How It's Made - vacuum tubes

Рет қаралды 557,078

12 жыл бұрын

For some reason, I LOVE the show "How It's Made" and this segment is a beautifully shot piece on how vacuum tubes are made. These tubes are being made in the Czech Republic for audio gear and it's amazing how much hand work goes into their creation. They almost look like sculpture.

Пікірлер: 321

@RiveryJerald 19 күн бұрын

The fact they're still being made, is just astonishing.

@coondogtheman 12 жыл бұрын

I am glad they still make these. And am also glad How It's Made did a segment on them. A masterpiece right here.

@basspig 12 жыл бұрын

As a cinematographer who used to build vacuum tube amplifiers in the last century, this video was a lot of eye candy. It also unveiled a few mysteries, like how the getter is fired when it's sealed inside the tube. Great content, and nicely portrayed!

@steveperry1344 2 жыл бұрын

when i was in the u.s. air force 50 yrs ago i was a ground radio repairman and repaired and maintained radio transmitters up to 50kw in power. the vacuum tubes in the power amplifier were about 3 ft. long and weighed about 20 pounds, they were huge.

@fotonara 2 жыл бұрын

wow awesome

@frtard 10 жыл бұрын

That amp at the beginning is nearly $17k... amazing.

@Rainbow__cookie 3 жыл бұрын

Thats some big tubes

@qwertykeyboard5901 3 жыл бұрын

@@Rainbow__cookie tbh its a really stupid design. If that falls over those tubes are _done_

@cuscoothriyas5163 3 жыл бұрын

@@qwertykeyboard5901 Yea but there's a simple solution to that problem, DON'T LET IT FALL OVER STUPID

@rianvanrensburg9960 3 жыл бұрын

Any chance you know what those huge tubes are called? Just curious

@jamesslick4790 3 жыл бұрын

@@rianvanrensburg9960 Triodes, mainly.

@TangeClown 12 жыл бұрын

tubes were used in most electronics back then. radios, tv's, phones, even computers. since then theyve been outdated. but for things like jukeboxes and turntables, soundsystems, and especially guitar amplifiers, tubes are still the best. they sound soo much better than digital and solid state

@woodrowjang 9 жыл бұрын

gorgeous works of art

@ingenierocristian 6 күн бұрын

Vaccum tubes are still a thing, I ❤ it!

@3v068 2 жыл бұрын

Whoever did this how its made, went to the right people. KR audio makes some DAMN good tubes, they're all handmade, and they perform excellently. Its worth the price of getting one compared to one that was machined.

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

Amazing! I've done neon sign-type glasswork, and I've got a lot of respect for these guys. This technology is interesting - no matter whether one likes the result or doesn't - and, as with other archaic sound tech such as phonograph records, it's nice to see there's still a desire to have it available.

@spieagentl 10 жыл бұрын

Have you ever worked on nixie tubes (or any of the old tube displays for that matter) or know anyone who has made them before? I still get them from my friends, but it makes me sad they aren't produced anymore.

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

spieagentl Vacuum tubes of that type require an entirely different skillset, different equipment, and different processing. Nixie tubes do typically use neon gas. I think most Nixies were machine-made, and I'm not sure whether new ones are being produced and, if so, what the process is like. Cathode ray tubes are based on Sir William Crookes' work, and several tubes he designed are still produced for both physics demo purposes (properties of electrons) and decorative use (fluorescent flowers, minerals, etc.) and these use a different process, too; neon signs' closest cousin are the decorative Geissler Tubes first produced by Heinrich Geissler, who invented the diffusion pump still used (with silicone oil, rather than Geissler's mercury) in neon sign production, now boosted by a mechanical pump.

@spieagentl 10 жыл бұрын

Jonas Clark Wow, thank you very much for the informative reply! I'm sorry I didn't know, but the little history lesson, and now I have names to do research on! Have a nice day!

@JonasClark 10 жыл бұрын

spieagentl Geissler Tubes are fascinating things; they were made in thousands of designs, from simple squiggles, spirals, coils and loops to words and monograms (looking forward to the role neon would play), animals, spouting fountains, flowers, religious symbols, people, and magnificent objects such as royal crowns, some of which were even worn onstage in plays. Some used fluorescent uranium-oxide and iron-oxide glass or had outer chambers containing fluorescent liquids. Two glassblowers, Lutz Neumann and Wolfgang Linschmann, are the last true masters of decorative Geissler and Crookes tubes, and Neumann has made several fantasy tubes I created on paper such as a fancy Cross, as well as replicating the incredible crown with fluorescent gems held in a museum in Europe. Linschmann trained at the Pressler factory, the last scientific glassware factory in Germany. They also make many decorative Crookes tubes, which use cathode rays (electrons) to excite fluorescent-painted metal sculptures or clusters of minerals. Happy learning!

