More Goodies

[Superlizard]

To replace my Holy Grail Nano (itself a fantastic reverb, but I need more control!):

For my slaving project:

For slaving/post-powertube FX (portability):

:glasses9:

 

[pabloman]

Those are some cool toys. So who's gonna be doing who in your setup? Is the EH gonna be the power amp and are you going to use the pre from your other amps. Or are you just going to be all Edward and Billy about it? :icon_biggrin:

 

[Superlizard]

Those are some cool toys. So who's gonna be doing who in your setup? Is the EH gonna be the power amp and are you going to use the pre from your other amps. Or are you just going to be all Edward and Billy about it? :icon_biggrin:

I get my sizzlin' Texas Tone from a wall of these:

:laughing11:

The Suhr Line Out will be used between amps to replace the HotPlate line out (which is a bit too hot a signal); the HotPlate will remain as a load.
(Suhr Line Out is not a load; strictly a line out)

I got the .22 Caliber mainly for portability (gigging) - I have a rack SS power amp but it's of course heavy enough to put in the "lug around"
category... theory here is (a few rig options):

slaved head
|
FX
|
2nd amp (combo amp)

-or-

slaved head
|
FX
|
rack power amp
|
speaker(s)

-or-

slaved head
|
FX
|
.22 caliber (pedal sized power amp)
|
speaker(s)

 

[Cagey]

Wow. I haven't seen one of those babies in a helluva long while. I thought they'd all gone the way of the Pintos, Mavericks and Vegas of the time, just naturally becoming landfill and returning to the dust from whence they came. Where are you finding those things?

 

[Superlizard]

Where are you finding those things?

Billy Gibbons gave 'em to me.  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Superlizard]

So the "stuff" came yesterday... I had to wait 10 long days; missed two weekends (one long - the 4th)
to get this; timing is everything.

EH Cathedral RAWKS - everything I expected it to be.  This is the best vid I've found which
shows what it can do... and mind you, in stereo if you want:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2-28drzvtk&feature=related[/youtube]

Suhr ISO Line Out also doth rawketh... it's cleaner (not as hot a signal) than the HotPlate
line out and made my slave tone even better.  However it can really crank the output - I currently
have it at "one" on the dial.

The .22 Caliber suprisingly sounds good just on its own.  Aside from being a useful tool
for slaving/wet-dry, it also can serve a purpose for a backup amp in case yours goes down in
the middle of the gig.  Gets pretty loud too; however it does start clipping past approx
2 o'clock (if you want clean headroom I'd venture the .44 Magnum would do better).

The one thing I didn't get to try yet regarding the .22 was this rig form:

Guitar
|
JTM45
|
Suhr ISO Line Out & HotPlate (set to Load)
|
FX (Cathedral for ex.)
|
.22 Caliber
|
Speaker

If the above sounds great, I could still slave but wouldn't need
to drag another amp with me playing out.  I would basically have
the same amount of gear as typicial (guitar, amp head+speaker, stomps).

 

[kboman]

So this effectively acts like an effects loop for a non-effects loop combo?

 

[Superlizard]

So this effectively acts like an effects loop for a non-effects loop combo?

Precisely - but even better than an FX loop.

This little side-benefit to slaving also provides the opportunity to place FX
*after* the amp, just like you were in the studio micing your speaker, then going to
the board (or DAW) and adding FX to the guitar track at the console.

The FX that benefit the most with this setup are time-based such
as reverbs and delays.  Far clearer repeats and echoes are heard
as compared to sticking the 'verb/delay in front of the amp (especially
when you add clipping/distortion).

So for those who have amps without FX loops but want great
sounding FX, this is the way to go.

All you need is some form of "dummy load", some form of Line Out
(line level signal tapped from the amp) and another power amp + speaker(s).

The THD HotPlate for example takes care of the "dummy load" and Line Out.

 

[Superlizard]

Here's an old graphic I did years ago explaining a "wet/dry" rig (utilizing a
HotPlate), which contains the "post amp FX" concept.  Keep in mind
this is just "one way to slice it" - there are variations:

(the left speaker produces the dry amp tone, the right speaker the FX'd tone)

 

[kboman]

Interesting. Are the EHX poweramp pedals transparent sounding? How loud do they get? Or to put it another way: correctly set up, would this sound any different from my AC15 without slaving?

I can see stereo possibilities here as well. Very interesting.

 

[Superlizard]

- 'Are the EHX poweramp pedals transparent sounding?'

On it's own, the .22 Caliber has a decent tone and it starts to break up around 2 o'clock.

As far as transparency, I've yet to try my aforementioned rig with the .22 cal.

- 'How loud do they get?'

