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There are a wide variety of kinds of signal tremolos but the most common uses a tube circuit with an opt coupler which is basically a bulb (neon, LED, or incandescent) paired with a light dependent resistor. These work by cutting on and off the actual signal within the amp. The power tube bias wiggle arrange works well for players who are not driving their amps too hard. The pre-amp bias wiggle and other tremolo types are simply better for reliability. The sound is excellent, but power tube failure (which can cascade to transformer failure) is something you want to avoid.
#VARIABLE BIAS VS FIXED BIAS GUITAR AMP INSTALL#
Over the years I have come to conclude that power tube bias shifting tremolos are not as wise to install as the other types. In worst case scenario a tube failure could even damage a transformer. The strain on the tubes can lead to failure. It is not advisable to run the trem with an amp cranked up with this type of tremolo. Since the trem works by affecting the bias of power tube it can affect the stability of the power section. Bias shifting trems that work on power tubes are hard on the power tubes and power supply which can lead to failures. You can minimize them but not always eliminate them.Ģ. Another problem that occurs is beating sounds that can be very annoying. The problem with this that sometimes you must bias the amp cooler than what may sound best or the trem will not function well. The bias must be set correctly on the power tubes for the effect to work. Most cathode biased use pre-amp tube bias shifting trems but there is version that modulates the bias indirectly through the grid leak resistors of the power tubesīias shifting trem in fixed bias amps that vary power tube bias have several issues:ġ. Power tube shifting trems are generally more common and found in fixed bias amps. There are two basic types of bias shifting tremolos: one that work on the bias of the power tubes and ones that work on the bias of a pre-amp tube. The signal does not pass through the tremolo circuitry so they do not effect the fidelity of the signal. These tend to have a very rich and soft pulsating sound. By changing the operating parameters of the tube the signal can be cut off momentarily and the brought back up. These tremolos work by changing the bias to either the power tubes or a pre-amp tube in a amp. The Three Major Types of Tremolo in Amplifiers: Bias Shifting Tremolos: However, it’s not really all that usable of a sound. It’s a neat piece of electronics and sounds really strange. There are a few vintage amps that have real vibrato. Vibrato is actually bending the pitch of a note. Fender wrongly the term vibrato for tremolo in their amps. It gives the sound nice shimmering effect. Tremolo is the effect that changes the volume of the sound as different speeds and intensities. I will also have a list of on the bottom of the page of some of the amps that use each type of tremolo. In this article I will briefly cover the basic types of tremolos and how they affect the sound. There many opinions about the different types and what sounds best. Lots of folks ask me about what the difference is between types of tremolos in amplifiers.
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