Posts Tagged ‘valves’
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
KBO Dynamics are making their mark in the international music industry. They will be showcasing their technology with a number of major customers at the high profile international music fair, Musikmesse in Frankfurt this March. Hiwatt is just one of the world’s most prominent guitar amp manufacturers and KBO Dynamics are delighted to have TubeSync technology incorporated in their latest amp designs.
 KBO Dynamics Win Innovation Award 2009 KBO Dynamics, winners of the Durham and Wearside Innovation Business Awards 2009, stated : TubeSync technology achieves unique benefits including vastly improved reliability and performance in tube amps. Securing orders from Hiwatt and others is a significant achievement.
 KBO Dynamics Power and Control Devices ‘The scale of the companies that KBO Dynamics are working with is impressive. They have ambitious plans for growth and have been performing very well since receiving investment from us. KBO Dynamics is an excellent example of successful innovation coming out of the North East and is testimony to the region’s strong knowledge base,’ Dr Richard Exley, North Star Equity Investors.
The company has also been supported with market research, manufacturer introductions and early product launch activity by think M., a leading strategic marketing and research agency specialising in technology and innovation.
Andy Fallon, KBO Dynamics, ‘think M.’s channel research played an important part in helping us to secure investment by providing the market evidence required to prove TubeSync’s growth potential. It helped us to refine our offering to amp manufacturers and was instrumental in getting us through the door at some really high profile organisations.’
 TubeSync As KBO look forward to Frankfurt they already have further collaborations underway and anticipate generating more interest from manufacturers, amp technicians and musicians alike. If you would like any more information on TubeSync technology, please visit www.kbodynamics.com.
Tags: 100, amp, Ashdown, bass, bias, bias problems, Frankfurt, hi gain, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, Hiwatt custom amp, how to, KBO, KBO Dynamics, Laney, Marshall, Musikmesse, Musikmesse 2010, orange, Output transformer, Pacemaker 100, Think M, Tube Amp Doctor, tube failures, Tubes, TubeSync, UK, valve failure modes, valves
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Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Pure tube magic – that warm, uncluttered sound powered by superior amp technology deserves the best. TubeSync takes care of the detail, giving unsurpassed performance from any tubes.
Plugging straight into the tube powered heart of your amp, in perfect harmony with its fine tuned circuitry, TubeSync’s Bias Engine eradicates the need for bias current matching, increases tube life and takes your tubes to their optimum temperature as soon as you power up . . .
and there’s more.
The result: a well honed tone tyrant with none of the problems hampering conventional tube amps; a streamlined orchestrator of analogue magic.
 Ashdown Amp With TubeSync POWER UP HOT
The Bias Engine’s ‘Hot Anode’ cranks up the heat and has you running hot from the very first cord. It knows the optimum temperature for your tubes best performance and gets them there the minute you start playing.
JUST PLUG IN AND PLAY
The Bias Engine is easily incorporated into your amp’s systems at manufacture. It removes the need for bias current matching but still achieves the absolute best tone.
INCREASED EFFICIENCIES
Increased manufacturing efficiencies (due to reduced testing) are achieved by eliminating the need for bias current matching.
ROOTING OUT THE RENEGADE
Fear not the cherry red glow of a failing tube! The Bias Engine continuously monitors the performance of each tube during operation and searches for typical tube failure modes and trends. If the Bias Engine
detects a faulty tube, it can automatically ‘switch out’ the offending tube and run the amp, at half power, until the defective tube can be changed.
HARDER, BETTER, LONGER
Work your tubes at their full potential. The Bias Engine automatically micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure its full potential is realised throughout its working life. The amplitude of drive signals supplied to the grids is dynamically measured and performance is optimised accordingly. Tubes work harder, better and for longer.
RAISING THE BAR
TubeSync revolutionises convention by completely replacing traditional testing methods. Every time you power up TubeSync runs an automatic ‘in circuit’ test and assures reliability.