@Number__3 11 жыл бұрын

Just like the music they amplify, making a vacuum tube is like art. It is perfected with practice and the masters make the best ones. Goes to show no amount of automation can replace human skill.

@arvisatwell5893 12 жыл бұрын

I was under the same impression. I now have a whole new respect for the art of the making of these tubes!

@juliusbernotas 10 жыл бұрын

KR audio - these are extremely pricey tubes, and this video gives a clue why: they are totally handmade. Other manufacturers run a mass-production on a conveyor, so they are quite cheap compared to these.

@kepreza 5 жыл бұрын

That makes more sense. I was feeling bad for these guys for charging so little for such beautiful work, and getting crapped on for being "new production".

@EzyoMusic 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad some are made on a conveyor belt. They go into my guitar amps anyway.

@Mr-Foad 7 жыл бұрын

making valves/tubes, making guitar strings, making drum heads, making speakers, making amps ... mostly horrible boring factory work ... Take a minute to pay some respect to these people who are keeping us playing music...

@Slugos45auto Жыл бұрын

This is the best vacuum tube assembly video I've seen. It shows the detail of each piece of glass and how they are fused together. Great photos of the grid assembly as well.

@gtrvoice4Him 10 жыл бұрын

I admire the work of these artisans and highly appreciate their work.

@SoddingaboutSi 11 жыл бұрын

Absolute works of art. I want a pair for the living room.

@llspragulus 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for posting this video!!

@morrisonAV 11 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@honestbae2815 5 жыл бұрын

This is a fascinating video but boy oh boy was their technical writing off.

@oldmanjunkins2603 3 жыл бұрын

What do you mean? Can you say more?

@woopygoman 8 жыл бұрын

Thank You so much for uploading this! As a Hi-Fi enthusiast, this was a blast to watch! Very fascinating stuff indeed. I never even knew they were handmade! Damn!

@56ceedee 12 жыл бұрын

Nice impression of Chech Artwork. Hope they will continue producing these fantastic tubes for many years. The KR tubes match perfect with VSA speakers for play back music at a very high and realistic level. I know this for more than 15 years now. Enjoy, Cor

@mixingguy 11 жыл бұрын

Tubes are so pretty and sound really good!

@jamesslick4790 3 жыл бұрын

For anyone watching, These are high end "handmade" tubes. Back in the "day" when vacuum tube electronics were common (1920's - 1970's), Most of these processes were done by automated equipment. There's plenty of contemporary to the time video on KZfaq showing the MASS production of vacuum tubes (Mostly from the1940s and 50s). If tubes were all made THIS way "back in the day" only the rich would have had radios or TVs at all until 1978, lol.

@chumpchange1846 6 жыл бұрын

Beautiful...amazing craftmanship

@HiAdrian 5 жыл бұрын

Beautiful craftsmanship!

@richymart 9 жыл бұрын

There you go, one valve made. That's amazing. I love my valve amp.

@stratocat9999 12 жыл бұрын

Great video! This is a very labor intensive process! I imagine, back when RCA, GE, and others made tubes domestically, it was considerably more automated. I used to pay about 5.00 for a 6L6 GC in the late 60's! Now, good quality 6L6's are uber expensive. Don't have any tube gear at the moment, but plan on getting an old Fisher 500 A or B. 7591 outputs in that one, and very difficult to locate, but well worth it! Cheers!

@michaelhawthorne8696 9 жыл бұрын

Stunning looking tubes

@bosatsu76 12 жыл бұрын

Old world skills still at work... Great to see...

@Allbbrz 3 жыл бұрын

This my friends, is an art in itself !

@MichaelMagill1990 10 жыл бұрын

So cool... so intriguing. I wish this was my job.

@jimburnsjr. 7 жыл бұрын

WoW.... Great video thanks for posting

@DanielTseng100 9 жыл бұрын

wow, everything handmade, not cheap for sure

@cobar5342 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful to watch

@hokulea8655 2 жыл бұрын

I will never complain about the price of tubes again

@rbNEXUS6 11 жыл бұрын

It's like the halfway point between electrical engineering and blacksmithing.

