amps amps amps ? ? ?

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little guy

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i've always recorded directly into my pc. lately i pulled out my crappy dean markley amp which has a 8" speaker. trust me, it's crap. so i've decided to start looking for a decent amp for home recording, nothing outrageous. first i need to understand a few things, so if someone could breakdown for me certain things like:

stacks
4 x 12
cabinets (cabs)

what are they and whats needed to run them. like a 4 x 12, does it need anything else or can i just get that and plug'er in and go????

help!
 
You need an amp to go with a 4 x 12, but if your just using them for recording, you should get something a little smaller. Alot of people like the smaller vox amps for recording.
 
There are Amplifiers and Speakers.

A "head" is just the amplifier... will not make sound without being hooked up to a speaker, just like a home stereo amplifier, you need a pair of speakers before you have an actual home stereo.

A "cabinet" is just the speakers. So a 4*12 cabinet is just 4 12 inch speakers in a box...needs an amp to drive it.

A "combo" has both in one unit (ie a 1*12" combo is an amplifier with a built in 12" speaker, a 2x12 combo has two 12 inch speakers etc.).

A "stack" is using multiple cabinets with a head, hence a "stack".

This is the very simple stuff... we can get more complex... like matching impedance between the amp and cabinet so you don't blow up your speakers or amp, and tube vs solid state amps.

little guy said:
i've always recorded directly into my pc. lately i pulled out my crappy dean markley amp which has a 8" speaker. trust me, it's crap. so i've decided to start looking for a decent amp for home recording, nothing outrageous. first i need to understand a few things, so if someone could breakdown for me certain things like:

stacks
4 x 12
cabinets (cabs)

what are they and whats needed to run them. like a 4 x 12, does it need anything else or can i just get that and plug'er in and go????

help!
Click to expand...
 
so most likely for recording i could go with a twin setup or a single set up with amps built, kinda like my crappy amp but wayyyy better???

any referrals on certain amps i should check out?????
 
That's a pretty big question. Are you planning on going directly into your PC or are you going to Mic the amp? If you're going to Mic it make sure you get a good Mic and experiment with Mic position.

What kind of sound are you going for? What kind of music do you play and plan to record? You may want to record "clean" and add your effects and amp modeling laters. See, there are a lot of options and there really isn't 1 "right" way to do it.

Hope I didn't confuse you even more.
 
A thought.

If youre just recording, there's really no reason you need more than one speaker. Especially starting out. I'd get a 1x12 cabinet and an amp head, or get a 1x12 combo amp. 12" speakers are really the sound about 95% of people are going for, and the speakers are really the sound you get when recording. Thats the issue I have with amp modelers with small crappy speakers. Its not going to sound like a Marshall unless its thru 12" speakers, same for an AC30 or a Twin...as its not really going to sound like a Bassman unless its 10" speakers. Speaker selection is a big part of the overall sound.

H2H
 
the type of music i create is usually really chill and ambient verses with some powerful choruses. you can click the link in my signature to get an idea of what style i play.

i'm pretty shy when it comes to testing out equipment at the shop. so i don't exactly want to test out equipment the either far surpasses my needs or fails to even come close. i'm aware that i will have to test out amps, i just don't want to spend all day or a couple days testing out amps.

i will be mic'ing my amp to record, the tone is way better compared to a direct line to my soundcard
 
Two big questions before I will even begin to recommend amps:

What can you afford to spend?
What is your "style"? (ie what kind of sound are you after? Name some bands whose guitar tone is what you like if you can't describe the tone yourself)


Also, what kind of guitar are you playing?
 
well i guess around the $200 - $300 range, but if there's an amp that is equal to this price in quality but cheaper, then i'd go with that.

for my sound refer to the link in my signature.
 
Well, in that price range, you are not going to get into good amps (just to be fair, I am breaking amps into "crap", "okay", "good", and "great"). You can get an okay amp, which will seem like it is light years better than your current piece of crap. If you ever venture into Good and Great amps (for argument's sake, I will call Good amps $500 or more, Great = $1K), they will suddenly make an "okay" amp seem like junk...SO DON"T TRY ANYTHING LIKE THAT!!! :D

I can't access that link in your sig, it keeps timing out on me, so I still don't know what sound you are after. But in that price range: go try a Vox AD30VT. It is a pretty decent amp, models the sound of several other amps, and has a line out for recording so you don't have to also buy a mic and preamp for recording your guitar. It is a start. From there you will learn more what you like and can get something more refined.
 
Hey, little guy.

If you click on the link in my sig, and listen to the rumbles, most of those were recorded direct with a Digitech RP50 ($60). It takes some effort to find good tones; the presets pretty much suck. I also used a Line 6 Spider II 15, on a couple of other things, again direct.

