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Going straight into the PA if my amp dies, how to?

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gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
So, I can't justify the expense or lugging about of a second amp (of gigable size), and I've heard about people using certain pedals to go straight into the PA if their amp goes down. Wjat's a relatively economical pedal that would do this, and can I run my pedal board straight into it so I still have my set up?

My board is fuzz>drive>dist>verb>trm>delay.

I've seen pedals like the Tech 21 Sans Amps (too much at the moment). Are these technically pre amp pedals? Are there good clones available?


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Comments

  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Yes. joyo do clones of the tech 21 pedals in voxy, marshally, fender or mesa flavours for not much over £20
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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    Cool thanks man, I'll check them out.

    So would I just run my board straight into the joyo, then the joyo straight into the PA?

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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    Exactly, not sure what they are all like, but I've used the AC Tone, Voxy model and it sounds very good indeed. I've recently got a Tech 21 Fly Rig 5. Which is a Fender Amp sim with reverb, a Plexi style OD a delay and a boost in one tiny pedal, love it to bits, but your board in to one of the Joyos is essentially the same thing
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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    @John_A Sweet, thanks man :)
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  • FuzzdogFuzzdog Frets: 839
    The Joyo Tech 21 clones are really rather decent, and considering how cheap they are, it's well worth keeping one around.

    Personally, I keep a Zoom G3 for such emergencies - also for occasional super lazy 'I can't be bothered to carry my amp around' gigs. :D
    -- Before you ask, no, I am in no way, shape or form related to Fuzzdog pedals, I was Fuzzdog before Fuzzdog were Fuzzdog.  Unless you want to give me free crap, then I'm related to whatever the hell you like! --
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  • Get a Crate Power Block, small and cheap amp head that can be used as a DI too - I think.
    My trading feedback can be seen here - http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58242/
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    My rhythm guitarist goes direct most gigs with a Joyo AC-Tone and it sounds really good. I bought one too just to chuck in the pedal bag for emergencies - for 25 quid it seems silly not to.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Get a Crate Power Block, small and cheap amp head that can be used as a DI too - I think.
    No, don't get one. They sound dreadful and are unreliable.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    ICBM said:
    Get a Crate Power Block, small and cheap amp head that can be used as a DI too - I think.
    No, don't get one. They sound dreadful and are unreliable.

    Agreed, the power block is awful. I have a ehx magnum, which sounds great, but are not rebound for being reliable, no issues with mine, but a few folks on here have had them go pop!
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  • ICBM;400262" said:
    Johnnyseven said:

    Get a Crate Power Block, small and cheap amp head that can be used as a DI too - I think.





    No, don't get one. They sound dreadful and are unreliable.
    They sound better than no amp at all.

    I actually have one, and it sounds far from dreadful.

    My trading feedback can be seen here - http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58242/
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited November 2014
    They sound better than no amp at all.

    I actually have one, and it sounds far from dreadful.

    Better than no amp at all, yes. But that's about all, and given their unreliability I wouldn't rely on one as a backup either.

    I thought the only one I've tried that was still working was the worst-sounding amp I've ever heard - seriously. It has an incredibly fatiguing tone, really grating and harsh. I couldn't stand listening to it for more than about five minutes, and I could almost feel my ears still buzzing for some time afterwards.

    Still, I think the second worst is the Orange Micro Terror, and I know there are people who like those too, so it is just personal taste!

    I'd honestly rather plug a pedal straight into the PA than use either of them.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    Tonelab is a nice choice but a bit bigger than ideal I spose. I have gigg'ed happily with a one straight into PA though and liked it 

    Smallest get out of jail is iPhone into iRig - into desk. I know guys doing big money stuff that use this as a backup
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4028
    edited November 2014
    ICBM said:
    They sound better than no amp at all.

    I actually have one, and it sounds far from dreadful.


    I'd honestly rather plug a pedal straight into the PA than use either of them.
    I've got a Crate power block gathering dust... its position as backup amp has been usurped by an Orange Micro Terror!

    The reasons why I don't like the idea of pedal into the PA idea are

    1) in my head it's not as straight-forward as the "replace dead amp with backup amp" manoeuvre which I have done, onstage, in those horrible seconds when you realise your amp has gone belly up and it's not coming back.  But I get that if I rehearsed the "plug the pedal into a PA" manoeuvre" a few times I probably wouldn't flap on stage when the inevitable happens again. 

    Question though:  if your amp dies and you want to plug into the PA via an amp sim pedal, where do you put the pedal in the chain?

    Currently the set up is:  guitar > pedal board >  amp (with fx loop)

    Where would the amp sim pedal go?  (Specifically, would you lose the fx that I have in the loop, i.e. chorus and echo.)


    2)  On our particular PA I have no monitor.  The singer uses IEMs; the bass player has a wedge; I just use the back line sound of the guitar to know where I am (it is mic'd though).  But with an amp sim pedal I wonder how on earth I'd hear myself.


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Grunfeld said:
    2)  On our particular PA I have no monitor.  The singer uses IEMs; the bass player has a wedge; I just use the back line sound of the guitar to know where I am (it is mic'd though).  But with an amp sim pedal I wonder how on earth I'd hear myself.
    You wouldn't, and that is a major issue. With your set-up you do need a backup amp.

    An amp sim goes either last, or if you're using it for overdrive rather than just speaker simulation, where the amp's preamp does. It doesn't matter if you put modulation and delay after the sim.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • GrunfeldGrunfeld Frets: 4028
    Cheers, thought so.  Looks like Mr micro T is with me for a while longer then...
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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    Think i'll pick up a joyo then. Pretty sure where we're playing has monitors.
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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    The 2 clips in my sig are a wah into a tubescreamer into a cheap vox stomplab 1g, then through a passive DI into the desk.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • close2uclose2u Frets: 997
    I use a Zoom G3X for all my fx.
    I know it is a backup.
    I have only had to do this once at a rehearsal when I somehow forgot the kettle lead for my amp.
    It works a treat.
    But I did have to ensure every saved 'patch' had an amp sim stored and then was on to make it work.
    A few minutes of fiddling did the trick.
    Not ideal mid-gig I suppose.
    But workable.
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  • In defence of the power block Felicia Collins uses one as her main amp playing to a gazillion Americans on the Letterman show. The search for the perfect back up amp is a recurring theme on here, gap in the market for somebody that the likes of EHX and Diago have tried but failed to fill.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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