Cab Clone

The line out is pretty decent sounding. Not super loud - almost like It has a limiter. But I'm getting a pretty round tone in my headphones - doing line out to my mixer to test the line outs. Have to record with it still to see how that sounds. It gets warm but not hot and has no apparent affect on my amp head after two hours. Surprisingly the open back setting is my favorite with my LP (I use a 1960 cab). The closed back and vintage have a sort of "blanket" over the highs as compared.
So I cranked the amp up to 11 to see what it sounded like....
 
My Marshall has 4/16 and 8 ohm outputs so this one is the 4ohm model. Yeah you have to pick a specific ohm model which sucks if you have different amps.
The XLR and 1/4 line outs work good. The XLR is not as loud but only a few dbs but it is still hot - I had to turn my input gain and fader on the mixer down.
This is way better sounding than my Compensated Line Out on the back of my amp.
 
Here's some clips of the CabClone on my Marshall JCM900 so you can hear what it does. Still working out the tone and gain settings.
I cranked the master on both channels to about 3/4 and turned the preamp gain to about 1/3 on both.
Using my LPC which has a bit more grit than my Strat or Kramer (I'll try those later).
High Gain = A Low Gain = B version
Open and Closed versions of the cabinet simulator.
Speaker out to the CabClone, then line out of that into my USB Interface into Sonar.
Just one verse of a song we're starting to work on - just recorded over an MP3 Mike sent me of the scratch track.
View attachment NGODH Test CabCloneClosedA 20141210.mp3
View attachment NGODH Test CabCloneClosedB 20141210.mp3
View attachment NGODH Test CabCloneOpenA 20141210.mp3
View attachment NGODH Test CabCloneOpenB 20141210.mp3
 
Man Ido, I hate to say it, but the lead tones sound fizzy and definitely have a direct-in kind of sound to them. The clean rhythms sound nice and clear though.
 
True - I was getting a fizzy sound out of my amp's line out years ago and this is similar. The clean channel was always ok for line out from what I remember but it was always much lower volume for both.

It was okay when I mic'd the speakers but was at a much lower master out and pre was just a little higher. I'll try the mic later and see if it persists - it could be time to pick up another amp but I can always use Mike's JVM210 for now and get one of my own when $$ are available. I've had this amp for a long time...

I wonder of it's the master volume being so much louder leaking out more fizz....I've heard the fizz comment a lot over the years (not just the line out either) and never had the problem myself. Again - it may be the louder master causing the amp to show it's true colors (or fizz). I usually only go about 10 o'clock on the masters when playing through the cabinet.
 
Wow that CabClone sounds really terrible! They should call it the "HiveClone". Get your money back and buy a Palmer Pdi-09 and a dummy load or a Pdi-03 if you can afford it.
 
ido1957 said:
True - I was getting a fizzy sound out of my amp's line out years ago and this is similar. The clean channel was always ok for line out from what I remember but it was always much lower volume for both.

It was okay when I mic'd the speakers but was at a much lower master out and pre was just a little higher. I'll try the mic later and see if it persists - it could be time to pick up another amp but I can always use Mike's JVM210 for now and get one of my own when $$ are available. I've had this amp for a long time...

I wonder of it's the master volume being so much louder leaking out more fizz....I've heard the fizz comment a lot over the years (not just the line out either) and never had the problem myself. Again - it may be the louder master causing the amp to show it's true colors (or fizz). I usually only go about 10 o'clock on the masters when playing through the cabinet.
Click to expand...

It's not your amp. It's the line out. They're never good by themselves. The line out is really designed for live use or with an external poweramp. Rack poweramps were all the rage back when your amp was made. Or the line out would go straight to the soundbboard, through the amps, and out through the monitors and FOH mains. So in essence it is still going through a poweramp and speakers, just not your cab speakers. It's probably never going to not be fizzy for recording unless you drop a good cab sim on it. And even then it might still be fizzy because it's all preamp and never hitting the power section.

I'd say keep that thing for quiet jamming or whatever, but mic your cab for recording.
 
Greg_L said:
It's not your amp. It's the line out. They're never good by themselves. The line out is really designed for live use or with an external poweramp. Rack poweramps were all the rage back when your amp was made. Or the line out would go straight to the soundbboard, through the amps, and out through the monitors and FOH mains. So in essence it is still going through a poweramp and speakers, just not your cab speakers. It's probably never going to not be fizzy for recording unless you drop a good cab sim on it. And even then it might still be fizzy because it's all preamp and never hitting the power section.

I'd say keep that thing for quiet jamming or whatever, but mic your cab for recording.
Click to expand...

