Making a load box/hotplate?

Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

+1 to what krank says...

In my situation there's no way to get the amp cooking without getting the neighbours cooking as well. So if I want cranked tube tone recorded I have to go DI until I buy my own house at least ;)

DI is more cost-effective for sure. As room treatment isn't possible, living on rent and all.

My results from home studio recording as I live now, will benefit most from getting a good flexible DI setup for guitar and bass.

And then focusing on decent vocal mics and pre's for vocal recording.

Programming drums or preferably getting them recorded elsewhere by a drummer if possible.

And then using the synths, VSTs for piano, orchestra etc.
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

That's exactly what I'm doing. I want to record my Bluesbreaker cranked in my apartment and it simply isn't possible as it gets way way way too loud. But then I though about this idea.

Bluesbreaker -> Palmer PDI-09 -> DIY Dummy load

Cranked amp that's completely silent in the room, sweet! I ordered parts last week to build this dummy load (simple stuff):

http://www.aikenamps.com/DummyLoad.pdf

Perfect with a 4, 8, 16 Ohms switch and everything. I'm going to build it into a neat effect box for a proffesional look and everything ;)

Costed me about 50$, and would probably be alot cheaper in the US. So now I just have to snag a Palmer PDI-09 :)

Do you have any pics of this creation inside and out? I'm very interested.
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

I have just ordered the parts so far. They should arrive any day here though. I'll post as soon as I've got it together... probably about next week!
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

So by that rationale with DI, you could just buy a guitarport or pod like me and get a full arsenal of tones, with the possibility of going noiseless and getting excellent DI tone with no tonal sacrifices because it has its own ASIO driver. The Palmer emulates half of the sound you know, and then you still have to get it to the computer. Thats why I say go all the way or go some other way. Either way, ask VK/Jeff what he does. He gets some great sounds no matter which way he records.
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

Psssttt...Jeff's making the change to impulses soon :duck:.

In any case, the POD still sounds like a POD any way I tweak it. I can get some good tones, but I've never been real happy with the way it comes out. I can't get the Mark IV model to sound anything like my Mark IV either ;).

Still, why use a DI with a real head as opposed to emulating your entire guitar tone? Simple...because you work with an amp that you're familiar with, and in the end you get something that sounds much more organic and responsive than going through a POD. I've never been able to get my POD to clean up very well as I turn down the volume on my guitar...not a problem with my amps. Simply put, I like the way it sounds better than going the 100% emulation route AND the mic'd up route.
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

The difference between going POD or Amp into speaker simulator is quite huge. The problem with modeling doesn't lie in wheter or not it's possible to simulate a speaker cab. The speaker is a quite simple device. The real challenge is in modeling a tube amp with all their harmonics, touch responsiveness etc..

I see a decent DI with speaker simulation as a alternative to a micing a cab, not to a POD. A POD would only be:

guitar -> simulated tube amp models -> simulated speaker cab with simulated speaker models greenback, classic30's, jensens etc. -> preamp/computer

Where using a DI is much closer to using a mic on a cab with a real tube amp.

guitar -> tube amp -> simulated speaker cab -> preamp/computer

compared the old standard way:

guitar -> tube amp -> speaker cab -> mic -> preamp/computer

I'm not saying that a POD ain't a great device that can generate some great tones and all... but it won't give the same tone as a tube amp and it doesn't have the same feel to it when playing. So when I have a tubeamp already and can get a Palmer DI + Loadbox for the same price as a POD... the decision is quite easy ;)
 
Re: Making a load box/hotplate?

I used a Palmer setup back in the days....into a small tubepoweramp, used a Park 75 as main amp.
Sold the kit to a friend I have, excpet the amp...he uses a 1987 plexi instead, it still works.
Palmer is a good choice!
 
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