MINIMUM POWER, MAXIMUM OUTPUT
Less power input, same big output. TubeSync reduces quiescent power consumption by an average of 20% compared to conventional amplifier biasing techniques.
Tags: amp, anode, Ashdown, Bias Engine, current, hi, hi gain, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, Marshall, orange, Pacemaker 100, Tubes, TubeSync, valve failure modes, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Friday, February 19th, 2010
KBO Dynamics is a world leading design consultancy and supplier of high performance electronic power and control devices. TubeSync® is the flagship in our range of tube amplifier products . TubeSync® was developed to overcome many of the problems associated with conventional tube amplification, such as biasing problems , tube longevity and amplifier reliability. Our goal is to improve amplifier design without changing the fundamental amplification process so tone and sound remains unaltered.
”Improving amplifier design, performance and efficiency”
We work closely with our customers to deliver the best possible technical solution that satisfies both technical and commercial needs. Our designs are created with flexibility in mind and in most cases clients will have the opportunity to create their own unique product features.
The TubeSync Bias Engine
• Eliminates the need for bias current matching of output tubes
• Increases manufacturing efficiencies
• Micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure its full potential is realised
• Assures reliability
• Maintains optimum performance
• Increases tube life
• Reduces quiescent power consumption
• Easily integrated into amp systems
• Sets tubes at their optimum temperature as soon as you start playing
• Detects tube failure and prevents catastrophic damage to amp
• Switches out faulty tubes and runs amp at half power until tube can be changed
For further information email:
info@kbodynamics.com
T : +44 (0) 1207 585846
www.kbodynamics.com
Tags: Bias Engine, current, guitar, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, how to, Marshall, orange, Tubes, TubeSync, TubeSync Bias Engine, valve, valves
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
UK-based KBO Dynamics will be showcasing their pioneering technology with Hiwatt at Musikmesse this March. TubeSync® technology achieves unique benefits including vastly improved reliability and performance in guitar tube amps. Hiwatt have incorporated the innovation in new amp designs to further underline their already exemplary reliability.
TubeSync streamlines with the amp’s circuitry to constantly test and monitor the amp without altering the fundamental amplification process, tone or sound. It eliminates the need for bias current matching, increases tube life by micro-adjusting the bias on each tube, predicts tube failure and can, in the event of tube failure, even run the amp at half power, preventing catastrophic amp damage.
The result is an amp unhampered by many of the problems associated with conventional tube amplification allowing musicians to enjoy classic tube sound quality without the frustrations.
Mark Lodge Hiwatt’s general manager stated ‘Our amps have proven their reliability year after year. Incorporating TubeSync technology has allowed us to raise the bar one step further. The benefits are of great value to us and our customers.’
KBO Dynamics look forward to more exciting collaborations this year. For more information on TubeSync, please visit www.kbodynamics.com
Tags: amp, bass, bias, current, Custom, hi, hi gain, hiwatt, Hiwatt at Musikmesse, Hiwatt custom amp, how to, Musikmesse, Musikmesse 2010, technician, tube failures, TubeSync, UK, valve, valve failure modes, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Famed for their legendary reliability and tone, Hiwatt have gone one step further in the reliability stakes by employing TubeSync® technology in their already bulletproof amplifiers.
Over the last year, Hiwatt and UK based KBO Dynamics have developed their own version of a pioneering technology called TubeSync®, which Hiwatt will launch at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2010 in March. The technology has been developed in order to overcome problems associated with conventional tube amplification such as biasing, tube longevity and overall reliability. What the collaboration has achieved is to improve amplifier design without changing the fundamental amplification process yet retaining the classic Hiwatt tone and sound.
Although not an integral part of the amplification process, Tubesync® is connected to the heart of the amp’s circuitry, constantly testing and monitoring; it’s like having an amp technician working full time inside the box every time the amp is powered up. This technology eliminates the need for tube bias current matching, increases tube life by micro-adjusting the bias on each tube, predicts tube failure and can, in the event of a catastrophic tube failure, even run the amp at half power. The result is the eradication of many of the problems hampering conventional tube amplifiers and peace of mind for the musician wise enough to have taken this route.
