Brutal Modern Metal Amp - what's good at bedroom volumes?

[gainiac]

What brutal heavy gain/metal amp is great at low volumes, with no fizz?

[ESPVIPERCAMO]

ill give you a million dollars if u can find me the high gain amp that doesnt fizz, that swhy they make pedals

[hermz]

Kind of an oxymoron there. I can tell you the Engl Powerball sounds pretty good at low volume, but never as good as it sounds cranked.

[zerosk8r900]

I have a Vox AD50VT and that can get some decent modern metal tones out of it with the presets. The best thing about it is that it has a wattage output knob on the back so you can turn that down and crank up the volume all the way so you can have bedroom volume without sacraficing tone. And the price on them is unbelievably cheap.

[Riff Master Mike]

ill give you a million dollars if u can find me the high gain amp that doesnt fizz, that swhy they make pedals
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/MajikRiffs/gear1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/MajikRiffs/studiopics116.jpg

I take paypal. Cash is preferred.

[rockinhockey]

:lol:rollin:lol

[ESPVIPERCAMO]

lol, you know what i meant

[D-EJ915]

lol nice setting name :rollin

[Ramses1134]

im getting a vox ad50vt cus it was nice at low volumes.

[Riff Master Mike]

lol nice setting name :rollin

That is a patch for 2 particular songs that I use the same preset for...
"A Coward With A Smile" and "After School Bukkake".

[cobrahead1030]

engl powerball or fireball

mesa mark III or mark IV

boosted vht deliverance is another possible option, but ya have to get it a little louder than the other two before it starts to open up...but FWIW i'm using mine as a bedroom amp right now and happy with it, tho it does sound better cranked

[Petruccis_Son]

+1 on the 147 for a brutal sounding bedroom amp that does it all in 1. if you want to use it live then it can do that too ;)

you don't need a tube amp for the bedroom, the 147 or any line 6 product will sound better at low volumes than any tube amp

[BrazilianBootyLover]

you don't need a tube amp for the bedroom

I do!

[cobrahead1030]

+1 on the 147 for a brutal sounding bedroom amp that does it all in 1. if you want to use it live then it can do that too ;)

you don't need a tube amp for the bedroom, the 147 or any line 6 product will sound better at low volumes than any tube amp

disagree on this one big time...everyone has different taste, but putting any line 6 product against any tube amp @ low volume?

[JeanPaul du Vinnie]

The JSX sounds great on low volumes. A bit thinner than it does when crancked, but still very good nontheless.

[chevy Z 302]

engl powerball is killer at low volumes.

mark iv, i definitly would not recommend for low bedroom volumes. Not even close.

[Sixstringhotshot]

engl powerball or fireball

mesa mark III or mark IV

boosted vht deliverance is another possible option, but ya have to get it a little louder than the other two before it starts to open up...but FWIW i'm using mine as a bedroom amp right now and happy with it, tho it does sound better cranked



The deliverance opens up way too late. It goes from not quite loud enough to WAY too loud. The 120, anyhow. The 60 is probably a little tamer. Boosting is coming way into style, and I'm so over it. I haven't ran anything but a noise gate before my D120 in several months.

Pure brutality.

[Riff Master Mike]

disagree on this one big time...everyone has different taste, but putting any line 6 product against any tube amp @ low volume?

I think his opinion is based on science. I don't know about "any" or "all", ever. But I do know that the reason most people love tube amps is from they reaction the get between them and the amp, the touch and the attack of the note a tube amp CAN make happen. At low volumes, a tube amp, even a 5 watter can be too loud at it's optimal setting. You won't be able to get that same effect with them at such low volumes, because by nature, you need to push the tube to get that unique... well, used to be unique, quality that tube players enjoy. So, the logic of buying a line 6, besides the obvious, is that you can get the same full blown, "cranked" tone out of it rather it's being played to blow away a 100 watt tube amp with four 4x12's, or rather it's being played so nobody outside the room can hear it at 2AM. either way, you get the same tone... A tube amp, by nature, can't do this well. Plus, a L6 doesn't need a load for speakers, so you can hook it up direct for recording and just use monitors withot a cab at all... or even a home stereo for speakers.

[JMad81]

If you want a tube amp, the powerball is great at low volumes, but since its pretty pricey, id recommend getting a POD or a Randall.

I use a powerball live and a POD XT for practice. The powerball obviously sounds better than the POD, but the POD is great for practice.

[JMad81]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/MajikRiffs/gear1.jpg


I take paypal. Cash is preferred.

