Amp facing the wall
- Thread starter Wayne27
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Dave Locher
New member
Re: Amp facing the wall
As long as it is not shoved tight against the wall it does not matter at all.
I am not sure it would even matter if it IS shoved up tight to a wall except it could maybe harm the speakers.
As long as it is not shoved tight against the wall it does not matter at all.
I am not sure it would even matter if it IS shoved up tight to a wall except it could maybe harm the speakers.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Amp facing the wall
If you are doing this because you want to crank your amp have a look at the eminence reignmaker and maverick speakers.
If you are doing this because you want to crank your amp have a look at the eminence reignmaker and maverick speakers.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Amp facing the wall
It makes a huge difference whether the amp is open-back or sealed. What's the amp?
It makes a huge difference whether the amp is open-back or sealed. What's the amp?
Dave Locher
New member
Re: Amp facing the wall
Good point! I assumed closed back. An open-back amp will sound a bit odd facing backwards.
Good point! I assumed closed back. An open-back amp will sound a bit odd facing backwards.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Amp facing the wall
pro tip:
a lot of pros tilt their amp back so it is facing right at their heads.
Multiple benefits: you can hear yourself clear as a bell, the eq settings you use because of this mean that if the amp is miced up you will get a better FOH sound. You wont piss off your bandmates. You wont piss off your sound engineer. You wont piss off your audience. You will play better because you can hear all your nuances better.
If you are a singer, you can set the amp so you can be out of its beam where your mic is, but take a step to the left or the right for those times (like playing leads) that you want to bump yourself up in your "monitor mix".
Further benefits are that your amp does not acoustically resonate the floor as much, creating a better sound for band situations (leaving some room for the bass and kick drum) and also in the studio.
it won't feel comfortable to you initially and you will find that you will eq your amp different to what you have been used to, but there is literally no downside apart from it being a little difficult with the old head and quadbox scenario. Back when I used big amps like that, we all used to put them on milk crates to get them off the floor and more directional towards our ears. Just throw a black sheet over the crates for onstage aesthetics.
If your amp in this situation is too loud for you, then you are simply too loud for the rest of your band. If you find you need to crank your amp to get the overdrive and sensitivity you crave then the best solution is to use less efficient speakers to reduce stage volume. There are a ton of choices out there these days to suit the style of music and the tone you are after.
pro tip:
a lot of pros tilt their amp back so it is facing right at their heads.
Multiple benefits: you can hear yourself clear as a bell, the eq settings you use because of this mean that if the amp is miced up you will get a better FOH sound. You wont piss off your bandmates. You wont piss off your sound engineer. You wont piss off your audience. You will play better because you can hear all your nuances better.
If you are a singer, you can set the amp so you can be out of its beam where your mic is, but take a step to the left or the right for those times (like playing leads) that you want to bump yourself up in your "monitor mix".
Further benefits are that your amp does not acoustically resonate the floor as much, creating a better sound for band situations (leaving some room for the bass and kick drum) and also in the studio.
it won't feel comfortable to you initially and you will find that you will eq your amp different to what you have been used to, but there is literally no downside apart from it being a little difficult with the old head and quadbox scenario. Back when I used big amps like that, we all used to put them on milk crates to get them off the floor and more directional towards our ears. Just throw a black sheet over the crates for onstage aesthetics.
If your amp in this situation is too loud for you, then you are simply too loud for the rest of your band. If you find you need to crank your amp to get the overdrive and sensitivity you crave then the best solution is to use less efficient speakers to reduce stage volume. There are a ton of choices out there these days to suit the style of music and the tone you are after.
Last edited:
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Amp facing the wall
how close are you talking TS? are you recording? trying to mitigate bleed? isolating? Youve ran out of room?
What are you trying to do?
how close are you talking TS? are you recording? trying to mitigate bleed? isolating? Youve ran out of room?
What are you trying to do?
ehdwuld
A Ficus
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Amp facing the wall
I experimented with my Princeton reverb to the wall sometimes it does let me crank it a little more (maybe say from 5 to 6) and knock off a little treble without really changing the sound drastically. I mean it's still way loud. A couple feet from the wall is good otherwise it sounds kinda choked to me. But it seems like something you'd do as an emergency volume lowering tactic when there are many better ones like lower efficiency speakers or even getting a smaller amp to begin with.
But with a bright open backed non master fender with a bright fender guitar like strat or tele it can kinda work. There's plenty of treble and volume available in my setup so turning the amp can still sound balanced depending on the room
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
I experimented with my Princeton reverb to the wall sometimes it does let me crank it a little more (maybe say from 5 to 6) and knock off a little treble without really changing the sound drastically. I mean it's still way loud. A couple feet from the wall is good otherwise it sounds kinda choked to me. But it seems like something you'd do as an emergency volume lowering tactic when there are many better ones like lower efficiency speakers or even getting a smaller amp to begin with.
But with a bright open backed non master fender with a bright fender guitar like strat or tele it can kinda work. There's plenty of treble and volume available in my setup so turning the amp can still sound balanced depending on the room
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
Re: Amp facing the wall
this idea works for some people if the amp is a combo...... try putting your amp facing up towards the ceiling on a chair but leave the top with the tubes hanging off the chair a little to make sure the tubes get plenty of air circulation. with the speaker pointed towards the ceiling much of the sound is directed upwards and not at you or other bandmates. Ive seen some blues players in small clubs doing this to try to control the stage volume. it doesnt always work but sometimes its a quick fix.
this idea works for some people if the amp is a combo...... try putting your amp facing up towards the ceiling on a chair but leave the top with the tubes hanging off the chair a little to make sure the tubes get plenty of air circulation. with the speaker pointed towards the ceiling much of the sound is directed upwards and not at you or other bandmates. Ive seen some blues players in small clubs doing this to try to control the stage volume. it doesnt always work but sometimes its a quick fix.
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Amp facing the wall
With a small fender combo amp sometimes it's enough to kill the beaming high end to just drape your jacket (fold it, I wouldn't cover it like with a blanket) on the amp. Can take the edge off a little but usually not too much.
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
With a small fender combo amp sometimes it's enough to kill the beaming high end to just drape your jacket (fold it, I wouldn't cover it like with a blanket) on the amp. Can take the edge off a little but usually not too much.
Sent from my SM-G930U using Tapatalk
