What does a TUBE sound like?
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- Warm... Harmonic Distortion... MOJO.... WHAT?!?
I WAS WRONG! I had never had the chance to sit down and compare the difference between a tube condenser microphone and a FET version of the same microphone on the same source... in this case while micing an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar amp.
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Curious if you can hear a difference on youtube... Or if you downloaded the tracks and listened in your own space! Let me know!
I can hear the difference on CZcams with a pair of good headphones. Mostly in the dynamic and harmonic reproduction of the sound. I suspect that the CZcams algorithms for compression also changes the sound on an harmonic content basis. These are AI and machine learning based so is very interesting the way they "hear" the sound comparing on thousands of listening experiences.
Pretty obvious for me. Tube = more lows and highs. Relative to mids
Tube has more sparkle clarity and dimensionality.
I preferred the tube 013 on the distorted guitar. Its subtle but really complimented the fuzzy warmth. Loved it. Totally agree with your analysis. Greatly perceived and explained. Agree would be great if they had a version where you can flip a switch and have both FET and Tube in the same mic.
I was hearing a slightly slower transient response with the Tube mics which seemed to reduce some of the spikier highs in a pleasant way. People in the comments are also saying it feels a little more open? I can see that. In all honesty though, the differences were extremely subtle.
I've noticed while listening that the Fet version of the mics sound crisper and a touch more forward. As in you get a slight bit more clarity and presence. Not in a bad way at all. The tube mics sound a touch (minuscule) bit warmer and less present in the highs. Which is down to the saturation characteristics of the tube in the circuit. Both sound amazing. Just depends on subjective preference and what suits the song and music. I reckon you can get a decent sound using either versions. Tube ones just have that - I can do this easily and you can push me more attitude. Listening in a some what treated home studio on pretty decent monitors. I'm going for the Fet 017 myself. Great video. Would have loved to hear on vocals.
So many places tubes and FETs are used. Preamp in a guitar amp… two different tubes can sound very different… and at the same time… an fet placed properly in that place can create warmth that’s close in a less expensive way, with far less voltage. Giving an otherwise dull circuit some harmonic content needed to bring things to life.
So… overdriven tubes as apposed to FETs is another fun area of exploration you could tackle in future, if you have not done so. Keep in mind, all FETs are not created equal.
This is why we measure them before we place them in our pedals when making them.
Thank you for putting up with me. I had fun watching this one!
Chuk
More so on the LDC than the SDC: there is more openness and ‘roundness’ on the tube mics… the FETs seem to produce a flatter and clean signal. I agree with your assessment of the sound of a “bloom” from the tube-that’s an accurate account. Both beautiful sounding, and each have their respective applications.
With me and tubes it’s about understanding the circuits and how to build and repair. I’m a septuagenarian and tubes wee all I knew. When I started playing Blackface Fenders were in the stores new. I have several tube mics too and frankly both types sound good as long as the mic is healthy. They’ve come a long way since my band had two Shure 55 mics
With these mics and sources, the tube version felt more hifi to me. Really cool comparison.
I agree. Excited to try more!
Call me crazy but I definitely hear a dynamic difference between these mics. The tube was really giving me vibes bro.
The way you described the top end of the tube mic is pretty much the exact wording I would have used.
Yeah not what I expected
Relistened after two years… I definitely hear it. The low mids sound denser and perhaps “bloom” with the tube
microphone. I hear more overtones/harmonics. The FET is fast. I could see what you mean by limitations, because the picture of the sound is processed quickly and seems less dimensional and complete.
Those Soyuz sounds so nice ! I've felt like tube sounded a bit more open and wide than the fet version. For me, Fet mics always had a bit of a "compressed" sound wich can be really great. For me with tube they usually sounds just more open, there's more air and it sounds just natural and "organic". Nice comparison !
Well now I know why the 57 is the industry standard. Thanks for the test.
Industry standard is a myth. Just use your gear and enjoy.
