Advanced Technology?

[leftystrat]

Tell me, Paracast Forum denizens... do you think the transistor is a result of Roswell?
The timing seems pretty accurate.

AT&T is credited with invention of the transistor and there's a lot of hot air around the alleged lab notebook of the inventor.

I wonder if the transistor was the logical next step from the vacuum tube or if the idea came from `elsewhere'.

Some of the Roswell books claim the crash is where we got the integrated circuit, which is certainly more advanced than the transistor.

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I don't care what you say, tubes sound better than solid state. Put *that* in your stereo and heat it up!

 

[Jose Collado]

The transistor was invented to replace vacuum tube technology that came about in 1906. That was December 1947 from what I can find. It's more likely a coincidence that the alleges Roswell incident happened that same year.

A little off topic, but, does anyone here own a valve amplifier? The sound quality is freaking amazing.

Back on topic. They began looking into the transistor in 1945.

 

[CapnG]

To assume that the transistor came about as a consequence of studying debris from the Roswell crash requires three things to happen:

A) Roswell actually represents the crash of a craft of unknown origin
B) That craft uses transistors as part of it's design
c) Human scientists are not only able to figure out what transistors ARE but are successfully able to replicate the technology and employ it within six months

Of the three only A strikes me as remotely possible and even then just barely.

 

[Martha162]

CapnG,

You are limiting the situation; the Roswell crash could have resulted in alien survivors who were captured and later collaborated with our scientists/military. Just a thought...as long as we are speculating out of the box.

 

[Jose Collado]

CapnG,

You are limiting the situation; the Roswell crash could have resulted in alien survivors who were captured and later collaborated with our scientists/military. Just a thought...as long as we are speculating out of the box.

Take an iPod. Send it back in time to the stone age. Ask yourself how many cave men could reverse engineer that iPod.

I'd assume we'd have been the cave men during the alleged Roswell incident.

 

[skunkape]

A little off topic, but, does anyone here own a valve amplifier? The sound quality is freaking amazing.

I'm a vintage tube-amplifier junky. Transistors just don't give me that deep down warm and fuzzy like valves.
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[Gene Steinberg]

I'm a vintage tube-amplifier junky. Transistors just don't give me that deep down warm and fuzzy like valves.
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That "deep down warm and fuzzy" sound is actually distortion, not accurate reproduction of the recording. But what you like is what you like.

 

[skunkape]

That "deep down warm and fuzzy" sound is actually distortion, not accurate reproduction of the recording. But what you like is what you like.

The sound from a tube amp seems more 3-d to me. There is a slightly "furry" quality that I recognize as distortion, but the sense of presence in the room is very noticable if you A/B the two.
Back to the subject of Roswell and transistors...Has anyone tossed about the theory that Roswell was a military sponsored hoax? If they were developing revolutionary new electronics technology, and didn't want to be bothered by snoops, why not make it look like they are covering up something in Arizona while carrying out the important stuff elsewhere.
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[CapnG]

You are limiting the situation; the Roswell crash could have resulted in alien survivors who were captured and later collaborated with our scientists/military.

Not really. If you think about it, that factor ("D" in my set up) only complicates matters more as it requires you assume the aliens can communicate with us, that they are willing to do so and that we can actually understand them. To supplement Jose's Ipod example, imagine if you went back in time with the Ipod. Do you think you'd be able to explain it to the cavemen, even if you had designed it yourself?

Has anyone tossed about the theory that Roswell was a military sponsored hoax? If they were developing revolutionary new electronics technology, and didn't want to be bothered by snoops, why not make it look like they are covering up something in Arizona while carrying out the important stuff elsewhere.
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I think we're purposely pairing it down the the ET story for the purposes of this discussion. It's a specific set of if/then questions not a general set of musings on Roswell.

 

[skunkape]

I think we're purposely pairing it down the the ET story for the purposes of this discussion. It's a specific set of if/then questions not a general set of musings on Roswell.

What are they doing at area 51?
It doesn't matter so long as no one pays any attention to Area 52.
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[leftystrat]

A little off topic, but, does anyone here own a valve amplifier? The sound quality is freaking amazing.

You betcha. Valves are where it's at (tubes here Across the Pond).
Next to the avatar is one of my sayings: I'm not a tube snob - I'm a thermionic elitist.
Thermionic emission is the process by which tubes/valves work. Also the title of my blog.

I used to hear all sorts of talk about detail and soundfield with tube amps. I thought it was BS, right up until I replaced my receiver with an ancient Dynaco tube amp. All of the sudden I got it. There was the detail and the soundfield.

Valves are still huge in the guitar amplifier market. They can't be produced ecologically or economically in the US but are still being made in Russia and China at very least.

No tubes - No tone!

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Tube amps can distort the signal in a way that's pleasing to the ear. It may not be as accurate, but some prefer what it does. That explains why tube amps are popular in the music business. You see, musicians will want to alter the sound to achieve various effects.

