Members C-Dawg Posted August 30, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I might just have to order one of those Barons. That is exactly what I'm looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tech21man Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I know, I know, tl/dr. Whatever...I am 100% a bedroom wanker. I don't have time to play in a band. I suck too much to play in a band. Yet, I still have a 100W amp that is LOUD AS {censored} that I wank away with in my guitar room (I own a house). This amp, even barely turned up at all, is audible from the street. This got me wanting a smaller amp that was still capable of a big sound at a lower volume. When Mesa Boogie announced the Mini Recto, I got all excited. I thought: "This is my perfect bedroom amp!" But then I started to think... 25W is still loud enough to be heard over a drummer, meaning it is still ungodly loud for a bedroom. So, my excitement has slowly subsided about this "Mini Recto" as my perfect amp. I mean, the little 5W amps are still quite loud when turned up, and even then they don't give you that crushing tone of a 100W amp at full-bore. No one produces a good all-tube 5W metal-styled amp anyways (that I know of). It seems like the smaller wattage amps don't give the fullness that a larger wattage amp with big iron provide anyways...This has caused me to wonder, what is the best sounding bedroom amp? I've come to my own conclusion that the Snax FX is probably going to be the ultimate bedroom amp. Who would agree with me? I know it is expensive, but if I spent $2000 on a Snax FX instead of my Nitro, I feel like I would have MUCH better tone than I do now. This is only due to the fact that I can't turn my Nitro up enough to get the tube goodness. Plus, I would have the added bonus of easy recording with it. Basically after all that typing, I wish I could be told that the Mini Recto would be perfect for the bedroom even though that would be a lie. I don't want to sell my Nitro in order to fund a Snax 'cus I'm stubborn and don't want to come to the realization that I'm not gonna wake up next week and have acquired Matrix-style all the guitar skillz one could want. And on top of that, I keep dreaming that at some point in the near future that I would have the time needed to join a band (will never happen). But I know deep down that the Snax would be much more than I would ever need. The problem I have with it is that I could sell my amp for around $1500 +/- a few bills. But it would cost over $3000 for a live-setting-ready Snax FX rig (to appease the part of my brain that says I'm going to be touring next week, I need this).Ugh, maybe I should just buy a pod, keep my Nitro, and accept bad tone... I wouldn't get excited over any new baby or not small amp. I am eyeballing the new laney? It does have "power scaling" or a watts knob or whatever. But I am not counting on it to tame its 120 watts. I want the tone it offers not the ability to offer any tone in TV levels. Also bear in mind as people already mentioned that no matter axe-fx, pod, solid state amp or tube amp attenuated you won't get the speaker pumping air, resonating and compressing the sound and also producing some current because of the speaker magnet and returning some/affecting the power amp...in low levels. This I personally think alters sound and feel... Perhaps you should try a pod or something in the nitro power amp even at low volumes. Pods do contain "the whole crancked amp" sound so perhaps fingding something that matches your preamp and adding the pod power amp bias sag etc controls module could bring you close to a nitro bedroom sound? What I am effectively saying is go for prefference in tones rather than promises on low volumes performance...You like the nitro tone, try it with impulses and power amp modelling from revalver or something. Can you afford attenuator that will also give you the power amp nitro tone additionally via line out? Go for it and just add a cab sim/I.R. Or request a splawn nitro model on the axe-fx xupport thread or something he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neilrocks25 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 All you need is a decent amp with a decent clean tone at low volumes and some good overdrive / dirt pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goop Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Tweaker 15 and a tube screamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Robson780 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Best bedroom amps in my experience: Ampeg V4Laney GH100LMarshall 22035150Dual/Triple RecHiwatt DR103Sunn Model TOrange AD140 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nakedzen Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Any amp to dummy load or a preamp -> interface -> impulses -> powered monitors. Great tone at any volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mahuska Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 All you need is a decent amp with a decent clean tone at low volumes and some good overdrive / dirt pedals. I agree. I suggest you shop around for pedals that has the type of gain you seek. Try them with your amp on a nice clean setting at a volume you can handle.There are so many choices out there and you could buy quite a few for the money you plan on spending anyway. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members isvoid Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 All you need is a decent amp with a decent clean tone at low volumes and some good overdrive / dirt pedals. This, and I'm thinking a Lionheart L5T (or L20H if you needs moar wattage) would be an awesome, flexible foundation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NinjaRaf Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Those who use impulses, how do you hook up your amp to your recording system? Do you use your FX-send or something? I'm confused, I've never used impulses. But if it gives better recording tones than my anemic low-volume recordings, I'd love to give it a try.I could have avoided all of these issues if I'd bought a house in the country. Yes, you can use your FX loop send direct to the recording. If you are doing this with your nitro, make sure you still have a load attached... With my Mako, since its a preamp, I just go preamp out to interface and Im good to go. I just turn my power amp off. Heres a clip... http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=11529 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t-rey Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I think its different for the options you want, but this guy got his for 650 http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=78433 Here is a clip that guy did too- http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3602793/Snott%20Watt4.mp3 Those are very snazzy indeed. Once the rest of my rig is done I can see upgrading the Blackstar to one of these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack Tone Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Any amp to dummy load or a preamp -> interface -> impulses -> powered monitors. Great tone at any volume. I'm also a bedroom player with several heads that I plug into a hotplate. Still requires a lot of volume to sound good. This is intriguing! Any tips or links on what's needed or how to do it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NinjaRaf Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I'm also a bedroom player with several heads that I plug into a hotplate. Still requires a lot of volume to sound good. This is intriguing! Any tips or links on what's needed or how to do it? You need impulses and an impulse loader. Load the impulse loader as a VST effect on a track in your DAW and choose your impulses. Plug your preamp into your interface, or FX send if you are using an amp. Make sure you have a speaker load on your amp, as your power section