| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
Way off topic, but we seem to have quite a few musicians and techno-geeks on the board to get an answer... I'm traveling for business and I'd really like to take my guitar with me as I'll be gone for 4 days. Trouble is...taking the 120-watt 2x12 combo (the only amp I have) doesn't make much sense. I started looking at "mini-amps" and headphone amps, but I'm unhappy with the feartures for the most part. The headphones being a big plus (as my current amp does not have a headphone jack), I'd still be interested in something like this if someone knows a good one. The Fender Mini-Delux looks like a decent little package with a variable drive knob. The real question - Would it be possible to plug my guitar directly into my laptop and use the computer as an amp? It would also be cool if there was some limited recording ability in there as well. Any chance something like this could record the output from my electronic drumset as well? Anyone know of an inexpensive (or freeware?) piece of software that would do this? | ||
| Badlionsfan |
i think there is software to do that, don't know if it's cheap or not. check musiciansfriend.com, they may have something. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Check out something like this... personal guitar system I don't know about running the electronic drums through it, but I'm sure some of the more expensive units could handle it.... Found here (hell, I might order one...  ) (p.s. I'm kinda diggin this one:LINK ) (Message edited by Tank_Bueller on October 01, 2007) | ||
| Xl1200r |
Hmmm... I was hoping I could just get a piece of software that would let me plug my guitar into the microphone jack on my laptop and go to town. Maybe not? Those USB units don't look too bad - might have to swing by the music store on the way home from work today... The drums shoudln't be a big deal. The module has MIDI-out jacks, but it also has regular 1/4" out jacks as well, so it can be treated as an analog signal. | ||
| Dako |
I just plug my headphones into my Digitech RP-12. Good to go!! | ||
| Freezerburn |
I have a little Fender FM15 DSP practice amp that is quite handy for just that. It cranks and has some OK effects. I keep mine in my classroom at school. I don't have room for the 4X12 Wizard cab and the rack mount amp. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Hey man, can you turn it up to 11?  | ||
| Xl1200r |
So I just picked up a Fender Mini Twin... I can't get enough of this thing. It doesn't plug into the computer or anything, but it has 1 WATT OF RAW POWER!!! 2 x 2" drivers, volume, tone and drive knobs. It actually doesn't sound too bad for what it is! In fact, it sounds better through the speakers than it does with the headphones. And it gets louder than you might expect. It's only 6 or 7" wide, so it fits right in the suitcase no problems. The best part? the knobs go up to 12!  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Looks more like a lunchbox with a complicated lock!  | ||
| Alchemy |
Friend got a Yamaha travel guitar which has electronics built in and he plays to his headphones when traveling. He says it rivals his home system and it is built for travel. He plugged it into our PA system and played for kicks at the company meeting and it was pretty cool. Not cheap but not too expensive either. | ||
| X1glider |
I can't say that I've done a thorough comparison of the Marshall and Fender mini amps, but tweed makes me gag. I guess you weren't interested in a Rockman or a HotWatt? More expensive though. Don't knock 1 watt of Raw power! A 100 watt stack is only 4 times as loud.  | ||
| Rocketman |
Here's a fantastic piece of kit that can do many of the things you ask, and more. Sound quality and reproduction is superb. Boss Micro BR  Rocket | ||
| Spank |
I'll have to second what Rocketman has said about the Boss. I've used it on the road it works out great. No real complaints. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Rocket - that looks like a nice little piece of hardware. The only thing I don't think it does is act as an amp for a guitar. If all you needed to do was record it'd be fine - you could use a line out or close mic the thing to the amp itself, but I really wanted something that I could just plug in and play with. I may have to start thinking about something like this though, just to throw some tracks together... I don't play in a band, so all I need is a bass and I can do it all! | ||
| Xl1200r |
I can't say that I've done a thorough comparison of the Marshall and Fender mini amps, but tweed makes me gag. I guess you weren't interested in a Rockman or a HotWatt? More expensive though. I didn't try the Marshall mini-amp, I only played with the Fender and the Honey-Tone. The Honey-Tone looked cool and sounded okay, but it felt really cheap and the tone knob on the Fender had a broader range of operation. And tweed is da bomb, yo. The problem with the Rockman and Hot Watt stuff is that there's no variation on the distortion or tone - you basically have a handful of sounds and have to rely on your guitar or the volume knob to change the sound. I like to be able to ass just a hair of distorion, so the variable drive knob on the Fender is really nice. | ||
