@Guitarists - Handmade Valve Amps - Your Wishes

[Uncle E]

Ime a simple insert point is a good (and free) compromise

+1

[Hink]

thanx for telling me it's buffered

$40
Tube Effects Loop Kit



Add an effects loop to your amp. Includes all the parts to implement a buffered effects loop --- tube, resistors, capacitors, tube mounting bracket, hardware, jacks. The way this circuit is configured, you can plug into the SEND jack and have a line out signal without disrupting the signal flow in the amp.

However you missed my point, but I'm not going to get into THAT again. If I choose to make such a mod (or any other) I have no doubt in my mind at all that it will work flawlessly when I'm done

[Uncle E]

However you missed my point, but I'm not going to get into THAT again.

I missed your point, too.

[Hink]

However you missed my point, but I'm not going to get into THAT again.

I missed your point, too.

No Series FX Loop and Onboard Reverb are deal breakers for me.

not a deal breaker for me...as simple as that.

[bluelife]

Hi People,

have you got any ideas for a power soak solution?
They are quite expensive and so I am just asking if you know of any alternatives.
In the prototype Klaus is going to include one.

Cheers

Richard

[susiwong]

Hi People,

have you got any ideas for a power soak solution?
They are quite expensive and so I am just asking if you know of any alternatives.

Yes, power soaks are expensive and of debatable value if you reduce by more than 3 or 6 dB.
A slightly different alternative could be a PPMV, do a google.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Uncle E]

The power scaling in the Suhr Badger is sublime. It doesn't sound perfect, instead it gives the amp another color to play with.

[Hink]

Hi People,

have you got any ideas for a power soak solution?
They are quite expensive and so I am just asking if you know of any alternatives.
In the prototype Klaus is going to include one.

Cheers

Richard

ted weber uses speaker motors instead of resistors http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

a similar concept might be a fairly cheap alternative and imho the Weber is the best I have used and will not add more heat inside the case like resistors might

[lfm]

Yes, power soaks are expensive and of debatable value if you reduce by more than 3 or 6 dB.

I don't know why it would be debatable?

Isn't the basic idea is to be able to run power tubes as hot as you need for the crunch you want - without producing more volume than you want.

[susiwong]

Yes, power soaks are expensive and of debatable value if you reduce by more than 3 or 6 dB.

I don't know why it would be debatable?

Isn't the basic idea is to be able to run power tubes as hot as you need for the crunch you want - without producing more volume than you want.

Sometimes the plan and the result are different ...
Unfortunately the more you attenuate, the more lifeless, flat your tone becomes.
There are better and worse constructions, the basic issue remains.
In most cases I'll easily take a really good pedal into a cleanish, unattenuated amp over a strangled pure tube amp, ymmv.
This will still be well above bedroom volume, if that's what you need you have to go direct or use a good sim like S-Gear, not a bad compromise at all btw.
I tend to use both variants on a regular basis despite owning several classic amps, beats miking compromises by far.
Another promising approach are those new Eminence speakers discussed a few pages back, which mess with the magnetic field instead.
Ymmv,
susiwong

[Hink]

susiwong, have you had the chance to try the webers? I ask because they adress the issue of being flat or lifeless quite well by adding a treble boost (6db, 3db or off) on my model, and on other models they have controls to attenuate the bass/mids and the highs seperately. Though S-gear and VANDAL both do a fantanstic job emulating feel they are NOT IMHO a good compromise when tracking (good for composing but when one has a lot of tracks already with fx losing a take to clicks and crackles is not for me) ..in fact I rather not use the word compromise with my guitar tone.

Being a person with two amps that run at similar (or less) power levels than this new amp disccussed in this thread I do have first hand exoerience with this. I'm not sure what a miking compromise is tbh but there is no 'strangled' tone coming through my rig, I run the treble boost at 3db. The trick however is getting the properly rated attenuator for your amp, an attenuator rated for 100 watts will not be suitable for a 100 watt amp.

My concern with the Eminence speaker is I think they are only really pratical for open back speaker cabs, I guess once you have it set the way you want it's not a problem but having the control on the back of the speaker with a closed back cab means having to remove the speaker to tweak it. If you have one amp only that might not be a problem once you have it set but if you have amps at different power levels like I do I fear I would need one speaker for each amp in my 4x12 and they are not cheap (but I am still waiting to hear what trimph has to say once he's really put them to the test.)

I do agree that a good pedal into an amp is a good way to go as well, running my custom TS with the mods into my amp with the gain lower but the master up works very well here but with the weber it's a even better.

[susiwong]

Some good points there, Hink !
No, I haven't tried the Webers yet (playing myself), they have a decent reputation but I'd have to order blind at an insane price to try, they have no distributor here.
I've owned or tried most other popular attenuators though, and they all share the tendencies I described above to a certain degree.
Tolerable to shave a few dB off ? Sure.
Suitable for bedroom levels ? Not really.
With miking compromises I meant not having the room to run the amp at the volume it was intended for, a hundred different things in the room resonating at various frequencies (son, you can't play that F# in here ! ), being forced to use headphones to hear the playback, all these obstacles.
I'd rather crank my monitors and use a good tube pre, a decent ampsim or both.
Don't know when I last had a crackle on a DI track, I either track @ 32 buffers into a project with only a stereo rough mix or @ 2048 while monitoring in hardware like you also do. Both work reliably here and give fine results.
No compromise to me means working the traditional way, cranking amps to their sweet spot and using the time honoured miking techniques ...
The volume will vary radically depending on amp and desired tone.
Btw, the best "attenuator" I've heard yet is the Blackstar one (not between amp and speakers, different concept) though even this changes the tone noticeably.
I guess the "tweed power" and other gizmos on my Heartbreaker don't qualify, as they are primarily meant to achieve different tones, not volume levels.
We have so many different options available today to work around the usual limitations - great times !
Still, my dream is recording the way (almost) all my favourite tones on record were recorded - loud !

Lol,
susiwong

[Hink]

You dont hear a crackle on th DI track, but unless you increase your buffers when you have a full project running using a sim can create crackles if you are trying to track through the sim and not have latency. That's what I meant by sims not being a good compromise, I like to do my final guitar last, I don't want to use stems and freeze everything and I want to use the direct monitor feature on my card.

A DI track imho is for re-amping only, I know you record in a very similar manner as me and so I know you understand my point.

I dont care about being loud, I want the full spectrum of tone and today that does not have to be done at extremely loud volumes...fullness is what matters, not volume.

FWIW it's obvious (and understandable) that you have not tried a weber because why would I waste money to shave a bit off and with the two watt amp bedroom volume is a reality in my house with the weber. My only concern is tube life but with the frenzel using a 12au7 as the power tube I am not losing much sleep over that.

1SDNFA

1 Size Does Not Fit All

[Uncle E]

My concern with the Eminence speaker is I think they are only really pratical for open back speaker cabs

Seems like the intention.

I guess once you have it set the way you want it's not a problem

To me, the benefit of the Eminence solution is the convenience of it. If I lose that, I'd just use the speaker and attenuator of my choice instead.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

Having a Framus Ruby Riot stlye back would work as you can easily have it closed, 1/3 open or totally open...etc. That would be what i would like with (if and when) i get some Emininece FDM packing speakers:

http://www.anyvan.com/view-listing/18435

Not actually has to be a Framus cab but the modular-like panel on the back is sweet

Hope that helps some, Eric will know more about them than i do

Dean