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Thoughts On Low Volume & Home (Bedroom) Tones - That Pedal Show

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ChrisMusicChrisMusic Frets: 1133
edited January 2017 in Guitar
This should be dear to the hearts of many on here.  Four options explored and kept to ≈80db ambient allowance.  Pretty informative too*, especially the amp through PowerStation and small amp comparisons at the end.

edit:  *Experienced players probably know all, or most, of this stuff already, but it fleshes out some useful interrelationships IMO.


Duration 53:14


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Comments

  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14034
    tFB Trader
    The only think I will add is that the quality of studio/home gear compared to 20/40 years ago is way a head - Even if they don't fully capture the finer nuances of a serious pro rig, they are not far behind - some great small rigs and practice tools today - even under £100 some are okay
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  • samzadgansamzadgan Frets: 1471
    i've never liked the sound of small amps at low volume...big amps (100w and over, i dont really consider 20w as big...) at low volumes always sound better to me. Even if your not pushing the big tubes and transformer, you are still getting the impact of those on your tone...and to me they sound better at any volume.

    i will caveat by saying i play my amps squeaky clean, and get everything else from pedals...so i dont go for the break up sound from my amps, so YMMV
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  • capo4thcapo4th Frets: 4437
    you are clearly not using the power of the crunch! 
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    They should to demo the modellers Helix, Axe-FX and Amplifire they can be a great home amps through headphones, nearfield monitors or a speaker cab.

    I can't see them ponying up for an Axe-FX though.


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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    They should to demo the modellers Helix, Axe-FX and Amplifire they can be a great home amps through headphones, nearfield monitors or a speaker cab.

    I can't see them ponying up for an Axe-FX though.
    Agree. I use a Helix through some Yamaha studio speakers and it sounds really really good.. Same with headphones. Perfect for practise
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    How loud is too loud for home practice? I
    live in a London flat and practice through a Marshall JVM 1 watt combo with the volume at 9 o'clock. Should I be checking my db readings? 
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  • peteripeteri Frets: 1283

    I was slightly disappointed by the choices.

    Although I did very much appreciate that they pointed out they normally demo in the room at near gig levels.

    To me the Yamaha always gets demo'd in a way what best suits it - close mic'd. When I had one I really didn't like it's sound at all - in the room, always sounded like a small box to me at any volume where I wasn't hearing the strings more than the amp. But stick a mic really close and it's much better.

    Why not look at the Roland Cube series for example? Better choice, or talk about some nice amps with great attenuators (my Carr Skylark for example)

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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12645
    OK, I tried... I really tried. I tried to listen/watch this without prejudice...

    I got to around 9 minutes before I was so frustrated I had to switch it off. I mean... really? REALLY? Do we need lessons in how to use a practice amp... presets, wow there's a novelty. And digital in sounding "OK" at low volume shocker... hold the front page.

    Jesus Christ, this is what we *all* do when practicing at home, right? And the meandering, tiresome, ad lib "commentary" is so dull. In 9 minutes, NOTHING had been said other than "Dan has a Yamaha THR at home and he's been practicing for a tour". And... guess what, its got a volume control! You can turn it down - who knew?

    Their knowledge of the effect of distance over decibel level is incredible (not). I mean, really... strumming a semi acoustic guitar at close quarters can produce similar db levels to a small amp at low volumes a distance away... its almost as daft as the Father Ted sketch with Dougal and the cow being small or far away.

    Apparently there is 53minutes of this... what are they trying to tell us, teach us, or inform us of? After 9 minutes I had no idea, it just seems like a directionless fiddle about showing that you can get reasonable sounds at low volumes. Great... thanks, I can do that for myself though and it would take a lot less than 53minutes for me to get a reasonable sound at low volume.

    TPS - please, invest in a script, an editor and think about the point you are trying to prove/inform or educate us on *before* pressing 'record'.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    I enjoyed this episode, and they basically came to the same conclusion I did years ago, a good valve amp and some pedals is still hard to beat even at whisper volume.
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  • hubobuloushubobulous Frets: 2352

    Pedalboard and Two Notes CAB. Great through headphones and still allows you to practice for a gig with the very pedals that you'll be using. But I do understand that they couldn't cover everything.

    They were always going to favour the valve amp approach though weren't they - its their thing? Be interesting for them to do a blind test every now and again to challenge their long held preferences. Modelling and VSTs are so good now I'm not sure the difference is big enough to discern. The Andertons vid on Kemper vs Amp was excellent for challenging Lee's love of valves.

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  • Enjoyed this one. Having a THR around the house is one of the best purchases I;ve made in terms of guitar playing. I often choose it over my valve amps if I only want a 15 minute jam. 

