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Tube amp on/off: best practice?

My main system, with a tube integrated, is in my studio where I work 10-12 hours a day, interrupted by the occasional offsite meeting or errand.

What's the best practice/rule of thumb for powering it up and down as I duck in and out of the studio? Just leave it on all day?
How long do I need to be away for it to be better to power it down?

Right now I'm firing it up and cooling it down about 3x a day, running it a total of 6-8 hours a day.
soundgasm

Showing 2 responses by samhar

samhar
1,048 posts
 
WhenI leave I shut the amps off!!! The preamp is also shut down. Two weeks ago I had a tube start going bad, if I wouldn't have been there.........?????!!!!!! Now I don't like to leave the room for an extended time, I'm a little paranoid!! If I have to turn everything on and off two or even three times in a day I'll do it, no more running down the street to the post office etc......
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Polk432
That's how I do it.

Soundgasm
The 9 pin tubes stay on all the time in my amp and on standby in the preamp, it's been the "big" power tubes in the amp where I've had problems. The last power tube that failed, a 6C33CB, started to glow cherry red, and the one before that started arcing. I haven't had anything catch fire and don't intend to tempt fate anymore even though my amps take 1 1/2- 2+ hrs to hit their stride, "settle in" and start sounding very good, at 3+ hrs the magic really starts to happen!!!
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