Explanation of Controls
You may be wondering why the Twin Tube Classic uses a 16-volt AC transformer instead of a common 9-volt DC adaptor or even a battery. The Twin Tube Classic relies on an internal transformer to obtain the high voltage the dual triodes require. The transformer cannot work on DC voltage. One alternative would be to run the tubes on low voltage in “starved plate mode.” Here, the tubes are used like a clipping diode and do not actually amplify. Though starved plate voltage is used in some inexpensive tube stomp boxes, it is not true tube amplification. The circuitry in the Twin Tube Classic enables the tubes to work like the tubes in the preamp section of a high-quality tube amplifier. Another alternative would be to supply a dedicated AC power cord and an internal high voltage transformer or a DC-to-DC switching converter. However, these options would make the Twin Tube Classic larger, heavier and more costly. With the Twin Tube Classic you are getting true tube tone AND tube amplification with minimal size, weight and cost.
