PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve

Index

Print Thread

Go To

How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve #652818 04/23/21 11:55 PM Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late Planobilly OP Veteran
OP Planobilly Veteran Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late	Hi guys, If none of this is of interest feel free to tell me to take a hike...lol In the USA we call vacuum tubes "tubes", in Europe they are referred to as valves. Here is why. A quoit from my friend Rob. "Edison discovered while working on the light bulb that if you put a wire in a vacuum tube and heat the wire (light bulb filament) electrons would "boil off" into the vacuum. The kinetic energy of the hot, vibrating electrons in the hot wire actually knock electrons off the wire into the tube vacuum. He also discovered that since opposite electrical charges are attracted to one another he could put a positively charged 'plate' inside the tube to collect the free electrons and create a current from the hot filament (cathode) across the gap to the plate. This is the 'Edison Effect,' which acts as a one-way electronic valve--heat the filament and electrons flow, remove the heat and the flow stops. It's a one-way valve because the plate is not heated so electrons can't flow from the plate to the filament. This is why vacuum tubes are referred to as 'valves.' " (a light bulb is actually a single electrode tube!) The short version of how we got here. Light bulbs get invented, we find out we can put other stuff in the light bulb and create tubes/valves that lets us create electronics. December 16 1947 the transistor was invented and we were off to the races!! From the light bulb in 1879 to today...all this became possible! including flying helicopters around on Mars. The light bulb, the brighter side of life. Billy “Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #652846 04/24/21 02:41 AM Off-Topic
E eddie1261 Unregistered
eddie1261 Unregistered E	Originally Posted By: Planobilly December 16 1947 the transistor was invented and.... ...from that moment forward I had a portable radio up against my ear!

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #652855 04/24/21 03:11 AM Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late Planobilly OP Veteran
OP Planobilly Veteran Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late	How old did you say you were Eddie?...lol I seem to remember around 3500 BC inventing the wheel but perhaps I was dreaming. The wedge is the oldest simple machine, made by our ancestors Homo erectus at least as long ago as 1.2 million years to make stone tools. The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals. I assume there were drums before that. I remember well those little transistor radios. That was the XBox of the 50's. I had a toy wood block printing press. We had chemistry sets and my childhood friend Bobby had Bobby and Billy's modal airplane and bomb factory. Made hydrogen gas and put it in balloons and attached fire crackers so it would blow up in the air. It was a very different world from today. Billy “Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #652880 04/24/21 06:04 AM Off-Topic
E eddie1261 Unregistered
eddie1261 Unregistered E	Yep! I had the Gilbert Chemistry Set and the Erector Set. Then I got some little weather station that had an anemometer it and I thought I was the coolest kid ever. Then came a vacuum forming machine that made little junk from 3x4 pieces of plastic that I learned the hard way couldn't hang over the heating element for too long. A toy rocket that used making soda and vinegar for propulsion. I ruined that by wondering what would happen if I let the chemical reaction go for 5 minutes instead of 1. That exploded at about the 3 minute mark. After that was the Heathkit radio, followed quickly by a battery operated Arvin portable transistor radio. My parents bought me a tabletop radio with FM and a whole new world opened. There was a show at 10pm every night called Doc Nemo's Underground that played music that would never find a path to AM. That was where you heard the Blues Project, BS&T deep album cuts and Jimi Hendrix. And we listened to CKLW from Windsor Ontario and WJR from Detroit. They played the same stuff as WHK in Cleveland, but hey, it was from Detroit, so we were cooler that way! All because of those little transistors.

