Best tubes for modules?

Synergy/MTS Forum

Help Support Synergy/MTS Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
My best results have been with Electro Harmonix and Tung-Sol. The EH are very thick sounding, while the TS are brighter. The combination seems to work well for most modules. Sometimes I'll use 2 EH for a gain module if it already sounds bright.
Groove Tubes can also be nice for clean modules.
 
audiomidijace said:
My best results have been with Electro Harmonix and Tung-Sol. The EH are very thick sounding, while the TS are brighter. The combination seems to work well for most modules. Sometimes I'll use 2 EH for a gain module if it already sounds bright.
Groove Tubes can also be nice for clean modules.

Good info!
 
jj's are ok and generic a little brittle but work surprisingly well for some modules like the Recto style modules. tung sol are nice and chimy for cleans. EH have more fidelity but extremely inconsistent if you don't order matched and specify low, mid, or high gain. The EH have thicker low end but are a little blah at times. Ruby12ax7AC5 HG and HG +have great high gain, nice balanced mids, nice sizzle, unoffending highs. I like these in anything Marshall-ish or super high gain. However if they are super high gain it might make things too over the top and sterile in some modules. I have recently found that a Ruby in V1 with a high gain Mullard Reissue in V2 adds back warmth and some spongyness yet rips your face off if needed. Spend a few bucks and a buy a couple Rubys, a Mullard, 2 high gain EH, and a couple cheap tung sols for your clean and do some comparisons. it's worth it to find what you like. I'm guessing your Camerock will love the Ruby Mullard combo.

One other tube is the Ruby 12ax7AC7 HG, a little woodier more vintage vibe vs the AC5. Might be nice in the Quickmod.
 
LoD21 said:
jj's are ok and generic a little brittle but work surprisingly well for some modules like the Recto style modules. tung sol are nice and chimy for cleans. EH have more fidelity but extremely inconsistent if you don't order matched and specify low, mid, or high gain. The EH have thicker low end but are a little blah at times. Ruby12ax7AC5 HG and HG +have great high gain, nice balanced mids, nice sizzle, unoffending highs. I like these in anything Marshall-ish or super high gain. However if they are super high gain it might make things too over the top and sterile in some modules. I have recently found that a Ruby in V1 with a high gain Mullard Reissue in V2 adds back warmth and some spongyness yet rips your face off if needed. Spend a few bucks and a buy a couple Rubys, a Mullard, 2 high gain EH, and a couple cheap tung sols for your clean and do some comparisons. it's worth it to find what you like. I'm guessing your Camerock will love the Ruby Mullard combo.

One other tube is the Ruby 12ax7AC7 HG, a little woodier more vintage vibe vs the AC5. Might be nice in the Quickmod.


Thanks!
 
My personal favorite combos are:
For Cleans: A NOS Jan/GE 5751 in V1 and a Tung Sol Ecc83s in V2.
For Distortions: A Genelex Gold Lion ECC83 in V1 and a Tung Sol ECC83S in V2.
 
Don't know why but I've come to appreciate the Long Plate JJs in V1 and those Mullard RIs in V2 for most modules, really, but more so with british voice ones or gainy ones.

Haven't tried the Gold Lion ones though, though if they hold what the label promise they probably are amongst the finest made today.
 
Personally I find EHs to be the most middle of the road bulbs there are
and not in a bad way I must add

If I were to rate them in a way as pickups I'd say its 5/5/5, Sovtek 5/4/5
JJ's would be more like 6/6/4, Tung Sols 5/8/6, and Shiguang 4/4/9(ish)

take this with a grain of salt though, something may appear to have more low end when there is less in the mid and upper frequencies
Also in gain factor the EH seems to be middle ground (comparing std 12AX7A, not HG selected) but again it just might be that the sizzling top end of the chinese tubes may give the appearance of higher gain

Either way, I find EHs very usefull by themselves, but also to compare other brands characteristics
 
In addition to my previous post i must add that a Sovtek....yes a cheap a$$ Sovtek 12ax7wa in V2 with an AC5HG+ in VI sounds super cool. about as focused and balanced as the AC5 in VI and Mullard RI in V2. the Sovtek a nice organic vibe.
 
LoD21 said:
In addition to my previous post i must add that a Sovtek....yes a cheap a$$ Sovtek 12ax7wa in V2 with an AC5HG+ in VI sounds super cool. about as focused and balanced as the AC5 in VI and Mullard RI in V2. the Sovtek a nice organic vibe.
I feel ya' man. A tube is still a tube and that is a very good thing. 8)
 

Latest posts

Top