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previous: aron OH, I just meant that since you are... -- 10/25/2000 7:29 PM View Thread

Re: Clean/Warm Boost

10/26/2000 2:50 PM
Doug H
email		Re: Clean/Warm Boost
quote:
"OH, I just meant that since you are lucky and get to push your 10 watt amp UP, then you are already running a great compressor! :-)"
 
 
Okay, so what you're saying is that your amp doesn't compress well unless you're cranking it. I have absolutely no perspective on this. This is the first tube amp I've owned since my first amp, a Silvertone amp-in-a-case, back in 1972 (yikes!). The tube amp revolution came and went about 2 or 3 times before I woke up...;) (I figure if I stay far enough behind, I'll be in style about every 10-20 years...;))  
 
Anyway... Most of the time I don't crank the MV to 10 or anything. It's a good tone but I don't use it a lot, at this point I'm more intrigued by preamp distortion. So I run the MV around 5, which yeah, would be way too loud for a 50 or 100 watt amp around the house. When I first started with this amp I was all shy and didn't want anyone to hear me so I ran the MV around 2-3. With a 50 or 100 watter, this is probably more the level you are running, I suspect. Big tonal difference between that level and 5. At 4-5 it seems to come alive, open up, start singing, etc. So I think I see what you mean there.  
 
quote:
"In your case, the amp is distorting so you need CLEAN signal to boost the amp."
 
 
Well, "clean" is a relative term. My goal is to get the majority of the clipping and distortion from the amp. (That's why I like the term "warm", it's more accurate, to me.) If the booster distorts a little in the process, that's fine, as long as it adds to the fun. But I'm trying to avoid diodes and multi-stages that purposely try to generate clipping (and yeah, compression) in the booster. Nothing wrong with that, I just want to see what the -amp- sounds like when it's driven.  
 
Anyway, no right or wrong tonewise with this stuff. I just need to do this for myself, part of my "tone learning curve".;) And this is getting me real close to the tone I've been after.  
 
Doug