Pedalboard amps?

Rex_Rocker

Rex_Rocker

Well-known member
I've been jamming with some dudes, and I've been happy with how my HX Stomp is sounding. One piece of gear that I wasn't happy with last band practice was my Mooer Tube Engine. It just didn't have the juice to keep up with a loud drummer. Don't get me wrong, it sounded loud enough, but not "good" enough. Low end started to fart out and mids became shrill, as with every other lunchbox amp I've experienced.

It sounds really good on its sweet spot, but sadly, that sweet spot is well above apartment jamming levels, and below full band practice levels. So I think I will sell it, and I'll get something beefier. However, it would be really convenient if I could fit it all inside a pedalboard rather than carrying a separate head/poweramp. It's just one more thing to carry, and I'd like to avoid that.

So I'm wondering what my options are. I know of the Duncan Powerstage. I'd aim for the 170, but I wanted to know what other options I have, and if someone has compared the PS to anything else. I like the Blackstar Amped 1 on paper too, but I wonder if a 100 Class D Watts power section would be enough, especially on 16 ohm cabs. I have tried the EHX Magnum stuff in the past, and I did not like it. It kinda had the same issues as with the Mooer. It farted out and sounded kinda harsh at band levels.

So... I'm 60% leaning towards the Powerstage, but if there's anything "better" or "as good as, just cheaper", then that'd be better.
 
ehdwuld said:
Victory makes those
Carvin still makes the Legacy pedals that Vai used
H&K makes the Ampman

Ehx has the 22 Caliber and the 44 Magnum
Without a preamp just the class D power
Carvin had one of those as well

https://carvinaudio.com/collections/homepage-tube-preamp-pedals
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Already tried the Magnum 44. Kinda harsh and slightly farty-sounding at loud volumes. Kinda like the same issue as my Mooer.

The Carvin looks nice, but 50W Class D (at 8 ohms, that is)... not sure it will cut it. Sames as the HK.

The Victory looks nice, but it's pricier than the Duncan, and I don't really need the preamp part.
 
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I should rename the thread "Pedalboard power amps", but I don't think I can anymore.

But the TL;DR is I want something really high-powered but reasonably priced so that I don't have to struggle for power the way I am now with my 20W tube poweramp (I doubt it's actually 20W since I assume it's cathode-biased, but whatever). I know of the existance of the Power Stage, but I want to know what other options are out there.
 
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It is just that the PowerStages are so good at what they do...really loud and fit well on a pedalboard (and have added EQ).
 
if i was using a pedalboard power amp, id want at least 200w @ 4ohms. at 16ohms thats only like 50w, which i dont know would be enough. many are rated at peak, not rms
 
One of my friends recently got a Quilter Tone Block and a Revv G4 as his fly rig, he's a longtime tube amp metal player and said it was great for what he needed.
 
jeremy said:
if i was using a pedalboard power amp, id want at least 200w @ 4ohms. at 16ohms thats only like 50w, which i dont know would be enough. many are rated at peak, not rms
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was wondering how loud the PS170 would be at 16 ohms. Luckily, the Marshall cabs that are common in backlines can go down to 4 ohms, but 16 ohm only cabs aren't uncommon either.
 
If I was looking at a setup like that, I would be looking at the PowerStage first.
If the PA is adequate, I wouldn't even bother with a pedalboard amp and just use a "zero watt amp" like the Humboldt Simplifier. I have the MkI model and use it every week with our church worship band. Straight DI but it has killer amp sounds in it, all analog, effects loop (where I run delay and reverb). Super light and about the size of a regular pedal, maybe a touch larger. IMO, it's the best non-digital DI option out there.
 
I haven't tried the Laney Ironheart Loudpedal. Maybe going into the effects loop if you don't want the coloration. Or just get a Fender FR-12 and forget about the backline cab.
 
donaldr said:
I haven't tried the Laney Ironheart Loudpedal. Maybe going into the effects loop if you don't want the coloration. Or just get a Fender FR-12 and forget about the backline cab.
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The thing is a pedalboard poweramp is more convenient to me because I wouldn't have to carry multiple objects. I could just wrap everything up inside my pedalboadr's gig bag, my guitar's gig bag, and get going.

I'll look into the Laney, thank you. 60W Class D doesn't sound like much, though. I kinda want something really high powered because I would hate to struggle to be heard the way I am now with my 20W tube poweramp. I'd rather turn down that be asked to turned up and not be able to. :(
 
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especially with class d stuff, i want more power than i think i would ever need. its not like it gets juicy when ya turn it up
 
I always figured the SD powerstage 200 would be about the loudest tiny power amp for a board. I just think it's a bit expensive but you're paying for the portability. Do people really complain it's not loud enough?

Another idea is just get a loud tube combo and go into the effects loop. If you're already needing to lug a cabinet around, it's a cab with nice power. I don't know what's up with the tube engine, most 20 watt tube amps are pretty loud (as you prob know)
 
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with a 4 or 8 ohm cab, i wouldnt worry about it, but a 16ohm cab for some styles of music might not be enough
 
jeremy said:
with a 4 or 8 ohm cab, i wouldnt worry about it, but a 16ohm cab for some styles of music might not be enough
Click to expand...

at some point I think a player needs to align things - if someone has a 16 ohm 4x12 cab, they should wire it to 4 ohms if volume is what is sought. or change out a 16 ohm speaker for an 8 or 4. that's just me.
 
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DankStar said:
I always figured the SD powerstage 200 would be about the loudest tiny power amp for a board. I just think it's a bit expensive but you're paying for the portability. Do people really complain it's not loud enough?

Another idea is just get a loud tube combo and go into the effects loop. If you're already needing to lug a cabinet around, it's a cab with nice power. I don't know what's up with the tube engine, most 20 watt tube amps are pretty loud (as you prob know)
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It is loud. It's just not a Metal powearmp... meaning EL84's start sounding too much like EL84's at band levels kinda loud: Thin, harsh, narrow, and kinda farty.

I've had a bunch of lunchbox amps, and it's been the same for all of them: EVH LBX I and II, Krank Rev Jr., and Dark Terror were like that too, sadly.
 
all guitar players I know think the are not loud enough
the bass player never starts the amp cranking war

usually its hearing loos or the eq is set for playing alone not in a mix
 
ehdwuld said:
all guitar players I know think the are not loud enough
the bass player never starts the amp cranking war

usually its hearing loos or the eq is set for playing alone not in a mix
Click to expand...

Actually, it is usually the drummer that sets the base volume of the stage. If a drummer is a loud one, I find it very hard to hear things clearly.
 
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