cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

[ehdwuld]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

There is a trade of in the cheapest way to do something and the best way to do the same thing

Cheapest would be an amp modeler into a mixer/PA
You'll want the cab sims with the amp sims

I have the Joyo British and American pedals
Which are the clones of the Tech21 sansamp pedals
For Marshall and Fender style preamps

They sound good but no one is gonna mistake them for an amp in the mix
And you'll need to add reverb and effects to make them flesh out

I have a guitar amp model built in to my Behringer XAir its alright as well
Sounds nothing like any real amp
But if my amp died during a show I could fall back on it

I have a Digitech GNX3000 which was the flagship Digitech modeler some years ago
The smaller RP series will fit in the OPs budget

A modeling pedal would get him all the things he wants in an inexpensive package

Mine has built in drum loops and a Microphone input that acts as a.mixer as well

If the OP wants to back up a singer with an inexpensive setup and they already have access to a PA
Then a modeler would be the way to go

$100 would get a good used one

 

[donaldr]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

I got a Zoom G1 Four for Christmas, mainly to use for headphone practice. I also tried direct to my EV ZLX12P and was surprised how good it is for a $80 toy. Would take it anytime for jamming with friends if they have a PA. I'm liking small and battery operated.
If you want a cheap amp to mic you can try a Boss Katana 50w, it's $229. And you can even go direct to PA if you want.

 

[sansa]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

I've usually been more impressed with cheap amp sims than the sounds you get out of mini amps.

Maybe you can tell us what you already have ie amp, pedal, PA. etc and budget. The REDDI is a fabulous bass DI but 775$ for jamming with friends into a 100w PA might be a little overkill :thumbsup:

ok guys I read something about PAs processors and sound geek stuff these days. I will describe the situation to make you understand the jam sessions we are in to understand what's the best option.

I have a 100w rms pa, 2 passive speakers, a cheap beringer xenyx mixer and that's it. the sound is really dirty.

these days I discovered the "send/return" function. I usually use 2 mics and a bass right now but I'd like to add a guitar to the mix (linked from the line out guitar amp). what I'd like to do is link through send/return something that will clean up the sound.

I was reading about some cheap options that would bring the whole thing to a higher level. something like art tubepac seems the perfect choice to have a compresspr/limiter/preamp all in one.

what's your opinion?

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

If you have a crappy "end of chain" device ( your PA mixer )
Noting you put " front of chain " will fix that

Your Behringer should be fine
What have you got for speakers
Powered PA speakers of some kind?

If you have un powered speakers
What is your power amp?

I would start at the end of chain first

Good powered speakers
Then good mixer

The mixer should have decent preamps to give you a neutral coloring that you want

Then build the chain back from there

 

[devastone]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

100W PA is probably not enough if you have a drummer. It's probably dirty because you are running it at it's limits, or, you have really bad speakers that can't handle that little power.

FWIW, my JBL EON610s are powered speakers, 1000W each, not because you ever need that much, but they have tons of headroom.

I understand being on a budget, but it also pays to do some research to see what you need and be ready when a deal comes along.

FWIW, if the line out on the guitar amp doesn't have some kind of speaker/cab simulation on it, it will sound really bad straight into a PA.

 

[sansa]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

If you have a crappy "end of chain" device ( your PA mixer )
Noting you put " front of chain " will fix that

Your Behringer should be fine
What have you got for speakers
Powered PA speakers of some kind?

If you have un powered speakers
What is your power amp?

I would start at the end of chain first

Good powered speakers
Then good mixer

The mixer should have decent preamps to give you a neutral coloring that you want

Then build the chain back from there

100W PA is probably not enough if you have a drummer. It's probably dirty because you are running it at it's limits, or, you have really bad speakers that can't handle that little power.

FWIW, my JBL EON610s are powered speakers, 1000W each, not because you ever need that much, but they have tons of headroom.

I understand being on a budget, but it also pays to do some research to see what you need and be ready when a deal comes along.

FWIW, if the line out on the guitar amp doesn't have some kind of speaker/cab simulation on it, it will sound really bad straight into a PA.

it's enough volume. it's an fbt 100w rms. we put it at half volume..speakers are one fbt passive speaker 200w rms (12" woofer + neodinium tweeter) and one cab hand made with a full range 225w rms (beta 12lta by Eminence)

so no way to clean up the sound?

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

we cant see the knobs or tell what dirty sound is like

you may just have something set too high

set all the knobs at noon

set volume at minimum

slowly turn up till it distorts or whatever the offending sound is

we just cant fix it from here

pictures or sound clips

did you say one speaker is home made

take it out

is the mixer powered?

 

[devastone]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

If the sound coming out of the speakers is "dirty", something is clipping. You are hitting the preamps on the mixer too hard, you are pushing the power amp too hard, or you are overdriving the speakers. You could be sending too much signal from the mixer to the power amp and causing clipping on the inputs of that, so just setting the volume on the power amp is only a small part of the story, probably better to set the volume on the power amp high and control the volume from the output of the mixer.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

Agree with the above. Turn everything down to low . . . play something on your guitar. It should sound pretty clean coming out of the amp. Slowly turn things up one at a time until you find where the distortion is coming from. Once you find that you can figure out a way around the problem.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

I used my Orange Micro Dark on a Sabbath tribute gig last year, and it sounded massive. The PA did the heavy lifting and the amp provided more than enough volume onstage.

 

[Aceman]

Re: cheap amp solution: miked mini amp or pedal amp simulator?

Mooer Dirt pedal of your choice (Ultra, Solo, Cruncher, etc) ~35 dollars + Mooer DI.