How do you use the stand-by switch?

[TmcB]

that all sounds like it makes sense (not that I understand any of it hehe) so can you explain why modern day amp makers still use them? surely if they are of no use then I would have thought builders would have ditched them by now

People like mute switches I guess?

[sizzlingbadger]

Marketing I guess, and as Tony says we are used to using them as a mute switch, although its far better to just ground the audio signal to mute an amp (as per the MKV Mute switch)

They are handy for amp techs though, its safer to check the low voltage stuff is functioning with the HT out of the way. But then a tech could just remove the HT fuse


Also you know what guitarists are like, you only have to shorten a tenon by 3/8 of an inch and their bottom lip starts trembling

[sizzlingbadger]

Here you go, two people that know what they are talking about...

http://www.londonpower.com/standby-switch

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html

[jeremyb]

I always used standby to warm the tubes, then flicked it on, read somewhere that turning it on when you have switched off was good for draining the caps, so felt a tiny bit safer if I was to be swapping tubes or whatever...

[willow13]

Here you go, two people that know what they are talking about...

http://www.londonpower.com/standby-switch

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html

shit I literally can leave my amp in "stand by" for most of the day on the weekends....shit looks like I need to change a habit

[H671]

Here you go, two people that know what they are talking about...

http://www.londonpower.com/standby-switch

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html

shit I literally can leave my amp in "stand by" for most of the day on the weekends....shit looks like I need to change a habit

And to think that we all used to believe that the Earth was flat

[Bg]

Here you go, two people that know what they are talking about...

http://www.londonpower.com/standby-switch

http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/standby.html

shit I literally can leave my amp in "stand by" for most of the day on the weekends....shit looks like I need to change a habit

Yeah me too.
I put it in the same basket as using a guitar lead as a speaker cable will MELTDOWN THE EARTH!!!!
Playing in the rain will KILL YOU!!!!
More people die by testing batteries on their tongue than by being HIT BY A BUS!!!!
We've all done this, and worse before the internet informed us of how it should be done, ignorance was bliss

P.S. DISCLAIMER: If you try any of the above and kill yourself, amp or others, I'm not at fault - just cos I got away with it once, doesn't mean you will.

[Lyle]

And to think that we all used to believe that the Earth was flat

I guess NBA players didn't get the memo.

[willow13]

Yeah me too.
I put it in the same basket as using a guitar lead as a speaker cable will MELTDOWN THE EARTH!!!!
Playing in the rain will KILL YOU!!!!
More people die by testing batteries on their tongue than by being HIT BY A BUS!!!!
We've all done this, and worse before the internet informed us of how it should be done, ignorance was bliss

P.S. DISCLAIMER: If you try any of the above and kill yourself, amp or others, I'm not at fault - just cos I got away with it once, doesn't mean you will.

so yesterday I thought I would do it the "right" way and left the amp on all day with volume down. Then turned it off leaving the stand by on and got a loud pop/squeal through the speakers (like when you use to turn the old tube TV's on......amp is fine obviously but not keen on hearing that sound again so will stick to doing it "wrong"

[Sustainz]

so yesterday I thought I would do it the "right" way and left the amp on all day with volume down. Then turned it off leaving the stand by on and got a loud pop/squeal through the speakers (like when you use to turn the old valve TV's on......amp is fine obviously but not keen on hearing that sound again so will stick to doing it "wrong"

Yeah, if an amp has a standby switch I use it; if it doesn't, I don't (but I have tried ). I've had amps with and without standby, and in 35 years never had a problem with either. I think this is one of those things that some people tend to over-think, and I kind of put it in the same steaming turd pile of minutia as directional patch cords and boo-teek power cables.

[sizzlingbadger]

Yeah me too.
I put it in the same basket as using a guitar lead as a speaker cable will MELTDOWN THE EARTH!!!!
Playing in the rain will KILL YOU!!!!
More people die by testing batteries on their tongue than by being HIT BY A BUS!!!!
We've all done this, and worse before the internet informed us of how it should be done, ignorance was bliss

P.S. DISCLAIMER: If you try any of the above and kill yourself, amp or others, I'm not at fault - just cos I got away with it once, doesn't mean you will.

so yesterday I thought I would do it the "right" way and left the amp on all day with volume down. Then turned it off leaving the stand by on and got a loud pop/squeal through the speakers (like when you use to turn the old valve TV's on......amp is fine obviously but not keen on hearing that sound again so will stick to doing it "wrong"

Why leave the amp on all day ?

Its fine to switch it on and off several times. If your not using it for more than about 10 mins then just switch it off.

[Molly]

Why leave the amp on all day ?

The longer you leave it on, the better it sounds

[RobRoyMcCoy]

My understanding is this.

The reason why older valve amps do not have standby switches is they had valve rectifiers. The valve rectifier takes a little time to heat the cathode. Heating the cathode is required for electodes to be emitted. This gradual heating process limits the electron flow and means the current (and therefore voltage as the current in flowing into a relatively static resistance) rises over time.

This "rise-time" allows the power tubes (in particular) to also heat their cathodes to make them ready to effectively emit electrons.

The cathodes on power tubes can have their rare metal coatings partly stripped by being asked to support high rates of electron flow before being adequately heated. This is also know as cathode poisoning. This is the factor in question when tube life is discussed.

As pointed out earlier in the thread solid state rectifiers do not suffer the same warm up delay as valve rectifiers. Therefore for valve amplifiers with solid state rectification a warm up period on the power tube cathodes before quiescent current flow is recommended.

I haven't checked this nor looked at this for a very long time, but if my memory serves me correctly I believe this is the background.

[sizzlingbadger]

Why did Fender put a standby on the Bassman which has a valve rectifier ?

[sirvill]

Yeah plus cathode stripping and cathode poisoning won't happen by just turning it on.

I like it when turning it off to avoid pops and sizzles, but not for much longer than 10 seconds.