@SirDeanosity 12 жыл бұрын

WOW!!! That is some awesome skill! No wonder these cost so much.

@DaniloRod23 10 жыл бұрын

Beautiful work

@oberek92 10 жыл бұрын

waow these are pieces of art, cannot believe the process is the same for industrial production

@NineTailedArrancar 12 жыл бұрын

they look so futuristic

@jspinks2388 11 жыл бұрын

awesome stuff man

@dreadPaxman 8 жыл бұрын

so amazing and complex

@Nada-Mal 6 жыл бұрын

I thought the EL34's in my guitar amp were big, but some of these valves were massive!

@NightShadowReal 11 жыл бұрын

these How it's made videos are going to be really useful when the apocalypse is finally upon us.

@johnmichaeltwist5086 8 жыл бұрын

so cool! thaks for the video, and wish you a nice day.

@apinakapinastorba 11 жыл бұрын

Well, I'd never change my 10W double single ended tube guitar amp to a similar spec transistor amp. The sounds is just awesome, and it runs cool and clean.

@peterzlateff-fh7yt Сағат бұрын

Excellent video explaining the process. I thought it was much more automated than this.

@moga1968 4 жыл бұрын

Great!!! In my childhood i loved to colect those tubes... 40 yeaers ago slways intersting!!!

@F3FisGoodforYou 12 жыл бұрын

Best show ever. period.

@TheHammerofDissidence 3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful.

@jeffmclowry 11 жыл бұрын

That's pretty badass! Interesting how people figure this shit out.

@RODALCO2007 8 жыл бұрын

Interesting video.

@marcusBX 11 жыл бұрын

Those are some high end tubes!

@admit8318 3 жыл бұрын

Nice , im going to play my line 6 spider to hear that juicy tube tone..

@stonehartfloydfan 12 жыл бұрын

As a sound engineer and guitar player this just brings a big grin to my face.... sorry modern digital guitar guys but tube amps will always be king.

@faridahmad360 11 жыл бұрын

This middle school when I first started craziest crazy with audio and one item I love is this

@DanieleGiorgino 11 жыл бұрын

Spot on.

@OlegKostoglatov 11 жыл бұрын

There is a video I saw of a factory tour of the Mullard tube plant in England from the 1960s, they were making an ECC82 as a sample. It was very similar to how light bulbs are made using a button and stem method, but with more elements of course. Valvo would have used very similar techniques, Valvo, Mullard, Phillips, and Rogers were all owned by Phillips in that era.

@andrewhonisett2112 11 жыл бұрын

wow there's a lot of processes to make valves. Mind you it's worth it with the audio results you get with valve amplifiers.

@wynnful 9 жыл бұрын

no wonder tubes are expensive, they take a lot of work to make 1. nice video.

@hulago1234 12 жыл бұрын

Coolness level: Beyond galaxy.

@AluminumHaste 8 жыл бұрын

Oh god the amount of work is insane!

@sitizenkanemusic 8 жыл бұрын

That's why they cost a lot! But if you got the money, then by all means... I get why musicians want tube amps for quality sound- I just don't think it's worth having a tube-based sound system in your house. A solid state works just as fine and most people can't tell the difference. But stereo amps, yeah they're loud but the quality sucks.

@hi-fidude6670 8 жыл бұрын

Tuber have warmer sound, they are better. I have heard tube sound before

@KirkMcLoren 7 жыл бұрын

Andrey- sound.stackexchange.com/questions/29926/what-does-warm-mean like that?

@hi-fidude6670 7 жыл бұрын

I would describe warmer as kinda more natural and clear with slower response. It's hard to describe it. The best way is to A/B switch tubeamp and solid state.

@ACDCBoy62 11 жыл бұрын

Modelling vacuum tubes, especially with their distortion characteristics in mind, is actually much more involved than a simple EQ preset. Vacuum tubes are highly nonlinear devices, so not only do you have to use piece-wise-linear functions to determine output as a function of the instantaneous input, but you also have to model the transient characteristics involved if you want to impress professionals.

@davidjones7544 9 жыл бұрын

These giant tubes are used in the KR Audio Kronzilla SXI. They are custom made for KR Audio.

