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

If you are going to be playing at TV levels, modelling amps can't be beat.

BK

 

What he said.

 

+ 100. Line 6 is nice, also look at a Tech 21 TM10.

 

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.

 

For recording or practicing?

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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)...

 

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

 

What kind of headphones are you using?

 

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