ttt

8/24/2008 1:47:17 PM

stupid question to ask I know but when should I know to change the tubes in my amp. I had solid state for awhile just because it was cheaper, then I picked up my peavey 5150 used and used that for multiple years and never changed the tubes (didnt ever seem like I had to). Ive had my dual rectifier now over a year (and it was used when I bought it) and it still seems to be working great.

Should there be an audible sound quality difference letting me know the tubes are dying or a noticeable change in the volume its pushing or what?

8/24/2008 8:30:09 PM

it will get noisy...lots of pops, crackles, weird sounds. you can tap the tubes while the amp is running to see if they're microphonic. guitar shops can prob also test the tubes for you if you bring them in. someone else can prob tell you more info about all this, though.

8/24/2008 10:16:36 PM

word thanks . for someone who prefers tubes and has used them now for awhile youd think I know but I just have never felt like I had any tubes "go out" on me where I worried about it heh.

8/24/2008 10:22:35 PM

preamp tubes won't go out, the sound will just degrade

power tubes can sort of freak out on you, but you'd notice a huge dip in power or dynamics

it's worth experimenting with different tubes...some will make a difference and some won't. since i use mostly EL84 amps, putting in a set of JJ power tubes makes a huge difference in touch sensivity and richness, and when i'm recording lower-gain stuff i replace the 12AX7s with 12AU7s so i can crank the amp and not have it fuzz out near the top of the preamp dial

but be aware that getting creative with tube choice can be expensive and also make you think more about tubes than playing, lol...i started playing mostly one pickup guitars to avoid having too many things to think about, and then got obsessed with tube choices

8/25/2008 1:32:06 PM

anyone used a Fostex MR-8mkII digital 8 track recorder?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fostex-MR-8mkII-8-Track-Digital-Recorder-103729851-i1125873.gc

the skinny:

8 track digital recorder with compact flash for memory (very nice here for small scale stuff)
2 trim XLR inputs and 2 1/4" inputs (can only record 2 things at one time though)
supplies phantom power
"mastering"
USB transfer as wave to PC
Sampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz
easy punching in
analog distortion (although id probably just mic up a cab).

this would be used to track guitars purely for writing purposes. our other guitar player is probably going to come live with me for a few months to finish writing our 3rd album and it will be nice for us to lay out a song when I am home at night, and then record the main riff and have him work on the 2nd guitar/harmonizations during the day when I am not around. We are also planning to send it to the other members who do not live close to us anymore (we drive in to raleigh to practice heh)

8/25/2008 8:50:01 PM

if you're just doing it for writing purposes, why not do something software-based? it'd probably be cheaper and then also much easier to pass it along to the other members via email

8/25/2008 9:37:00 PM

I got this vibratone today:

and i also came upon a really busted silverface twin reverb.
the twin needs a lot of work. any tube amp techs you guys trust?

8/25/2008 9:50:59 PM

^^ bah i edited thanking you about the info on the tubes but my internet crapped out, must not have gone through before I left.

the problem is that my sound card in this laptop is horrible. I tried the J Station and borrowed a Line Six Pod from my guitar teacher. And while both are nice, lining in to my laptop created lots of white noise and cracks and pops and the distortion that I wasnt really that happy with (even though it is for writing purposes) since it meant using the modeling tones and im spoiled with tube tones. I dont know that any of the Line Six Toneport, one of the best interfaces to run an actual micd cab (what I want to do) would be that much better since it would still be processing on my sound card.

At least thats my thinking. any thoughts after that? Because I do agree its a good bit of money just to do what im doing but my plan would be to record the 2 or 3 guitar tracks, mix them down and send them as a wave, convert to mp3 and send them out

Quote :

" the twin needs a lot of work. any tube amp techs you guys trust?"

Yontz at Mad Science has been our band's unofficial tech for the past 5 years.

http://www.madscienceworks.com/

[Edited on August 25, 2008 at 11:34 PM. Reason : ]

8/25/2008 11:19:28 PM

anyone played any Dr. Z amps?