Why does your amp say Bukkake :lol:lol:lol Did you name a preset that?

[V]

epiphone valve junior.

buy it
mod it
love it

[cobrahead1030]

I think his opinion is based on science. I don't know about "any" or "all", ever. But I do know that the reason most people love tube amps is from they reaction the get between them and the amp, the touch and the attack of the note a tube amp CAN make happen. At low volumes, a tube amp, even a 5 watter can be too loud at it's optimal setting. You won't be able to get that same effect with them at such low volumes, because by nature, you need to push the tube to get that unique... well, used to be unique, quality that tube players enjoy. So, the logic of buying a line 6, besides the obvious, is that you can get the same full blown, "cranked" tone out of it rather it's being played to blow away a 100 watt tube amp with four 4x12's, or rather it's being played so nobody outside the room can hear it at 2AM. either way, you get the same tone... A tube amp, by nature, can't do this well. Plus, a L6 doesn't need a load for speakers, so you can hook it up direct for recording and just use monitors withot a cab at all... or even a home stereo for speakers.

believe me i understand the logic behind what he's saying...i've owned tubes and modelers (usually at the same time) for years now, and i see the benefits of both every day

there are some tube amps tho that really sound great at lower volumes, most of them aren't in that category & even the ones that do usually sound better turned up...but you can't throw out a blanket statement like that saying no tube amp can ever sound good at bedroom levels, because there are a few that can...oddly enough they're all higher wattage amps

at home now i've got a valve jr, toneport, mark III, deliverance, and cobra...the mark III and toneport get used the most because they sound better at lower volumes, while the tone port is more versatile and infinitely easier to switch on the fly; i enjoy the mark III a whole lot more

i guess my point is this...modelers have their place, and tube amps have theirs'...neither one is a replacement for the other, you gotta find what works best, and it's a bit foolish to think that either one of them simply CAN'T work in just about any given situation (atleast when you're talking across the board, not getting into specific products)

[cobrahead1030]

The deliverance opens up way too late. It goes from not quite loud enough to WAY too loud. The 120, anyhow. The 60 is probably a little tamer. Boosting is coming way into style, and I'm so over it. I haven't ran anything but a noise gate before my D120 in several months.

Pure brutality.

the volume knob on the 60 is a bit touchy, but i can get the top end to open up and have some nice thump from the amp without blowing out my windows...it's not a whisper level, but i can sit a few feet from the amp and play it comfortably without my ears ringing

i was never a big boost fan until i got my maxon od808, even still it works nicely with some amps and not so well with others...for recording i like it for boosting my cobra's lead channel, and the vht

i've never had the chance to play the vht in a loud/band situation tho, so i may only prefer the boost @ lower volumes...which is one situation where i think a boost really can help an amp kick some ass

[Riff Master Mike]

but you can't throw out a blanket statement like that saying no tube amp can ever sound good at bedroom levels, because there are a few that can...oddly enough they're all higher wattage amps

Well, that is true. But it is also true that this is really a exception, by nature alone. This is also a tone opinion, not the science of why a tube amp works best at high volumes and why a modeling amplifier does so well at lower volumes. Personally, I didn't really take full notice of this general effect until I started going the digital route myself. In general, tube amps need to be cranked for that real magic to happen, which is exactly why things like the pod have done so well in the marketplace. It's so you can get that full blown, cranked tube amp sound without waking up the neighbors or going through an hour of setting up to get that perfect mic postion. There really wouldn't be as great of a need for such a product if most tube amps sounded fine at low volumes. You will probably never hear a recording engineer say, "Hey, could you turn that tube amp down to a low, talking volume, it always sounds better that way."
However, with a line 6 amplifier, you can indeed keep that volume low without the huge change in overall feel. A tube amp CAN sound good at low volumes, but it will most likely never sound AND feel AS good at low volumes as it does at higher volumes. Depending on the amp of course.

In reality, the vast majority of tube amps do not have the same fullness and response at low volumes that tube players play them for. On that same note, modelers, at least every one I have ever played, do indeed sound as good at low volumes in comparison to most tube amps.
One could almost never responsibly say the word, "all" or "always" without there being an exception.

[shakeESP]

Cornford amps. They do some low wattage amps, which would, due to lower volume levels, sound great at low volumes.

Only problem is they are damn expensive, but they sound incredible.