I cranked the .22 cal:

guitar
|
.22 cal
|
speaker

...it's approx as loud as my Deluxe (roughly same wattage) - loud
enough to rumble the walls in the room somewhat, but not earth/head-shattering like a 100 watter.

- 'correctly set up, would this sound any different from my AC15 without slaving?'

Need more specifics to answer your question:

a) 'correctly set up' as far as how?  post-amp FX, slaving or both, or... ?
b) 'AC15 without slaving' - in other words, your AC15 by itself?

Tonight I will be trying this config which includes the .22 cal to see how
the tone manages:

Guitar
|
JTM45
|
Suhr ISO Line Out & HotPlate (set to Load)
|
FX (Cathedral for ex.)
|
.22 Caliber
|
Speaker

 

[Superlizard]

I can see stereo possibilities here as well. Very interesting.

Yes, you can easily do a wet/dry/wet if you like... provided you have a stereo FX unit
and the appropriate power to each speaker cab.  One "wet" would be Left and the other
"wet" would be Right and the "dry" tone provided by the main amp as Center, etc...

 

[kboman]

For stereo, I'd consider something like this:
guitar -> amp -> [attenuating stuff] -> [pedal with stereo out, say a chorus] => [stereo delay/reverbs] => 2x ehx amp pedals => two speakers

Should work fine methinks. No dry cab unless I get rich and can afford roadies, and even the above is slightly overkill anyway and not within finiancial reach at the moment...


I meant, correctly set up as in levels set at appropriate, non-equipment damaging levels, pedals in the right order, etc.

 

[Superlizard]

For stereo, I'd consider something like this:
guitar -> amp -> [attenuating stuff] -> [pedal with stereo out, say a chorus] => [stereo delay/reverbs] => 2x ehx amp pedals => two speakers

Should work fine methinks. No dry cab unless I get rich and can afford roadies, and even the above is slightly overkill anyway and not within finiancial reach at the moment...


I meant, correctly set up as in levels set at appropriate, non-equipment damaging levels, pedals in the right order, etc.

Absolutely - that's the chain; right there as you wrote above.

Update:  Tried the .22 as a poweramp last night at solo practice levels (not pushing
it into distortion), and it worked great.  As with any kind of slaving/post amp FX, the
2nd power amp(s) will ever-so-slightly color your tone, just as my recent
slaving-one-t00b-amp-into-another-t00b-amp project does.

The .22 should work for small gigs and practice... I'd think you'd want the .44
for larger audiences if sticking to the E-HX pedal format... and if you need as clean
a poweramp as you can.  Otherwise you can crank the .22 and it will add some of
its own clipping to your tone.

So to answer your stock amp transparency question, the amount of
transparency depends on the power amp you're using and whether or
not you're pushing it into distortion (how much clean headroom).

 

[AutoBat]

.22's are quite difficult to find (at least in the midwest) I've wanted one for quite some time as my guitar hero that got me to play guitar used one, i believe he paired it with some power amplifiers though.

 

[Superlizard]

.22's are quite difficult to find (at least in the midwest) I've wanted one for quite some time as my guitar hero that got me to play guitar used one, i believe he paired it with some power amplifiers though.

I think you're thinking of the Mesa Boogie Studio .22 Caliber:

I'm talking about these:

http://www.amazon.com/Electro-Harmonix-22-Caliber-22-watt-Amplifier/dp/B002GU665A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1310579645&sr=8-5

 

[AutoBat]

^^correct you are. sorry 'bout that!

 

[Strat Avenger]

Wow. I haven't seen one of those babies in a helluva long while. I thought they'd all gone the way of the Pintos, Mavericks and Vegas of the time, just naturally becoming landfill and returning to the dust from whence they came. Where are you finding those things?

You should never mention Mavericks in the same sentence with Pintos and Vegas (damn, I just did, didn't I?).  That's like grouping American Standard Stratocasters with Squire Stratocasters. Not in the same class.

 

[nexrex]

EH Cathedral sounds great. Can't believe the guys name is Dave Weiner  :sad1:

 

[Cagey]

Wow. I haven't seen one of those babies in a helluva long while. I thought they'd all gone the way of the Pintos, Mavericks and Vegas of the time, just naturally becoming landfill and returning to the dust from whence they came. Where are you finding those things?

You should never mention Mavericks in the same sentence with Pintos and Vegas (damn, I just did, didn't I?).  That's like grouping American Standard Stratocasters with Squire Stratocasters. Not in the same class.

While I can appreciate that you may have a soft spot in your heart for those things, they were pitiful cars. I remember when they first came out, you had your choice of any of the three for $1,999 brand new. Of course, taxes, title, registration, and assorted dealer rapes were extra. But, it was the rare one that lasted more than a couple years. They were very disposable cars.