The Amp Garage

[Stanz]

Milbert Amplifiers, GAGA-50. It appears he has done some pretty cool stuff with car amps. His concept here was to make it basically idiot proof from a users perspective, taking care of bias, power mains, output, tube selection, while delivering a quality amp tonally.

I haven't heard any clips, or better yet, actually played one. My burning question while reading about it was, "Yeah, but how does it sound?" I love it though when people stretch the norms, and he appears to have blown them out of the water.

http://milbert.com/guitar/products

video: have to scroll down the list on the right side of the video frame to Milbert, about 20 down.
http://namm.harmony-central.com/SNAMM09

50 watts, all tube driven
Auto bias
Can use any power tube, 2, 3, 4, at a time
No OT, can drive any speaker and will not blow if output is open or shorted
Power supply to drive pedals
Weighs 5 pounds

blah blah blah

The list is pretty impressive. My first impression is that the cleans would be impressive, and bass response is no longer an issue due to limits of OT.

[billyz]

OTL amps have been around for many years. I believe Futterman was one of the first to successfully develop them. They seem to always promise the ultimate in performance. They are not without their own set of issues though. There seems to be something about a transformer coupled amplifier that we keep going back to.

It will be interesting to hear this one in action.

[MilbertCom]

Traditional OTL designs are usually hallmarked by high tube noise (sputtering, etc.) and high failure...many parallel tubes are driven hard in attempt to power the speaker. GAGA-50 is nothing like a traditional OTL amp. It uses patented technologies, offers numerous real benefits, and is unique on the planet in these days when much isn't.

[rfgordon]

OK, MilbertCom, spell it out for us. Post a clip, link to a video, or something. This forum is full of very experienced players and builders, and we expect something deeper than brochure-speak when the praises of a new design are sung. We love new and great ideas, but credibility must be earned.

[M Fowler]

Milbert,

Your amp looks very interesting and would fun to listen to that at an amp show, maybe I'll finally make it to one show.

Mark

[Andy Le Blanc]

The hardest reality about new concepts is that, two things tend to happen.

One: Someone buys your patent(s), and then refuses to manufacture or market,
which deprives you of your own idea and puts you in the poor house.

Two: No one in the market implements the idea your manufacturing untill
the patent runs out, which puts you in prime position to put yourself in the poor house.

Sell it and go broke, make it and go broke.

Send me one, I'd love to try and sell it. The weight issue with tube gear is
going to be a huge sell point as the boomers drift into oblivion.
Prime chance to optimize market returns, and even if it sounds on par
with an mp3, the youth market for that tone is there already.

[FYL]

[malt]

Hi,DEVILDOG AMPLIFIERS in Norway also build otl amplifiers http://devildogamps.com/theotl.php

[dr. who]

where's the soundclips of these amps?

[FYL]

[Andy Le Blanc]

The last I saw this it was called a zero-hysteresis amplifier and WAS being produced by the David Berning company.

It's an audio amplifier with ...

radio frequency impedance conversion instead of an opt, allowing automatic
stabilization of all the operating points of tubes and to fully DC-couple the
vacuum tube portions of the circuit. The audio impedance conversion is done with a fixed-frequency RF carrier,
like maybe the speaker load is connected between the ground return of the
primary power supply and the primary of a 250kHz impedance-converter bridge.

Tell me it ain't so.......

It was exposed in GlassAudio Vol. 12 #1 2000......
and detailed further in Vol. 12 #2.....

[Andy Le Blanc]

www.davidberning.com/technology/patent5612646

[Structo]

From what I can tell, this amplifier has solid state output converters.

After a brief search I cannot find any sound clips.

Funny how when this amp was mentioned, Mr. Milbert (if that is who posted) responded.

Mr. Milbert I would like to hear this amp and hear more about these Berning converters.

[MilbertCom]

Sound clips: http://milbert.com/gaga/details#soundclips

We've always been uncommonly forthcoming with details about the ZOTL technology, with everything presented right out in the open right from the start. We think this is important to foster understanding of what the technology can do and why it is so effective. David worked very closely with the author of the Glass Audio article mentioned above to ensure the details were clear and correct.

[Milkmansound]

while part of me thinks this is very cool - a light tube amp!! another part of me remembers what happened when transformers left the recording studio... everything sounded a little too "clean" and there were some unlistenable albums made in that period.

eventually they made their way back and now every studio uses transformer coupled equipment again - and pays top dollar for it, I might add.

even though they weigh a ton and sound imperfect, the fact is that there is something about transformers that is very pleasing to the human ear. Transformers color the sound equally if not more so than the tubes themselves. My ear really likes the sound of distortions and saturations.

Anyone ever hear one of those laser guitar pickups? They are cool - but they sound horrible. Way too clean compared to magnets and wire. I wonder if this may be the case with this new amplifier?