8/27/2008 1:23:36 AM

they're very nice

but you can do better for the money you spend

like carr amps, which are equally awesome and made in NC

8/27/2008 2:28:19 PM

motherfucker

broke G this time

[Edited on August 27, 2008 at 9:10 PM. Reason : maybe i should consider thinner picks]

8/27/2008 9:10:34 PM

hmm. Yea maybe I just pick different than you or something or I have extremely good luck.

8/27/2008 9:22:43 PM

http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
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http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html
http://www.guitarmessenger.com/sites/lessons/artist_masterclass/mikael_akerfeldt/1.html

I'm walls1441 and fuck yeah.

8/28/2008 6:49:08 PM

Quote :

"motherfucker broke G this time "

depending on where the break was, have your bridge checked for spurs also. I used to break a lot of G strings on my acoustic until i took it in and had a spur removed.

(insert sexual joke here)

8/30/2008 3:04:36 PM

can't figure out how to get a cake(theband)-y sound. anyone know basic amp settings/etc.?

9/3/2008 2:59:12 AM

^^yeah I pulled everything apart yesterday and did some filing--I think I'll break a lot less strings now as I found quite a few burs

9/3/2008 7:46:17 AM

^^ it's not the amp, it's the guitar

you'll need a hollowbody with single coils

preferably a fat-body model like a ES-295

but a danelectro will work in a pinch

9/3/2008 1:15:23 PM

ttt

..no particular reason

9/20/2008 11:59:36 PM

new song exposed???

http://www.myspace.com/moderately_1337

I'm walls1441 and i approved this message.

9/23/2008 11:51:03 PM

sounds good brosef

9/24/2008 12:15:58 AM

Quote :

"if you're just doing it for writing purposes, why not do something software-based? it'd probably be cheaper and then also much easier to pass it along to the other members via email"

as a followup answer to that. It looks like the Line 6 Toneports have its own soundcard/preamp type deal. http://line6.com/toneportux2/index.html

I gotta check into that more. If that is the case I wonder if it would matter if my laptop sound card is crappy. If Im hooking up an SM57 to the toneport and mic'ing a cab and connecting the toneport via usb to my computer it sounds like it might be completely bypassing my built in sound card into the software. Could be wrong though.

If i COULD get it software based it would be preferred to the mixing board type stuff, because like you pointed out, its cheaper and easier to pass along online.

9/25/2008 8:31:19 AM

^I have a UX1, it shows up as a completely different device. No use of the internal sound card. Pretty useful to me since otherwise I'm dealing with my laptop's integrated audio.

9/25/2008 10:41:07 PM

So anyone here that doesn't play metal or emo/screamo want to jam?

9/26/2008 10:49:02 PM

^^ haha aweomse first post thats exactly what I wanted to know.

^ i dono if anyone in hear focuses on playing "screamo" stuff. I do play metal as well as lots of other people. But a lot of them, like me, listen to and play a lot of other stuff too. unfortunately im not in raleigh otherwise id jam sometime. hopefully you can find someone though

[Edited on September 26, 2008 at 11:11 PM. Reason : ]

9/26/2008 11:11:20 PM

I really like this video. the drummer is sick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69seQN65kaI

9/27/2008 8:19:18 PM

morgan agren is pretty rediculous

i'm glad people are adding more of the videos i just have the album and there were only 2 or 3 vids up a few months ago

I'm walls1441 and i approved this message.

[Edited on September 27, 2008 at 8:44 PM. Reason : check out "Thank you for flying with us" btw]

9/27/2008 8:38:20 PM

I was just reading about the VG-99 from Roland. Anyone on here used it? I know it's pretty damn expensive..I'm thinking of selling my GNX4 and some other stuff and getting one..

9/28/2008 2:39:01 PM

ive been really needing a reverb pedal. I love BOSS pedals. I mean I have NEVER had a problem with one. But in reality they are a bit expensive if you can take the time to not beat up "cheaper" pedals. Ive had a behringer delay pedal that has performed every bit as well as my DD3 except it was 1/2 the cost because of the plastic casing.

