Help-Need Amp Suggestions That Have A Direct Out

[Mrmarshallhead]

Unless you play real clean, any distorted tone from a DI without speaker emulation sounds fizzy and awful. If I were forced to go through the desk, no back line, I'd be using an old POD 2.0 or something.

[mcdes]

On a side note, we built small isolated partitions under our stage so we can crank the tube goodness, while cutting the stage noise.

Just a thought

[mark123]

Originally Posted by guitarjazz

Find an all-tube Lexicon 284 amp...made for going direct and sounds killer. I had mine modded so the line out is tapped off the XLR jacks, which have the speaker sim.

I agree! The Lexicon has a passive load that automatically connected when the speaker is disconnected. Because the slave outputs tap the signal after the power amp, they carry all of the Signature 284's characteristic tone and can be connected to any power amp and guitar cabinets for greater performance volume. One of the more underated amps for the money. Love mine, the best bedroom amp I've ever known as well.

[jordans0nly]

Still love the Trademark 60, with the XLR output.

[Chicago Slim]

The Kustom tube amps have adjustable XLR Line Outs, with a ground lift. The Master control effects gain at four different places of the circuitry. This lets you set your breakup, at almost any vloume. The Link kind of explains how it works.

http://www.kustom.com/product_detail...ctID=240&Tab=0

Plus, the Kustom tube amps sound great. I've owned the Made in USA '36 Coupe, '72 Hardtop, and MIC Defender V15. In the studio, when they go to MIC the front and back of my amp, I tell them to just plug-into the XLR out, instead of MICing the back of the amp. Great amps, for the money.

[clintmartin]

Blackstar has a speaker emulated out. I believe you can use it with the standby switch for silent recording or no-stage volume.

[dspellman]

Originally Posted by TimH

Uhhh...get a POD HD500....

My first thought as well.

Actually, any rack-type preamp will do; all you're doing is eliminating the power amp section and the speaker. I have an old Carvin Quad X



(NINE 12 AX7 tubes) with four channels, active controls, assignable graphic EQ, noise gate, boost, six (!) FX loops, spring reverb, etc. -- and a Mesa Triaxis



-- that I used direct for years until I started with the Pods.

BTW, the learning curve on an HD500 depends on how deep you want to be able to tweak things. If you're good with the "turn it on, select an amp and speaker cabinet model, set the volume" aspect of the amp you use now, it *will* do that. With an amp, that's pretty much the end of things. The good news is that you can do so much more with the HD500 if you want to.

[Gavin]

Originally Posted by Mrmarshallhead

Unless you play real clean, any distorted tone from a DI without speaker emulation sounds fizzy and awful.

Thanks everyone for all the advise. I have already started reading up on the Lexicon and Tech21.

I'm worried about what the poster stated above. With my pedal board in front of one of these units (say the Tech21), will it make my tone "fizzy and awful" when I need some crunch/overdrive/distortion?

[guitarjazz]

Originally Posted by Gavin

Thanks everyone for all the advise. I have already started reading up on the Lexicon and Tech21.

I'm worried about what the poster stated above. With my pedal board in front of one of these units (say the Tech21), will it make my tone "fizzy and awful" when I need some crunch/overdrive/distortion?

Well, we are starting to circle the wagons. It's not just a direct out but a speaker emulated direct out that your need. A plain direct out, like on my Boogie Mark IIC will sound fizzy and awful. Some amps have a 'recording out' which usually speaker emulated.
Here is the best resource on the whole topic:
http://www.amptone.com/index.html#ptsodlcsf


BTW you'll see mention of Hughes and Kettner products. Their Bluesmaster is another excellent all-tube device designed for going direct.

[guitarjazz]

Originally Posted by Gavin

Thanks everyone for all the advise. I have already started reading up on the Lexicon and Tech21.

I'm worried about what the poster stated above. With my pedal board in front of one of these units (say the Tech21), will it make my tone "fizzy and awful" when I need some crunch/overdrive/distortion?

Not the Lexicon because of the emulation.

[guitarjazz]

Originally Posted by dspellman

My first thought as well.

Actually, any rack-type preamp will do; all you're doing is eliminating the power amp section and the speaker. I have an old Carvin Quad X



(NINE 12 AX7 tubes) with four channels, active controls, assignable graphic EQ, noise gate, boost, six (!) FX loops, spring reverb, etc. -- and a Mesa Triaxis



-- that I used direct for years until I started with the Pods.

BTW, the learning curve on an HD500 depends on how deep you want to be able to tweak things. If you're good with the "turn it on, select an amp and speaker cabinet model, set the volume" aspect of the amp you use now, it *will* do that. With an amp, that's pretty much the end of things. The good news is that you can do so much more with the HD500 if you want to.

When I had the 14 space rack I ran the Tri-Axis into and ADA Ampulator, which gave me more control of the speaker sim. than the built-in Mesa stuff.
As much as I disdain Pods, I know Andy Partridge used one the last XTC CD which I love.

[FlyingVBlues]

A Palmer PDI-03 will let you use any amp you prefer, and meet your criteria of no stage volume. It combines a DI-box, a load box and speaker emulation. I use mine for silent recording and it sounds good and its very easy to use.

http://www.palmergear.com/pdi03.shtml

FVB

[rwe333]

Most Fryette (or old school VHT) amps have a well-designed Line Out.

[Gavin]

Originally Posted by FlyingVBlues

A Palmer PDI-03 will let you use any amp you prefer, and meet your criteria of no stage volume. It combines a DI-box, a load box and speaker emulation. I use mine for silent recording and it sounds good and its very easy to use.

http://www.palmergear.com/pdi03.shtml

FVB

Thanks...looks like what I need.

[tech21nyc]

Originally Posted by Gavin

Thanks everyone for all the advise. I have already started reading up on the Lexicon and Tech21.

I'm worried about what the poster stated above. With my pedal board in front of one of these units (say the Tech21), will it make my tone "fizzy and awful" when I need some crunch/overdrive/distortion?

Not with our SansAmp products. They emulate a tube amp in it's entirety. Pre amp, power amp and speaker cab. They are designed to go direct. I regularly gig with a pedal board and use our Leeds pedal for clean and run an overdrive before it and a delay or reverb after it direct to the board.

To use your amp for direct you would need a power attenuator that can be set to load like the THD Hot Plate or a dedicated load box with a line out. You would also need something like the H&K Red Box or the Palmer PDI09 to mimic the sound of the speaker. An amp DI staright to board will be fizzy as all get out.