Some Questions Regarding Tube Amps Options

[Fran]

I'm getting a Vox AC4TV head soon (all tube 4W - 1W - 1/4 Watt) which I hope to be perfect to play cranked at low volumes at home, and have some basic questions regarding tube amps:

1) What's the standby for? Some tube amps don't even have it... (ac4tv doesn't have it for instance)

2) Does a tube amp take a digital pedalboard (such as boss ME-20/50/70) well? Or is it much worse than using "analog" individual stomp boxes to maintain the tube "warmth"?

3) What's the effects loop good for? I believe I technically understand what it is (I guess it's placed between the preamp and the power stage), but don't see why it's better to use that instead of just placing the effects in front of the amp. (Again, Vox ac4tv doesn't have an effects loop)

4) Is there any problem with a tube amp without a Gain knob? (There's just a volume knob and a tone knob on ac4tv)

So those are my doubts!

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[MickeM]

I'm getting a Vox AC4TV head soon (all tube 4W - 1W - 1/4 Watt) which I hope to be perfect to play cranked at low volumes at home, and have some basic questions regarding tube amps:

That seem like a cool amp! I'll answer the best I can without reading the previous replies, maybe you already got all the answers.

1) What's the standby for? Some tube amps don't even have it... (ac4tv doesn't have it for instance)

You kick in the standby when you start up the amp (start it with standby active) and put it on standby before you start playing. Also put it to standby when you take a break. It's to keep the tubes running and prolong their life going from warm to hot instead of cold to hot... It's kind of a soft start.

2) Does a tube amp take a digital pedalboard (such as boss ME-20/50/70) well? Or is it much worse than using "analog" individual stomp boxes to maintain the tube "warmth"?

I know many do this. I'm against the idea, or WAS against it, of mixing a true analog signal with a digital ditto. Saying this I'm playing on a H&K Switchblade which has a digital effects section which is patched onto the analog signal. It sounds killer!!! I've also tried patching a Line6 X3 into a tube amp and that ruins the sound.
I've seen more amps (Haze, Bogner) are adding a digital fx section. But in some way they patch it onto the analog signal without ruining it so I these days - knowing better from having an amp that could - I'd say that solution is perfect while any external digital box will not cope.
...isn't it TC electronics that has a multi effect which includes an analog distortion and a few digital effects in the same box? Digital distortion is often what sucks the most so that may be a good idea. Havn't tested it.

3) What's the effects loop good for? I believe I technically understand what it is (I guess it's placed between the preamp and the power stage), but don't see why it's better to use that instead of just placing the effects in front of the amp. (Again, Vox ac4tv doesn't have an effects loop)

Right, it offers a possibility to add effects between the preamp and the poweramp. Can't say it's "better" in general. It's "better" wherever it sound better. Like an OD infront of a clean amp will add some mustard. Putting an OD infront of a distorted amp is more or less useless imo. I understand many does that but to my ears that doesn't sound swell with the compressed distorted signal it gives. Putting the OD in the loop gives a different, better, result. Same with an EQ.
I.e eqing the signal before it enters the preamp EQ section when putting a pedal before the amp is one thing, putting it in the loop will give a very different sound - better imo.
A tube amp sound better with as few effects as possible. Again, just IMO. Reverb is neccessary if your amp doesn't have it.

4) Is there any problem with a tube amp without a Gain knob? (There's just a volume knob and a tone knob on ac4tv)

So those are my doubts!

Nah, not really. Run it on full and turn up the volume on the guitar for grit, clean it up by turning the guitar volume knob back. It's a good technique to use rather than stepping back and forth on stomp boxes and switching channels to go between clean and distorted.

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