Do Vintage Transformers Really Sound Better? (Triad A9J, A11J, A12J)

No video

Do Vintage Transformers Really Sound Better? (Triad A9J, A11J, A12J) | Transformer Series Video #1

Рет қаралды 2,993

Жыл бұрын

I am excited finally launch this transformer series after months of learning more about the technical details of these strange little devices. Keep watching the series to find out what I've learned about the nuanced electronic performance of transformers and how I am incorporating that information into my own work.
You can find my microphones and more information on what I do at www.alderaudio.com
Thanks for watching!

Пікірлер: 39

@isnerdy 8 ай бұрын

My preference is definitely A, then C, with B in last place. A is the most open-sounding. B and C sound similar, but B is definitely has more closed-in highs than C.

@mundanemoniker4183 Жыл бұрын

I prefer A, it has the most clarity. B and C sound very similar and a bit dull relative to A. Although, this may be preferable in a full mix with other instruments fighting for the same frequencies. It would be interesting to see how they compare with a spectrum analyzer.

@alishatruman 6 ай бұрын

Thats cool how you could hear a roll off of the highs on "B". I agree with you.

@LondonSteveLee Жыл бұрын

I liked "B" a bit softer but had more character.

@solidabass 2 ай бұрын

C is the best to my taste, reveals the Pbass sound, sounds deep. A sounds good, more ‘neutral’. B sounds hollow to me ‘cheaper’ thanks for the content. Subscribed

@nefertemra 3 ай бұрын

Hi back in the 80s before the prices of vintage auto skyrocketed I had a few tube integrated amps using 6bq5 output tubes and I found the sansui amps had a special sweet sound compared to the American made Scott amp that I had later on

@MrMichaelrinne 6 ай бұрын

Hey! Really enjoyed this video and look forward to checking out more! I've. been sourcing and having a tech friend build wolfboxes for years now and selling them to my other Nashville Bass player friends. I have to say, Ed Wolfson was very specific in his open letter online whenever that was posted(I'm not sure what happened to it). He said after trying multiple different transformers available to him, he found that both the A 11J and A 12J were the two best options for his Direct Injection boxes. He never talked about A9J. I've also seen a lot of folks selling "Wolfboxes" with other triad models like the A57J etc. If it's all about the transformer, shouldn't we be talking about the tranformers he used? All of this to say, maybe I can get you a box with an actual A11J or A 12J and you could compare that to the A 9j? it's been harder and harder to find those transformers so I'd love to find an alternative that's just as good!

@alderaudio 6 ай бұрын

I'd be happy to shoot a vid comparing an A11J or A12J to the A9J, maybe with the T-L20 I released as well. If you would be interested in sending me something to demo, you can reach out to me here: www.alderaudio.com/contact to get a conversation going. On another note, I'll also just say the A57J would make a terrible DI transformer. The ratio is all wrong to match impedance, and it does not appear that it would be able to handle a high impedance source like a bass pickup. The specs on the A9J are the best alternative to the A11J or A12J that is from that line. I have made an assumption that it is a good representation of the time, but of course, I'd love to get a chance to shoot it out vs. the original wolfbox version.

@mountainhitrecordsthejungl5485 8 ай бұрын

My 7:03 guess: A Modern budget B Vintage C Modern industry standard B was my favorite. Mellow and nice.

@noel3422 3 ай бұрын

TA: Impedance was more linear over a wider freq. response. TB, full response dropouts evident. TC, even more.

@AnwaarAliOfficial 5 ай бұрын

I love tubes. Tube preamps and tube mics ❤❤

@EarslimeRecords619 9 ай бұрын

Great vid! 😊

@polkiju7 3 ай бұрын

You seem like more of a Van Gogh guy.

@chrisreich40 6 ай бұрын

I have a *very slight* preference for transformer B, but it's so subtle as to be negligible.

@chriskoltay9002 Жыл бұрын

This is fucking excellent

@colourbasscolourbassweapon2135 7 ай бұрын

i'm thinking about do a Neve one

@BingoBabyO Жыл бұрын

I need to put my headphones on!

@whiskydisciple 10 ай бұрын

Triad has re-released these transformers, it would be interesting to compare the old to the new.

@dickdixon6409 5 ай бұрын

Yep, I noticed that, too. It would be interesting to see the new vs the old, but I would prefer he show a Waves “Frequency Analyzer” snap shot so we can confirm what we feel our ears are hearing. An Oscilloscope to show the distortion would be great, too.