 

[leftystrat]

That "deep down warm and fuzzy" sound is actually distortion, not accurate reproduction of the recording. But what you like is what you like.

It has been speculated that even order harmonics, as produced by tubes, are more aurally pleasing. It is claimed that odd order harmonics, as produced by solid state circuitry, are more harsh to the ears. But that doesn't fit your claim. Can you explain further?

All I know is that I like what I heard through the tube amp much better.

As for guitar amps, we do tend to like intentionally created distortion. I find the output tube distortion to be the most awe-inspiring variety. Preamp distortion is a poor imitation of output tube distortion and tends to sound tinny, buzzy, and other annoying terms. There are also effect boxes created to intentionally distort your tone.

Most of these processes are to emulate output distortion, which can only be had when the amp is TOO FRIGGIN' LOUD! [tube amps only - you don't want to hear a transistor amp when it starts to distort. It may not have much time left when it does.]

 

[Jose Collado]

Tubes are definitely a personal preference thing in regard to audio. I love them. I love the aesthetics of their glow in my theatre room.

 

[skunkape]

I find the output tube distortion to be the most awe-inspiring variety.

Most of these processes are to emulate output distortion, which can only be had when the amp is TOO FRIGGIN' LOUD! [tube amps only - you don't want to hear a transistor amp when it starts to distort. It may not have much time left when it does.]

That's why I prefer a lower wattage amp. I've got an old Bogen with a pair of 6L6's for output, about 30 watts, and when you crank it up to 10 through a pair of 12" speakers it is plenty loud. I had a 100 watt Sovtek, but it was just too loud if I cranked it up to where the power tubes started breathing.
I am thankful for transistors, though. I've fed myself and covered my beer tab busking with a Pignose on more than one occasion.
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[TClaeys]

AT&T is credited with invention of the transistor and there's a lot of hot air around the alleged lab notebook of the inventor.

Can you cite anything concerning this?? Not AT&T, but all the hot air about the notebook and inventor.

 

[leftystrat]

Can you cite anything concerning this?? Not AT&T, but all the hot air about the notebook and inventor.

I cannot cite a specific publication. I remember reading, several times, about the hoo-ha around the lab-book. It was many years ago. Perhaps that it `disappeared', but I'm not certain.

Just to clarify, I am making no assertions. My real curiosity is the transition from tubes to transistors. Tubes can have different numbers of elements, but to amplify, you need three. There are three connections to a transistor. I'm wondering if the transition from thermionic emission to whatever they used to make semiconductors was a logical one.

Maybe we got integrated circuits from Roswell...

But the timing sure was interesting....

 

[leftystrat]

That's why I prefer a lower wattage amp. I've got an old Bogen with a pair of 6L6's for output, about 30 watts, and when you crank it up to 10 through a pair of 12" speakers it is plenty loud.

I'll say!

Just got back from gigging outdoors. I used the 15w ProJr and didn't turn it past 3. People think you need huge wattage. Not us, right

Terry Kath, the late Chicago guitarist, used a Bogen. You're in good company.

 

[7 String]

The transistor was invented to replace vacuum tube technology that came about in 1906. That was December 1947 from what I can find. It's more likely a coincidence that the alleges Roswell incident happened that same year.

A little off topic, but, does anyone here own a valve amplifier? The sound quality is freaking amazing.

Back on topic. They began looking into the transistor in 1945.

I used to have a Peavy VTM ( vacuum tube modified ) 120 1/2 stack! OMG that thing rocked the paint off of the sheety little night club walls in
Detroit! I would love that have that amp back in my grips again!

~A

 

[dusty]

I'll say!

Just got back from gigging outdoors. I used the 15w ProJr and didn't turn it past 3. People think you need huge wattage. Not us, right

Terry Kath, the late Chicago guitarist, used a Bogen. You're in good company.

Love, peace and little amps, that's what I say.

On a more serious note, ha ha. As was said earlier about tubes adding extra harmonics to a signal. Our other guitarist Steve and I often shoot the breeze on subjects like this, and knowing him so well I think he would say something along the lines of.
As we are organic in nature and therefore fractal like everything else in nature, we are most responsive to other fractal images, or in this case sounds. Meaning the chaotic nature of any visual or auditory information
is essentially more pleasurable to us, like the calming effects of a real wood or coal fire as opposed to a gas fed fire. Hope I'm making some sort of sense here.

Also with regard to Terry Kath, does anyone remember the story of him punching out a critic at a London show.
The story goes that they had just played Paris where this particular chap and his cohorts attended and consequently slated the show, then this guy turns up at the London show and afterwards at the backstage get together starts to party. Then Terry comes up to him punches his lights out and says something like,
"You come here drinking my beer and you slated us in Paris, BANG take that you SOB".

He was also behind these little beauties,
http://www.pignose.com/news/legendary-atrical.htm

Nice one Terry, I know the feeling.

Mark