Well i think WARM is the most ambiguous word used to define a sonic character. As I read in the comments, warm is a different thing for each one of us. For me the FET was definitely the "warmer" that meaning, less bright and bity, slower transient response, or less attack you might say, maybe "creamier". The tube to me had more top end, "open" you might say, I felt a less compressed sound. "warm " would´t be the adjective i´d use for the tube.. I dont know, for me "warm" is like the bridge pickup of a strat vs all the others, definitely more bottom end and less bity,. Would love to hear your thoughts though as I´m not a native english speaker.
Both the mics in the video were transformer balanced I believe. Same xfrmer, similar sound? It would be interesting to add an electronically balanced FET vs Xfrmr balanced tube. Just to know how the transformer skews the results.
That tube sounds warmer forsure.
Over youtube the 013 fet sounded warmer and the 013 tube more hifi. Not what I expected.
Right!?
This is super ineteresting to hear the difference. Pretty subtle over CZcams but I hear what you're saying about the high end on the tube mics sounding more open. I hear the difference more on the LDC than the small. Wouldn't mind hearing the difference's between them and some of the other workhorse mics you have.
The difference right away on the first acoustic demo . Not sure what you guys are hearing but I'm hearing it. Not a huge difference but there is definitely a difference! The effete is brighter on top has a little more pronounced upper mid-range. The tube Mike has a fuller low mids and middle mids , like up to maybe around 1k. It's a little more compressed in smoother ,slightly less harsh . Course now if you put a vintage tube in there that's going to change it to and most likely for the better if you get the right one !
From what I've read, the only difference is with excess. A fet, or any solid state transistor, will clip. A tube will overdrive, and distort.
1. the biggest difference i heard on youtube was the 017 on the acoustic. the mid-forwardness you heard in the fet i heard as a midscoop in the tube hahaha 2. you got me i bought two drums packs along with the unprocessed files
1 Interesting I'll have to go back and listen again!
2 😂😂 I hope you like them!
tube stuff has superb clarity
Trying decide between the 013 tube and 017 fet, for acoustic guitar. This was good
The fet is cool. I feel like the 013 tube has way more uses.
However if your just looking at Acoustic guitar the 017 would be my pic.
@@RecordingStudioLoser
017 fet or the tube? for acoustic guitar
My take on these types of comparisons is: If you can't really tell the difference, it doesn't really matter much.
Until someone on Gearspace telling you that your ears are wrong.
Totally! if it can't be heard on your main source of capture... why bother
Tubes generally have an...un-limited sweetness and def have a character - on voice try a 5-star vs a Mullard and it's obvious. Warm doesn't have to mean mushy, hazy or flabby bottom-heavy.
Poor analogy but it reminds me of midi control vs an analog knob...stepped vs smooth and continuous. That said though there are def times when a good fet is the better choice for a more controlled sound though.
I know this is an old video, but I'm currently looking for an LDC mic and hesitate between FET and Tube. And I think I finally nailed the difference. Or it's just my brain that's uniquely weird, and it won't translate to anyone. But here's what I hear, and it's more obvious on the acoustic guitar. Stereo studio monitors are great to translate left to right sound sources, but also give some sense of depth to some sounds. Some seem closer (in your face) , some seem further (emanating from the speaker cones). Well, with the FET mic, all the notes of the guitar seem to emanate from the same distance. With the Tube mic, higher pitched notes seem to be closer to you, and lower notes seem further. It's like the Tube sound is 3D, and the FET sound emanates from a flat plane. I went to audition the grand piano through the 017 FET and 017 Tube on the Soyuz yt channel, and I got the same impression.
Could this be it?
I can hear the differences on CZcams too, yes. To my ear they are subtle tonally speaking but emotionally they are quite different. I can hear much more even harmonics content in the tube mic that our brain "traduction" is: this is more "real" and full and that's the sound af that instrument! But in my opinion is just a matter of psycoacoustic. We like more even harmonics respect to odd ones, tubes tends to produce even harmonic saturation and the dynamics is more "real" resembling better the natural compression that happen in the airmass. This is better? No or Yes, it depends on what Your intentions. That's my two cents and thanks for this shootout!
