Guitar isocab for cheapskates and amateurs.

[kip4]

Me too i'm intrested. Do let us know how the build goes, possible plans, do's and donts,
Great thread Grim

[minerman]

I won't get around to doing anything on it until Sunday, I have to work tomorrow evening......

That's my exact setup Jonny, Egnater Tweaker 15w head & a couple 1x12 cabs. Yep, it's loud for a small setup, I can't imagine trying to record with a 50 or 100w amp in my home (although I'd love to be able to....)....

[Chili]

Looks interesting there minerman. I'll keep an eye on your progress.

Hey Grim, any problems with overheating when you put the combo amp in there? And thanks for the mention in the first post. Wish I saw this a year ago.

[minerman]

Thanks Chili,
I'm getting decent sounds out of my amp/cab setup (to me anyway), but the thing is, it annoys the hell out of my wife, & I only have an hour or two before work to track anything (I work 2:30 - 10:30 pm, with an hour drive each way). Late at night is "my" time, but everybody's asleep. So, if I could make an ISO that would kill the biggest part of the noise/sound in the room (& doesn't alter the tones I'm getting that much), I'd be a happy man....

The Tweaker is a cool little amp, & is loud as hell for 15w. The 1x12's I have are pretty decent too, I have a Greenback & a Vintage 30 cab, both a little different than the other, but neither is better/worse, just different. I actually like both of 'em a lot....I think I've used about every ampsim out there, & while all of 'em have their good points ( and bad), it just takes so much tweaking/fiddling to make 'em sound how I want. With my amp/cabs, the tracks just "fit" better (to my ears anyway, I'm not gonna get into a "which is better, or can you tell which is the real amp/ampsim thing") with very little post-processing (with my ampsims, I always have to do a bunch of tweaking, eq'ing, etc...)....

I have a re-amp box too, & have tried using my ampsims to track, then re-amp 'em, but the feel thing is different altogether when I play through the amp vs. ampsims, even at super low volume with the mic pre cranked to get enough signal in the daw, the amp wins everytime for me.....

Again, my plan is to build a single box, with as much Roxul as I can put in it, hoping it'll kill the sound in the room. If it doesn't do a good enough job, I'll build another box (to go inside the one I'm gonna build this weekend), like the Randall/Jet City ISO's.

And of course, I will probably still mic the cab in another room when I have the place to myself, but the ISO will give me another option that I don't have right now.....

I'll find out in a couple of days if the single box is gonna cut it or not. I'll post some pics & sound clips whenever I get it finished.....

[jonny deep]

Thanks Chili,
I'm getting decent sounds out of my amp/cab setup (to me anyway), but the thing is, it annoys the hell out of my wife, & I only have an hour or two before work to track anything (I work 2:30 - 10:30 pm, with an hour drive each way). Late at night is "my" time, but everybody's asleep. So, if I could make an ISO that would kill the biggest part of the noise/sound in the room (& doesn't alter the tones I'm getting that much), I'd be a happy man....

The Tweaker is a cool little amp, & is loud as hell for 15w. The 1x12's I have are pretty decent too, I have a Greenback & a Vintage 30 cab, both a little different than the other, but neither is better/worse, just different. I actually like both of 'em a lot....I think I've used about every ampsim out there, & while all of 'em have their good points ( and bad), it just takes so much tweaking/fiddling to make 'em sound how I want. With my amp/cabs, the tracks just "fit" better (to my ears anyway, I'm not gonna get into a "which is better, or can you tell which is the real amp/ampsim thing") with very little post-processing (with my ampsims, I always have to do a bunch of tweaking, eq'ing, etc...)....

I have a re-amp box too, & have tried using my ampsims to track, then re-amp 'em, but the feel thing is different altogether when I play through the amp vs. ampsims, even at super low volume with the mic pre cranked to get enough signal in the daw, the amp wins everytime for me.....

Again, my plan is to build a single box, with as much Roxul as I can put in it, hoping it'll kill the sound in the room. If it doesn't do a good enough job, I'll build another box (to go inside the one I'm gonna build this weekend), like the Randall/Jet City ISO's.

And of course, I will probably still mic the cab in another room when I have the place to myself, but the ISO will give me another option that I don't have right now.....

