Amp -> mixer question

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:10 pm

Right-o, basically, i have a laney VC 15 (15 watts, class a/b, 8-16 ohms), and due to only playing in my room (& going to uni soon hopefully) its just to loud (pants, i know). I have decided to try out playing through a small mixer (so i can mix in some backing tracks from laptop) and some nice headphones. As soon as i get paid i'll order them. The thing is though, i like the tone from my amp too much to sell it on.

It has an extension cab jack on the back, along with a send & return effects loop. I know that by plugging in a cable into the extension jack it cuts out the speaker, which is handy.

My question is: would it damage my amp/mixer/face-in-a-speaker-explosion if i was to go from the extension jack to a mixer; or would it be better if i was to go from the send jack to the mixer and plug in a cable going nowhere to the extension jack, muting the amp's speaker - or neither?

Now i hope that made sense, cheers in advance

_{tis my first post here evar}

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:22 pm

1 Don't use the extension jack unless your plugging it into a speaker, if you run your amp with out a load (speaker or attenuator), then you could damage your amp.
2 Going from the fx send to the mixer is going to give you only the preamp (before power tubes) stage of your amp. It's not going to sound pretty at all.

It sucks, but if your going to use headphones, then your gonna have to use some sort of amp emulation like a POD or other things.

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:35 pm

Ah, i was fearing that. There's no master volume on it, so if i did use the effects send then the speaker would still work. Cheers for the quick feedback anyway.

I reckon ill try one of those vox valve effects pedals, just to get some nice saturated overdrive that doesnt sound like crap. I think theres an ac30 sounding one. See if it compares to the vc15.

Might even sell the bugger. Who knows...

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:49 pm

I like this new guy, he sounds like Monty Python in mah head.

Post by **Doog** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:50 pm

Well aboard the forum, Tombo- I'm guessing you're from the UK based on the use of "pants"?

I can strongly recommend cheap option 1:

BEHRINGER GDI-21, Â£25ish

Cheap as chips, works equally well as a clean amp sim to run pedals or to use as your source of dirt straight into the mixer.

You could actually set it up for a clean sound and put it between your amps FX send and the mixer for some half-decent tubey tones..

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:10 pm

That behringer looks pretty handy. As soon as i hear some samples then i'd give it some more thought. Although since i cant use my amp's pre amp without the speaker i'll probably end up looking into some sort of pedal for my tones. Early days anyway.

MaMo wrote:I like this new guy, he sounds like Monty Python in mah head.

Cheers

Probably the best welcome i've had on a forum. It's usually 'n00b is newfag lul'.

I'm from stevenage btw, 30ish miles from london

Post by **Mike** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:33 pm

Not far from me, in Watford. Welcome to the boards. I'm with Doog, those little modellers are fantastic

Post by **Doog** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:38 pm

tombo wrote:I'm from stevenage btw, 30ish miles from london

Cool, my grandparents used to live down from you in Welwyn Garden City, think I've been to your neck of the woods a few times as a nipper.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:35 pm

My only frame of reference for steveage is Saxondale.

Anyway, welcome and DO BEHRINGER! I might buy one for when I go back to uni 'cause I doubt the champ situation will have been sorted by then.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:01 am

Mr Drums had one for running his guitar and pedals straight into his PC and it really did sound pretty good- probably because it's a clone of the Sansamp GT2.

[youtube][/youtube]

I'd totally pick up one if I didn't have my Boss BR-8 plugged into my PC all the time.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:22 am

FYUK THIS NOOZRB ALSLHSHOOLE.

tombo · Post by **tombo** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:02 pm

Zaphod wrote:My only frame of reference for steveage is Saxondale.

Strange that, even though it was set in stevenage, it was filmed mainly in Watford :/ Lewis Hamilton is said to be from here too, even though he's from Tewin which is a small village not too far away. We're rubbish! Yeahhhh!

Looks like the behringer option is looking more and more probable too. Just got to watch that video at home, the school filter doesnt know about shortscale, and if i try to go on youtube they would block this website in literally seconds. How else am i supposed to skive off doing work?! Friggin IT people

Sloan wrote:FYUK THIS NOOZRB ALSLHSHOOLE.

AM SO >=( LUL

<3