Simple set ups

[JJretroTONEGOD]

I use a pedal train 2 with loads of effects, even for small gigs, then into a vox VR30 amp that connects to an orange PPC112 cab. Anything bigger than a 1x12 is 01. too heavy and 02. too loud

If it's too loud, yer too old ;)

I'll still be able to hear in old age unlike you, keep enjoying your 140dB threshold shifts for now though while you still have hearing

[bucketshred]

Ear Plugs ;)

Everyone talks about the sound of a cranked valve amp being better than one that isn't cranked. For me, its the response of a cranked amp that feels a lot different.

[dave_mc]

If it's too loud, yer too old ;)

surely the younger you are the more sensitive your ears are? :D

[Philly Q]

If it's too loud, yer too old ;)

surely the younger you are the more sensitive your ears are? :D

Good point!  :lol:

I think as you get older you realise your ears are getting destroyed.  When you're young you don't care.

[Twinfan]

Everyone talks about the sound of a cranked valve amp being better than one that isn't cranked. For me, its the response of a cranked amp that feels a lot different.

'Tis true dat.

[itamar101]

I'm all for simple set ups. You can any sound you want with 3-4 of the right pedals and some creativity... Just look at tom morrelo. His pedalboard consists of a digitech whammy, boss delay, mxr phaser and one other phaser yet with a bit of work he can make any sound that he wants and it's far more impressive.

Anyway...
I'm usually running my Gibson Les Paul w/ emeralds and HDs --> Dunlop CryBaby --> Zoom G3 MFX unit (hardly every plugged in, only used for delay and synth sounds) --> Orange Thunder 30 & Orange PPC212

This get me the tone in my head and I don't need anything else. It's a much better challenge trying to get a sound from a simple set that isn'tade for those sounds than getting a whole rig for every sound. Slash once said that when he wants a Strat sound he doesn't use a Strat... He tries to get close with his les Paul but it leaves him with a close but very unique sound. I won't go to those extremes but I totally agree with the poor that he was tryin to make.

Of course, none of this stops me from getting GAS... I'm just not well off enough to buy the stuff that I GAS for and I eventually get bored of it... :D

[dave_mc]

Good point!  :lol:

I think as you get older you realise your ears are getting destroyed.  When you're young you don't care.

I cared when i was young, too

I mean, i'm still young :lol:

Also it depends on how sensitive your ears are- I think I have super sensitive ears, which is good in one way, but bad in that loud noises really annoy me and I look like a wuss. :lol:

Everyone talks about the sound of a cranked valve amp being better than one that isn't cranked. For me, its the response of a cranked amp that feels a lot different.

'Tis true dat.

yep.

that being said, I still prefer the sound and feel of a valve amp even if it's not cranked. Plus i wonder how much of that cranked valve amp tone and feel is the speakers being pushed?

[BigB]

Strange enough, I have a not-so-simple rig (2 channels amp, each channel with two gain/volume configurations, per-channel loops on the amp's footswitch, and a pedalboard with a treble boost, a couple ODs, a fuzz, a wha, a trem and a delay),  yet I use it quite simply, since most of the time I just have my guitar and the amp on the hi-gain channel, or my guitar and one dirt box on the vintage channel. I use effects very sparingly and could oin fact play our whole set with any single channel amp (plus one dirtbox if it's a low/mid gain amp) but OTHO when I'm playing @home I enjoy having a wide array of tones and textures "under the foot".

[MDV]

I use a pedal train 2 with loads of effects, even for small gigs, then into a vox VR30 amp that connects to an orange PPC112 cab. Anything bigger than a 1x12 is 01. too heavy and 02. too loud

If it's too loud, yer too old ;)

I'll still be able to hear in old age unlike you, keep enjoying your 140dB threshold shifts for now though while you still have hearing

Yep.

Also, the way in which both the frequency response and the dynamic response of your ears change with high volume explains the vast majority of the perceived benefits of high volume guitar amps. Crank an amp up higher and record it, and compare at the same level to a lower volume recording of the same amp, and you will hear what I mean. The difference between the recordings will be barely present compared to the difference in the room at the low vs high volumes (edit: comparison only viable if done with the same DIs in a reamp).

Louder = more low and high end (see fletcher munson effect and equal loudness curves) and it also takes longer for pressure changes in your inner ear to release, giving the illusion of fatter, fuller, bigger tone thats more, well, MORE. Its not really, youre just deafening yourself. Deafen the audience if you want them to experience those effects (they can leave if they want) but drop it for recording and stick some plugs in on stage.

Oh, and Guitar -> OD (usually) -> Amp -> Cab over here. No effects.

[MDV]

that being said, I still prefer the sound and feel of a valve amp even if it's not cranked. Plus i wonder how much of that cranked valve amp tone and feel is the speakers being pushed?

Quite a bit, of what there is thats actually happening the the actual sound, and not just to your ears. I think its the most important of the two main things (speaker distortion and power amp valve clipping)

[bucketshred]

AND. Playing loud and noisy is more fun than playing quiet, right?

[dave_mc]

^ yes- as long as it's "loud but still comfortable". I have mild tinnitus from an extreme concert, and when that happened, it was no fun, believe me (it was actually painful).

Quite a bit, of what there is thats actually happening the the actual sound, and not just to your ears. I think its the most important of the two main things (speaker distortion and power amp valve clipping)

yeah

even the overall volume of the things massively affects how you hear the thing. I've been trying loads of speakers recently, and obviously some are louder than others. If i try the louder speaker(s) first, then swap to the quieter one(s) without adjusting the amp, the quieter ones sound weedy. But if i do it the other way round (i.e. adjust the volume of the amp to suit the quieter speakers), the louder speakers sound way too strident and uncomfortable.

(and at the volumes i'm playing at, i'm nowhere near power tube or speaker clipping.)

[Mr. Air]

My setup simple but it isn't super complicated though. My amp is an Egnater MOD50 so it has four channels (some might say that things get complicated here  :)). I got a few pedals - Boos TU2 tuner, Digitech Whammy 4, CAE wah, T-Rex Alberta, Emma Electronics Reezafratzitz, Juan Solo build Skreddy Lunar Module, Juan Solo build Uglyface + LFO, TC Nova Repeater, Boss PH2 phaser, TC Hall of Fame, TC vintage compressor (courtesy of mr. Twinfan) and an ISP Decimator. I got an incoming Juan solo build Skreddy ?Lady paired with a SHO.

All the effects aren't on my board right now and there's propably not enough room for everything.