@bjornodin 3 ай бұрын

I liked B the best. A wasn't "bassy" enough for my taste and C sounded like it was trying to imitate B. It got the basics but failed at the nuances.

@guterton 5 ай бұрын

I like A the best, then C, and B the least

@iangomes 29 күн бұрын

I'm surprised, I liked C a lot, haha.

@user-zq8pp3ul2c 3 ай бұрын

So there is magic dust inside

@ChainsawCoffee Ай бұрын

A couple of things: Why not show a frequency sweep graph, and also a null test? Audio transformers are basic components, and are easily tested.

@alderaudio Ай бұрын

Valid questions. A frequency sweep shows all of the transformers to be completely flat, however this is deceiving, as you can clearly tell with your ears. Not only is a line output (which would drive such test) much lower impedance than an electromagnetic pickup, the output impedance is also flat while that of a pickup is curved. There is also the issue of transient response. I could attempt to model it all, but in the end I believe the ears are a better test. Transformers are one of those things that seem simple but get more and more complicated the deeper you look at them.

@Gnarledlowend 5 ай бұрын

What is the industry standard transformer?

@user-ur4ff1lh2z 4 ай бұрын

若以A和B比較。確認spec. Bass A為A-9j type 我認為.

@eiliannoyes5212 5 ай бұрын

Agree with your conclusions. However, the way you have pursued the answer to the question relies on a quite subjective insight. Would be great if you could compare their frequency response characteristics, for example - feed each with a same sweep signal and compare it with their respective outputs. Could you do it for us, please?

@alderaudio 5 ай бұрын

To quote Bill Whitlock, the former president of Jensen transformers, "There are a lot of people who are suspicious of measurements because they don't correlate with what we hear." That was a comment he made directly in regard to transformers in an AES interview. It is very difficult to capture in measurements the complete effects we can hear. In a frequency sweep on my signal generator, these transformers are all completely flat and indistinguishable. However, the output impedance of the generator is far from a bass guitar, which is very important. The bass pickup output impedance also varies itself across the frequency spectrum. It gets quite complicated. I find this simple hybrid approach of both close listening and basic electrical analysis to be helpful way to cut through the complexity.

@MichaelLenz1 Ай бұрын

@@alderaudiotry to record guitar through these transformers and then re-amp using high gain amplifier, or use amp modeling plugin. Transformers linearity and harmonic distortion matters in this case

@colourbasscolourbassweapon2135 7 ай бұрын

that why i got 3 moogs synth ngl no cap

@LosFicosMusic 9 ай бұрын

Which one is which?

@alderaudio 9 ай бұрын

A is A9J, B is standard modern, C is budget modern.

@bassface84 4 ай бұрын

"A" sounds like what a guitar player thinks a bass DI should sound like... I prefer "B" and I could live with "C".

@dirkchurlish4074 4 ай бұрын

shots fired :) what's wrong with A? Won't that glowing midrange around 1k translate best within a full mix?

@jacksonrussellband 7 күн бұрын

To some degree I think blind test are useless. The ‘use your ears’ concept is fine… but listen for what? Then I start my research all over after leaving this channel… Not trying to cause trouble it’s just frustrating…

@viktorbarnabas 3 ай бұрын

This is the 10th horribly-sounding video I’ve watched this week created by a ‘pro audio’ guy. This one even has an utterly shitty image as well. Should I listen to anything you say here?

@TheBadaBaBaBas Жыл бұрын

Great vid Tyler looking forward to the next!

@dickdixon6409 5 ай бұрын

Transformer (A) was balanced, but round, and seemed to have more transient smoothing with harmonic distortion. Transformer (B) was thinner, so more mid forward (slight high and low pass filtering). It seemed clean, but slightly brittle. Transformer (C) was balanced, but had more low end extension, not muddy, just firm. Probably 50-90 Hz. It was also clean, but not brittle. It would have been really nice if you had used Waves “Frequency Analyzer” and show the visual representation between A, B, and C. How about an oscilloscope to show the harmonic distortion. Although B was my least favorite, all three seemed usable, but I would choose A for Vintage stuff and C for more modern stuff. However this would depend on the bass guitar the person was recording with (4-string vs 8-string), the pickups (P&J or Humbucker), the style of playing (finger vs pick), the style of music (Folk, Blues, Jazz, Classic Rock, Rock, NuMetal, D’jent, Trance, TechDeath), and the mix of instruments used for the song.