Thinking about getting rid of my SansAmp, replacment?

[The Unavoidable]

I'm toying with the idea of selling my SansAmp PSA1.1. It's just not at all what I was expecting after hearing people using it and recomendations from my friends. I guess I learned the lesson of always playing gear for yourself before you buy it. It's not that I don't like it, I really do but it's totally wrong for me at this moment in my "career" and my playing. I'm going to talk to the guys at the store where I bought it, and I might be able to return for store credit or something.

So does anyone have any ideas on what to get instead for about the same price? I'm looking for something to record with, and I don't have a cab or poweramp avaliable. Whats pissing me off is that when I practice and just use the sansamp, all I get is that buzzing raw preamp signal. I'm tired of it. For recording I'm using it with various impulses, which sound decent but not any better than a pod or something else half the price would.

I was thinking of getting a ENGL 530. That would, of course, be the same thing regarding practicing, but I think it would probably be way better for my recordings.

Other options might be a pod like I mentioned, but that's not really a road I want to go down. Heard great stuff done with Revalver aswell, and then I would even get some cash left for other stuff.

To sum it up:

I'll be using it for:

1. Recording using line in.
2. Practicing. (Might be willing to compromise that for better recording quality)
3. And it needs to be about the price of a PSA1.1
4. Ease of use would be a big up, since I am so sick of every day fighting and tweaking the PSA to get halfway decent results.

GO!

 

[J.DavisNJ]

FYI, the Engl 530 actually has a mini power amp in it that would allow you do run it through speakers. I believe Kazrog has tried this with good results.

I had one a while ago and liked it. If you dig that Engl sound then it seems like a good choice.

-Joe

 

[Metaltastic]

I'd say the Engl, cuz software modelling stuff is WAY too much hassle to get to sound good, with the Engl you just go straight in, choose an impulse, and tweak it in a blissfully WYSIWYG fashion. And it actually has a speaker-emulating headphone out, so it wouldn't sound like totally assholes when you practiced solo!

 

[BrettT]

You could just download TSS, Wagner Sharp 0.6 (NOT MkII), and Voxengo Boogex and have a really good sounding, totally free setup.

I would definitely try the above, as it's free so you have nothing to lose and you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

 

[The Unavoidable]

Hah sounds good brett, but I can't do it! If some freeware would end up sounding as good (or god forbid better!) than my expensive hardware, I would just shoot myself!

And I do lean alot towards just exchanging it for the ENGL. It would seem to fit my style alot better than the sansamp, and I do love ENGLs in general. And, since it's a bit cheaper the store might not make a hassle of it.

 

[Metaltastic]

In the words of Sloan, DEW IT BRAH!!

OR, there's always the Peavey Rockmaster, essentially the preamp of the XXX - though personally, I'd rather have the Engl (and the Rockmaster is mid-90s material, so ebay is your only option)

 

[The Unavoidable]

That's a pretty good idea, thanks! I'll look into it.