Great combo amps for recording?

fenders

fenders

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Jun 28, 2009
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Ok, so I'm making the leap to Micing a real tube amp. Thus far I've just used my podx3 and the free plugins (TSe, nick crowe, etc) and impulses. I can get some decent tones, but recently i just hear a huge difference between "fake" tones and real tones. I remember people telling me that you can feel the difference and tube amps react differently, and I feel like I can hear the differences now. At least some of them.

So my question is, would it even be worth micing it up or just keep at it with the sims and see what I can do? Also, if you feel I should go with the tube combo what would you recommend?
(there are sooo many to choose from. (5150, 6505, jcm 800, orange tiny terror, a bunch of mesas, engl gigmaster, etc.)

I play all sorts of styles but my roots lie in metal, ... I hate saying I want my tone to be like someone elses because I know it's all relative, but I love killswitch engages tone. I also think the obvious thing for that style would be the 5150 or Mesa. I'm looking around the $500-800 area.

Of course I'm fully open to more suggestions, so anything different is welcome. :wave:
So what do ya think?
 
Thanks for the fast replies! I've actually seen a Mesa mark iv combo on eBay for about $700. So I'll keep that in mind, but I'm also interested in the express and the f-50 and kinda especially the rectoverb if I can find one. How do those stack up?
 
As an owner of a Mark IV combo, I can highly suggest DO NOT BUY ONE; they are no good for recording metal. Sounds like pure garbage compared to amp sims.

If you can plug into a cab it will be okay, but it's never going to sound modern. You can do the whole Lamb of God thing pretty well, but if you want a huge sound its not going to be that way. It's a fun amp to play on, but I fucking hate recording with it.

Basically, imagine a cardboard box that makes noise... that's a Mark IV combo into a sm57.

I've had the amp for 3 years, tweaked in every which way, recorded in all types of ways, so I know what tones the amp is capable of. Modern metal is not one of them.
 
I just played a 6505+ Combo this week. It's a really cool amp, and it's only $599 in the states. I came really close to buying it. Thing to keep in mind, it has a sheffield speaker in it, which isn't the holy grail V30 that everyone and their brother is used to (including me) but it sounds pretty good in a room.
 
Really iHate? i never would have guessed ... anyone else have a problem like this??
i really like the rectoverb at the moment. do you think that would work out better than the mark iv or be about the same experience? i know they are voiced differently, but i really know almost nothing about micing amps. The amp i buy will also double as my "gigging/practicing" amp.

and yeah, i have been really interested in the 6505+ too, but i was kinda worried about the speaker and how it would sound. Unfortunately, i live in a small town, so i can't just go and play a bunch of amps like id love to. :/

Also, anyone own or played an ENGL gigmaster? i was thinking of getting that combo and buying a cab to go with it. is this a bad idea? lol
 
Looking for a combo can sometimes be harder than getting the proper head . Also you need to decide between Brit or U.S tone . They all sound slightly different anyway but If I was going cheap it would be the 6505 combo . Any cheaper than that and your wasting money resale value etc s/h doesnt matter tho cheaper to begin with :)
 
US tone deffinatly. Yeah i know what you mean. The goal is less about finding the cheapest thing that sounds pretty good, but rather find quality equipment that sounds great, but won't break the bank lol. Of course thats what everyone is looking for .... :)

anyone have clips of a mic'd 6505(+) combo or 5150 combo? i'd like to hear what it would sound like when properly mic'd
 
5150 combos sound amazing. Only problem is they weigh about six tons and a half.
 
iHate said:
As an owner of a Mark IV combo, I can highly suggest DO NOT BUY ONE; they are no good for recording metal. Sounds like pure garbage compared to amp sims.

If you can plug into a cab it will be okay, but it's never going to sound modern. You can do the whole Lamb of God thing pretty well, but if you want a huge sound its not going to be that way. It's a fun amp to play on, but I fucking hate recording with it.

Basically, imagine a cardboard box that makes noise... that's a Mark IV combo into a sm57.

I've had the amp for 3 years, tweaked in every which way, recorded in all types of ways, so I know what tones the amp is capable of. Modern metal is not one of them.
Click to expand...
REALLLLY?!?!!

Have you run it through a 4x12 cab?

I've owned mine for ohhh shit 5 or 6 years now. It only took me about 3 years to figure out how to dial in. :eek:

I compared the IV to the 5150..same cab, same mic position....IV won real easy. It just breathes more and isnt as squished up as the 5150.