I thought it was my eyes tricking me into hearing stuff as well but yeah! That upbeat acoustic guitar part in the second bit did sound a bit more lively and brighter to my ears with the tube mic, even on CZcams! But in the end, don't fret on it! I've got a huge wishlist and I'm filling the slots as the years go by and we make do with what we got in the garage studio. Every Friday session is a blast and now that gigs are on the horizon, it's just more motivation to get more stuff written so we can jam out!
agree. my ear goes to the reinforced fundamental firming up the sound before it notices the compressed upper harmonics that make it sound 'more open.' also I feel like when people say the fet sounds compressed they mean with a slower attack that exaggerates the transient- but the fet is actually more 'accurate' than the tube from a measurement standpoint and the linear transient response makes it sound thinner and more pokey to me.
P.s. you'd hear more fidelity on vocals! Maybe not a massive difference but definitely a slight different.
Wow totally crazy! Maybe my ears are bad, or I need to change my old HD600, but there wasn't much difference between the 57, FET and tube!!! Mhhhh.... That's an interesting giveaway. The 57 has notorious little low end! If the mics didn't pick much of a difference it could be because of the mid/hi content of the guitar playing... I would love to see the exact same concept with an upright bass (or an electric bass), and on a male "deep" voice (think isaac hayes ;-) ).
Anyway, a big thank you for honest videos, where the urban legends are sometimes busted.
Good points. Yes I'm excited to try them elsewhere. I have one I'm filming tonight. That's a little absurd. But still a fun experiment. Not vocals or bass. But a lot more strings.
Great video!
Is the tube the winner for you?
I had owned a tube 017 before they sent me these. So testing had been fun that said I think it is the winner because I can make the tube do what the fet does. But I can make the fet do what the tube does. If that makes sense.
In my mind I would pay the extra. But I'm also recording lots of high end sensitive things. Besides drum overheads. Choirs... orchestral. Bluegrass stuff... so to me it's well worth it. But that won't be the case for everyone.
@@RecordingStudioLoser
Thank you, wondering how the tube sdc are verses the tube 017 for acoustic guitar.
lol funny toothpaste on shirt :) gtreat content guy
how i describe hi fi is cheap dyn fet to tube equals the diff of 1 bull through the gate 2 or 3, 3 will always be more present and thats no bull baybee no go blow some fukin windows out with a clean t shirt yeehaa sozuz are cool
for me the tube is all detail more than mojo. detailed in a sense that it sounds like it's more active in capturing all the nuances and it's working harder than the FET. it's like the tube is a 20 piece puzzle set and while FET is like 15 or 10 lol both are great and to me it's all just mixing it all up depending on your mood if you're not so sure what to use on a session which happens a lot cuz there are TONS of ways to recording one thing tbh haha
I agree. There Is no "correct"
Tube sounds loudest for sure, but not necesarilly best
Maybe you just mixed the mics up? 😂
The tube had more body in the bottom end.
No BIG difference to my ears. If anything it was probably the positioning of the mic. At lease on youtube. I'll download the samples.
I downloaded the files and the difference is there for sure. The fet on the distorted guitar sounds like its struggling / less headroom. The Tube had a bit more bandwidth than the fet.
Tube def has more alive topend, more charismatic.
The side chain from your voice to background music is set too drastic. It pumps. Love your content, just letting you know.
It sounds like your voice is going through a guitar tremolo.
interesting.... there is no sidechain happening. I just turn down the background and automate up in the intro stinger and the end. otherwise theres nothing happening. Anyone else notice this?
Just listening on a phone speaker here, and I hear a clear difference. FET sounds limited and dull, like it’s coming from a cheap boombox. Tube sounds live, more nuances, more lows, more life, more reverb.
Do a video of you doing a proper AB test and see if your hearing is that good.