I finally built something I’ve been wanting to share with you all: Vacuum Tube Basics – a free, hands-on course where you actually control the tubes instead of just reading dry theory. It’s made for audio hobbyists and curious beginners who want to understand what’s really going on inside their tube gear.
Each lesson takes 10–15 minutes and is built around live interactive simulators. You turn the knobs yourself – dial down the heater, sweep the grid voltage, or swap rectifiers and watch the tube respond in real time. Each lesson also includes an interactive “Try this” checklist that ticks itself off as you experiment, plus a quick 4-question quiz. Zero sign-up, and no high voltage near your hands.
Live right now:
- Lesson 1: The Vacuum Diode – Play with thermionic emission and swap between a 5Y3, 5U4GB, and GZ34 on a live rectifier bench to see voltage drop and sag in action.
- Lesson 2: How the Grid Controls Current – Turn the grid knob on a live triode simulator and watch plate curves and transconductance (gm) react in real time.
New lessons dropping every week:
- Lesson 3: The Load Line
- Lesson 4: Setting Bias
- Lesson 5: Reading a Datasheet
- Lesson 6: Power Tubes (Single-Ended vs. Push-Pull)
- Lesson 7: Power Supplies & High-Voltage Safety
Jump in, twist some virtual knobs, and let me know what you think!
https://tubemaze.biz/learn/vacuum-tubes/