@seapeddler 12 жыл бұрын

Vacuum tubes work great in hearing aids as well. The music Beethoven heard in his mind likely came through a vacuum tube first. Broken glass is great for dogs to step on? Can't beat transitors.

@DXrep 12 жыл бұрын

Great info. man

@KazKylheku 11 жыл бұрын

Decades ago, guitar amplifiers were made from tubes, and by dumb luck, the straightforward circuits borrowed from radio sounded great! With a few simple tone controls added to them, they complemented the tonal profile of the passive pickup perfectly. Later, rock and roll came along, and it was found that overdriven tubes sound great. By an amazing coincidence, some of the things that tubes do in circuits that are nearly obvious and not contrived for guitar, happen to work well for guitar.

@muhammadhamzaart5251 Жыл бұрын

Are these tubes still manufectured... Wao... Amazingly i am surprised... Good

@apinakapinastorba 11 жыл бұрын

The thing I love in tube guitar amps, is the simplicity. With a very simple device, I can get a very pleasing tone out of the amp. I built an amp myself, and I think I would have ever achieved this by using transistors or digital components. I didn't need any PCB boards and fragile components, just a simple turret board which should hold up for decades of repairs and modification, and robust big parts. For me, that's why tubes are being made ;)

@BramPalgunadi 12 жыл бұрын

Beautiful video presentation... BTW where we can buy this vacum tubes.....? Do you have more detail information....?

@paulespino6462 5 жыл бұрын

Now that's artisan hand crafting!

@TheSoxmania 12 жыл бұрын

I just wanna see the valvestate stack amps they put those in for testing and I'll be happier than I already am!!!

@992F 12 жыл бұрын

wow I have so much more respect for tubes now!

@OCTiMod 11 жыл бұрын

Tubes are still being used today in several areas such as xray machines, in space like satellites orbiting earth and ISS, high power radio station broadcast amplifiers and in military equipment.

@branitelj91 11 жыл бұрын

On issue about heat and current, (heat and light), I agree apsolutely. That is why is that piece of hardvare hardly usable in other then you mentioned applications. Besides, it gives transients, (distortion), but these distorsions are mostly even, so this setup sounds "warm" and "silky". Transistor, (as counterpart to the tube), is moslty odd transient inklined sounding, thus, a bit less "soft".

@dugdiamond 12 жыл бұрын

Very boutique indeed! I've pondered if it was possible to take the guts of certain vintage tubes and glass blow new envelopes for them. I have a few NOS tubes that have cracked and lost vacuum. For a new high-end rare vintage tube such as RCA 8417's it might be worthy effort?? Hobbyist blow neon.... Could be done?

@dm.2023 3 жыл бұрын

1:20 The Anode's "top secret" black coating? It's essentially a carbon coating applied to the steel anode (plate) at high temperature during the manufacturing process. It was done to reduce secondary emissions. The secondary emission problem was only present in tetrodes and It may have been top secret the at the time it was discovered that the coating increased the efficiency of the tube's amplification factor but quickly became common knowledge among tube manufacturers as it is today. Not so "Top Secret"

@befru 11 жыл бұрын

Tubes still are the best amps for guitar. Transistors are either on or off. They can't easily replicate the waveform of the sound. Plus, tubes sound good when you push them, unlike transistors.

@1Sentient 11 жыл бұрын

The glass work blew my mind

@Arabhacks 12 жыл бұрын

Vacuum tubes were very automated in the USA when in full swing, thousands of tubes an hour per line. Now the transistor is king, and produced by the thousands per second! But tubes are now a Boutique item, produced in limited numbers for a niche market.

@123lowp 10 жыл бұрын

Amazing... Time to go play my ENGL amp

@12oclocklow16 10 жыл бұрын

I read an article a while back how the "tube sound" is associated with tube distortion going through low quality speakers which had a poor frequency range. Basically now in amps/cabs they have to use speakers with a heavily restricted top-end to get a similar sound and prevent high freq. harmonics from oozing out. All I am saying is there is a lot of factors that go into the sound you and so many others love. In many ways tube amplification is much less precise, but we seem to like it that way.

@MrGoatflakes 7 жыл бұрын

Also the anode and cathode have different voltages because they are hooked up to different voltages produced in the power supply. And they are higher than the input because the input is applied to the grid and that small voltage can control whether the current can pass from the cathode to the anode by repelling or passing electrons streaming from the hot cathode to the anode.

