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Spent some time with some low-watt tube amps...


Griffinator

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BTW, in regard to "working the guitar's volume knob".

Do you use a volume pedal ?

Personally I think most guitars sound best when full on.

The pedal allows the guitar's circuitry to be set optimally for tone but still attenuated.

I think this works the way I'm imagining.

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Re: computerized live rigs.

I'm not an authority but from what I've heard, problems such as latency, etc., have to do more with using non-dedicated computers (that have a lot of extra programs, etc.) than anything else.

 

I'm going to step out and say no, you cannot solve all the latency issues by having a computer whose only function is to run your soft-amp-sims.

 

Take a fresh laptop. Mac or PC, doesn't matter. Clean install, no junkware from the factory. Slap your favorite fake-amp app on it. Wire it up to a soundcard with 1/4" ins and outs. Plug in your guitar, then plug in whatever you want for a sound reproduction source.

 

Most importantly, make sure you're using the pedal interface.

 

Now, play a song that requires several distinctly different tones. Make sure at least one has a complex time circuit involved (delay, reverb, etc).

 

You'll know instantly what I mean when I say not all latency issues can be solved with a clean, isolated OS.

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BTW, in regard to "working the guitar's volume knob".

Do you use a volume pedal ?

Personally I think most guitars sound best when full on.

The pedal allows the guitar's circuitry to be set optimally for tone but still attenuated.

I think this works the way I'm imagining.

 

I read an article a while back that said a volume pedal with a standard pot in it does the same thing as the volume pot in your guitar, attenuate the highs, which makes a certain amount of sense to me. According to the article, only Morley pedals don't because they use optical pots. Maybe there are other volume pedals with optical posts out there?

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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You'll know instantly what I mean when I say not all latency issues can be solved with a clean, isolated OS.

 

Actually a clean, isolated OS will solve exactly zero latency issues. Latency has nothing at all to do with whatever else may be installed & running on a computer. It is entirely determined by the CPU, interface & the audio application you are running your sound through. Choking can occur if another app takes over an inordinate amount of CPU cycles, but that is unrelated to latency.

Scott Fraser
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You'll know instantly what I mean when I say not all latency issues can be solved with a clean, isolated OS.

 

Actually a clean, isolated OS will solve exactly zero latency issues. Latency has nothing at all to do with whatever else may be installed & running on a computer. It is entirely determined by the CPU, interface & the audio application you are running your sound through. Choking can occur if another app takes over an inordinate amount of CPU cycles, but that is unrelated to latency.

 

Kinda the point I was trying to drive home, although there is such a thing as software latency, and it is rooted in excessive demand for clock cycles, though it's practically a non-issue on a 64-bit OS with a 4 or more core CPU, unless you're running a modeling reverb (something like Waves Ren Verb) in the chain with your amp sim.

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I bet it's a nice amp, but I also bet it's still louder and more powerful than what Griff's describing as what he's looking for.

 

I tell ya, you'd be quite surprised at how loud the 7 watts from the single EL34 in my Fuchs Lucky 7 can be, even through a single 1x12 open-back cab and without any boost or overdrive pedals at all...

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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BTW, in regard to "working the guitar's volume knob".

Do you use a volume pedal ?

Personally I think most guitars sound best when full on.

The pedal allows the guitar's circuitry to be set optimally for tone but still attenuated.

I think this works the way I'm imagining.

 

+ 1.

 

I've seen some guys have an incredible range of tones with just a good volume pedal and an old Marshall.

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BTW, in regard to "working the guitar's volume knob".

Do you use a volume pedal ?

Personally I think most guitars sound best when full on.

The pedal allows the guitar's circuitry to be set optimally for tone but still attenuated.

I think this works the way I'm imagining.

 

+ 1.

 

I've seen some guys have an incredible range of tones with just a good volume pedal and an old Marshall.

 

Personally, I like using the controls on the guitar, it works fine for me. (Good tone can still be maintained, depending on the taper and value of the pot and the use of a capacitor or cap and resistor "high-pass" or "treble-bleed" circuit being placed across the volume-pot, if needed.)

 

But volume pedals- and "auto"/envelope "Slow Gear" pedals for swell effects- are cool, too.

 

 

Some of you might like something like this (or might even like building one yourself, can't be that hard):

 

J. Everman 'The Pot'

 

Volume and Tone controls that can be pre-set and foot-switched in and out for various tonal effects, such as working with a cranked tube-amp or vintage-style fuzz-pedal, octave-fuzz, etc.

 

_______________ http://www.jeverman.com/thepot2small.jpg

 

"THE POT", short for potentiometer, is a remote, true-bypass volume and tone control. Just like the volume & tone pots on your guitar, but in pedal form. This unit is great on amps where you need to adjust your guitar's volume control to tweek in the correct level of overdrive. Use "THE POT" straight or in conjunction with your Fuzz Drive for added tonal dynamics. The unit allows you to get a great clean sound out of fuzz pedals that clean up as you roll off the volume.

 

Passive Volume Control - When you roll off your guitar's volume you will typically notice a loss of high end clarity, this is due to the filter produced between the capacitance of your guitar cable and the volume pot you are adjusting. "THE POT" resolves this issue in that it has a high pass filter that will pass highs to your amp no matter what level you have it set to. No more muddy sounds at low volume!

 

Passive Tone Control - Some amps are very bright and as a result you may find it necessary to have less high end filted though. With this in mind, we have added a tone control to allow you to dial in the perfect mix with your particular setup.

 

I have a J. Everman Octave-X octave-fuzz pedal that I LOVE, and can attest to the excellent build quality and tone of his pedals. Reif, a.k.a. Bluesape, squeezed some great sounds out of my Octave-X going into his MESA/Boogie Express... :cool:

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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