    That power station was probably the best i've heard an attenuator sound as well!
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Enjoyed this one. Having a THR around the house is one of the best purchases I;ve made in terms of guitar playing. I often choose it over my valve amps if I only want a 15 minute jam. 

    That power station was probably the best i've heard an attenuator sound as well!
    Surely the point of an attenuator is that you can't hear... Oh nevermind ;)
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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4947
    Home playing is not the same as gigging. I have not gigged or played at that volume for over 40 years, it is impossible to recreate that sense of power in your living room. Taking this as read, what I want at home is a decent sounding small amplifier that can be operational in 20 seconds flat. Just plug in and play. No pedalboard. But I want to hear the sound coming from the amp and not to notice the acoustic sounds from my guitar. I can get that from my Pignose. The Yamaha looks to have very small speakers so might not sound as powerful as the Pignose. Ditto for the Blackstar Fly. If I "had" to use any FX pedals for my practice, one would be on the shelf beside the Pignose. Connecting up to play or practice is quick and simple. I wish the same could be said about learning to play my guitar or bass. YMMV.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    impmann said:
    OK, I tried... I really tried. I tried to listen/watch this without prejudice...

    I got to around 9 minutes before I was so frustrated I had to switch it off. I mean... really? REALLY? Do we need lessons in how to use a practice amp... presets, wow there's a novelty. And digital in sounding "OK" at low volume shocker... hold the front page.

    Jesus Christ, this is what we *all* do when practicing at home, right? And the meandering, tiresome, ad lib "commentary" is so dull. In 9 minutes, NOTHING had been said other than "Dan has a Yamaha THR at home and he's been practicing for a tour". And... guess what, its got a volume control! You can turn it down - who knew?

    Their knowledge of the effect of distance over decibel level is incredible (not). I mean, really... strumming a semi acoustic guitar at close quarters can produce similar db levels to a small amp at low volumes a distance away... its almost as daft as the Father Ted sketch with Dougal and the cow being small or far away.

    Apparently there is 53minutes of this... what are they trying to tell us, teach us, or inform us of? After 9 minutes I had no idea, it just seems like a directionless fiddle about showing that you can get reasonable sounds at low volumes. Great... thanks, I can do that for myself though and it would take a lot less than 53minutes for me to get a reasonable sound at low volume.

    TPS - please, invest in a script, an editor and think about the point you are trying to prove/inform or educate us on *before* pressing 'record'.
    It's kind of ambient viewing like having old episodes of the Big Bang Theory on in the background whilst you do the shopping list but every so often something catches your ear and you pay attention for two minutes.

    It was an episode of lots of stating the obvious but maybe that was useful for some people. That the large expensive option gave apparently the best sound was no great surprise ( because on TPS that's what always happens)but I'm with @Rocker in that you need something quick to plug into and that a Pedalboard, valve amp and attenuator isn't really that.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    I can't listen to that Dan bloke, he's really annoying.
    I know, people will say "haters gonna hate" (stupid bloody expression) but I don't hate him. When he starts talking I just glaze over and think about mice chasing their own tails, anything apart from what he's talking about.
    He's a world-class witterer and that's not entertaining or interesting.
    In fact when he's on, I almost wish I was watching an Andertons video. Almost.
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    They should to demo the modellers Helix, Axe-FX and Amplifire they can be a great home amps through headphones, nearfield monitors or a speaker cab.

    I can't see them ponying up for an Axe-FX though.
    I believe that Mick has recently bought a Helix to see if he can be converted...........
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534


     I'm with @Rocker in that you need something quick to plug into and that a Pedalboard, valve amp and attenuator isn't really that.
    I don't really understand this TBH, but maybe it's just my circumstances. I have my valve amp, pedalboard already set up to go, cable plugging in, guitars hanging on the wall in the man-cave. Flick two switches on the amp, plug in a guitar and bingo. 

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    dindude said:


     I'm with @Rocker in that you need something quick to plug into and that a Pedalboard, valve amp and attenuator isn't really that.
    I don't really understand this TBH, but maybe it's just my circumstances. I have my valve amp, pedalboard already set up to go, cable plugging in, guitars hanging on the wall in the man-cave. Flick two switches on the amp, plug in a guitar and bingo. 

    Well, in my case anyway nothing resembling a man cave so nothing permanently out, easiest thing to grab is a guitar and practice amp especially if it's only for ten minutes or so. Actually most likely is just an unplugged electric. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • hubobuloushubobulous Frets: 2352
    @ErictheWeary - you should have hosted this video....

    Take guitar off stand
    Play

    No faff, no volume issues, sorted ;-)
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    And it would have been a lot bloody shorter too!

    @ErictheWeary - you should have hosted this video....

    Take guitar off stand
    Play

    No faff, no volume issues, sorted ;-)

    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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