I'll find out in a couple of days if the single box is gonna cut it or not. I'll post some pics & sound clips whenever I get it finished.....

My cab is a vintage 30 semi-closed back (actually, it's the Egnater Tweaker 1x12 cab), through which I run a Vox Night Train 15w, so I'm very interested to hear how you get on with this one, miner.

[grimtraveller]

The Tweaker is a cool little amp, & is loud as hell for 15w.

I've given up trying to understand watts. My 100 watt Fender bassman amp never gets close to the 15 watt Line 6 Spider in volume ! It's a great amp for me but it never disturbs the neighbours ! Mind you, when I've used both live, I was struggling to hear either and I was virtually next to the amps. Everyone else could hear it {interestingly, those at the back of the room/hall had no problem hearing it} and in some instances were tearing their hair out at the volume !

thanks for the mention in the first post.

Happy days. I was doing the glueing one saturday night and as I like working to music, I thought I'd check out your stuff. I spent the whole night listening to tracks that ended up on "Stranded" and "Gravity". I was surprized to see you say in a thread a couple of months back that you don't think much of "Stranded". I respectfully disagree ~ it's got some lovely stuff on it.

Hey Grim, any problems with overheating when you put the combo amp in there?

None that I've noticed.

[minerman]

The watt thing is confusing to me too, Grim. I bought the Blackstar HT-5 because it was "only 5 watts", & thought I'd be able to get power tube saturation at low volume. Well, it is low volume compared to a 50 or 100w amp, but a cranked 5w tube amp is loud as hell, especially for home use (mine anyway)...I knew the Egnater would be a little louder than the HT-5, but honestly, it isn't much at all. I've read/saw charts/graphs on the 'net somewhere expalining how much louder a 1/5/15/50 watt amp is, but can't remember where.....

No ISO build today, my Dad is in the hospital, so I'm not gonna have time for much at all except him. The ISO cab will always be there for me to build/fool around with, my old man might not, so I'm out the door in just a little while....

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress, might even wait until next weekend to start, I have everything except the Roxul, it's supposed to be at the store the 11th (Tuesday). I might put the box together tonight, & caulk/silicone all the joints/seal it up, & put the weatherstripping on the top edge.....

[Steenamaroo]

The little valve amps are certainly surprising.
I just got the HT1 which is often described as giving the tone you want 'at bedroom levels'.

Alright, no one's going to gig with it, but you wouldn't crank it in a bedroom either.

EDIT: Sorry to hear about your Dad.
Keep those priorities right and all the best.

[minerman]

Thought I'd bump this to let you guys know I'm still waiting on the Roxul. It was supposed to be here the 11th, but got pushed back until the 19th, so I'm still playing the waiting game.....

After a few weeks of thinking, I'm still gonna do the single box lined with Roxul & see how that does. If it's quiet enough, & sounds good in the daw, then I'll probably leave it alone. But, if it doesn't kill the noise in the room, then I'll build the other box (like the Randall/Jet City) to put inside.

If that doesn't work on killing the noise, then at least I'll have a 3' x 4' table/shelf to put all my crap on......


My Dad got to come home last Monday, after having a blood transfusion (he has lung cancer, is taking chemo treatments, & his doctor said this is pretty common....just scared the shit out of me......) & is doing as well as can be expected. He's in good spirits, & again, is doing pretty good....I'm on the way to see him (at home....that'll always be home to me) in just a little while.....Sorry to go off-topic there, but without him, I wouldn't even be here......

So, again, I'm waiting on the Roxul, & will let you guys know how the little ISO project goes......I do know the wife is excited about it, she's hoping it'll kill the noise too......

[minerman]

Another bump to let you guys know I'm still waiting on the Roxul. It's already a week late, but it's supposed to be here the first of next week. We'll see I suppose, they don't get in any hurry to get your product to you, but they waste no time taking your $$$.....

No biggie, it'll be here eventually, but I was hoping to have the ISO cab built/finished, & be able to use it before my Christmas vacation is up, the Roxul won't be here until a week after my vaction ends.....

Again, just a bump to let you guys know I'm still playing the waiting game....