GEAR DATABASE
That Pedal Show – Big Amp, Little Amp & Thoughts On Volume, Tone & Feel For Playing Or Recording
Published on Mar 16, 2018
Duration:
1:01:17
In this episode we take another loose wander through one of the very most important – and yet confusing – topics in electronical guitaralisation: the interdependence of volume, tone and feel. Moreover, the difference between what you hear and feel in the room while playing… and what ends up hitting the recorder.
No single video could ever hope to address the whole topic, but spurred on by a conversation that Mick had with the venerable Michael Landau just recently, a theme emerged for a discussion and we decided to run with it. We started in one place, veered to various others and hopefully passed via a few illuminative rest points along the way: quintessential TPS.
If you’re hoping to garner some solid how-to information, this really isn’t the video for you. It’s one of those ‘leading to better questions’ voyages on which we so often find The Good Ship TPS.
If you are confused why the amps sometimes sound the same volume through the headphones, despite a 30dB difference on the dB meter… It’s because we vary the input gain of the microphone to the recorder. The in-room experience is //radically// different between the quiet and loud sounds, but we have no real way of demonstrating that other than by trying to explain it in words and reactions.
It’s another reminder of why you can’t really trust video demos of products for a definitive idea of what they sound like. Because microphones are not your ears and gut... and they never will be.
Please enjoy the video – we hope it encourages you to ask new and better questions. Or indeed confirms what you already know. Either is fine with us!
Pedals in this episode…
• TheGigRig Three2One
https://www.thegigrig.com/three2one
• D’Addario Chromatic Tuner
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2tIN4lD
USA: https://bit.ly/3IRrhPE
• Bigfoot Octo Puss Passive
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2fcCgtJ
• Analog Man Sun Face NKT275
www.analogman.com
• Hudson Broadcast
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2fkpnOX
Australia: http://bit.ly/2oUbqrw
• Keeley D&M Drive
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2oTblU1
USA: https://bit.ly/3xs7kcU
Australia: http://bit.ly/2pUDUAE
• Longamp Roxanne
https://en-gb.facebook.com/longamp/
Watch this space…
• Dunlop EP-103 Echoplex
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2cQsuNc
USA: https://bit.ly/3G6EUbJ
• Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb
UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2FTFZIx
USA: https://bit.ly/3GOcjbr
Australia: http://bit.ly/2HCDQyd
• TheGigRig G2
https://www.thegigrig.com/g2
Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here: http://www.thatpedalshow.com/partners
Interesting bits and go-to sections…
- Intro and welcome: 00:00
- What are we doing today? 2:22
- Landau? 2:37
- The problem with this room and today’s amps: 4:46
- The mic doesn’t know what it’s hearing: 5:53
- How loud are we? 7:50
- Wow, these amps are very different: 9:00
- How quiet can we go with the Marshall and it still be playable? 10:10
- And let’s make the Mesa a bit louder… 15:21
- Cleaner sounds? 21:20
- Two years of sat in here listening to audio… 25:00
- Let’s make the amps the same volume: 25:35
- Shall we aim for 90/95dB? 26:45
- No, okay then… 27:40
- Mesa and Marshall compared at similar volumes: 29:00
- You’re pronouncing it all wrong: 30:19
- The farmer and the Rolls Royce ute: 31:50
- The Hudson Broadcast: 100-watt Mesa, 5-watt Marshall: 34:07
- …and the D&M Drive: 35:30
- A look at our room mics: 38:28
- Attenuation on board in the Mesa – 100/50/10: 40:10
- A relevant tangent: in-amp, low-power mode: 41:28
- Let’s try the other channel in the Mesa, and attenuate: 43:06
- Let’s add some wet effects: 45:11
- And back up through the watts on the Lone Star: 47:08
- Does Mick like the 10-watt mode? 51:21
- Both amps together: 53:20
- Yes, we have to move: 56:21
Amps in this episode
• Mesa Boogie Lone Star Classic 1 x 12 combo with Mesa/Celestion C90 speaker
• Marshall Class 5 1x10 combo (version 1)
We hope you enjoy this video. Please subscribe to our channel.
You may even want to buy a T-shirt to support our efforts https://www.thatpedalshowstore.com
We are also on Patreon – crowdfunding for creatives
https://www.patreon.com/ThatPedalShow