# OT Music sounds best through a Vacuum!!!



## ralphbrades (Jan 3, 2008)

As several people know I have problems with my hearing. This does not stop me enjoying music however. A little over TWO YEARS AGO packed my music machine into its crates and muttered a heart felt plea that it would survive storage. During the weekend (now that the living room has "officially" stopped being decorated I unpacked my treasures from their crates and began the slow (often tearful) process of re-assembly. 

Some of the items I knew I would have to replace -the belt on my "Made in Scotland" Turntable was a forgone conclusion as were the belts on my Tape Deck. A nervous look through the jewellers loupe showed that my collection of "Decca's" had survived as had my "Goldring's". I arranged my cables and plugged the speakers in to charge for the very long 2 hours before I could safely play music through them. I greased the stems of my valves and plugged them into the sockets. 

I sipped a very slow cup of tea and then took a deep breath and flipped the test button on the main power amp and set the bias on all the EL-34's. I then flipped the toggle to "stand by" and then to "power". 

The was the brilliant red glow as the fast starter brought the heaters up to temperature -but also a blue flash on one of the valves... I switched off and went through the test routine again. This time no blue flash!!! I turned the "mute" switch on the pre-amp and selected phono on each half of the pre-amp (it is a dual mono). I then wound up the LP12 to its speed and walked (really quite slowly I think!) to my stack of Lps. 

Blind luck had placed "Brain Salad Surgery" as the first Lp that I touched... 

"WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS!!! 
(step inside, step inside, step inside). 

I have the tuner to re-build (the battery has "boiled" -but QUAD still sell replacements) and I think time and possibly tide(!) have taken their toll of my CD player -it is a Meridian modified Marantz CD-63... 

While I was smiling a pink person put her arms around me and said "It still looks like a "Heap of Junk" Hen -but I have missed it too!" 

I like 70's "Progressive" and Bach my wife likes 90's Techno and "Classic FM", our son likes "Country and Western"... 

regards 

ralph


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Me thinks you should have flipped the switches to "Stand By" and then had the cup o' tea, before switching to "Power"; that might have eliminated the blue flash.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By ralphbrades on 04/14/2008 1:47 PM 
Blind luck had placed "Brain Salad Surgery" as the first Lp that I touched... 
"WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS!!! 
(step inside, step inside, step inside). 
ralph 

Actually, you can't hear music when played though a vacuum (and no one can hear you scream in outter space). Speaking of Giger..., he combines some of my favorite hobbies. See the link... 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7mP7jP3NQ


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I agree with both sides of the anology... 

Some "music" is best not heard at all, either by the body, soul nor spirit... mainly because it is not actually "MUSIC" in the first place; being neither melodius, nor harmonious, but rather something designed to be abrasive to the body, soul and spirit. If PRODUCE in a vacuum it will die in its place. 

Other "Music" is true music, having melody and harmony, and an impact on the ears and body to influence the soul and spirit to the betterment of all involved. This MUSIC is best REPRODUCED using a vacuum tube (valve to those of a non-U.S. bent) amplifier, instead of a transistor/solid state apparatus, after being recorded while being produced in a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere at about 14.7 PSI.


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Going back a bit. 
6V6 were the low-end outputs. 
6L6 were the high-end, weren't they? 
Still have spares.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 04/14/2008 2:42 PM
This MUSIC is best REPRODUCED using a vacuum tube (valve to those of a non-U.S. bent) amplifier, instead of a transistor/solid state apparatus, after being recorded while being produced in a nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere at about 14.7 PSI. 





Like track/battery power, this comes down to personal preference and I'll keep my solid state "switches" that, while some may say sound less "spacious" and more "sterile", do produce a tighter bass and don't heat the entire house (only the audio cabinet). You've just got to use really good equipment. 

Besides, it is difficult to find a tube amp that can push some REAL power and my subs need lots of power. (I run one at 800 WRMS and the other at 2,700 WRMS).


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Your "bottles" should survive storage with no trouble. It's vibration that kills them, so the trip in your moggy would have been harder on them. Not sure what the blue flash was, but if it's working, it likely didn't damage the tube. One thing to look for, besides the red glow, is the "getter." Each tube should have a silvery, mirrored patch, usually near the top. This absorbs any air molecules that were left in the tube. If the tube has leaked air, this will be milky instead of silvery. We still don't know why, but a tube output stage on the amp *really* helps the sound. 

As far as sounds through a vacuum, it works for Star Wars!


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Actually, I have had, and still do have one, vacuum-tube unit that will push the air in and out of your lungs. 
The speakers have no permanent magnet. 
Rather, the magent is an electromagnet, which is the power choke for the power supply. 
The more power you use, the stronger the magnet.