Okay - I tried to lower the amp back to my normal micing levels and still got some fizz on my LPC - but less. Then I tried my Strat and there was no fizz (or not audible to me). I recorded the LPC and Strat (clean and dirty) then my laptop died because of overheating - and I forgot to save lol.

I had the laptop on my amp head on top of a folded sheet to even out the handle thingy and the laptop vents were blocked. duh

So can you clarify your post - the speaker out goes to the CabClone then the line out of that goes to my interface - the master makes it louder so it must be going through the power amp section right? So the fizz is within the amp - unless you mean the line out of the CabClone is crap?

I've been recording at Mike's lately because of my daughter's studying - that's why he got me the CabClone. I've tried my LPC only a couple of times through my amp but haven't recorded anything yet (except tonight). It doesn't have the fizz from what I recall playing through the cab but now I'm second guessing myself.

I want to try a bunch of things maybe tomorrow (too tired now) and then listen to what I get:
LPC + CabClone + 1/4 line out
LPC + CabClone + XLR out
Strat + CabClone + 1/4 line out
Strat + CabClone + XLR out
LPC + SM57 off speaker
Strat + SM57 off speaker
 
ido1957 said:
Okay - I tried to lower the amp back to my normal micing levels and still got some fizz on my LPC - but less. Then I tried my Strat and there was no fizz (or not audible to me). I recorded the LPC and Strat (clean and dirty) then my laptop died because of overheating - and I forgot to save lol.

I had the laptop on my amp head on top of a folded sheet to even out the handle thingy and the laptop vents were blocked. duh

So can you clarify your post - the speaker out goes to the CabClone then the line out of that goes to my interface - the master makes it louder so it must be going through the power amp section right? So the fizz is within the amp - unless you mean the line out of the CabClone is crap?

I've been recording at Mike's lately because of my daughter's studying - that's why he got me the CabClone. I've tried my LPC only a couple of times through my amp but haven't recorded anything yet (except tonight). It doesn't have the fizz from what I recall playing through the cab but now I'm second guessing myself.

I want to try a bunch of things maybe tomorrow (too tired now) and then listen to what I get:
LPC + CabClone + 1/4 line out
LPC + CabClone + XLR out
Strat + CabClone + 1/4 line out
Strat + CabClone + XLR out
LPC + SM57 off speaker
Strat + SM57 off speaker
Click to expand...

I thought you were going line out from the amp. So you're going speaker out, to the cab clone, then from the cab clone to interface. Okay. Yeah your signal is going through the whole amp. So I have to assume that the line out from the Cab Clone is the fizz. I mean I've heard your recordings like a hundred times and I don't ever remember your guitar tones being fizzy. Are you using the XLR balanced line out? Check the manual. One of those line outs might be a speaker emulated out, which is what you'd want to use, and the other might be a straight line out, which is straight fizz.

Just looked it up...the 1/4" line out is NOT speaker emulated.

"Independent 1/4" +4 Line Level “Slave” Output Jack (exact signal from amp's speaker output, non-simulated)"

So I'd suppose you have to use the XLR out for a speaker emulated sound.
 
There's some sort of level knob on the left hand front too - maybe that needs to be fiddled with to see what happens it only works with the XLR:

D.I. LEVEL This rotary center-detent pot determines the output signal level and provides a wide range of level strength options at the Rear Panel XLR BALANCED DIRECT OUT.

NOTE: WARNING: Playing your amplifier at very high volume (output) levels will create excess heat, produce less than optimum sound, wear your power tubes early, increase the likelihood of tube problems and possibly even damage the internal load resistor. Use the CABCLONE as you would your speaker cabinet. DO NOT USE IT IN PLACE OF A POWER ATTENUATOR (SOAK). The INTERNAL LOAD IS NOT A POWER SOAK! It is intended to allow silent recording at similar volume settings as you would use with your amp connected to a speaker cabinet. Use common sense and preserve your tubes and attain the best sound by using the CABCLONE with your amp set in its lower to medium range. You can clip the power section a little, especially in lower wattage amps, but DO NOT use the higher range of the amp’s power (MASTER) or turn your amp all the way up using the Internal Load.

I guess I should have RTFM lol
 
Yeah the XLR out is definitely better than the previous line out clips. Still a hint of fizz but that can probably be dialed out with EQ at the amp.

But the mic'd clips are better. They have a "rounder" fuller kind of sound.
 
Greg_L said:
Yeah the XLR out is definitely better than the previous line out clips. Still a hint of fizz but that can probably be dialed out with EQ at the amp.

But the mic'd clips are better. They have a "rounder" fuller kind of sound.
Click to expand...

Yeah the mic is my preferred sound, I'm getting a better sound now on the CabClone which I can use when silent jamming.
 
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