Electronic tubes are available since 1904. The pictured tube on the left is one of the oldest (the Lieben-tube).
The electron tube was developed in 1904 by the English physicist John Ambrose Fleming. While looking for an improved method to detect radio waves, Fleming discovered that the so called “Edison-effect” could be used for this. On the 6th of November 1904, he was applying for a patent in England called “Oscillation Valve” (a rectifying tube).
In 1906, US-American inventor Lee de Forest added a third electrode, the “control grid”. This triode allowed amplification of electronic signals for the first time.
Today, there are still many collectors of tube powered devices and enthusiasts who adore the “warmer” sound of tube amplifiers. The musician loves the kind of distortion you get when the amplifier is clipping.
Summarized, the electronic tube is a electronic element with a characteristic which follows to the 2/3th power and little amplification (20…400 typ.). The tube characteristically produces mostly even-numbered harmonics which sound “warm” to the human ear and which are only coupled back a little or not at all. Depending on the type of tube, different characteristics are more dominant. We do not want to start a discussion about tubes from hearsay, but deliver physical data based on facts.
You find here a lot of datasheets to download. Also, you can find many schemas, spice models for tubes and technical reports are listed. In addition to this, links to good websites are presented. We hope you enjoy our website.
English
Deutsch