Your Favorite Module Tubes for your Higher Gain Modules

Synergy/MTS Forum

Help Support Synergy/MTS Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hmic10

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
253
Reaction score
0
I am looking for suggestions!!!
I know to stay away from the Tungsols
Please feel free to comment
 
I tend to gravitate towards Ruby 12AX7AC7 HG+ or just plain old JJ EC883 S.
 
hmic10 said:
I am looking for suggestions!!!
I know to stay away from the Tungsols
Please feel free to comment

From what I understand you shouldn't put Tung Sols in the V2 position
apart from that, they're a good tube
 
Sorry for noob question, whics is V1 and V2 in the module? Which needs better tube?
 
Mattfig said:
...Short of that, my goto has become the JJECC803S....

Interesting. They're great in my clean modules, but I've steered clear of them for high gain use because of the increased risk of microphonics. You haven't experienced any of that?

I'll definitely give them a go in V1 on some high gain modules....
 
You can use TS tubes if you have them laying around. About the only place I use TS tubes is in V2. I don't use TS's much ever at all, def not my favorite tubes, but I'm not sure where the rumor started about not using them in V2 on a High Gain module. If you find a good one they have good power. I don't really like them, but if I had one and I needed a tube, that's where I'd put it. Soooo LoL.

If you're going to buy tubes I'd suggest buying the JJ's like several others have suggested. They're just an all around decent tube. The Ruby's aren't bad either. Chinese tubes are good and consistent tubes.

Sorry for noob question, whics is V1 and V2 in the module? Which needs better tube?

The left tube is your tone. The right tube is your power. Think about it like that.

I like EH tubes on the left side, but they are very unreliable. You have to try about 6 or 7 tubes to get a good one.

If you don't have a lot of cash or extra tubes laying around Id recommend you get the JJ's, and read my sig about the up charges ;)
 
studio289 said:
Capt_Tippy said:
....I'm not sure where the rumor started about not using them in V2 on a High Gain module....
Rob has a sticky on his forum called "PSA regarding tubes"
Apparently it's well documented on the interwebz - even though the failures in the MTS community are hit or miss.
My conclusion was, V2 doesn't necessarily cause New Sensor tubes to fail, but it will expose a tube which was sketchy to begin with.
As always, YMMV.

Well that could be that it might fail... Like I said the EH tubes are very inconsistent. There are a LOT of Sovtec tubes that I wouldn't even bother installing in an amp because I've seen a lot of those that are just total junk. Usually the Tung Sol marked tubes are strong though.

The reason I don't like the Tung Sol's is that they are kind of Harsh sounding. I didn't know the question was about what tube was reliable. I thought the discussion was about tone.

The JJ's and Ruby's are definitely much more reliable than ANY New Sensor tubes. ..and the tone is decent too, which is why everyone seems to be recommending them.

I was just sayin if I needed a tube for V1 on my TwinFace module (for instance), and my only available tube was a TS, I'd take one of my JJ's out of V2 on one of my high gain modules, and I'd put the TS in its place. ..and my experience has been that it will work and sound fine in there. I would however probably never try an EH tube in V2 on a High Gainer. I have had several failures with those in that socket.
 
This tube cork sniffing is hilarious. It only persists because it gives people, that don't use a soldering iron, a illusion of being able to improve their amp.

The passive components value obliterates the effect a different tube (be it from same factory, or a different factory, let alone a different marketing label), could ever make.

Tubes don't have mids, treble or bass.. they are wide-band amplification devices.
 
tschrama said:
This tube cork sniffing is hilarious. It only persists because it gives people, that don't use a soldering iron, a illusion of being able to improve their amp.

The passive components value obliterates the effect a different tube (be it from same factory, or a different factory, let alone a different marketing label), could ever make.

Tubes don't have mids, treble or bass.. they are wide-band amplification devices.

It's not as obvious as the way a cap "obliterates" the tone, but just because you can't hear it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Even the wire in your guitar can change your tone.

Tubes are like mic's. They create a mirror of your music and send it down the wires. Just like different mic's sound different, so do different tubes. Mic's make more obvious changes, but... sorry about your ears ;)

..and I have a very expensive soldering iron, so your theory on that just went out the window LoL

leonsun said:
Anyone has experience with TAD tubes in modules?

TAD tubes are generally good tubes leonsun

I'm not sure they are worth 3-4x the price of a JJ but... I've never had a bad TAD tube.
 
It's not tube snobbery v2 in the modules is a cathode follower position and any preamp tubes made by new sensor (not just tung sol) are prone to failing under those conditions because of design and construction quality. It has nothing to do with just an MTS module/amp these tubes fail when put into other amps cathode follower positions. It's well documented online and by many amp techs. Of course many reputable tube dealers can also verify this and give suggestions for good cathode follower tubes (typically Ruby/Chinese, JJ, and of course you can get vintage or NOS tubes).

The V1 side you can use whatever you want I really like the new Mullard CV4004 in my amps V1 slot and in many of the modules V1 slot but I don't really do anything super high gain. I would say that the most important tubes in the MTS platform would be V1 in the amp and module(s) and I like using a good 5751 in the amps phase inverter. If you use the effects loop trick on the amp you'll also want a good, fresh tube in that spot. I have new Mullard CV4004 in V1 and FX (V2) and an old JAN GE 5751. No issues with my new sensor mullards however the tube dealer I use does pretty extensive testing.

To my ears many tubes do in fact have tonal impacts but they will be subtle even to a trained ear. The speakers, overall circuit designs, transformers, player, etc will have a more profound difference in tone and feel. I only use current production tubes for the most part but that's because their is a lot of misleading and sketchy stuff going on in the tube sales industry especially in regard to vintage tubes.
 
Top