Question for power amp

[metalguy_hk]

Hi guys, I actually running a H&K TM18 head with 1 x 12 cab with my pedal board. I was thinking to add a power amp into my rig to get more bass sound for metal shit like Slipknot and Pantera. I am not familiar with power amp or these kind of stuffs, but per my knowledge power amp is to supply power for preamp, pls correct me if I am wrong.
Anyway, I am not sure whether adding a power amp to my rig will work, my concern is whether the power amp will "burn" the tubes of my tube head due to extra power from the power amp.
Pls correct my knowledge if I am wrong, many thanks!!

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

If youre not gigging, I wouldnt worry about needing an external power amp. If you want a bigger tone, get a 2x12 or 4x12.

 

[Wrecklyss]

Are you talking about running a power amp into you guitar amp? DON'T DO THAT! You can run a separate power amp from the effects send into another speaker, but with a tube amp 1. NEVER power it on without it being hooked to a speaker, and 2. NEVER run an amplified signal into it or any amp for that matter (solid state included).

Running a powered signal into an amp will burn up just about every electronic component, not just tubes. It will destroy your amp and could be a fire hazard.

 

[Sephael]

Let's cover some basics:
An amp, such as your Tubemeister is effective two separate components. From the guitar input to the effects loop send is the preamp. From the fx return to the speaker out is the power amp. The poweramp doesn't power the preamp in the least, it just boosts the signal strength after the preamp and any additional effects.

Now you could run from the fx send (or from the last pedal in your loop) to a separate power amp if you wanted more volume or just the tonal changes. The TM18 can do so without being hooked up to a cab itself but ONLY if you have the powersoak set to complete silent.

However, if you want a more metal sound there are better options:
1) use a boost before the pre-amp. In particular a Green Rhino has veritable bass boost.
2) Get an EQ and toss in the loop to bump up your bass.
3) get a solid metal distortion such as a TightMetal and run it straight into the fx return. You can even get it modded with SideTrak so that when it is off you can run through the preamp of the HK18 for your cleaner sounds.

 

[DarkWolfXV]

You are probably looking for boost, not poweramp, the way you want to hook it up is going to burn the shit out of your amp. Buy boost like TS-7, TS-9, Maxon OD-808, hook them up after guitar then into amp input and get drive to lowest, level to max, if there is tone knob adjust to taste. It will tighten up the sound and drive tubes more, you can use it to add gain using drive knob if your amp doesnt have enough gain.

If you want more bass get eq pedal and/or try 2x12 or 4x12 cabinets for moving more air.

 

[VBCheeseGrater]

Yeah, what everyone else said. There should never be a power amp going into you Amp Head at all, for any reason. It will toast it. You could run the effects send from your head OUT to the power amp, but i don't think that wil help get the tone you're looking for.

Get a boost like the Green Rhino or Tube Screamer, run it in front of the head into the distortion channel, it will tighten things up and get you the "CHUG" that you seek.

 

[metalguy_hk]

Appreciate for all your information guys
Actually I did put an Overdrive pedal to boost the lead, but I am just wonder whether adding a pre amp is workable. Actually I have got wah pedal ----> MXR zakk phase ----> MXR zakk overdrive ----> Tight metal pedal ----> amp input. Pedals like chorus, delay, reverb and KK 10 band EQ to FX loop
If I connect the tight metal straight into FX return, so is that means the setting like below, pls correct me if I am wrong, thanks!

wah pedal ----> phase ----> overdrive ----> amp input
Tight metal ----> chorus ----> delay ----> reverb ----> 10 band EQ to FX loop

 

[Sephael]

I'd put the eq before the chorus reverb and delay that way you are doing time effects to the sound you want instead of messing with the natural changes they make. And instead of amp input you would plug the last pedal in that line into the fx return, trying to run the amps preamp into the tightmetal is likely to sound like balls.

 

[metalguy_hk]

I'd put the eq before the chorus reverb and delay that way you are doing time effects to the sound you want instead of messing with the natural changes they make. And instead of amp input you would plug the last pedal in that line into the fx return, trying to run the amps preamp into the tightmetal is likely to sound like balls.

Thanks for your advise and I will try that out