which is better?

[StarvingEyes]

i thought for sure there would be a thread like this when i did a search.. couldnt find much though.

What do you think would sound better when being recorded, a combo amp, or a half stack? i've been arguing with a friend that is saying that the more you push an amp, the more tone you get out of it. I always thought the harder you push your amp, the more tone you will lose? Of course leaving it on 1 won't get you very much out of it, but does putting it on 9/10 sound better? i understand it's always going to be different with different amps. but what do you think?

also, what do you think is the MUST have studio amp?

 

[scottboyher]

i thought for sure there would be a thread like this when i did a search.. couldnt find much though.

What do you think would sound better when being recorded, a combo amp, or a half stack?

It all depends on the sound you are going for...

Stevie Ray Vaughn recorded through a Fender combo amp.

Pantera doesn't.

 

[StarvingEyes]

true. but like, it doesnt matter how loud your amp can go when it's being recorded. just the quality of the sound that comes out of it. weren't half stacks made for live use in the first place?

mostly looking for an amp to use with distortion. i guess thats why so many studios have one or more vox amps? because they have so many styles you can get out of them?

 

[scottboyher]

mostly looking for an amp to use with distortion. i guess thats why so many studios have one or more vox amps? because they have so many styles you can get out of them?

So there lies the question....

Narrow down the tone (sound) you are looking to record. Get that amp and work to get it just the way you want at the volume that it sounds the best.

What sounds best in a live situation will never be the same in a recording environment.

I spent 15 years asking everyone else what tone I liked or what would sound best.. But then again I am hard headed and refuse to believe my own ears. Don't do what I do..

 

[Outlaws]

i thought for sure there would be a thread like this when i did a search.. couldnt find much though.

What do you think would sound better when being recorded, a combo amp, or a half stack? i've been arguing with a friend that is saying that the more you push an amp, the more tone you get out of it. I always thought the harder you push your amp, the more tone you will lose? Of course leaving it on 1 won't get you very much out of it, but does putting it on 9/10 sound better? i understand it's always going to be different with different amps. but what do you think?

also, what do you think is the MUST have studio amp?

Cranking the amp only really applies to tube amps.

But I think combos are great, but the added ability to seperate the head from the speakers will greatly reduce noise from various things that can make noise.


The most recorded amp in history is probably a Fender Delux Reverb. But then, that might not be a sound you want.

 

[IronFlippy]

Scottboyher pretty much has it. You pick an amp that you like the sound of, and that's what you record.

As for that must have studio amp, I'd go with a Marshall half stack, they seem to be everywhere, and go with most modern music. But again, it all depends on taste. Unless you are a pro and own a non-home recording studio, then all you need is the amp that you like. A lot of pro studios will have a couple amps lying around for artists to use if they want, but most home recordists don't have that kind of budget.

 

[Janesaid2me]

Definitely cranking and amp is only for tube amps...solid state nothing changes...i say do what sounds best on your recordings...who cares if its cranked or if its at 1....whichever sounds best for that song or setting use to record with....i think thats the real answer.

 

[Tadpui]

I think that even solid state amps change in character the louder you crank them up. Don't forget about the speaker "breakup" in addition to the preamp distortion. Of course tube amps are definitely more responsive to pushing the output stage hard. Ooh that buttery smooth distortion of a power tube

 

[Outlaws]

I think that even solid state amps change in character the louder you crank them up. Don't forget about the speaker "breakup" in addition to the preamp distortion. Of course tube amps are definitely more responsive to pushing the output stage hard. Ooh that buttery smooth distortion of a power tube

Speaker 'break-up' is a way over used term. Most speakers are not even breaking-up. They are simply fluxuating more and more as it gets louder. Which does sound better. 'Breaking up' is a buzzing type sound (that you can hear on some cheap stock car stereos ) that can and will happen, but actual "break-up" its not as much of the sound as many believe.

 

[DogFood]

Cranking the amp only really applies to tube amps.

not true-I have Sunn Concert Lead heads, Solid State, with the slant in 6x10 cabs and the sound fills out when the master volume goes up.

now the bad news...the screetch that accompanies high notes just gets louder.

 

[DogFood]

there are tons of arguments for both combo and stack configurations in a studio. combos you can switch out speakers quick, and typically you only need 2 speakers, open backs for flexible mic-ing, easier to carry.

stacks-mix and match cabs, probably the best argument for.

amps that have power switching like from 100 to 55 watts are good choices for studios or a power brake, good idea, hell just get the best sounding amp you can get yer paws on and you can change the character with the right toys.

 

[Tadpui]

Speaker 'break-up' is a way over used term.

Well call it what you will, in the context of the statement above that only tube amps benefit from more volume, I hope that I made my point anyways...poor terminoligy aside.

 

[Outlaws]

Well call it what you will, in the context of the statement above that only tube amps benefit from more volume, I hope that I made my point anyways...poor terminoligy aside.

not true-I have Sunn Concert Lead heads, Solid State, with the slant in 6x10 cabs and the sound fills out when the master volume goes up.

Well yes, but most (and I mean 99.9%) of solid state amps have shit speakers in them so it still really only matters for tube amps. -generally speaking.

 

[DogFood]

If I think of every solid state amp in the guitar center nearest me...yeah I can see there being some truth in the no change in tone with volume argument. aren't randall amps solid state? I wonder how their shit reacts.

 

[bbocaner]

This is based on two things -- 1. power tube distortion sounds better than preamp tube distortion. A lot better! You can only get power tube distortion by really cranking your amp. If you have a 50 or 100 watt amp, you're probably never going to get power tube distortion, unless you've got a wall of 4x12's (please make sure that children and pets are a safe distance) or if you use some sort of dummy load attenuator between the power amp and the speaker. 2. A lot of older and more high-end tube amps are not master volume amps, which means to get them to distort at all you really have to crank them. This is why a lot of high-end mega-expensive amps for recording are 20, 10, even 5 watts. They still can sound HUGE, you're just using them at more of their capacity.This doesn't necessarily mean you're better off with a combo, but combos are more likely to come in the small wattages. Combos also often are open-back cabinets, which is a different sound than the sealed cabs that are most often used with heads.

Barry

 

[AGCurry]

It seems that most of the posts here are assuming that distortion is desirable.

Yes, in the world of rock and most pop, turning an amp up will yield a more marketable sound, because our brains have been trained that distortion is good. And I'll admit that I like small tube combo amps that I can turn up without further damaging my hearing.

But the fact about volume and tone is that you actually have MORE control over the TONE of your instrument BEFORE your amp and/or speakers are driven into distortion.

Being in my fifties, I came up before the age of distorted power chords. When I hear younger (45 and below) guitarists, I ask myself: WHY is it necessary to ALWAYS have distortion on guitar, esp. rhythm guitar? I recall the simple sweet sounds of a Melody Maker through a Vibrolux, volume on 4 and no pedals...

 

[Ed Dixon]

The answer is fairly simple; pick the combination that sounds best to you.

There are dozens of variables when recording and there is no one size fits all. Room acoustics, mic style, background noise, playing style, gear status, recording equipment, and a few dozen other things affect the overall final sound.

Your best approach is to do exactly what most processionals do, try the different combinations and find the one that works best for you. Sometimes that is recording direct. Sometimes that might be a tiny combo amp. For some it might be a room full of Marshall stacks.

Ed