I found magic with something like this:

Lead Gain: 5
Lead Drive: 9
Bass: 1-2
Treble(adds gain!): 7-9
Mids: 5
Presence: 6-8

much tighter and crunchy compared to a higher gain/less drive setting.

I ran mine thru a 1x12 for a bit years back. Thought it sounded nice. Never actually played the combo....I heard many complaints about tube rattle in combo tube amps.
 
laszlozsolt82 said:
the new 6505+ 112 , its a preaty cheap , and cool USA hi gain sounding amp, especialy if you hook up to a 4*12 cab loaded with V30`s or change the stock sheffield to V30.
Click to expand...

Big +1 on this

bryan_kilco said:
REALLLLY?!?!!

Have you run it through a 4x12 cab?

I've owned mine for ohhh shit 5 or 6 years now. It only took me about 3 years to figure out how to dial in. :eek:

I compared the IV to the 5150..same cab, same mic position....IV won real easy. It just breathes more and isnt as squished up as the 5150.

I found magic with something like this:

Lead Gain: 5
Lead Drive: 9
Bass: 1-2
Treble(adds gain!): 7-9
Mids: 5
Presence: 6-8

much tighter and crunchy compared to a higher gain/less drive setting.

I ran mine thru a 1x12 for a bit years back. Thought it sounded nice. Never actually played the combo....I heard many complaints about tube rattle in combo tube amps.
Click to expand...

HUGE +1 on this

I had a Mark IV for a while and I loved the way it sounded. Just liked my 5150 a bit more. Have you looked into to mini Krank and Egl heads? Get those with a 2x12 marshall or mesa with V30s and you would be golden
 
if you are thinking on a mark IV sound ,and you are on the budget side ,just kepp an eye on the new Bugera magician combo, will be released this year...with other products like the Trirec(triple recto imitation)... lot of people are waithing for them
Not sure about the bugera reliability, but semms that the quality control now it`s better than on the early editions
 
~BURNY~ said:
5150 combos sound amazing. Only problem is they weigh about six tons and a half.
Click to expand...

lol that's what i hear, but i just love the idea of a 5150 combo. I really want to play one for myself. Unfortunately though thats not an option.

laszlozsolt82 said:
the new 6505+ 112 , its a preaty cheap , and cool USA hi gain sounding amp, especialy if you hook up to a 4*12 cab loaded with V30`s or change the stock sheffield to V30.
Click to expand...

I had thought about doing this too, but i mean, how much could you buy a v30 for to replace the sheffield, and also would it be very practical that i (a guy with little to know electrical/mechanical experience) could do it myself? or could i simply take it to a music shop to have it done?

laszlozsolt82 said:
if you are thinking on a mark IV sound ,and you are on the budget side ,just kepp an eye on the new Bugera magician combo, will be released this year...with other products like the Trirec(triple recto imitation)... lot of people are waithing for them
Not sure about the bugera reliability, but semms that the quality control now it`s better than on the early editions
Click to expand...

I had my eye on a bugera 333xl and the 6506 copy, and i actually have gotten a chance to play both. I liked the 333xl for the cleans muuuuch better, but the distortion seemed too digital to me. Then again, im no expert, but i've just never played an amp that blew me away. I will have to keep looking for this because i have heard many good things about these amps

I had a Mark IV for a while and I loved the way it sounded. Just liked my 5150 a bit more. Have you looked into to mini Krank and Egl heads? Get those with a 2x12 marshall or mesa with V30s and you would be golden
Click to expand...

Yeah, i saw a krank rev jr on ebay for pretty cheap and also the ENGL gigmaster for a nice price. Would i be better off just going that route with a small head but decent 2x12 cab?
 
a v30 speaker cost is around 100 euro, replacing it`s wery easy, just unscrew the stock speaker replace with the new and connect those 2 wires back, only thing you have to be careful, to mach the impedance of the amp, so if the stock sheffield is 16 ohm then you have to buy a 16 ohm V30 if it`s 8 ohm then the 8 ohm v30 ...
and maybe you can sell that sheffield speaker to ;or change with an effectpedal ,or something(a nice OD it`s always handy), they are not bad speakers there are people out there wanting them...
hope this helps
 
Ok, so after a lot of thought, i think im going to go with the krankenstein jr or the ENGL gigmaster head and cab. Only problem now is a cab. Can anyone recommend me a decent but relatively cheap 2x12 cab to go along with either of these? i hate thinking that i will have a great head, but it wont have the justice it deserves because of a shitty cab. Will this be the case?
 
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