I like the modelling concept because of the flexibility. I may not get "perfect" tone, but I can certainly get many very usable tones.

Good luck!
 
apl said:
Hey, little guy.

If you click on the link in my sig, and listen to the rumbles, most of those were recorded direct with a Digitech RP50 ($60). It takes some effort to find good tones; the presets pretty much suck. I also used a Line 6 Spider II 15, on a couple of other things, again direct.

I like the modelling concept because of the flexibility. I may not get "perfect" tone, but I can certainly get many very usable tones.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

just tried the link and for some reason soundclick is down. you can email me a song at freddyd6@gmail.com or i can try again in an hour or 2
 
I would highly recommend the Peavey classic 30. It's around 400 new, but you can find them on ebay for less. Good all around amp. I'm kinda a tube snob when it comes to guitar amps. To me, tube emulation technology hasn't quite gotten there yet as far as capturing the way a tube amp sounds and responds to your playing dynamics.
 
reshp1 said:
I would highly recommend the Peavey classic 30. It's around 400 new, but you can find them on ebay for less. Good all around amp. I'm kinda a tube snob when it comes to guitar amps. To me, tube emulation technology hasn't quite gotten there yet as far as capturing the way a tube amp sounds and responds to your playing dynamics.
Click to expand...

Well, I would indeed recommend an all-tube amp as well, but I think he is more at the stage where the variety/flexibility of a modeling amp can't be overstated. I started with a J-station modeller and for a good year I was happier than stink compared to a cheap Peavey amp I had borrowed prior to that. I now have a Fender HRD and a Garnet combo and have a Vox AC30 arriving soon, but my J-station still gets used for some purposes.

If you only have one amp, a Peavey Classic 30 is pretty damn loud (similar to the Fender Hot Rod), and then it isn't an option for late night recording if you have roommates/neighbours. Also, then he also has to buy a mic and pre for recording the guitar amp. I am just trying to make recommendations to someone starting out.

My J-station is what convinced me that a Fender amp was the way to go next.. I found I was always using the Fender emulations and the AC30 model, and never the Marshalls or Mesas.

With the newer Vox modelling amps, they are much more flexible than a POD or J-station ever were, because they are a combo amp that also allows for direct recording with cabinet imaging. And compared to other modellers, the Vox Valvetronix series are quite playable, with actual tubes in them.
 
just so you guys know, probably should have stated this earlier, i am pretty up to date when it comes to gear, mics, mixer/preamp and other such goodies, the place i'm lacking is an amp. like i said earlier, i've always just recorded with a direct input for example i was going, guitar to distortion pedal to DI Box to mixing console out to my soundcard.

one day i decided to mic my piece of crap amp to record. i prefered the sound of a mic'ed amp compared to direct lining it into my pc. keep in mind that i had no amp modeling going on when i direct lined it.

also part of the reason i want a decent amp to mic and record with is because i've also read that mic'ing an amp is the best way to really get a nice tone.

i also heard that amp modelors don't really cut it, what are your thoughts on amp modelors, i'll definately check'em out.....

that's my story.
 
Well, perhaps you don't need to worry about having a direct out for recording... but of the bunch, I have found the Vox AD series quite playable. Mic'd up it probably still sounds decent. Note: decent. Not great, not amazing.

Also, at your price range, a used Peavey Classic 30 is obtainable, you might find a Fender Hot Rod deluxe at that price used. A Fender Blues Jr. is only 15W all tube, and could be had at that price ...just, or used for sure. But that depends on whether that is the sound you want.

That is also why I recommended the Vox AD30Vt : versatility, and it will lead you toward a particular amp in the future. Try one, see what you think. That is all that matters.
 
I would also recommend a small, low powered tube amp for your purposes. You really can't go wrong with any of these, but they'll run you $300 - $400 new:
- Fender Blues Jr.
- Peavey Classic 30 or Classic 20
- Traynor custom valve 20
- Gibson GA5

Modelling does have it's place. You can get a Behringer V-Amp for $99 now and it gives very nice results. I usually use a combination of both: Some V-Amp and some mic'd amps. You can even run the V-Amp into your amp and mic it for a more authentic sound.
 
thanks guys, i really appreciate all the help. i guess when it comes right down to it, i'm gonna have to do what i have to do to find the sound i'm looking for, that being going into the local music shop, testing out amps and modelors. thanks once again.

p.s. if anyone has examples of songs recorded either with modelor (v-amp, etc..) or an amp i should check out.. lemme know.. i would be more than happy to give a listen
 
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