Can some kind sole explain it to me?

**Richard1234** · 11-07-2023, 02:05 PM

I've watched a few clip on YouTube, when some people talk about not using an amp, but a laptop and some other gizmo? Could someone explain exactly what kind of alternative equipment that are using and how it works for them.

I just wondered how they get a sound without an amp. I'd like to look at the equipment and get some idea of what's about please.

Anyone kind enough to answer, please explain it as if you're talking to a 10 year old child please guys? I'm not tech savvy.

Thanks cheers to all.

**Sleeko** · 11-09-2023, 06:39 AM

Sounds easier to just use an amp lol.

**Litterick** · 11-09-2023, 07:24 AM

Apple cannot touch your old analogue amp, but they will make your interface incompatible with your computer when they upgrade the operating system.

**Richard1234** · 11-09-2023, 09:39 AM

Yes, think buying an amp will work for me. Question: What is the smallest DV Mark Amplifiers they do, looking it seems to be 45 watts. I'd prefer something smaller as I live in a bungalow, and the rooms are quite small? I'n summer the conservatory will be ideal. Any benefit in having an amp bigger than you need? I've some decent headphones I can use too. Just the DV Mark amps look expensive to buy new, and I cannot see any used right now? Thanks again all.

**AllanAllen** · 11-09-2023, 09:53 AM

I use a Vox Pathfinder for my quiet amp. It was about $80, has a headphone out and sounds fine. Nothing will sound great at bedroom volume or through headphones.

My suggestion is to find something good enough and focus on playing.

**icr** · 11-09-2023, 10:30 AM

You would need some amplifier, otherwise you would only hear the acoustic sound of the guitar.

Computers and iPhones have amplifiers built in. You can use those for amplification, but they are not very powerful. Probably only you can hear it. But if you record it, it could be played back later with a more powerful amplifier (HiFi, etc.).

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Can some kind sole explain it to me?-ik-irig-2364213109-jpg

**John A.** · 11-09-2023, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by Richard1234

Yes, think buying an amp will work for me. Question: What is the smallest DV Mark Amplifiers they do, looking it seems to be 45 watts. I'd prefer something smaller as I live in a bungalow, and the rooms are quite small? I'n summer the conservatory will be ideal. Any benefit in having an amp bigger than you need? I've some decent headphones I can use too. Just the DV Mark amps look expensive to buy new, and I cannot see any used right now? Thanks again all.

I assume that when you say "bigger" you mean "more power" not "physically larger"? With that in mind, assuming you're looking to get a clean jazz tone and not an overdriven blues/rock tone, there's really no such thing as too much power*. The power rating usually refers to how much power the amp is putting out just before it reaches a the point of audibly distorting. With a "45 watt" amp, that's quite loud, but you don't have to turn the volume up that far. Something like the DV Mark Little turned up to 2 o r 3 on the volume knob will sound good and not be too loud for home practice.

It can be useful to have more power than you need for home practice if you anticipate playing with a band and/or if you plan on performing solo in a setting where you need to be louder than your home practice level. If you're 100% certain that those things will never happen, than there's no value in a more powerful amp, but if there is even a slight chance, it might make sense to get something with the potential to be louder. That's the advantage of having more power.

How much money are you looking to spend? I think most people here think of the DV Mark Little Jazz as pretty inexpensive, but there are definitely other amps that cost less. My usual recommendation is a Fender Champion 20. It's about half the price and half the power of the LJ, but is still plenty loud for small group play, is physically small and light, and IMO sounds great. It also has more variety of sounds than the LJ, including pretty good overdriven/bluesy sounds if you want that. But as a basic, affordable, useful jazz amp, the LJ is pretty much the best thing around these days.

* If you're looking to get more of a distorted rock sound, it's a different story. If you want to crank the amp up enough to overdrive, and you don't want to be loud, you need an amp with a low power rating and/or separate gain and master volume controls, or you need some sort of distortion/overdrive pedal.

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 11-09-2023, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by icr

Computers and iPhones have amplifiers built in.