KBO Dynamics Chief Exec Andy Fallon: “It has been a pleasure working with Hiwatt who have been extremely receptive to change and have embraced the new technology. They have seen the benefits it can bring to them and of course, their customers, and we are looking forward to further exciting collaborations. This technology genuinely has raised the bar concerning reliability and classic tube amps, and what’s more. It’s been developed exclusively in the UK .”
For more information on TubeSync® technology, please visit www.kbodynamics.com and www.hiwatt.co.uk.
Hiwatt produce classic British custom amps both guitar and bass.
Tags: amp, anode, bass, bias problems, biasing, cathode, Custom, gain, hi, hiwatt, Hiwatt custom amp, Tubes, TubeSync, UK, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers | Comments Off
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Eliminates tube matching
Eliminates the need for bias current matching of amplifier output tubes,this increases manufacturing efficiencies, due to reduced testing.
Reduced tube cost
Eliminates the need to purchase tubes in ‘matched pairs’ and replaces conventional biasing components.
Increased tube life
Automatically micro-adjusts the bias on each tube to ensure the full potential of each tube in the system is realised throughout its working life.
Reliability assurance
Replaces conventional tube testing methods by performing an ‘in circuit’ test every time the amplifier is powered up.
Half power back-up
If TubeSync® detects a faulty tube, it can automatically ’switch out’ the offending tube and run the amp at half power, until the defective tube can be replaced. 
Maintains optimum performance
Dynamically measures the amplitude of the drive signals supplied to the grids of each output tube and optimises performance accordingly.
Simultaneous distortion
Maintains the classic warm sound of the amplifier by ensuring tubes distort symmetrically.
Reduced power consumption
Reduces quiescent power consumption when compared to conventional amplifier biasing techniques by an average of 20%.
NEW ‘ Hot Anode’
TubeSync® knows the optimum operating temperature of your tubes, so there is no need to warm up your amp. TubeSync® will get you to where you need to be just as soon as you start playing.
Customisation
Unique algorithms can be incorporated to tailor optional performance characteristics and features to customer requirements.
Tags: anode, bias, bias problems, guitar, Marshall, orange, technician, tube failures, valve, valve failure modes, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers, TubeSync, Tubes | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Catastrophic Failures. These are failures that occur suddenly, without warning, making the equipment unusable.
Examples of catastrophic failures are: -
- Glass failure, loss of vacuum due to mechanical damage or thermal stress.
- Heater failures open circuit or partial short circuit due to excessive heater voltage or high initial surge current and normal on off cycling over many thousands of hours.
- Arcing, due to low cathode temperature, causing damage to the cathode and grids.
- Bias failure due to component leakage or valve characteristic spreads using fixed or auto bias.
Degenerative Failures. The slow but eventual, deterioration of all tubes, which can contribute to the end of life of the tube.
Examples of degenerative failures: -
- Gas is present in all tubes and if the tube is used within its characteristics should not be a problem, however excessive dissipation can liberate gas from the tube structure and lead to eventual premature failure.
- Getters are patches of evaporated metal, which are deposited on the inside of the glass. The purpose of the getter is to absorb any gas that may be evolved during the life of the tube and work best at normal glass bulb temperatures.
- Spurious emissions are uncontrolled unwanted emissions usually caused by gas released due to excessive dissipation and elevated temperatures.
- Inter electrode leakage. This is current, which flows between the electrodes of the tube, which are not connected in any way. The cause is metallic vapours released by the hot metallic structure of the valve being deposited on the insulating micas and eventually leading to a conductive path.
- Cathode depletion can occur due to arcing, which can strip the cathode coating reducing the active area of the cathode. Arcing will vaporise the cathode material and generate gas, which can poison the cathode material. This can also be caused, by passing excessive cathode current before the heater has reached its normal operating temperature.
Subjective Failures. These are tubes, which will normally pass tests but do not perform satisfactorily due to for example: – hum level, microphonics and noise.