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By toddalin on 04/14/2008 2:26 PM
Posted By ralphbrades on 04/14/2008 1:47 PM 
Blind luck had placed "Brain Salad Surgery" as the first Lp that I touched... 
"WELCOME BACK MY FRIENDS TO THE SHOW THAT NEVER ENDS!!! 
(step inside, step inside, step inside). 
ralph 

Actually, you can't hear music when played though a vacuum (and no one can hear you scream in outter space). Speaking of Giger..., he combines some of my favorite hobbies. See the link... 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7mP7jP3NQ




lol I posted that earlier lolol 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/8/postid/24049/view/topic/Default.aspx


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## Schlosser (Jan 2, 2008)

Curmudgeon's post reminded me of the 5881 that was used by IBM in place of the 6L6. Worked nicely in my Heathkit Williamson-styled amp when the 6L6's bit the dust. Haven't heard tubes referred to as 'valves' in a long time as Ralph did. It was in the Navy ('45), I think - or maybe later at an electronics school in Chicago ('50), when I came across a book from England discussing valves; two types, thermionic and procryonic (sp?) valves - the latter being cold cathode tubes. 

Ah, the good old days of tubes, Garrards, Williamsons, Vikings, and the genuine 'The Fisher' instead of a Japanese version. 

Art


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By toddalin on 04/14/2008 2:26 PM 
Posted By ralphbrades on 04/14/2008 1:47 PM 
Actually, you can't hear music when played though a vacuum (and no one can hear you scream in outter space). Speaking of Giger..., he combines some of my favorite hobbies. See the link... 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7mP7jP3NQ


Actually I believe he was refering to Vacuum tubes used in sound ampliflication. My "Stero" is all solid state (Dennon, Bang & Olufsen and Kenwood) BUT...I do have two tube amps for my guitars, a Marshall JCM1120 and a Crate Blue Voodoo, both 120 amps. 

There is just something about the warm embrace of a vacuum tube on sound amplification that lends a tonaility unacheiveable by any other means..


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You can't hear music in a vacume but you can hear it through a vacume tube. 

It's the little bit of distortion that Vacume tubes add to music. ( Solid state is too clean) No thing like Bach's Eight Little Preludes and Fuges Played by VIRGIL FOX. Or Maybe Tocatta and Fugue in D minor. You know the one they always play in Frankenstien Or the Opening to the first ROLLERBALL MOVIE . Or even still Fugue in G minor (the little fugue) Maybe a 16' tuba stop on the organ causing your coffee cup to dance off the coffee table. Lets not get into 1812 overture and cannon fire. 
I miss my 16 speaker two channel sound system from a HAMOND ORGAN I took out of a church. The driver amp weighed 40 lbs I use to shake the windows with that one. 
Ma never let me crank that one up to full volume. 
I miss POWER.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 04/14/2008 5:58 PM
Posted By toddalin on 04/14/2008 2:26 PM 
Posted By ralphbrades on 04/14/2008 1:47 PM 
Actually, you can't hear music when played though a vacuum (and no one can hear you scream in outter space). Speaking of Giger..., he combines some of my favorite hobbies. See the link... 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7mP7jP3NQ

Actually I believe he was refering to Vacuum tubes used in sound ampliflication. 




I knew that. An attempt at humor. 
/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

How about music played ON a vacuum? 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BjjZsp2hDxk 

From one of my favorite movies, even has Trains to boot! 
PS the objects you see on screen are the same objects that the real musicians recorded the music heard on.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I've gone through lots of stereo equipment, but finally got to where I did not listen as accurately, and was tired of checking tubes/connections/etc. So sold it all and just use my surround sound system, with my old pre-amp to swtich between components. Still have the jukeboxes with their tubes though. See my web site. Jerry


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 04/16/2008 9:19 AM
How about music played ON a vacuum? 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BjjZsp2hDxk 
From one of my favorite movies, even has Trains to boot! 
PS the objects you see on screen are the same objects that the real musicians recorded the music heard on.




Well, THAT waisted the entire afternoon watching it and all the strange derivitives and near similar videos and the odd "if you liked that one, try these!".../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif 

Downright weird!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 04/16/2008 2:15 PM
Posted By vsmith on 04/16/2008 9:19 AM 
How about music played ON a vacuum? 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BjjZsp2hDxk 
From one of my favorite movies, even has Trains to boot! 
PS the objects you see on screen are the same objects that the real musicians recorded the music heard on.

Well, THAT waisted the entire afternoon watching it and all the strange derivitives and near similar videos and the odd "if you liked that one, try these!".../DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0> 
Downright weird!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sick.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wow.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif" border=0>" border=0>




Charles, if you havent seen the movie, by all means rent it so you can see it in its entirety, its a real hoot! Its a french film with no subtitles but they are completely un-necessary to follow the story, which is all visual, this movie has one of the best chase scenes ever made at the end, it really has to be seen to be beleived! complete with stretched Citroen 2CV Limoseans! 

The train scenes are worth the rental alone, and they all involve the dog's dreams about trains, guarenteed to warp your fragile brain. Outstanding!


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