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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 25, 2014 21:17:51 GMT -6
If I buy one? GE 5 star? RCA blackplate?
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Post by matt on Jan 25, 2014 21:30:14 GMT -6
If I buy one? GE 5 star? RCA blackplate? Retro sells them but I don't know what brand(s) they stock. I'm thinking about doing this myself. |
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Post by tonycamphd on Jan 25, 2014 21:33:34 GMT -6
Christian Whitmore
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 25, 2014 21:37:54 GMT -6
I think they sell the new JJ's. Of course there's a big nerd populace that says they sound nothing like the real thing. I've had the RCA and it sounded fine - not a huge difference, but I do think a little smoother. matt ill pm you. |
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Post by svart on Jan 25, 2014 22:42:33 GMT -6
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Post by matt on Jan 26, 2014 0:26:27 GMT -6
Damn:  I think I'm in love. |
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Post by Ward on Jan 26, 2014 0:34:29 GMT -6
^^needs more glassware
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 26, 2014 9:29:36 GMT -6
From Phil Moore at Retro regarding the JJ 6386:
Hi John,
My experience has been very good. They are very consistent unlike NOS.
Phil
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 26, 2014 9:38:41 GMT -6
unit7 Don't you have some experience with this?
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Post by unit7 on Jan 26, 2014 9:52:38 GMT -6
unit7 Don't you have some experience with this? Got a lot of JJ6386s here (in my AnalogTube limiters) but no experience A/B'ing with NOS ones. I put JJs in my STA's. Phil said I could keep the original tubes in too, but I never tried that. Anyway I did A/B the STAs, one w the original pair of tubes and the other w JJ6386 and the difference IMO was very subtle. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 26, 2014 10:08:41 GMT -6
Honestly, that was my experience too in the past when I bought a "cheaper" RCA 6386 off of ebay...Very subtle...
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 3, 2014 17:47:58 GMT -6
Used the Sta extensively today and I have to say - I remember the one I had before this being much more transparent in it's gain reduction. I'm wondering if it totally has to do with the 6386...
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Post by tasteliketape on Feb 3, 2014 18:30:23 GMT -6
I just pulled the JJ ' s out of my sta level had both in (6386 nos) thought just the nos 6386 in alone was a little smoother.
seemed to me with both it had a little mid honk
also seemed the jj by themselves had a slight mid honk jmo
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 3, 2014 18:51:03 GMT -6
I'm confused...you're saying you pulled the JJ 6386 out? Or are you saying you pulled the two 6BJ6's out of the front and put a NOS 6386 in? Which way sounded smoother?
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Post by tasteliketape on Feb 3, 2014 19:14:51 GMT -6
Sorry meant to say 6BJ6 were in with nos 6386 then i pulled the two 6BJ6 out and the 6386 nos RCA by itself sounded smoother
there seemed to be just a slight mid honk with both together but was very usable either way
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 3, 2014 19:21:14 GMT -6
Ahhhh. Yeah, that was my experience too. I was a little taken aback with the Sta today. It was the first day I had used this new one extensively...and honestly, it doesn't seem nearly as transparent in the compression as the other Sta's I've had...but I've also had 6386's in those...I ran those without the 6BJ6's too...
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Post by matt on Feb 3, 2014 21:07:33 GMT -6
I love mine as-is, but the 6386 was used for a reason, most likely. More euphonic.
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Feb 3, 2014 23:02:00 GMT -6
Mine is taking a shit on me. Been trying to figure out if it's a tube or not. Phil sent me another set but it's still ringing( and blowing fuses). Gonna have to send it to Cali looks like. Bummer.
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 4, 2014 19:43:13 GMT -6
So - yeah - I was honestly a little spooked by the Sta the other day...it just wasn't sounding like I remembered...Then, I opened up the front panel and noticed that one of the 6BJ6's wasn't glowing...Luckily, I had a spare left over from one of the other Sta's I've had, - replaced it and it's sounding MUCH better. Much smoother. I've got a GE 6386 coming.
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 14, 2014 22:22:51 GMT -6
matt and I went in together and bought a pair of GE 5* 6386's just got them today...Took the 6BJ6's out and put the 6386 in and I definitely think it's smoother compression. That is, it seems to compress more transparently. I really don't think it's placebo...but if it is, I am convinced it sounds better, so it was worth the money. 
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Post by kcatthedog on Feb 14, 2014 22:59:28 GMT -6
Tubes John i have put a variety of tubes in my diy c12, chameleon labs 7802 and rode classic ii and i would say believe in your experience
I know we all joke about the placebo effect but the expectation bias is even more significant
If your expectation was the sta was going to sound great and it didn't: your expectation bias wasn't met so probably the new certainly didn't sound like the old
My short but intensive experience with tubes as i was also getting the bla mod to my apollo and going through the 2192 and landing with the b2 is the each friggin tube behaves and sounds different
I find Christian is a very good source of advice and quality tubes and i am partial to mullards and just lucked into some nos original ge 5star 6702's and i put one in my rode classic ii and the tube turned it into a keeper: can't wait to put one in the c12 too
Glad that worked out for you. The sta sounds great on cowboy's recordings ! Good luck moving the 73 jr interested but getting it to cdn tags on 20% so up to new territory
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Post by matt on Feb 15, 2014 0:48:44 GMT -6
matt and I went in together and bought a pair of GE 5* 6386's just got them today...Took the 6BJ6's out and put the 6386 in and I definitely think it's smoother compression. That is, it seems to compress more transparently. I really don't think it's placebo...but if it is, I am convinced it sounds better, so it was worth the money. My STA sounds better already. It's the anticipation effect at work. Would make a great plugin. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 15, 2014 7:34:00 GMT -6
I've had 3 different Sta's...they all sounded better with 6386's...That's what the circuit was designed for, but it comes with 6BJ6's with the option to replace with one 6386.
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Post by svart on Feb 15, 2014 15:55:53 GMT -6
I've had 3 different Sta's...they all sounded better with 6386's...That's what the circuit was designed for, but it comes with 6BJ6's with the option to replace with one 6386. Only one? A lot of the original 6386 vari-mu types had multiples paralleled to reduce noise and such. Part of the reason that Fairchilds cost so much these days.. I'd be interested in what a handful of paralleled 6BJ6 sound like in comparison to a single 6386. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 15, 2014 16:02:01 GMT -6
To my ears, it seems a little more full bandwidth and a little less wolfy. But I haven't really AB'd the hell out of it. Also, like I said, the compression seems more transparent. Maybe matt can chime in when he gets his... |
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