Examples of subjective failures: -
- Hum is an unwanted mains frequency signal, which is superimposed on the wanted signal. It can be caused by heater to cathode leakage or due to electrostatic or electromagnetic fields within the equipment.
- Microphonics is defined as a signal originating inside the valve caused by mechanical vibrations being amplified by the tube.
- Noise is a signal originating from inside the tube, but not due to hum or microphonics. It can be due to intermittent short circuits, open circuits or arcing due to leakage paths between the electrodes.
Characteristic Variables. These are variations or spreads in the tube characteristics, due to manufacturing tolerances and follow a normal distribution curve.
Examples of characteristic variables: -
- The Standard is usually a tube that complies with the manufactures published data. The Upper and Lower limits are values that any tube within these limits can be considered acceptable for normal use.
- Characteristic Spreads is the degree of deviation from the standard tube.
- Design Tolerances is the normal variations of standard parts, which a well-designed piece of equipment will operate correctly.
The Solution Is ……….TubeSync!
 TubeSync Amp Biasing
www.kbodynamics.com
Tags: amp, bias, bias problems, biasing, cathode, hiwatt, how to, Mar, Marshall, orange, tube failures, TubeSync, valve, valve failure modes, valves
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Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
TubeSync has many advantages over other bias methods. An amplifier with fixed bias needs to be set manually and adjusted frequently to maintain the correct bias. Also unless each tube has its own bias setting, at best the results can only be a compromise due characteristic spreads in the valves, which in push pull amplifiers can lead to saturation of the output transformer on high signals due to DC magnetization of the core due to unbalanced anode currents. TubeSync continuously monitors the bias current and ensures perfect DC balance. Auto bias can compensate for valve characteristic spreads providing the characteristics of the valves are closely matched. However auto bias introduces loses by subtracting the bias voltage from the power supply voltage and with some types of valve the losses can be considerable and this means that the anode of the valve has to be operated at a much higher voltage to compensate for the auto bias losses.
Using TubeSync these losses are eliminated and the HT power supply voltage can be reduced or the amplifier can deliver more output power due to having all of the power supply voltage available to supply the load. TubeSync can compensate for much large spreads in valve characteristics without the need to use specially selected or matched pairs of valves and still maintain the linearity of the output stage.
Tags: amp, bias, cathode, how to, Marshall, technician, Tubes, TubeSync, valve, valves
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Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
A very important feature of any thermionic tube circuit is known as ‘biasing’. It has already been mentioned that a negative voltage applied to the control grid of the valve will restrict or prevent the current flowing between anode and cathode. This is also known as a ‘bias’ signal, as it is used to control the amount of current which flows under ‘no-audio-signal’ conditions (quiescent conditions).It is common practice to operate tube amplifiers in a state known as ‘Class A-B’. This means that when no signal is present, a relatively small amount of D.C. current is allowed to flow in each tube to reduce distortion of the amplified signal to a low level. The amount of quiescent current allowed to flow is obviously very important to maintain optimum operating conditions. Too much current will cause harmonic distortion, increase heat dissipation in the anode, reduce audio output power and reduce the operational life of the tube. Too little current will cause severe harmonic distortion and, under extreme conditions, could cause a condition known as ‘cathode poisoning’, which also reduces the effective operation life of the tube.
Conventional Methods of Biasing Fall Mainly into Two Categories
- (1) Cathode (or ‘automatic’) Bias in an attempt to automatically control the quiescent current flow in the tube, a high power resistor is connected in the cathode circuit to signal ground. The grid is connected via a high tube of resistance (usually 500k Ohms or greater) to earth or signal ground. The principle of operation is that when current starts to flow through the tube (and the cathode resistor), a volt drop, proportional to the current will occur across the resistor.This will effectively make the cathode more positive than the signal ground (control grid potential). In effect, this is exactly the same as making the control grid more negative than the cathode. The grid will therefore begin to restrict the flow of current until equilibrium is obtained. The value of this current will be proportional to the value of cathode resistance. Any tendency for the current to increase or decrease due to aging or external conditions will be countered by the resultant change in control grid voltage.
