basically, i dont know shit about them... ive been playing a few years and just have an amp and a few stompboxes, nothing too fancy. what are these things all about and what are the pros and cons of using them?

hmm, best way i can describe these is this:

pre-amps do most of the tonal shaping in your guitars tone coming through an amp.

power amps just make it loud.


that's why they have pedal board preamps because you're already running through an amp or system, you just want to shape your tone.

you can have a preamp without the power amp in most cases, but not the other way around. not for guitar anyways.

Preamps take the weak signal from your guitar and boost it a little as well as help shape the tone. Power amps take the preamp signal and amplify it.
You can have separate preamps and power amps, even for guitar. Mesa and Marshall have some very nice power amps designed for guitar. In fact, you can even use a pedal preamp (such as the Mesa bottle rocket or VTwin) and run it straight to a power amp.
Or you can take a preamp and run it straight to a mixer, though you usually lose the tone associated with tube power amps (if you desire that tone) and speakers.

power amps shape your tone as well.
overdriven, saturated power tubes produce all those sweet, fat,warm ,and musical even order harmonics that sound so wonderful.

in fact, when people talk about "that" tube sound , they are talking about power tubes.

preamp tubes can not do it alone...by themselves they sound very close to a solid state preamp.

its the power amp that makes it fat and sweet.








_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
.... Yet with strange aeons even death may die"


proud member of G.A.U.P , and C.G.A.A

Or you can skip all the bullshit and buy a POD XT. Play it thru something 50W or higher and archive that signature sound. As long as your prepared work on it.

This is what guitarists know as MODELING. Kinda like poser. But hey. if pro artists do it.. why cant you?

Joe








_________________
Check out my page at -- Http://www.myspace.com/guitarhero1000
My fav indy artist Al Estrada *listen to this! Get hooked!* - http://www.box.net/shared/static/u5oc02w4kg.wma
As Dave Martone would say - "Stay weird!"

hey...if it sounds good , it IS good.

thats the bottom line.








_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
.... Yet with strange aeons even death may die"


proud member of G.A.U.P , and C.G.A.A

Or you could skip it all and take up flute

Guitarhero1000 wrote:

Or you can skip all the bullshit and buy a POD XT. Play it thru something 50W or higher and archive that signature sound. As long as your prepared work on it.

This is what guitarists know as MODELING. Kinda like poser. But hey. if pro artists do it.. why cant you?

Joe

Why don't you just get a Line 6 Variax and plug it into a Pod XT Live and plug that straight into the house mixer? Guitarists like to make things difficult sometimes....sheesh

that is so true.....guitarists DO seem to like making something simple into an over complicated nightmare !

why do we do that ?

i know i used to be so into my rack system....midi foot controler with expression pedals, different preamps , different effects units, programing different channels for this and that ...blah blah blah
now i just plug straight into one of my favorite amps and play ....how much simpler can you get ?

i actually use the knobs on my guitar now ! ....can you believe it ?








_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
.... Yet with strange aeons even death may die"


proud member of G.A.U.P , and C.G.A.A

chuck wrote:

that is so true.....guitarists DO seem to like making something simple into an over complicated nightmare !

why do we do that ?

i know i used to be so into my rack system....midi foot controler with expression pedals, different preamps , different effects units, programing different channels for this and that ...blah blah blah
now i just plug straight into one of my favorite amps and play ....how much simpler can you get ?

i actually use the knobs on my guitar now ! ....can you believe it ?

Guitar, distortion pedal, chorus pedal, amp. That's as complicated as it gets for me.

cxo wrote:

chuck wrote:

that is so true.....guitarists DO seem to like making something simple into an over complicated nightmare !

why do we do that ?

i know i used to be so into my rack system....midi foot controler with expression pedals, different preamps , different effects units, programing different channels for this and that ...blah blah blah
now i just plug straight into one of my favorite amps and play ....how much simpler can you get ?

i actually use the knobs on my guitar now ! ....can you believe it ?

Guitar, distortion pedal, chorus pedal, amp. That's as complicated as it gets for me.

thats a pretty darned complex set up you got there
bet it sounds super








_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
.... Yet with strange aeons even death may die"


proud member of G.A.U.P , and C.G.A.A

I have a similarly complex setup - Guitar > Wah Pedal > Acoustic Sim Pedal > Amp (only use the acoustic sim pedal to save having to take extra guitars to gigs). There's a chorus pedal in the FX loop on the amp (permanently on, but the loop is footswitchable - the pedal sits on top of the amp to keep cable lengths to a minimum). Admittedly I have a 4U rack, but that's 2 radio systems (guitar and headset mic), my in-ear monitors and my Korg rack tuner. My rig has (on a couple of occasions) in the past been quite monstrous, but I stripped it down to the bare essentials, and it does everything I need.








_________________

Spacehog wrote:

I have a similarly complex setup - Guitar > Wah Pedal > Acoustic Sim Pedal > Amp (only use the acoustic sim pedal to save having to take extra guitars to gigs). There's a chorus pedal in the FX loop on the amp (permanently on, but the loop is footswitchable - the pedal sits on top of the amp to keep cable lengths to a minimum). Admittedly I have a 4U rack, but that's 2 radio systems (guitar and headset mic), my in-ear monitors and my Korg rack tuner. My rig has (on a couple of occasions) in the past been quite monstrous, but I stripped it down to the bare essentials, and it does everything I need.

Keeping it simple is the best approach. I see bands play from time to time that have big pedalboards and 4-6 spot rack, and all I ever see them do is kick distortion on and off and use delay like it's the key to their success. It makes me wonder if guitarists are trying to show off their gear more than they are trying to show how they play. Musicians are an odd bunch.

yes , we ARE an odd bunch arent we ?








_________________
"That is not dead which can eternal lie
.... Yet with strange aeons even death may die"


proud member of G.A.U.P , and C.G.A.A

jimbodini420 wrote:

basically, i dont know shit about them... ive been playing a few years and just have an amp and a few stompboxes, nothing too fancy. what are these things all about and what are the pros and cons of using them?

the main reason you would buy these is for studio work, everything can reun direct to the board instead of micing everything. it can be more cosr effective to operate a studio because good recording mics cost alot. you can also run multiple pre amps giving you more sounds instead of running two or three amps.

or...for a rack mount system. just as above but for the professional touring musician. you could have two or three amps, eq, and all kinds of goodies in one rack instead of 12 pieces of gear to set up every tome. you just put it, open it, and plug it in and go.

it can be pricy but no more than say a really good half stack or full stack. you can shape and customize yor sound more with a rack system. I always have thought once you star spending that kind of money, make sure you are 110% positive that it is the sound for you. you should be thinkin that this will be the last amp you ever buy and it is what you want to define your style and sound. $1200-$2000 is about avg for good stuff so spend wisely young jedi








_________________
check out THE NORMAL KIDS on my space