-Chris

[cobrahead1030]

Well, that is true. But it is also true that this is really a exception, by nature alone. This is also a tone opinion, not the science of why a tube amp works best at high volumes and why a modeling amplifier does so well at lower volumes. Personally, I didn't really take full notice of this general effect until I started going the digital route myself. In general, tube amps need to be cranked for that real magic to happen, which is exactly why things like the pod have done so well in the marketplace. It's so you can get that full blown, cranked tube amp sound without waking up the neighbors or going through an hour of setting up to get that perfect mic postion. There really wouldn't be as great of a need for such a product if most tube amps sounded fine at low volumes. You will probably never hear a recording engineer say, "Hey, could you turn that tube amp down to a low, talking volume, it always sounds better that way."
However, with a line 6 amplifier, you can indeed keep that volume low without the huge change in overall feel. A tube amp CAN sound good at low volumes, but it will most likely never sound AND feel AS good at low volumes as it does at higher volumes. Depending on the amp of course.

In reality, the vast majority of tube amps do not have the same fullness and response at low volumes that tube players play them for. On that same note, modelers, at least every one I have ever played, do indeed sound as good at low volumes in comparison to most tube amps.
One could almost never responsibly say the word, "all" or "always" without there being an exception.

you also have to take technology and evolution into account when it comes to tube amps tho; there are still a lot of companies that are putting out new products every year, and this is something that atleast a handful of tube amp manufacturers seem to have (finally) woken up to

there are more & more tube amps made now with built in power soaks, half power switchs, etc. & those that just simply sound better when turned down

i think the versatility, built in fx, and easy switching are what pull a lot of people into modeling amps...moreso than the low volume issue; but even so that's another thing that manufacturers are paying more & more attention to...every company has a 4 channel head, more of them are (finally) offering midi switching as an option, and there's even a handful out now (like the h&k switchblade and some of the xxx models) that are getting into the digital effects realm

if more tube amp companies wake up and really try to adress what it takes to compete with their digital counterparts, i think in 10 years you'll see some really amazing stuff come out of it...with the spider valve thing it looks like line 6 is on the same path as well, i'm curious to see if marshall, mesa, peavey or someone will do a multi channel amp with some decent fx built in anytime soon

[Thrashman]

ROLAND Cube 30 :hat

[Riff Master Mike]

you also have to take technology and evolution into account when it comes to tube amps tho; there are still a lot of companies that are putting out new products every year, and this is something that atleast a handful of tube amp manufacturers seem to have (finally) woken up to
this is also true, but this has always been true since they started making amps. I own a hybrid with a tube power amp and solid state pre that was made in the 70's. They have been trying new designs for years and years. What COULD be in the future is speculation, although I am sure you are right about some exciting new amps coming. But this guy needs and amp now, not 10 years from now, right?
Science says this is the way tubes react, not me. Tubes are 100+ year old technologies. If they haven't figured out a way by now, I'm pretty confident in believing it's not going to happen, ever. Even a 3 watt tube amp needs to be cranked to hit that sweet spot, and that is in no way bedroom talking level volumes. That is my only point, or, opinion rather, that by nature, a tube amp needs to be pushed to create that great tube feel and characteristic that players enjoy. There is nothing that can change that, it's like string vibration is what makes a guitar sound the way it does.

[cobrahead1030]

this is also true, but this has always been true since they started making amps. I own a hybrid with a tube power amp and solid state pre that was made in the 70's. They have been trying new designs for years and years. What COULD be in the future is speculation, although I am sure you are right about some exciting new amps coming. But this guy needs and amp now, not 10 years from now, right?
Science says this is the way tubes react, not me. Tubes are 100+ year old technologies. If they haven't figured out a way by now, I'm pretty confident in believing it's not going to happen, ever. Even a 3 watt tube amp needs to be cranked to hit that sweet spot, and that is in no way bedroom talking level volumes. That is my only point, or, opinion rather, that by nature, a tube amp needs to be pushed to create that great tube feel and characteristic that players enjoy. There is nothing that can change that, it's like string vibration is what makes a guitar sound the way it does.

i guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one...i can't say what it is they did right compared to everyone else; but the marshall jvm, engl fireball & powerball, mesa mark III & IV, along with a handful of other amps can really sound great at bedroom levels...not AS good as they would cranked, but definitely enough to get a great useable tone

as far as amps available now, i already listed the ones i'd reccomend...i just don't think it's a lost cause to have a tube amp that can be used at home while sounding great, even if it was designed for other purposes and excels at them

[Riff Master Mike]

Sounds good to me pal!:)