Anyone used a behringer dr100 reverb? the pedal is new like $20 compared to like $120 for the BOSS version. If its anything like my delay, im hoping it will sound almost as good just with less durability.

9/28/2008 5:44:17 PM

I have played the RV-5 (boss reverb) and agree with many others that it is a bit tinny sounding. I don't think I would ever own one. Sorry, can't comment on the behrenger brand pedals, but If you don't mind using a rack unit I'd say go for a used Alesis MidiverbIV or Microverb IV, maybe a Quadraverb. They sound great for the money imo.

9/28/2008 9:03:52 PM

i appreciate the feedback. Honestly I dont know what there is to "mind" about having a rack unit besides having something more to lug around besides a pedal. Ive never dealt with effects too much so Im not that educated there.

Unfortunately all those things look a bit out of my range as i was trying to find something cheaper than the boss pedal and they all looked more expensive :/

9/28/2008 9:12:32 PM

This is random, but I wanted to throw in a good word for the Squier Classic Vibe series. I snapped up one of the Teles and really liked the Strats (and I hate Strats), and they're making a Duo-Sonic reissue with an anodized pickguard that looks really cool...and they're all $300 street price. They're not quite the mindblowingly good instruments that the '80s Squier JV guitars are, but they're less than a third of the price, too.

10/3/2008 5:44:42 PM

what are some good electro-acoustics for a moderate price? i don't need anything extravagant--i'm buying it and having it sent here to iraq.

10/4/2008 10:29:37 AM

i'd find a takamine that you like, or a seagull if you want to spend a little more

10/4/2008 11:33:48 AM

OK, so I just finished tricking out my blues jr. (tolex model)

billm mods to tone stack and bias, but switchable from stock to mod with mini toggles I mounted on the panel. tone mods using orange drop caps.

upgraded and doubled the filter cap.

added a higher quality reverb tank and added a reverb bag.
also I sprayed the outside of the pan with automotive undercoating to further eliminate vibration.

changed the speaker to a Weber vintage series and installed a weber "beam blocker" baffle.

and switched the tubes to JJ gold pins.

all in all I'm very happy with the results. I think the speaker needs to break in more.,
but the amp is much warmer and fatter sounding. The reverb seams warmer too.
I'm very happy with response from the tubes. I seam to actually have control over how much the
guitar can control the breakup using the vol knob and amount of dig with the pick.

So now I have to keep my eyes out for something else to fuck with.

10/4/2008 12:50:02 PM

JJ EL84s are the most touch-sensitive power tubes on the market IMO.

10/4/2008 12:57:28 PM

ok, so my other guitar player is finally moving in with me so we can finish writing our 3rd album. Besides figuring out what recording interface we are going to use for demo/writing purposes, another minor issue arose today. I have a 100W head, he has a 150W head and we have 3 diff 4x12s we use. Anywho, I live in an apartment complex that is fairly quiet, so, while I am not worried about us practicing (can be done on very low levels easily), when we do recordings, our tubes are going to need to push a little bit and same with the speakers to get a halfway decent sound (although I suppose I could utilize the line6 modeling software just for demos). I do also have a crate combo that is really poppy/hissy and noisy these days.

2 ideas: first is would I be able to hook my head up through my 2x12 set in my combo amp easily and would that let me push either one of our amps tubes a little harder but with less volume?

second idea was to throw together a soundproof box just big enough to cover the front of one of our cabs (not sure on price of the absorption foam) that we could pop the shure inside of.

additionally, technically we could push my 100w tubes harder at a lower volume than his correct?

10/17/2008 9:29:25 AM

Look into these as well.

http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

But in reality, perhaps you can find some space when it's time to record where you can let your amps breath.

10/17/2008 10:30:41 AM

^interesting idea there, prob a little out of the price range for the scope/need here. i appreciate the creative suggestion though!

