. At least the layout of the I/O and controls is user friendly.
I’m curious what the USB C port is for.
Foxmeister
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They are probably right, but looking at the picture here, it seems to me that if you can get hold of a replacement tube, it could be replaced quite easily by someone moderately adept with a soldering iron.
I'm really sure it's mean to last at least 5 or 10 years but imagine sending the unit to germany just to replace the power tube
That would be a headache. I dont know, everything about the blueamp was well thought except that part. It's quite impressive such a small tube that they probably asked the factory to made special for them output 100W.
However their preamp is solid state and digital? It's just an idea but what if they made a class D version of that. It would be cheaper and probably worry free regarding power amp failure.
The idea of a unit that covers clean to hi gain like that is brilliant. I wish more companies did this, a simple pedalboard with 4 channels that is focused on the idea that all you need are clean, crunch, more crunch and ultra hi gain.
If i buy a Fractal in the future I'd set up just like that, not interested in their hundreds of effects or routing. Simply 4 channel glory like if I had 4 amazing amps inside a small unit.
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laxu
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That's not how it works. The preamp and poweramp are solid-state. The tube is only there to provide poweramp distortion and behavior afaik.
So maybe now you see why it could last many decades. It's never stressed hard.
Do you think the power tube isn't there to provide actual power? I mean class D dont generally need a fan, Bluguitar iridium has a fan, anyway maybe they have this explained somewhere
Chocol8
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It definitely isn't. Look at how the nanotube connects to the output transformer (hint there isnt one!). The design runs the tube at low voltage to extend its life beyond that of a traditional pre-amp tube which can already last decades (with some luck) and it's only there for tone/marketing. The actual output power is class D.
In theory the idea that the tube will typically outlast the amp and owner is solid. The concern would be that tubes usually have outliers and tube life can be impacted by factors like shock and vibration etc. If you are unlucky, it wouldn't be too hard to solder in a replacement, but you will be at their mercy on availability and price.
Oh wait, I just realized you are the idiot who thinks Line6 has not and will not update their modeling. In that case, ignore what I just said, the tube is the source of output power and should only last for about 200-500 hours of use.
laxu
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The poweramp is Class D and does all the amplification. The tube is to do poweramp behavior things, but it's not used for amplification. The concept is similar to how Vox used a 12AX7 tube in their original blue Valvetronix amps.
The only time you can hear the Amp 1 fan running is when the amp is absolutely cranked. So it's there to cool the components but not necessarily the tube. It's a very compact device so not a lot of room for airflow.
Idiot?
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C'mon guys. Play nice.
bucephalus
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You're kidding right?
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Desertdweller
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I was going to buy one until I saw this. They hard-soldered the tube to the PCB? What? I’ve never seen this before. The amp looks and sounds like a winner but this seems to me an odd design choice.
That's not a traditional tube. It's a nanotube.
"Lifespan: longer than that of the guitarist" per this article: https://support.bluguitar.com/en_US/amp1me-features/wann-muss-die-nanotube-getauscht-werden
bucephalus
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What if you're a nano guitarist?
laxu
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It's an entirely sensible choice. They expect it to be a non-replaceable part, and the Amp 1 to be a unit you do not need to open in any situation.
On any traditional tube amp, tubes can become loose when moving things. Now imagine if the nanotube became loose in its socket and you had to painstakingly disassemble the unit to put it back in place. Soldering it in makes total sense.
I've had my Amp 1 ME for about 6 years now. No maintenance has been needed.
The microtube is a great idea if it's not a power amp if it's there simply to give a "tube like feel" on the power amp, however it'd be pretty interesting if they released a version without this nanotube. Simply class D. They could even use the "Wampler + Synergy" AI approach to improve the digital power amp response
