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I continue to enjoy playing with this cheap Monoprice 15 Watt tube amp. This evening I thought I'd try out using the effects send for direct recording. So this clip is 3 choruses of "How About You," the Head, then 2 boppish choruses of Jimmy Raney from Aebersold Vol. 20. I alternate between the mic'd and the direct line about every 10-15 seconds. I have tried to equalize the loudness of each track, but no other changes.
You can spot the direct line recording clips because the red cable running from the amp to my PreSonus AudioBox iTwo is coiled on top of the amp when I'm doing the direct clips.
Honestly, I can hear a slight difference, but not enough to make me think one or the other is definitely the preferred way to record with this amp. I am inclined to be biased toward mic'ing the cab, but seriously, the direct line from the effects send seems to me to be just fine for hobby-level recording.
I also continue to enjoy this amp. No illusions, it is what it is, a $200 tube amp, but it has responded well to my TLC and tweaking and I'm having a ton of fun with it. Kind of like a girl you enjoy dating but likely wouldn't marry...
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02-09-2019 07:35 PM
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It's as if the "invisible man" is switching between direct and mic - such a seamless edit!
To me the direct sounds a tad clearer but not by much - both approaches are definitely useable. Nice playing, too - Thanks!
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Originally Posted by TOMMO
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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The direct recording seems hotter, even though the levels are more or less normalized. A slightly lower level on the recording might sound better, or not, that's purely preference. Microphone placement also makes a difference, and you might not have the optimal placement, can't tell from one clip. But that's all just nit-picking. The recordings and playing are good, and which is better depends on taste. For my taste, the direct seems slightly better, but my preference of seasonings isn't everyone's. And on a different day, I might prefer the speaker/mic.
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Get yourself an impulse response (IR) plug-in (I use Space Designer inside of Logic) and some IRs and you can effectively run that direct signal through a variety of speakers/cabs.
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Go on...marry that girl.
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Originally Posted by Drumbler
(I am all for monogamy, just not when it comes to guitars and amps....)
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Tonally speaking I prefer the direct. However musically speaking (which matters most to me), I prefer the mic. I think because the mix seems so much better to me. The level of the direct guitar seems too loud compared to the backing track, at least on my end.
So the point is I guess that everything matters to some degree.
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
John
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The direct was bright but still great sound out that 175 Lawson. I could tell easy and preferred the mic version not so hot and bright. Nice playing too.
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I'm still getting adjusted to how tube amps, or at least this tube amp, sounds and how it responds. I get a little break up on the chord passages, but clean on the single-note; a little bright in the treble but not harsh... it's a different kind of thing playing through this amp. I know that there is a lot of difference between this amp and a really nice one, but already I do see how playing this amp is different. I keep the guitar volume closer to 5 or 6 but with the Polytone or DVMark I keep the volume on about 8-9, and there isn't much difference as I turn up or down from the guitar with the latter two, but on the tube amp I hear a significant difference in tone as I turn the guitar up and down. It's fun hunting for different "spots" in the spectrum of the amp.
Or maybe I'm just deluded!
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I preferred the sound of the mic-ed amp as well, but I’m sure that with some eq-ing, the direct sound could be made to sound pretty similar. But one if the most important factors you already mention: the feel, response and behavior of a real amp is just as important!
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Hey Lawson - sounds good man! Have you pushed the amp to higher volumes? If so, how do you think it would compete with bass and drums on a gig or rehearsal? I haven’t had a tube amp in years because of the lower weight and convenience of solid state but this little thing is tempting. However if it were just a living room amp then I’d probably pass, at least for now. If I can put it to work, though, then I would probably get one. (Edit: I should have clarified, volume while still relatively clean. I don’t mind a very small amount of breakup when digging into chords - that’s a pleasing old school sound. But if everything is broken up when playing at gig volumes then it wouldn’t be usable for my purposes)
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Originally Posted by rio
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Originally Posted by rio
And since you, Rio, my friend, like the L5ces, here's the same solo done on my L5ces, same settings. Maybe the guitar volume a little lower actually, but no change on the amp.
Last edited by lawson-stone; 02-16-2019 at 06:49 PM.
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Great sound, even with the break-up. It sounds very much like a pushed tweed-era Fender to my ear.
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
edit: I just ordered one. I’ve been doing some recording for a bass player friend lately so if anything I can use it for that - I’ll be very curious to see how much volume I can get out of it. Will try the stock tubes for now - last tube amp I had was a Twin like 15 years ago so I don’t remember anything about tubes but I’ll keep the ones you chose in mind if I swap them. How did you arrive at choosing those as replacements by the way?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ProLast edited by rio; 02-17-2019 at 01:17 PM.
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Originally Posted by rio
This isn't a Princeton Reverb, you know? It's a Chinese made PCB $200 amp... but I've gotten more than my fair share of pleasure from it.
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Hey Lawson, I have one more question if you don’t mind. I was doing some reading to catch up on tube amp terminology and so on and am wondering why you choose to replace the V1 and V2 tubes but not V3. I ordered 3 5751 tubes figuring if I do the same as you I can keep the third as a spare but wasn’t sure if it’s worth it to swap out the V3 as well. From what I’m reading it seems that V3 doesn’t have an affect on the tone on some amps?
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Originally Posted by rio
Also, the numbering starts on the RIGHT as you look at the back of the amp. V1 is on the far right.
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I've done a fair share of tube rolling, but in a lazy non-tech sort of way.
But I will say that IMO the V1 position is the biggest tone changer, and that a good old NOS 5751 in V1 is just great in so many amps.
If you are messing around beyond that, might as well look at some upgraded power tubes as well just for kicks.
JJ's, Tung-sols, Tads, NOS, . . . it's all fun, but it's a deep rabbit hole for sure
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Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Transcriber wanted
Today, 04:35 PM in Improvisation