Home practice - amp head/combo guys, how do you listen to what you're playing at home?

[Kosthrash]

I'm a fan of 1-5watters head/combos for home/apartment use. They're designed especially for this use case and they have natural sag due to their low headroom. I even use my DSL1cr in 0.1w mode for even lower headroom for late night practice. Too bad they're not too many options available for high gain (there used to be the Randall diavlos 1&5w and the anniversary JVM1h/c). Some preamps can work the same way as for example the Engl E530 (does have a 1.5 watt power section to feed a cab directly, however it's not tube driven).

 

[Kosthrash]

Yeah, I was just curious about eliminating the power amp sag and harmonics, as you said. I’m not sure I need to be buying more gear for practicing, in terms of anything expensive, but I’m curious about how I could get some nice, low volume or headphone tones out of the gear I do have. I’m not against using a computer, or a modeler for that matter, but I have 4 amp heads, and I don’t play live. I gotta use them somehow! Honestly, for headphone practice I’ve been using an old POD 2.0, a Mustang Micro my sister bought me for Christmas, or this Sansamp Classic I just got in a deal. But man, I LOVE the sound of some of these amps, so I really want to experience that as much as I can. So it sounds like something like the Suhr box, or another RL/IR box, would be the way to capture that. Or just keep doing live through the cab.

I'm not sure if this is what you 're looking for, but have you tried to reduce the volume using an eq pedal with volume control in the fx loop?

 

[chargrilled]

By the way if you don’t want to go down the computer / monitors route can get a loadbox with built in IR storage like the Suhr RL IR, Ox, Two Notes and send that into an FRFR cab.

I’ve tried this sounded great :

Laney LFR-112 Active 200W 12" FRFR Guitar Cab - Andertons Music Co.

Get the Laney LFR-112 Active 200W 12" FRFR Guitar Cab from Andertons Music Company today!

www.andertons.co.uk

 

[budda]

Yeah, I was just curious about eliminating the power amp sag and harmonics, as you said. I’m not sure I need to be buying more gear for practicing, in terms of anything expensive, but I’m curious about how I could get some nice, low volume or headphone tones out of the gear I do have. I’m not against using a computer, or a modeler for that matter, but I have 4 amp heads, and I don’t play live. I gotta use them somehow! Honestly, for headphone practice I’ve been using an old POD 2.0, a Mustang Micro my sister bought me for Christmas, or this Sansamp Classic I just got in a deal. But man, I LOVE the sound of some of these amps, so I really want to experience that as much as I can. So it sounds like something like the Suhr box, or another RL/IR box, would be the way to capture that. Or just keep doing live through the cab.

Play live.

 

[jaxadam]

RG570 w 18v mod -> Line 6 Spider II -> shut the door

 

[ThunderUnderground]

Am i the only loser who just has a humble practice amp and some headphones?

 

[MantraSky.]

Most of the time I’m working on songs…..

 

[Hollowway]

Am i the only fiscally responsible adult who just has a humble practice amp and some headphones?

View attachment 128970

FTFY

 

[Hollowway]

I'm not sure if this is what you 're looking for, but have you tried to reduce the volume using an eq pedal with volume control in the fx loop?

I haven’t, but I definitely should. Other than whatever is inherent in the loop circuitry, would this affect the tone at all? Like it doesn’t suck the highs out, etc, does it?

 

[Kosthrash]

I haven’t, but I definitely should. Other than whatever is inherent in the loop circuitry, would this affect the tone at all? Like it doesn’t suck the highs out, etc, does it?

If you use an eq pedal, you may shape the tone after the amp's tonestack at your preference (or leave it flat of course).
The ideal would be to use a line level rack eq (with volume) in the fx loop, but you'll be fine with a quality guitar eq pedal too.

 

[Emperoff]

Audient ID22 Interface > Neumann KH120A monitors

Sounds great and I don't disturb anyone. With the added bonus of enjoying the same sound quality when listening to music, etc. I used to have amps at home but I don't feel the need anymore. I use them strictly at rehearsals and shows, where I can crank them as they deserve.

 

[Kosthrash]

There used to be also the Eminence Maverick & Reignmaker loudspeakers, which have adjustable sensitivity (91 to 100dB I think) (Eminence FDM technology), not sure if they're still in production though...

 

[Neon_Knight_]

My current practice rig is a Peavey Vypyr VIP 2 + Sanpera II pedal. I find that I get much better low volume tone by dialling in a tone at moderate volume and then reducing the volume with the Sanpera pedal, compared to reducing the amp's master volume. I also have the option of plugging in headphones, but even with good headphones, that just feels wrong to me.

Definitely not a replacement for a valve amp + cab, but it's far more usable for aggressive / distorted tones at low volume.

I'm in the process of upgrading to FM3 + studio monitors though.

 

[laxu]

There used to be also the Eminence Maverick & Reignmaker loudspeakers, which have adjustable sensitivity (91 to 100dB I think) (Eminence FDM technology), not sure if they're still in production though...

They are no longer produced but I've had the Eminence Maverick. It's a lovely sounding speaker, though a bit on the dark side so best paired with brighter voiced amps.

These speakers aren't really suited for anything but 1x12 combos because it gets complicated real quick if you need to adjust the knob on the back on each individual speaker.

But on its own, the attenuation feature works. It does change how the speaker sounds, generally adding more lows and smoothing the highs. You can compensate for that by adjusting your amp controls for less bass/resonance and more treble/presence.

It's still not going to take your 50-100W amp to bedroom volumes or anything. Remember that speaker sensitivity is usually measured as 1W input @ 1m distance @ 1 KHz frequency, though Eminence doesn't state anywhere what their rating means.

 

[Marked Man]

I own the house.

So I play a vacuum tube amp powering anywhere from two to eight 12-inch speakers.

Simple.

 

[Marked Man]

When I play, everyone listens......

I keep it down late at night or when certain guests are over, but watch out for weekend morning and work day afternoons.....it's gonna be loud.......

 

[soul_lip_mike]

Kinda want a mark vii combo but they're so expensive.

 

[Hollowway]

I use a stereo rig, either for practice, either for rehearsals/band play. With the band, I use whatever cab there is in the studio (rental by the hour), generally 2x 412 cabs and it sounds huge.

At home, I use headphones 99% of the time.
- When possible and by daylight, I have 2x 112 homemade cabs that sound good.
- By night (most of the time), I have 3x stereo signals (I'll use only 2 of these) feeding my audio interface and mixed through the headphones:
-- 2x Torpedo Captors (first gen, no IRs) load the power amp and send the signal into the audio interface
--- 2x raw signal, ready to receive IRs through WoS or another IR loader in the DAW
--- 2x analogue compensated signal.
-- The preamp also has 2 compensated outs which are also fed into the audio interface.

So, through the headphones I'm mixing the stereo analogue compensated signal from the captors with the preamp's also stereo and analogue compensated signal. Individually these do their jobs, but mixed they sound great.

What are you doing requiring the stereo stuff? Delays or different amps or…?

 

[Marked Man]

Kinda want a mark vii combo but they're so expensive.

A freakin' $4 box of granola bars now costs $8 also.

I'm not buying any new top tier amps during this inflation....

And with pedals as good as the SLO, I'm not as tempted as I might be.

 

[budda]

@odibrom fm3