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve #652885 04/24/21 07:09 AM Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2,458 Lake Keowee, South Carolina MountainSide Veteran
MountainSide Veteran Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2,458 Lake Keowee, South Carolina	Dude! CKLW! Sunday, Sunday night...Detroit dragway...Sibley and Dix...Big Don Daddy Garlits and his hemi under glass... Guess you had to be there and listen....I did! Good memory...thanks! Jeff Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2025, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #652905 04/24/21 10:48 AM Off-Topic
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 22,386 Mi., USA rharv Veteran
rharv Veteran Joined: May 2000 Posts: 22,386 Mi., USA	CKLW yeah, I remember Still here I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #653100 04/25/21 09:10 AM Off-Topic
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,668 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,668 Middlesex, NC	Slap a couple of screens in there between the filament and the plate and put a bias voltage on one of them and alter the other and waaa laaaa.... you got control of those little electrons. Man I loved vacuum tube theory and playing with those circuits back in the day. I still have a box in my shop with a pair of transformers (Input and output) from a Marshall and a bunch of parts including the tubes. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #653108 04/25/21 09:47 AM Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late Planobilly OP Veteran
OP Planobilly Veteran Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late	I only have one transistor amp. All the rest are tube. I have parts for all the tube amps we use in the band. I still like building tube amps. Bruce Zinky is sending me some stuff to put together next week. Someone ask me to build a 100 watt 5150 style amp custom for him. People who want that sort of stuff don't seem to care what it cost. Goes into my mad money account...lol Keep the transformers Herb. They cost more every year. Billy Last edited by Planobilly; 04/25/21 09:50 AM. “Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #653232 04/26/21 06:16 AM Off-Topic
Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,668 Middlesex, NC Guitarhacker Veteran
Guitarhacker Veteran Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 10,668 Middlesex, NC	Originally Posted By: Planobilly I only have one transistor amp. All the rest are tube. I have parts for all the tube amps we use in the band. I still like building tube amps. Bruce Zinky is sending me some stuff to put together next week. Someone ask me to build a 100 watt 5150 style amp custom for him. People who want that sort of stuff don't seem to care what it cost. Goes into my mad money account...lol Keep the transformers Herb. They cost more every year. Billy They were actually pretty costly at the time.... Late 70's. I was building it from a schematic I had obtained of the Marshall 50w head. It was actually pretty crystal and loud but for a number of reasons.... especially that it was built all out in the open and was highly dangerous.... and, the fact that I didn't use 6L6s and had a hard time getting the grid bias to stay stable..... I disassembled it and put it into a box when I bought an amp that wasn't as dangerous. You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #653322 04/26/21 03:47 PM Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late Planobilly OP Veteran
OP Planobilly Veteran Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 2,727 Gulf Of Mexico As Of Late	Yes Herb...all this tube stuff of any real wattage is pretty expensive. Transformers being the big ticket items. Billy “Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”

Re: How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve Planobilly #653838 04/30/21 08:20 AM Off-Topic
Joined: May 2020 Posts: 2,766 Victoria, BC Simon - PG Music Veteran
Simon - PG Music Veteran Joined: May 2020 Posts: 2,766 Victoria, BC	Originally Posted By: Planobilly Yes Herb...all this tube stuff of any real wattage is pretty expensive. Transformers being the big ticket items. Billy Which is why I've got a box full of them stashed under my workbench, and plan to build a couple amps from scratch once I get some time - in 30 years or so when I retire. I work here

Go To

Moderated by Andrew - PG Music, Callie - PG Music, Catherine, Jeff Yankauer, PeterGannon, pgmoderation

Link Copied to Clipboard

ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News

December 16, 2025

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

December 04, 2025

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Read more...

December 04, 2025

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Read more...

December 04, 2025

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Read more...

December 04, 2025

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Read more...

More News

Forum Statistics

Forums57

Topics85,335

Posts791,074

Members39,858

Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025

Newest Members

Max Gain, BEAN223, Brazilboyz, doccawudi, StratMan1965
39,858 Registered Users

PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic How the light bulb made P G Music forum possible and why a tube is called a valve

What are you looking for?

Search Site

International Band-in-a-Box versions - Band-in-a-Box.com

Other ways to find help.

Toll Free Lines

Online Tech Support