Disadvantages of Cathode Biasing
Cathode biasing has been used in audio amplifier circuits for many years, and although fairly effective, it also has several serious drawbacks notably:
- In high power amplifiers, the value of the cathode resistor must be made relatively large, which results in them needing to dissipate several Watts of heat (adding to the general heat dissipation within the amplifier chassis).
- Reduced operating efficiency.
- A significant amount of audio signal power is ‘lost’ in the resistor, thereby reducing the audio output power for any given input power.
- It is necessary to bypass the cathode resistor with a capacitor in order to preserve the audio amplifying properties of the tube. This capacitor is in the audio signal path and therefore has a restricting effect on certain frequencies.
(2) Fixed Bias
Higher power amplifiers tend to use fixed bias due to the disadvantages of cathode biasing already mentioned. It has a tendency to be used in guitar amplifiers where distortion due to maladjustment comes second to higher output power. Fixed bias incorporates an external negative supply to the grid, which is controlled by a manually adjusted trimmer resistor. It is common practice to supply more than one of the tubes from the same adjustment.
Disadvantages of Fixed Biasing
Setting the bias conditions requires technical knowledge and skill; therefore this operation should be performed by an audio technician.
- Once set any tendency for the current to increase or decrease due to tube aging or external conditions cannot be catered for, therefore conditions can only be optimum immediately after adjustment.
- Frequent adjustments are necessary throughout the life of the valves to preserve optimum performance.
- If a single bias control is used, at best one, or possibly none of the output valves will operate under optimum conditions.
- Maladjustment of the bias control or slight leakage in grid coupling capacitors could result in severe (very costly) damage to the power supply, power output tubes or output transformer.
Heating Effect
It is a misnomer to assume that because tubes rely on thermionic emission for their normal operation, that they cannot overheat. Power output tubes are especially vulnerable to the effects of overheating due to their high anode dissipation under normal driven conditions. Any extra heat generated due to the effects of faulty coupling components, incorrect biasing or poor design can seriously shorten their operational life. Common conditions which cause overheating are:
- Faulty (high leakage) grid coupling capacitors – if cathode bias is used this can be offset to some degree by the automatic compensating effect of the cathode resistor, although overheating and destruction of the resistors may occur before audio distortion is noticed by the listener. In a fixed bias system, it is almost certain that severe damage will result.
- Failure of the cathode resistor by-pass capacitor in cathode bias systems.
- Bias voltage maladjustment in ‘fixed bias’ systems.
- Gas in the valve envelope (‘soft valve’)
Tags: amp, anode, biasing, cathode, current, guitar, Tubes, valves
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Friday, June 12th, 2009
Thermionic tubes
Thermionic tubes are very tolerant if their specified operating conditions are temporarily exceeded; unlike most semiconductors which tend to suffer from ‘catastrophic’ failure (defined as a failure mode which causes instantaneous and irreversible damage).Unlike semiconductors, tubes do however, ‘wear out’, which means that they have a finite operating life.
 Operating them under unfavourable conditions or beyond the manufacturers working specification, usually results in a reduced lifespan, although this may not be audibly apparent in their operation. In audio applications, the majority of seriously damaging problems lie in the power output stages.
Introduction to Tube Amplifier Operation
The majority of amplifiers use at least two output tubes in a circuit configuration known as ‘Push-Pull’. Basically, this means that the audio signal is split into two halves by preceding circuits. Each of the two ‘Split’ signals now drives one output tube.
The signals then undergo power amplification by the output tubes and are re-combined by a special audio grade transformer which also drives the loudspeaker. Please note that, although there are many different types of tube for various applications, the vast majority operate on the same basic principles.
Tags: amp, biasing, cathode, guitar, Sound, Technology, Tubes, valves
Posted in Tube Amplifiers, Tubes | Comments Off
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