| Strato9r |
Check out the Line 6 stuff. I'm not a huge fan of digital/computer modelling stuff, BUT, the Line 6 products do sound really good. I have an old AX212, and it allowed me to get nearly the exact sound of the 64 Deluxe that I'd used live and in the studio for years, without all the noisy old capacitors and rattly, microphonic tubes. It also is a hell of a lot louder than the 18 or so watts of the Deluxe. I know that Line 6 has some good computer interface products, so check their website or local dealer. | ||
| Smokescreen |
I've got a Korg Pandora PRX-4. They no longer make that model. It has more stuff on it than I know what to do with! The manual for this freaking thing is huge. Wish at times I had gotten something a little more user friendly, but maybe that's just me not being a very good operator! They now make a cheaper more simple version, all around $100 or so. Smokescreen | ||
| Lions |
I have a little Line6 30 watt amp in my office. This thing sounds sweet! Here's me playing a tune I just figured out through it on a Sat. Morning! http://youtube.com/watch?v=IQ_R1ZSTBvs | ||
| Rasmonis |
I have a ZOOM H4 digital recorder. It is a great tool that I use to play my guitar/bass through. Not only does it allow me to jam without bothering anyone, it records what I'm playing. I'm a freakin' rock star in my own mind. K loves it too - she doesn't have to listen to my distorted electric rants while I'm off in Rasmoni-land. It saves data to SDO, has dual (stereo)external mics (incredibly sensitive - great quality) and 2 inputs which take 1/4in. plugs and XLR (microphones or keyboard - 3pin). You can record/playback up to 4 tracks per project - will record only 2 tracks simultaneously (one track per input). It will record in WAV and MP3 formats. Includes 30+ editable effects and amp sampling with 54 total slots for additional effects, has a built-in tuner and metronome. Connects to a PC via USB and has two modes, external storage (to transfer data to your PC) or I/O - works great with Sonar6 recording software. Takes 2 AA batteries - does not require batteries when connected to a PC via USB. Heres a pic:  Goes for a little over $200, but well worth it IMO. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I mess around with this sometimes... Marshall MiniStack  Just a toy, but it sounds pretty good for what it is. It'll play really loud I if run a tube screamer through it. | ||
| Court |
I use the Zoom H4 and it is incredible. The last live jazz recording I did was nearly as good as the truck load of gear outside got. It's an amazing device. | ||
| Xl1200r |
That H4 seems like a nice little package... might have to look into one someday... | ||
| Strato9r |
That Marshall Mini Stack indeed kicks butt, in a very easy to use, portable package. One of the other things it does extremely well is getting absolutely killer tone onto tape or to a soundboard. I discovered this out of nessessity one night at some "Battle of the Bands" when the Mesa/Boogie I was using at the time fried a speaker at soundcheck. I took the SM57 mic they'd supplied and set the little Marshall up inside my road case, with the 57 set directly against the grille cloth. The sound guy came up and started laughing his bag off when he saw that the speaker was about the same size as the mic diaphragm. I just told him to go and crank it up and send nothing but my guitar signal through my stage monitor. It sounded freaking HUGE, the most perverse, Billy Gibbons meets Frank Zappa tone I could have dreamed of. Bonus was, it cleaned up incredibly well just backing off the volume knob of the guitar, just like a big, tube fired Marshall does. | ||
| Marty12s |
I have a m-box made by digidesign and a program called guitar rig 2 from native instruments. can't say enough good things about the setup. it's actually reliable enough that i've used it in live situations withouth a hitch. | ||
| Rasmonis |
Court, Have you figured out how to import tracks? I want to import an mp3 into a project and dub my own track on to it. It would be cool to play over an imported mp3. | ||
| Danger_dave |
I vote Computer. I plug the guitars in and use apple 'Garage Band' hooked up to nice stereo. Awesome fun. Now has multi take recording, Deals with midi files. Must be a windows equiv. The Hippie come over last night and we had a drink and a big jam, or maybe it was a jam and a big dringgggk.  I put some video over it today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-9O44VTUKU | ||
| Spinzealot |
http://guitarfx.net/ It's free | ||
| Court |
>>>Have you figured out how to import tracks? I have not. All I have used it for is simple recording, some music, some interviews. There is a very detail oriented website dedicated to H4 "power" users. | ||
| Sparky |
"I want to import an mp3 into a project and dub my own track on to it." Maybe this will help. If you can get the sound to the computer, there is a shareware program called WireTapPro from Ambrosia Software that can save any sounds that play through the Mac in a variety of formats, mp3 being one. I'm sure it's available for Windows machines too. |