As far as real recording for the album next year goes, we have a couple slid studios we'll go back to in winston and chapel hill. These recordings Im looking to do here are primarily for inner band / writing purposes and as such Im fine with them being pretty rough so Im trying to stay cheap mainly

We already have mics available and I am going to pick up either a used line6 toneport or a used digital 4 or 8 track this weekend. But I just thought of the tube/noise situation a few days ago I suppose I could use my combo and try to clean up the pops and hisses in the software since its solid state and sounds decent at lower volumes.

[Edited on October 17, 2008 at 10:44 AM. Reason : ]

10/17/2008 10:44:08 AM

is the crate tube or SS?

10/17/2008 11:21:17 AM

The crate combo is solid state. It was a solid little combo but the effects crapped out a few years ago and the input jack is loose and it has a lot of noise now

But it works for me when I am in my apartment usually just practicing or writing.

Ive been trying to avoid using modeled sounds since micd tube just sounds so much better to me. Even my solid state through actual speakers sound a little more organic than line 6 tones imo. But the toneport does have great reviews on its modeling tones and it has a mesa dual rec in the package. For these recordings, I might just end up doing that if we feel noise will be an issue with the neighbors upstairs (luckily that is the only place I have neighbors)

[Edited on October 17, 2008 at 12:09 PM. Reason : ]

10/17/2008 12:03:54 PM

Input jack is easy to fix. Hissing and such could be a bad capacitor and the FX channel could also be something easy like a bad diode, or power supply regulator.
It might not take much at all to clean up your trusty Crate.

10/17/2008 4:38:42 PM

i have someone that could take a look at it so ill probably do that its been really handy for me since I dont feel like hooking up my stacks just to jam at low levels heh.

on another note, i pickedup the line6 toneport today and I have to say Im very impressed! honestly for this little thing the modeling is pretty impressive! Its basically an external sound card with software to control the modeling. I hooked it up to cool edit pro as my input soundcard device and tweak the line6 software like its a virtual head and pedal setup etc. The output is very low latency in my audio program and honestly has good tone (for what it is)

10/17/2008 4:49:32 PM

it's not super hard to build something like this:

http://www.grendelsound.com/deadroomproduct.htm

10/18/2008 10:21:48 AM

just had the weirdest string failure ever on my duo-sonic

the high e didn't break...the wrapping that holds the ball end in place let go, so the string just slipped out the front of the tailpiece due to tension

11/1/2008 7:57:45 PM

so that line 6 device has worked out REALLY nice. With nothing but 2 mics hanging in a room running through this line 6 sound card I was able to live capture the mp3 im going to link.

This clip was recorded with my drummer and me and my other guitar player in our practice space. One mic was favoring the drums and the other was favoring the guitars to get a more even mix. Keep in mind, one of the mics was a $10 1/4" mic and the other was nothing special but at least was an XLR vocal mic and both were just being held up in the air by people watching us practice.

Considering this is pretty much out of the box, plug the mics up, plug the device into my computer and press record I am way more than satisfied with being able to use this for writing/practicing purposes. Highly recommended for all of $150 or cheaper.

We recorded one of our new songs in one live take, just the 3 of us, and I just took the last 1:30 to show here (since I dont want to put a whole new song out here without it being a real recording heh). Beware of some 80s improv metal solos though

http://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2orTG0zQzNLVlZFQlE9PQ

[Edited on November 3, 2008 at 1:39 AM. Reason : ]

11/3/2008 1:27:57 AM

Anyone have a used Boss Delay pedal (DD3 or DD6) laying around?

Also, suggestions on a wah pedal? Im thinking its between Dunlop, Vox, and Ibanez based on the little I know. (looking at one around $100)

11/5/2008 10:20:06 AM

The Vox is the best of the readily available stock choices.

11/5/2008 12:10:16 PM

word. I'll look into that. There is one for a decent price on craigslist down here that I am thinking about checking out.

11/5/2008 12:14:34 PM

Anybody else used fender stainless flats strings? they seem to be a lot better about string noise on E/A strings especially and hell, so far I haven't managed to break any (going on 3 weeks now I think)

11/7/2008 5:27:48 PM