PRS MT15 Tube Shields and Tube Swap Test!
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Today we are going to test out the PRS MT15 with tube shields along with swapping the stock tubes (V1, V5 position) with a JJ 57571 and E83CC. Besides people saying this amp is extremely loud (it is), there is a lot of talk about it being excessively noisy. I decided to do a few tests and show my results. Enjoy!
All music is 100% original and played by me. Check out my other vids and let me know what's in that 'ol noggin of yours!
Signal chain
PRS Custom 24 SE- MXR Smart Gate (riff sections only)- PRS MT15-- Two-notes Captor 8-ohm with Ownhammer IR (noise floor section only)- Peavey Invective 2x12 cabinet with Shure SM57 (riff sections)- Apollo 8xp- Reaper
*The amp EQ is set up for how I use it with stock tubes. I made sure not to turn any knobs throughout this entire test. Each setup can potentially sound better but I decided to keep all things the same for best results.
Follow me on Instagram: @Diluted_Mattt
Check out my band: Dilutedband.com, Dilutedband.bandcamp.com
Diluted on Facebook: Facebook.com/Dilutedband
Diluted on Instagram: @Dilutedband
Also check out DILUSIONS: The Diluted podcast that nobody ever asked for. Available on all major streaming platforms!
Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think of the results! I'm sure there are things that I missed so feel free to drop a comment and/ or put me on blast!
1:31 Noise floor explanation
3:30 Start noise floor tests
10:35 Tube swap explanation
11:07 Riff 1 test
11:52 Riff 2 test
12:49 Clean riff test
13:48 Riff 3 Drop A test
16:54 Tube swap back to back test
17:20 closing thoughts
Those shields don't do anything at 60Hz, because they are not magnetic shields, but electrical. It's the wrong type of metal and is only useful for higher-frequency interference.
The 60Hz hum is more likely due to the magnetic field from the input power transformer, which is in close proximity to the rest of the circuit due to the lunchbox format. The lack of significant magnetic shielding on the transformer, and/or ground loops in the wiring, are probably as much a culprit, when coupled with the extremely high gain of the red channel.
Although the gain certainly makes the hum more obvious, replacing the input power transformer with a toroidal one and/or adding a common-mode choke on the same transformer output might make a significant difference, like 3dB or more. It depends on whether the hum is "conducted" through the wires, or due to electromagnetic fields travelling through the air from the power transformer into the circuit/tubes.
That said, using a very low sensitivity speaker for lower volume work in the bedroom/home studio may help. This is where the hum is most noticeable. For example, a Jensen Mod 12-35 will reduce the annoyance factor by immediately dropping the audible "idle" noise by 5-6dB compared to, say, a Celestion Vintage 30. It just puts out a lot less sound power for the same amp power. Look at the sensitivity curves and choose a speaker the is lower overall, but especially at 60Hz and you may have a simple and relatively inexpensive "cure" on your hands.
I had a good experience with jj ecc803 in V1. Some people disliked that tube, but I think in combination with my DV Mark cabinet, it works fine.
This week I'll try out three Mesa 12at7 tubes.
Seems like everyone on the internet has very high regard for JJ tubes. They are very good tubes but generally very 'clean' especially for dirty guitar tones, in my honest opinion. I highly recommend some of the Russian or Chinese made 12AX7 or ECC83 tubes. Sovtek, Shuguang, Electro Harmonix (Russian) or Ruby (Chinese). Sovtek are my preamp tube of choice lately. Quiet and very woody warm high gain tones.
I'm not a musician. I come from listening to headphone tube amplifiers. One of my amplifiers uses an older Raytheon 5751 (57571) which I settled on after a bit of tube swapping/rolling. I liked the 5751 in your rig. To me it had a slightly cleaner tone in your setup, as did the E83CC. The stock tube sounded a bit unpleasantly sparkly to me.
Just a comment on the shields. I don't think they have any noticeable effect on sound and had always thought that they were only meant for physical protection than anything.
I enjoy!
How do shields go together with cooling the tubes? Don't tubes need air around them? I just bought a MT15 and yes, on the lead channel it has some noise when you crank it but it has such a wide sweet spot, depending on your preference, and takes effects like a charm, Carl Martin Plexi Ranger for example sounds amazing. And all that on a Harley Benton 2x12 V30 cab with a Tonerider Alnico Classis HB on a Pacifica. I was blown away. You can put it on 1/4 volume, 1/2 gain and regulate the intensity with the volume pot on the guitar. But I see a big noise difference in pickup selection.
Hey! do you have a link to where you got the tube shields?
May I ask where you bought the shields?