Is modeling the best option for bedroom playing? Maybe Maven Peal?

Y

yanquii

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235
Well, our drummer called me up last week to tell me he was selling his drumset because he just wasn't into it anymore. He is getting married, working 60-70 hours per week and is really passionate about computers, so I'm not THAT dissapointed.:( After I told the rest of the band, they all just kind of threw in their towels also. They all have girlfriends now and rarely ever play. They were just in it to "be in a band."

As much as this sucks, I am actually really looking forward to making music on my own, with no other influences other than my own.

So, as I have had a new amp in mind to work and save towards, I'm now needing something low-watt for the good ol bedroom. I am thinking something Line-6 would be great, as I believe it will be able to record a hell of a lot better and easier than a tube rig.

If you do have tube suggestions, I need something like a jtm45 on crack, with more gain, a loop and some sort of volume management( GREAT MV, Power Scaling, whatever)

The Maven Peals look rather nice, as the possibility that I may join another band hangs in the distant air, but I'm not really sure how they do at bedroom levels. I have heard that they aren't really made for that.

Any suggestions are welcomed and very much appreciated.:)
 
trisonic

trisonic

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13,156
Whilst Maven Peal amps go down to 1 watt it is still very loud and they do not sound their best at this level, frankly. They were not designed to be "Bedroom" amps.

If you do a search on Bedroom you'll find numerous threads on this subject.
Best, Pete.
 
VSpaceBoy

VSpaceBoy

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144
For recording or practicing?

Its a pain to get a really good sound out of a modeler when your trying to record a song.
 
trisonic

trisonic

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13,156
I am just reminded that there was a post on another forum that indicated that someone did play a Maven Peal Ganesha whilst listening to a TV at the same time.
That's not something I would do, however!

Best, Pete.
 
LaXu

LaXu

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6,253
I'm purely a home player these days so I've been looking into various ways to get great tone at home. Note that I live in a house so it's not a question of annoying the neighbours or anything, I just want to avoid hurting my own hearing in the long run.

Modeling amps
These are the easiest and propably the cheapest solution. I think the Vox Valvetronix stuff is far superior to what Line6 have, I wouldn't mind having a Vox AD15VT or AD30VT as a traveling amp or something. They sound really good but I know I'd still be craving for that true tube tone and above all the touch responsiveness of a good tube amp. I currently own a Yamaha DG80 1x12 combo, it's a modeling amp from the late '90s that is still in some ways superior to the current crop of modelers..built better, better user interface, very easy to use and sounds good. Nevertheless, I use the DG80 as a cab for a tube amp these days, works great for that.

Dummy load with line-out + poweramp
This setup is the most versatile but also the most expensive. Many attenuators have a dummy load mode where you can run your favorite tube amp into another poweramp via the line-out connection. Then you can use the line-out level control on the attenuator along with the poweramp's volume control to control the overall level. You could also have post-amp effects by connecting delays, reverbs etc. between the line-out and poweramp. I've tried this with my Stephenson tube amp (15W) -> dummyload + line-out -> Yamaha DG powersection (80W solid-state). What I've noticed is that the dummy load adds some compression and there is a slight high end loss, but nowhere near the total dynamics-killing effect that happens when using an attenuator set to high attenuation levels.

Power Scaling
This setup on the other hand is the best sounding, requires no extra devices lying around but is also the most difficult to install since it requires modifications to the amp. I think Power Scaling retains the tone of the amp better than any other method I've tried. However, at low volumes it can also make any high end sizzle/fizz an amp might have more noticeable. Attenuators and dummy loads tend to round the tone in the high end so it's less noticeable there.

In the end you do have to make some compromises. No tube amp is going to sound as good at conversation levels or loud TV volumes than at proper live volumes.
 
r9player

r9player

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6,841
I know some people who play through something like a Boss GT (8 nowadays)
Into some headphones.
Getting the right headphones of course is a must.

I feel that power scaling, master volume and wattage control all were not meant to be played at TV level volumes. A little above TV Level but certainly civil enough to not worry the neighbors, but if you were in the TV room it'd be loud enough to not hear the tv.
Part of that is that I feel you need some power to the speakers to really hear the full sound.

I personally love my Maven Peal amp, I don't use it when the kids are home but the wattage control is great for me to get sound at 5 Watts that sounds equal as if it were 50 Watts.
 
ericb

ericb

Gold Supporting Member
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9,462
r9player said:
I know some people who play through something like a Boss GT (8 nowadays)
Into some headphones.
Getting the right headphones of course is a must.

I feel that power scaling, master volume and wattage control all were not meant to be played at TV level volumes.
Click to expand...
I VERY MUCH agree with this post , other than I have plenty of master volumes that sound great at TV levels.. Engl masters work totally great as do most Marshalls.. I've found my 'boutique' amp master volumes tend to not work as well as stock mass produced masters.

