Testing the Para Driver ... Any thoughts?

[Jim Soloway]

I bought bought both a Para Driver and a power amp about a month ago. The idea was to use them together but I didn't care for the power amp so the Para Driver just sat here. I have another power amp on the way that I think might work out better so I finally got around to doing some testing with the Para Driver. This is just the Para Driver with a bit of additional EQ and reverb. Any thoughts?

[jads57]

Your tone always sounds really Good Jim S. Again it’s a lot to do with your fingers and lighter touch, What guitar and speaker cab are you using on this demo?

[Jim Soloway]

Your tone always sounds really Good Jim S. Again it’s a lot to do with your fingers and lighter touch, What guitar and speaker cab are you using on this demo?

Thanks. No cab. It's just the Para Driver straight into the interface.

[jads57]

I think we end up chasing our tails much like Eric Johnson , Lol! But I get it if it’s fun and you have the time,money, and desire. But I think you found your voice Jim S, and it’s a Good One!

Now you have to like it as well!

[Cunamara]

Is this the Para Driver DI? It is simultaneously warm and clear. I like it. I haven't tried it direct to a DAW.

I use the XLR output into my Acoustic Image Clarus 2r, providing it with phantom power. That way battery voltage is not an issue and I do not have to plug in a wall wart. I keep the EQ on the amp flat and add a little bit of reverb also via the amp.

I have found that I like a little bit of drive (about 10 o'clock) and adjust the level knob to basically unity gain. This thickens of the tone a little bit and gives it just a little bite if I pop a note out to accent it. Think Kenny Burrell. Depending on the guitar, I tend to keep the treble and bass flat (noon); with single coil guitars I bring up the mids a little bit (1 o'clock), dialing the Q to around 400–500 Hz and setting the blend all the way clockwise. With most of my humbucker guitars it seems to get a little muddy and I usually dial the mids back to noon. With my Ibanez GB10, however, I tend to treat that the same as single coil guitars. A little knob rotation away from noon goes a long way on this device.

I have also run this as a DI into a mixing board, not changing the settings on the Para Driver DI but having to do a little knob tweaking on the board to keep it from getting too hi-fi into FRFR speaker. I've been really happy with the sound I have gotten that way, although it is a bit dry with no reverb. I again use an XLR cable and phantom power from the board.

I have run the Para Driver DI into my Alto TS110a powered speaker at home, have not been as happy with that sound as I have been going through the AI head into an RE 12 cabinet. It is really, really dry doing that; I should put a reverb pedal between the guitar and the DI to see if that helps. For a while, years ago, I gigged using the Alto speaker and a Zoom MS100bt pedal which provided amp simulation, speaker simulation and some reverb with acceptable results. The speaker seemed to have better dispersion in awkward rooms than a standard guitar amp does.

[Jim Soloway]

Is this the Para Driver DI? It is simultaneously warm and clear. I like it. I haven't tried it direct to a DAW.

I use the XLR output into my Acoustic Image Clarus 2r, providing it with phantom power. That way battery voltage is not an issue and I do not have to plug in a wall wart. I keep the EQ on the amp flat and add a little bit of reverb also via the amp.

I have found that I like a little bit of drive (about 10 o'clock) and adjust the level knob to basically unity gain. This thickens of the tone a little bit and gives it just a little bite if I pop a note out to accent it. Think Kenny Burrell. Depending on the guitar, I tend to keep the treble and bass flat (noon); with single coil guitars I bring up the mids a little bit (1 o'clock), dialing the cue to around 400–500 Hz and setting the blend all the way clockwise. With most of my humbucker guitars it seems to get a little muddy and I usually dial the mids back to noon. With my Ibanez GB10, however, I tend to treat that the same as single coil guitars. A little knob rotation away from noon goes a long way on this device.

I have also run this as a DI into a mixing board, not changing the settings on the Para Driver DI but having to do a little knob tweaking on the board to keep it from getting too hi-fi into FRFR speaker. I've been really happy with the sound I have gotten that way, although it is a bit dry with no reverb. I again use an XLR cable and phantom power from the board.

I have run the Para Driver DI into my Alto TS110a powered speaker at home, have not been as happy with that sound as I have been going through the AI head into an RE 12 cabinet. It is really, really dry doing that; I should put a reverb pedal between the guitar and the DI to see if that helps. For a while, years ago, I gigged using the Alto speaker and a Zoom MS100bt pedal which provided amp simulation, speaker simulation and some reverb with acceptable results. The speaker seemed to have better dispersion in awkward rooms than a standard guitar amp does.

Thanks. Some really useful information.

My interest in this device was based entirely on the experiences of forum members here. It took me a few weeks to really get open to it but the deeper I get the more impressed I'm getting.

[kris]

Sound is great.
but I hear a slight hum ...is it my speakers?

[Jim Soloway]

Sound is great.
but I hear a slight hum ...is it my speakers?

Probably in the signal. I haven't dug that deep yet.

[Cunamara]

Thanks. Some really useful information.

My interest in this device was based entirely on the experiences of forum members here. It took me a few weeks to really get open to it but the deeper I get the more impressed I'm getting.

It's a pretty simple device to operate but has a lot of power to shape tone, from very clean to full on shred (I know you're secretly looking for that... ).

[EastwoodMike]

I run mine with ‘drive’ at 11 and blend at 10. The blend for me makes a big difference on this device.
this is using a Strat and a Bam200.


my current ‘clean tone’ board.

[guavajelly]

I think it sounds great. I've been using a Tech21 Fly Rig whenever bringing an amp wasn't appropriate (silent stage, in-ear monitoring) or feasible (bike or public transportation) and I'm happy with what I get out of it. As I mostly don't use the built-in FX I thought that mostly the Para Driver would be enough just to get a little bit of that tube amps feel and tone into the mixing desk. I like a little reverb (really just a touch, barely audible) and mostly the mixer can provide that. A player already owning and using a pedalboard could also use something like that as a backup if the amp fails or he has to play on a silent stage.
To my ears these analog modelers sound good enough and compared to all the digital amp modelers out there have zero latency. I think that most amp modelers have very decent legacy of like 3-5 ms, but add the latencies of a digital wireless, mixing board and wireless to in-ear and the combined latencies of like 15-20 ms will still not be audible but as a player you'll loose the feeling – just like you would 30 meters away from your amp.