@Alexaaaander1969 11 жыл бұрын

true. It can mostly be noticed in a live setting. Try and play a scorching solo over a rock band with a solid state amp, then a tube amp. The tube amp pushes through and sings, where the transistor amp ends up sounding buzzy and thin. That is how I have been able to show the difference easily. But tubes are also reactive compared to solid state, and can be much much more expressive...but that's a whole other thing. :)

@xdx2653 7 жыл бұрын

amazing

@KazKylheku 11 жыл бұрын

In unshielded copper, like a circuit board trace, signals travel at 95 to 97 percent of the speed of light. So the wavelength at 20 kHz (beyond the hearing range of many people) is 14.2 km, nearly 9 miles. A negative feedback trace in an amplifier is a few centimeters long, a vanishingly tiny fraction of the wavelength of the fastest audio signal. There is no way NFB causes timing issues, let alone audible ones. It rather cleans up harmonic artifacts (drastically lowers harmonic distortion).

@metricmine 11 жыл бұрын

The reason for the difference between tube and transistors, is that transistor amplifiers are designed to be high fidelity, reproducing the output sound exactly as input. Tube amplifiers distort the sound in such a way that some people think sounds better, maybe because they are so used to hearing that distortion they have grown to like it.

@clockguy2 12 жыл бұрын

I never knew vacuum tubes were so labor intensive. I just assumed it was all machine made.

@Fendervana 11 жыл бұрын

Global feedback and negative feedback are basically the same thing.. Most of these negative feedback amps have a passive feedback control loop. The amplifier compares the input and output signal (e.g., around a transformer) and generates a 'correction signal' to adjust the latter to look more like the former. This also cause artifacts and even oscillation in some designs.

@KeritechElectronics 2 жыл бұрын

I'd sooooo love to work there and learn the craft. Who knows, maybe I will?

@OnekiKai 11 жыл бұрын

The plant these are made in was a Soviet plant that remains in business today as the current company. The Czech tubes are "second tier." The holy grail is new old stock USA tubes, then these, then Russian tubes, and lastly Chinese tubes. Fun fact: Popular tube amp maker McIntosh is Japanese owned but is made in USA (minus tubes). Yeah though, a US company would probably make the tubes in Asia somewhere.

@marciooppido206 9 жыл бұрын

Very cool

@mikesamra9126 11 жыл бұрын

The CRT have always been powered by vacuum tubes long before the 70s.

@TheSoxmania 12 жыл бұрын

nice one!

@branitelj91 11 жыл бұрын

any kind of audio impendance correction transformers or speakers in the end), gives 1 % distortion in signal per each, (until reaches some point), which gives a lot after all. That is True and from that point I am supporting what You said. So for the end, I'd never have tube amp made for end amping. I'd rather have some FET, or good paired transistor in A class or high AB class, but for the preamp I'd rather have some kind of hybrid, tube-fet what can somewhat improve sound.

@frughd 10 жыл бұрын

How do they even figure this stuff out.

@johnmichaeltwist5086 8 жыл бұрын

Industrial engineering and common sense.

@MrGoatflakes 7 жыл бұрын

Many different people working on different things like radio detectors, electric current in flames, light bulbs, all sorts of things. But when something weird happened they didn't dismiss it as a mistake they documented it and explored it.

@michaelfixedsys7463 6 жыл бұрын

Trial and error

@qwertykeyboard5901 3 жыл бұрын

@@johnmichaeltwist5086 > common sense Electron flow is not common sense asshole.

@krispysback 3 жыл бұрын

Evolution

@johnsimms3957 8 жыл бұрын

I love tubes.

@KowboyUSA 12 жыл бұрын

Awesome

@Gdlen1 11 жыл бұрын

it would be nice to see how tubes like Telefunken, Mullard , Valvo etc were made in the golden era of tube manufacture, back when tubes didn't cost $1000 a pair like these ones

@KazKylheku 11 жыл бұрын

All amplifiers clip hard when driven beyond their maximum voltage swing. Tube amplifier already produce distortion at a level far below the maximum swing, whereas transistor amps (thanks to a large open loop gain and copious negative feedback, not thanks to transistors!) stay linear up to close to the clipping limit. A transistor amplifier can be given a soft clipping circuit to help protect tweeters, and this will lower the the maximum RMS power that can be quoted at the near zero THD figure.