is still active. And you should be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jds22 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I'm also a bedroom player with several heads that I plug into a hotplate. Still requires a lot of volume to sound good. This is intriguing! Any tips or links on what's needed or how to do it? Agreed, this is interesting. I've tried a pod into powered monitors and was not pleased but I'd be willing to give it another go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C-Dawg Posted August 30, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Ugh, now I'm split between getting the Baron amp or getting a hotplate to use as a speaker load. The hotplate would be cheaper, but the Baron would be a new amp . Also, I'd thought of getting some pedals and run them through the clean channel. Most good distortion pedals are ****ing expensive, just buying a few would be the cost of that little Baron amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zozobra Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 These are your best options:Understanding neighboursNot valvesPower scaling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretless Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I like my Black Heart Killer Ant , cleans up nicely too , sounds like http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=9523559 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darren0203 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Yes, you can use your FX loop send direct to the recording. If you are doing this with your nitro, make sure you still have a load attached...With my Mako, since its a preamp, I just go preamp out to interface and Im good to go. I just turn my power amp off. Heres a clip...http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=11529 That sounds good, like a pissed off 5150 What about those amt legend amp series pedals, you could put that through your clean, or interface of some kind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NinjaRaf Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 That sounds good, like a pissed off 5150What about those amt legend amp series pedals, you could put that through your clean, or interface of some kind Thanks. Yes, you could, and those things sound great too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nakedzen Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 You need impulses and an impulse loader. Load the impulse loader as a VST effect on a track in your DAW and choose your impulses. Plug your preamp into your interface, or FX send if you are using an amp. Make sure you have a speaker load on your amp, as your power section is still active. And you should be good to go. I think the Hotplate has a line out which would give him the power section coloring as well. That's how I do it, attenuator set to max (dummy load), attenuator line out to interface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darren0203 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I'm happy with my vox ad15vt, I got that so I wasn't putting all my practice hours on the Titan...cost me $40 off CL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NinjaRaf Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 I think the Hotplate has a line out which would give him the power section coloring as well. That's how I do it, attenuator set to max (dummy load), attenuator line out to interface. Thats cool. I dont know a damned thing about those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aman74 Posted August 30, 2011 Members Share Posted August 30, 2011 Ugh, now I'm split between getting the Baron amp or getting a hotplate to use as a speaker load. The hotplate would be cheaper, but the Baron would be a new amp . Also, I'd thought of getting some pedals and run them through the clean channel. Most good distortion pedals are ****ing expensive, just buying a few would be the cost of that little Baron amp. No need to spend the dough on the Hotplate if you just need a load. I think Weber has some boxes that would be cheaper for that, I think Behringer as well. Also DIY or have someone make one as there isn't much to it. Plenty of options in dirt boxes that aren't expensive....watch out for hype. I agree with several others here. Even a 1 watt can be quite loud as you know. Wattage isn't the issue when looking for a mostly pre-amp gain oriented tone. In this case the master is what matters. A 100 watt head with a good master and a 4x12 can be an excellent bedroom amp. Power scaling is great, but it's most effective when trying to achieve power stage distortion at lower volumes. Modellors aren't there for me yet, so I prefer taking a pre, an amp or a pedal, etc... and as others mentioned sending it to a load and running it into impulses. Digital shines with impulses and is well suited towards it compared to modeling and actual amp. This also gives you a great recording set-up as what you hear will be what goes to "tape". Also flexible for running effects and such. Keep in mind that many also still feel that running an amp to a load and then "re-amping" is still the best low volume solution. Also, used by EVH and others in band situations as well. So, to many, you'd still be running an ideal set-up and not compromising. Add the recording benefits and you're having your cake and eating it too. I've heard a couple of these set-ups and really liked it and will got his way myself eventually. To other's who have done it, is there any advantage to using a DI or anything in-between your source and interface? I saw one poster mention using the headphone out...is there any compromise there? Makes sense to use that for convenience as the signal is already knocked down, but I'm not sure if there's usually speaker emulation circuitry in headphone outs or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack Tone Posted August 31, 2011 Members Share Posted August 31, 2011 I think the Hotplate has a line out which would give him the power section coloring as well. That's how I do it, attenuator set to max (dummy load), attenuator line out to interface. So if I understand, I'd go from amp to hotplate (set on dummy load) to DAW with impulses, to powered monitors. I assume the impulses and monitors are to eliminate the cabinet. So basically I'm playing my amp through my computer? Like amplitude, but the real thing? Instead of powered monitors, could it play through the fx return on an SS amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nakedzen Posted August 31, 2011 Members Share Posted August 31, 2011 So if I understand, I'd go from amp to hotplate (set on dummy load) to DAW with impulses, to powered monitors. I assume the impulses and monitors are to eliminate the cabinet. So basically I'm playing my amp through my computer? Like amplitude, but the real thing? Instead of powered monitors, could it play through the fx return on an SS amp? Exactly like this. But the reason you get the best results with studio monitors is that they have a flat eq response (which works best with impulses/cab modeling). So SS amp return with passive monitors would be your best bet if you don't want actives. You can get powered monitors very cheap nowadays, I have the Rokit5 G2 pair that cost me $300 new. It's not as clear/tight on the low end as the 4x pricier ones (I a/b'd them to Genelec 8020's) but otherwise I'm very satisfied with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Killa J Posted August 31, 2011 Members Share Posted August 31, 2011 Out of all the amps I've owned, the Engl Powerball was by far the best bedroom amp (not counting modelers or practice amps). That thing f'in rocked at bedroom volume and f'in blew at band volumes. All the Engls I've tried worked well at low volumes, but that's the only one that sounded worse cranked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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