For jtm45 on steroids, I'd heavily recommend looking into something cheap like an old ADA MP1 preamp... Then just playing it really low volume into any of your amps , or power amps.. They work great for this stuff.. The Boss above is just great too , as are most of the Digitech , and Line6 stuff out now. All sounds great and realistic at really low volumes.

My last recommendation above pretty much any other choice would be attenuators or power scaling for these volumes. GOod luck! (of course there are those who's opinions differ too! ERIC
 
Μ

µ¿ z3®ø™

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5,703
guitar>JTM45 on crack>motherlode>DAW or stereo.
as an alternate U can take the line out of a hotplate into Ur DAW and use guitar rig, or waves/PRS GTR speaker emulation software. i think this is superior to using a straight amp sim unless U want to go for a processed guitar sound.
i LOVE the motherlode.
aspen pitman's speaker emulator ain't bad either.
 
oxtone

oxtone

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5,017
I generally don't like Modeling amps, but I recently picked up a Roland Micro Cube for bedroom practice at home (I'm single). I just got tired of re-setting up my tube amps at home after a gig. The Micro Cube has COSM amps, like "JC", "Blackface", "British" (Vox), "JMP", "Recto", etc, as well as Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Phasor (Univibe-like), Trem, etc.

It doesn't sound great, but it will do for home practice.

For gigs, it's tubes all the way! :)
 
Thor

Thor

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3,362
Another option is to work on better isolating your practice space to allow for higher volumes.... Just a thought.
When you really have to keep it quiet - headphones and a modeler (POD or Adrenelline) work great.
 
Roodboy

Roodboy

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1,469
I originally bought my Maven Peal Tuskadaro intending to use it as a bedroom amp ... it's not. It is definitely true that the Maven Peal at one watt setting is too loud for bedroom volume but I set my Tuskadaro on "2" and attenuate it down -8dB to -12dB with a hotplate to keep the Mrs. happy.
The advantage of the Maven Peal is that you can get away with using it at low volume with good tone for practice and you get a raging, beasty, snarling 4 hole Marshall tone for live use.
Another alternative is the preamp/poweramp option. I have a JMP-1 that I use with a Carvin TS-100 power amp that gets very good low volume bedroom tone.
 
D

drbob1

Gold Supporting Member
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27,627
Thor said:
Another option is to work on better isolating your practice space to allow for higher volumes.... Just a thought.
When you really have to keep it quiet - headphones and a modeler (POD or Adrenelline) work great.
Click to expand...
I'd also recommend trying the 1/2 watt Vintage and Modern amps-you can own both for less than the cost of a good attenuator. The Vintage with the bias turned down and a single coil guitar has a decent clean sound, as you crank it up it gets classic rock and metal tone in spades. If you need more, the Modern is a killer high gain amp. Both are television volume depending on speaker efficiency, both are touch sensitive and while not tube, sound warm and FAR better than any modeller I've tried. You can do a search for the address (I don't have it here, he's Lovepedal)...
 
E

electronpirate

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2,931
I would suggest any of the Valvetronix options. The Tonelab is a desktop box that you can run directly into a PA should you get back in a band (you can pick one up for around $200). The SE is a ToneLab in a footpedal configuration (a nice option....slightly more expensive)

I would still go with one of the AD120VTX or AD60VTX models. It's nice to have an AMP, for those times that you need to turn up. With all the options, and to me it's CLEARLY the most like a tube amp, and the range of sounds is simply incredible.

EP
 
Y

yanquii

Member
Messages
235
Does anyone have any opinions regarding the Vetta II? My friend has a PODxt which I like pretty well, but through headphones it sounds horrible.

The Vox stuff is really nice sounding, but if I'm going to go modeling I would like to have a little more flexability. I love the Vetta II features, but I haven't had the time to go check one out. I also used to own a Flextone II head, but that thing was terrible.

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions.
 
D

dinrodef

Hrmmm.. I've tried the line6 route myself

line6 is great for simple recording.. and it's a lot of fun to play with all of the effects and different amp models (obviously)

But, you're missing out on dynamics and response. There is nothing better than the feel of a good tube amp... and how it reacts with your fingers and guitar.... the emotion in your hands... especially tube saturation at low volume bedroom practice

At low volumes.. a good 1/2 watt tube amp can improve your playing and technique by leaps and bounds. Without a loud band blasting in your ear... you can hear the subtleties of your playing... bending notes to the exact pitch... picking hard to soft depending on the mood and feel of a song... YOu can really become intimate with your guitar and not be interested in all of the extraneous multi-efx and crap... Start enjoying feel and response instead of gizmos and gadgets

Just my 2 cents
 
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