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Posted by: Chris S. Jan 4 2016, 11:58 PM

Hey guys,

So I bought a Metal Muff recently but up until now I've been using it to drive the digital preamp in my 11 Rack with okayish results.

However, I decided to try bypassing the amp on the 11 Rack and use the metal muff as the preamp - and boy was that a much better difference!

It got me wondering, instead of investing in a rack unit tube preamp/head - like the iron heart or peavey 6505 mini - would it be a better choice to just get a tube preamp pedal instead?

If so, do you guys have any recommendations?

Thanks

Posted by: Phil66 Jan 5 2016, 09:34 AM

Hello Chris,
Sorry this isn't an answer for you but this will interest me too. I have a VGL Hotbird pedal and that didn't sound too good in front of my Boss GT001, it was probably more down to me than anything.
I have a Presonus tube preamp and this thread made me wonder about trying that in the chain.
Maybe with what you have and what I have we can come up with something

Posted by: Mertay Jan 5 2016, 10:59 AM

I can make a ts9 sound like a marshall with a tube plug-in (hard clipping) but though tonally you get something useable, its a not so great 1 trick pony and in a mix sounds cheap.

A pedal simulates a tube stage in a tube amp, works like adding a tube (you decide how driven) to an amp to get bigger sounds. But a real amp uses many stages wether with tubes or transistors...so you're trying to get 1 sound from 1 tube while an amp can go up to 8

If you want something affordable, pedal sized and only for recording (can be inserted to mixer for giging) check Tech 21's character series and also I think Hotone amps can do that (ask Todd about them, he has 2 I believe). Don't get your expectation high on tone but they are capable little units.

Posted by: Phil66 Jan 5 2016, 11:59 AM

Re: Hotone, Chris Harrington uses them, I think he has them all, see http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=56442&view=findpost&p=725211
You could always PM him but let us know what he says please

UPDATE:
I've asked him to check this thread out

Posted by: Chris Harrington Jan 5 2016, 02:30 PM

Hey guys,

I've got a few of the Hotone heads for my teaching room and I only tried them due to them having fx loops, i've got a micro terror but it doesn't have a loop so lacked a bit of versatilely but they are fun practice amps first and foremost.

Check out the Youtube channel 'Guitars Rebellion' he has some great play through's of all the amps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrhVUHQXopk

Ignore the mojo diamond unless your after just Fender clean sounds (it does that great), the Purple Wind and Heart Attack are great for rock and crunch sounds.

A nice pedal to use in front of your amp for that tube sparkle is the MXR micro amp or TC Electronics Spark Booster, they just push the front of the amp a bit but add a lot of clarity and bite. I personally use the MXR micro amp and its just on all the time.

Posted by: Chris S. Jan 5 2016, 02:37 PM

QUOTE (Chris Harrington @ Jan 5 2016, 01:30 PM)

Posted by: Chris Harrington Jan 5 2016, 03:43 PM

QUOTE (Chris S. @ Jan 5 2016, 01:37 PM)

Thanks Chris! I'll definitely check these out.

I agree with the Micro Amp - it's been on my list for a while, I decided it would be a few bucks cheaper to just build a clone so it's on the to-do list

Posted by: Todd Simpson Jan 5 2016, 04:57 PM

I did this same thing. I added a tube myasnikov soldano clone and it worked great in the fx loop of the 11rack

QUOTE (Chris S. @ Jan 4 2016, 05:58 PM)

Hey guys,

So I bought a Metal Muff recently but up until now I've been using it to drive the digital preamp in my 11 Rack with okayish results.

However, I decided to try bypassing the amp on the 11 Rack and use the metal muff as the preamp - and boy was that a much better difference!

It got me wondering, instead of investing in a rack unit tube preamp/head - like the iron heart or peavey 6505 mini - would it be a better choice to just get a tube preamp pedal instead?

If so, do you guys have any recommendations?

Thanks