Altough technically correct, I think that statement is misleading for a novice. Computers and devices with headphone jacks have very low power (i.e. milliwatt) amplifiers in them to drive high impedance 'phones. They can power most headphones to decent listening levels but will not drive any unpowered speakers to any usable level. I've never seen a computer that had a true power amplification stage on board. All "computer speakers" have onboard power amplification (even if only a few Watts) because passive speakers are too much of a load to be driven from headphone jacks.

There are a few ways in which a computer can be used with a guitar, and each requires a different setup and a different set of associated equipment. You can record the guitar directly into the computer. You can use the computer to provide backing music as accompaniment for your playing or recording. You can use plugins to process both live and recorded guitar sounds. You can use plugins to add additional instrument sounds to your guitar playing, e.g. samples or synthesized. And you can use a computer based rig for live amplified performance.

I gather from the OP that he wants low level amplification through a speaker for quiet playing at home. Assuming the computer or device has an onboard audio chip with a high impedance mic input, some are sensitive enough and close enough to the proper input impedance to be driven by the direct output of a guitar pickup. So you could connect the guitar to the mic input with a 1/4" to 1/8" cable and listen to your playing through headphones. The inevitable impedance and sensitivity mismatches can make the sound a bit "off", but it's often usable for practice if there's no alternative. There's no EQ or other control over the guitar signal unless you add plugins for that, which requires a plugin shell application or a DAW loaded on the computer (even though you're not reoding with it).

But for good sound quality, you should use a digital audio interface (DAI) between the guitar and the computer. If you want to drive a speaker instead of headphones, you need either a powered speaker connected to the headphone jack or an external DAC (digital to analog convertor) connecting the computer's digital audio output from its USB / optical / etc jack to an amplifier's analog input. You can use something like an iRig to play through your iPhone or iPad, both of which will give decent sound through headphones. They have onboard DAC chips that are actually very good these days. But they won't drive a speaker without an external amplifier or a powered speaker with its own internal amplifier.

This is a long run for a very short slide if all you want to do is play your guitar through a quiet amplifier. Most entry level digital interfaces and most computers & digital devices (phones, tablets etc) have inherent latency between their inputs and their outputs. Stringing them together into a DAI - computer - DAC chain adds those latencies into an often audible lag between picking and hearing notes. Yes, there are computer rigs with sufficiently low latency (less than 10 msec) to be undetectable. But IMO the cost, complexity and inconvenience are just too much to justify so you can play quietly at home. The latency in an iPhone or iPad is not a problem in my experience, and the sound quality is decent. There are fine EQ and effects apps - but Garage Band can be used for live playing through 'phones and works pretty well.

Several good inexpensive small amps have already been described in this thread. Assuming that a small amp is not an economic impossibility, I can't think of any justification for most to use a computer for live playing at home.

**pingu** · 11-09-2023, 02:42 PM

for simplicity yes a small amp is best

fender champion 20
or similar and you can just
plug and play ….

**DMgolf66** · 11-09-2023, 02:51 PM

Too many tech words for me. I was lost after "interface", haha.

**Richard1234** · 11-09-2023, 02:53 PM

Yes, I'll go fo the Fender £20, within my price range to be honest? Anyone know the best settings for that soft, cool, jazz sound please?

**ragman1** · 11-09-2023, 03:09 PM

please explain it as if you're talking to a 10 year old child please

Certainly. Don't buy stuff that you don't know about and haven't tried, especially guitars, on the internet. Go to a good, reputable store and get proper advice and help.

This is not like ordering a delivery from the supermarket.

**John A.** · 11-09-2023, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by Richard1234

Yes, I'll go fo the Fender £20, within my price range to be honest? Anyone know the best settings for that soft, cool, jazz sound please?

You have to figure that out on your own, to your own preferences, with your own guitar. FWIW, I use the Deluxe Reverb model on the C20 almost exclusively, turn the bass and treble controls all the way down, gain usually around halfway up, and then set the master volume to the overall level I need. But I have no idea whether you would like that for yourself.