Question about Using the Pre-Amp

asimmd

My current amp is a Blackstar ID30 which i bought for the emulated out for recording.

I presume the emulated out uses just the pre-amp.

I have a chance of getting a Mesa Boogie Express 5/25 which i would use with an Attenuator

so i could also D.I.the sound.

I think this would also only use the pre-amp of the Boogie.

Now the question.

Given that both amps will only use the pre-amp for recording,would the Mesa sound

considerably better than the Blackstar?

Used for clean sounds only at the moment.

Thanks

Alan

ecc83

asimmd said:

My current amp is a Blackstar ID30 which i bought for the emulated out for recording.

I presume the emulated out uses just the pre-amp.

I have a chance of getting a Mesa Boogie Express 5/25 which i would use with an Attenuator

so i could also D.I.the sound.

I think this would also only use the pre-amp of the Boogie.

Now the question.

Given that both amps will only use the pre-amp for recording,would the Mesa sound

considerably better than the Blackstar?

Used for clean sounds only at the moment.

Thanks

Alan

The Mesa would probably be better at many things but at a grand an a half I should bloody think so! Comparing apples and Range Rovers here!

The ID might be more versatile and is of course an AI in its own right. Keep 'em both!

Dave.

ICBM

asimmd said:

I have a chance of getting a Mesa Boogie Express 5/25 which i would use with an Attenuator

so i could also D.I.the sound.

I think this would also only use the pre-amp of the Boogie.

No, that would use the power amp as well, if you took the DI signal from the attenuator. You could take the output from the FX send if you wanted, which would just use the preamp. But neither of these are emulated.

asimmd said:

Given that both amps will only use the pre-amp for recording,would the Mesa sound

considerably better than the Blackstar?

Unlikely to even sound as good, since it wouldn't be emulated.

The Mesa is a very different amp from the Blackstar, arguably better for some things - and certainly "higher quality", as it should be given the price difference as Dave said - but direct recording is not one of them.

asimmd

Thanks,looks like i am staying with the Blackstar,which i don't mind.

I suppose i could turn the question round and ask which amp would give me a nicer/better

sound.

Handsome_Chris

@assimmd, please pardon me for hijacking your thread, but how did that reamp I did for you workout?

ICBM

asimmd said:

I suppose i could turn the question round and ask which amp would give me a nicer/better

sound.

In the room? The Mesa, most likely - particularly if not at very low practice volume.

Recorded via DI? The Blackstar, almost certainly.

asimmd

Hi Chris,I think we are talking Kemper and through no fault of yours I didn't find enough difference To make me want to get one. Considering I only record in the bedroom,I looks like I am sticking with Blackstar.

thecolourbox

Depends on the DI maybe? You can get the H&K Red Box which is a DI with cab emulation (i think you get to choose between different cab types too)

asimmd

Thanks for the replies,now for an alternative.

How about me using a Palmer PGA-04 with a Mesa Boogie Express 5/25.

Would that give me a better sound than the Blackstar.

ICBM

asimmd said:

How about me using a Palmer PGA-04 with a Mesa Boogie Express 5/25.

Would that give me a better sound than the Blackstar.

Probably not - I've never been very impressed with the sound of Palmer stuff - and the H&K Red Box I had was only 'OK' rather than great, too - but a Sequis Motherload might. And is a load box too, so although it's expensive it would kill two birds with one stone.

By a curious coincidence I may be selling mine…

It's fantastic, but I just don't really have any practical use for it.

ThePrettyDamned

What sort of sound do you want?

asimmd

Clean sound,think Marvin and Telecaster Country guitar sound. No overdrive I have my Bad Monkey for that if needed.

ThePrettyDamned

Ahhh yes.  

Have you considered one of these?  http://www.coda-music.com/joyo-jf14-american-sound-pedal-p-12093.html?oscsid=fd3f39d2d606cc0558bdb828339764cb

Not sure if it would be perfect, I've never used one, but it's a cheap version of the Tech 21 pedal.  

Maybe look at youtube videos - check to see if it's Emulated Out on the demo.

EDIT WRONG PEDAL I meant this http://www.cranesmusicstore.com/joyojf13acac30tonesimulationpedal-p-3613.html?currency=GBP as I think they used to use an AC30. 

ThePrettyDamned

asimmd

Hi TPD I had looked at those but thought they were a bit cheap to be of much use.I will look on Youtube for a demo.Mind you,I thought that about the Bad Monkey pedal and that's excellent. I do have Recabinet and the excellent Redwirez Vox and Fender IR's. Logic has a Convolution Reverb to load the Redwirez into,and also Amp Designer which I discovered today. So emulated out is not a priority,I don't use Redirez or Recabinet because I can't turn the Cab Emulation off on the Blackstar. I suppose like everyone else I am looking for something just that bit better than what I have,I looked at the ToneKing demo in another thread and that is brilliant. I also like Two Rock Studio 22/35,but whether the grass is greener,I don' know,they all sound so much better than what I have. Any suggestions do not necessarily need to be emulated out. I have Redwirez Vox and Fender

ThePrettyDamned

asimmd said:

Hi TPD I had looked at those but thought they were a bit cheap to be of much use.I will look on Youtube for a demo.Mind you,I thought that about the Bad Monkey pedal and that's excellent. I do have Recabinet and the excellent Redwirez Vox and Fender IR's. Logic has a Convolution Reverb to load the Redwirez into,and also Amp Designer which I discovered today. So emulated out is not a priority,I don't use Redirez or Recabinet because I can't turn the Cab Emulation off on the Blackstar. I suppose like everyone else I am looking for something just that bit better than what I have,I looked at the ToneKing demo in another thread and that is brilliant. I also like Two Rock Studio 22/35,but whether the grass is greener,I don' know,they all sound so much better than what I have. Any suggestions do not necessarily need to be emulated out. I have Redwirez Vox and Fender

Those demos are all mic'd up with a quality mic, preamp etc.  You just can't get that from an emulated out.

Cheap does *not* mean bad.  If you like the Joyo, you could look into getting the real one - the Tech 21 Liverpool.  Or, just try that one off the bat.  I think the demo I posted above speaks for itself - it sounds good. 

ThePrettyDamned

In this demo, it's all DI (with reverb pedal, too).  There is no amp at all - just guitar -> emulation -> reverb -> recording desk.  

asimmd

Sorry,I didn't notice it was a demo. Now I have listened to it it's quite impressive,I am going to listen to the Tech 21 Liverpool Pedal now. Thanks