Anyone who knows how amps work please come in and solve this problem!!

[Sid]

So I was reading amptone and read a lotta stuff about how to get good tones etc...wattage problems....blah blah to try and solve a problem I have:

I have a very strange situation...I live in a dorm with roommates,jam in a small room wiht my band and play gigs at big halls!!:confused:

Till now I was using a BOSS GT-8 into a speaker..I could get headphone level volumes to all out madness!!!

As you can imagine,the tone sucked!!!

So now I wanna get a whole buncha pedals...Ive decided on the pedals...read a lot on Bjorns site about how one can have few stages of distortion to simulate an amp!!

So initially I thought of gettin a 15W Fende BLues Jr. but I hear thats not the best option to get a good tone as Im still gonna have to run it at low volumes.

So what can I do to get good tone in the dorm,the jam room and the gig???

Someone please help me out.....Is the Mad Professor in the house??:)

[DocRock]

Well, the solution for me has been to start with an amp that has a reasonable amount of clean headroom to it. Now doing that will eliminate certain pedals from being viable options, as they rely on a certain amount of the amp's natural overdrive from its output section in order for them to "do their thing," a la Klon Centaur and the like. I've also found, though, that a super super clean amp with tons of headroom has made it a bit too "sterile" for my applications. But, somewhere in between those two extremes will lie a happy medium.

I won't give a lengthy commentary on Bjorn's pedals, as I'm sure he can chime in with his own advice & opinion. What I will say, though, is that becoming a BJF user has enabled me to get all the shades and textures of overdrive and distortion that I would want at any volume level, whether in my house or on a stage. His stuff does what it does so well, that you really just need the right amplifier to carry the sound the rest of the way. I do think that super loud and clean amps would be a bit sterile regardless of pedal type, but the BJF stuff really does allow you to get those cranked amp tones without having to actually crank the amp and blow everybody's ears out in the process.

I use what's basically a 50 watt non-master Marshall JTM-45 Plexi / 5F6A Bassman head into a THD 2x12 cabinet. That amp starts to break up significantly at a pretty loud volume. I find that I never have to turn the volume past about 10 o'clock, which would be for live use. At that level, I am getting some compression and some sweetness from the amp itself, but the sound overall is still pretty darn clean--but it's warm, unlike the piercing sterility I got from using an 85 watt Dual Showman Reverb head at the same volume level. I do the rest with my pedals, and have never been happier with my tone. I am also satisfied with my tone even at home as well. The amp is run much cleaner and quieter, but it still sounds great, as do my pedals.

I guess my next question would be what kind of sounds do you want? What kind of music are you playing?

Cheers,

Doc :)

[Sid]

man I would be playing anything from pop to hard rock to even a lil metal...yea im looking at amps for my cleans only....I was considering the fender deluxe reverb....:p

but in the dorm im gonna be runnint the amp at 1 or 2 which is useless right...

maybe I should just get a fender blues jr.

but that still is too loud isnt it...


ps.do amps add compression even if there is no drive from the amp???

[DocRock]

Bjorn? Alex? Bump for help to Sid!!!

[Sid]

hmm i guess everyones busy...

at TGP they suggested that i just get two different amps..I cant believe ther is no solution..man...this sucks...

SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!1

[VacuumVoodoo]

Do you line out your amp to the PA when you gig big halls? If yes then a 15W amp could be sufficient for jams but still too much for your dorm.

I'm thinking Power Scaling. I'll get back to this topic in a few days.

Björn will be back in Stockhom this Sunday but has suffered a computer crash so it'll be a few days before he's back on line.

Alex

[Sid]

No I usually get it miced for gigs...hmm if 15w is too loud a 65 reverb is outta the question im guessing...

thanks a lot Alex,will wait for your post on power scaling before i go and buy an amp...:D

Oh no....Bjorns computer crashed eh....well if there is anything I could help wid der??am a computer engineer after all;) hur hur

[VacuumVoodoo]

About Powerscaling:
I personally like the concept. The early kits had some minor engineering imperfections but it's my understanding that Kevin O'Connor has weeded these out in his latest version.

Before making a decison to install Powerscaling in ANY amp one has be fully aware that the tone will not be exactly the same at different power levels due to the speakers being driven softer or harder. We know that part of the tone is in how hard speaker cone kicks the air. But to my old abused ears the change in tone of the amp itself is really insignificant. The slight loss of bottom at low power levels can always be compensated with tone controls - that's why these knobs are called that :)

Have a listen to clips at various power levels of a powerscaled Vibrolux Reverb on my friend's Jan "VintageVibe" Jonsson's website HERE (http://www.vintage-vibe.net): scroll to Soundclips on left side menu and go to the bottom to "Fast Shuffle Blues: (power scaling test)". Jan plays mostly clean to threshold of breakup.

I think powerscaling option gives more amp choices but make your own judgement if this is something for you.

Don't ask me about power attenuators - my answer is: :eek:

PS. Don't worry about Björns computer, he has support locally and hasn't lost any data. He's able to read his email on a spare machine.

[JofZ]

I feel for you Sid!
Common problem and it is easily solved. A power scaler will enable you to use (1) amp for all applications. They really work and your tone doesn't suffer. There are many amps that use some sort of Air Brake technology, they all call it something different. You can also buy an external air brake and that can be used in between any amp and cab you buy. Many people go this route. THD, Dr.Z, there are many options.
You could also buy a small watt amp for your dorm and a second for your gigs/jams. For your dorm save your money, buy a Roland, a Smokey, a BumBox Lead1 :D, or a Lovepedal Cannibal. All of these have great tone, the Bumbox is my favorite and is loud enough for jams and can be miked for gigs. It is also a great recording tool.
The Roland is cheap and has built in effects, worth every penny.
The Smokey is in a pack of cigs and it sounds great. I use one when my wife is reading and she never complains. PLus it is a great conversation piece!
The lovepedal is the size of a small stompbox, great dirt, not so great cleans.
The above range from 79 bucks on Ebay to 400+ new, so there is a small box for every budget.
For the 2nd amp, you need to pick a budget and we can suggest some amps.

[Sid]

hmm this is a very interesting option...i guss i could always buy a nice amp for stage and a vox pathfinder or summin for my room...:D

this powerscaling seems really interesting....the only problem is im in Singapore...trust me if i was in the US life wld be much easier....

how do i get powerscaling done?? i need to take it to a tech guy???or only the company???

[VacuumVoodoo]

Read all about it: Powerscaling kit (http://www.londonpower.com/kits/psbox.htm)
Even though installation instructions are included with the kit you'll best have an amp tech install it.

[DocRock]

Also, check out Reeves Amplification. http://www.reevesamps.com/ They actually have a model or two that have power scaling built in. I checked them out at Chicago ToneFest in June and was *quite impressed.*

[Sid]

thanks a lot guys...i think the powerscaling kit is amazing:D ..

can it get a 60W down to bedroom levels???:p

[JofZ]

thanks a lot guys...i think the powerscaling kit is amazing:D ..

can it get a 60W down to bedroom levels???:p

Don't forget THD, one of our advertisers :D
http://www.thdelectronics.com/products/hotplate.htm

That will work on any amp!

There really are a ton of options.

[Sid]

I wonder how much these companies charge for shipping...to Singapore!!:p

[JofZ]

I wonder how much these companies charge for shipping...to Singapore!!:p

I am sure some of them ship overseas. If not, you can find an Ebay auction that will.

[Sid]

the THD looks sweet:)