New Old Stock Supplies being tested for use in Mojave™ Ampworks LLC amplifier products.

Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you know what a Vacuum Tube is. The Vacuum Tube, most often referred to by guitar players, Hi-Fi buffs or recording engineers as just “Tubes” or the European definition, “Valves”, vacuum tubes have been a dominate device in the audio world. Sometimes an antiquated technology such as vacuum tube technology, can be a bit more expensive when compared to cheaper alternative electronic products such as transistors or ICs but even though there are some small learning curves to be had or a few pounds more to cary, all is forgiven in trade for the results that are yielded when sound is involved. Nothing makes sound like a good quality Thermonic audio device we all know as the vacuum tube.

New Old Stock G.E.C KT-66 and GE 6BQ5 vacuum tubes

So what is it that makes the vacuum tube so desirable to the music enthusiasts? The simple answer is the sonic qualities inherent in the vacuum tube sound. If your a guitar player, then your no stranger to the benefits of vacuum tube amplifiers. It’s been said the “Guitar” is the icon of Rock and Roll, then it stands to reason the tube guitar amplifier is the other half of Rock and Roll.

If you are interested in recording and making your sound harmonically rich, you are fully aware that not only are there tube microphones, tube Microphone preamps, tube compressors and tube equalizers but that these components go hand in hand with, Magnetic tape and transformers which are large contributors to that process in creating the unique distortions and harmonics needed to give texture and musicality to digital sound. Just as it is in video, a video recorded on a cell phone or camcorder has a sterile look to it, not really the vibe you would consider as professional, that would be “FILM”. In the world of movies, FILM is what give the movie industry that color and vibe as does vacuum tube sound in digital recording. The majority of the greatest recordings ever made were done with vacuum tubes. The vacuum tube is responsible for what is commonly referred to as a “warm” sound and in other descriptions “harmonically” rich. Vacuum tubes are responsible for that character and unique sound that is highly coveted.

Test Results for the N.O.S. G.E.C. KT-66 show it is in excellent condition and above factory spec.

No matter what your interest in tube audio, guitar amplifier, recording processing or fine hi-fi stereo, there is one common factor that needs to be in place, quality dependable vacuum tubes. there in lay the tricky part. What is the definition of a quality dependable vacuum tube? The definition will be the same for all users no matter the application if it be for audio.

• Strong Emissions
• Solid high transconductance (GM)
• Low noise
• Low gas emissions
• Little to no heater to cathode leakage current
• Little to no contamination of the Oxide cathode coating
• Quality construction

These are factors that are generally very elusive to the end user if he or she is not a electronic tech type who is well versed in vacuum tube technology. The end user are people who buy and use vacuum tubes for audio products like guitar amplifiers, microphone preamps, studio compressors or any other audio product will be at the mercy of those selling them the tubes.

New Old Stock G.E.C KT-66

It would be really great if there was a reliable and guaranteed way a person could know the vacuum tubes they are looking to purchase do indeed meet all the criteria stated above.  What is needed is a modern day product that can reliably test all of these things and provide a time and dated stamped printed test result, which would have the factory specs on it and the resulting measurements. That would be easy, you just look at the factory spec and look in the column next to it where the test result is. If the result is the same or better, you know the tube is a safe and good purchase. That would eliminate all the worry and take all the guess work out.

Maybe a printout that looks like this:

The computer time and date stamped test results which are able to be printed and packed with the tubes include the factory spec and test results side by side.

Mojave Ampworks Has two Amplitrex AT-1000 testers for volume testing and batch screening.

Even if you do not know the technical details and what they mean, you can see if said tube is good just by seeing that the numbers match. It’s peace of mind and it is critical when you are a professional who needs quality tubes that are guaranteed to be what your paying for.

Thankfully there is such a way. There is a modern day product, a computerized piece of test equipment that is a laboratory grade tube tester and offers test results with time and date stamped results that can be printed and packaged with the tube. This little marvel is called the the Amplitrex AT-1000. Designed and built by hand in Southern California the Amplitrex AT-1000 is one of the finest vacuum tube testers ever built. Creator and Amplitrex owner Chris Terraneau is the mastermind behind the AT-1000. Terraneau (pronounced |te(ə)r|uh|now|) started the production of the Amplitrex while still working as a design engineer working with Microprocessors and X-Ray equipment. His unique skills in both microprocessors, vacuum tubes, computer programming and electronics engineering yielded the dream come true for tube enthusiasts around the world.