“Amp-in-a-box” pedals

[nightlight]

I just found out that the Tech 21 Paul Landers Flyrig I own has a drawing and a signature by the man himself. Wondering if that increases the value of the pedal.

It's pretty slick for a travel rig, I hear that it's even made it onto Rammstein albums. A lot of the Tech 21 stuff has that reputation, with users like that King's X guy and Geddy Lee. Not pedals though, like this one.

Unfortunately, the mix isn't great because I only had the earphones that I'm recording with, and I think I completely botched. Still, a fun, compact and inspiring box.

 

[griff10672]

Isn't the personal satisfaction of feeding into the gear dysfunction of players around the world profit enough?

of course ......

 

[JackBootedThug]

Mooer had a series of small pedals that were supposed to based on different amps - Micro preamps. I had the Diezel one, it was ok.

View attachment 437193

Yup that’s them.

 

[JackBootedThug]

Anyone rock those little two channel amps that are clones? Always wanted to try one out. Or what about the little ss micro heads… the diezel and Friedman ones… sorry for the derail….

 

[shredi knight]

Whatever you do, don't order a "Larry In The Box". You might not be getting what you think...

 

[cobrahead1030]

They’re very useful if you’re playing a low volume clean amp at home, and you want the overall vibe of something that would be impractical to actually own.

 

[Greazygeo]

I thought the og amp in the box was the Marshall Guv’nor. That worked great in front of my OR120. Also had the Tech 21 GT-2 that sounded good recorded or thru an amp. Bought that while at GIT to use thru the awesome Peavey combos they had in the classrooms. Currently using the REV G3 pedal with a small pedal board, surprised how good it has been working.

 

[Faded Abyss]

The point isn't to use them as a full-on preamp, as seems to be implied by the OP post, it's to use them as an overdrive or distortion pedal with an existing rig but get that amps "flavor.' Generally speaking, they work well as lower gain or mid gain devices, and tend to be godawful ass-horrible for the super high gain stuff like 5150s and Rectos.

This is where I have got lost over the years. I always viewed them as you describe, say you have a high gain amp that’s a one trick pony, it has a clean channel that can get dirty - no you can use these amp in box pedals to get that added flavor that adds something you never had before to the amp.

 

[Faded Abyss]

Funny I look at just the opposite, I want an amp that doesn't need pedals.

A Bogner Shiva with reverb or an EVH 50 watt combo is perfect for not needing any pedals.

I’ve heard people say similar things about non master volume amps, which is insane to me not to have control over gain staging and just be stuck in whatever the downstream volume is set at. Because putting a pedal in front of the preamp isn’t much different - but if you like the pickups output with no adjustment, I’m not going to preach you to change something that is perfect. Less in the chain, the better

 

[DanTravis62]

This is where I have got lost over the years. I always viewed them as you describe, say you have a high gain amp that’s a one trick pony, it has a clean channel that can get dirty - no you can use these amp in box pedals to get that added flavor that adds something you never had before to the amp.

Correct, in the vast majority of cases they are not a full on preamp like that

They are just very carefully designed and EQed distortion/overdrive pedals with very specific gain characteristics and "flavors" that are designed to sound very close to the amps they replicate

Although, something like the KSR Ceres/vesta, Victory Kraken/Copper/Sheriff, Tone King Royalist, DSM/Humboldt, and the new peavey pedals are actual "preamps" and designed to be "adding a clean/high gain channel" as you describe, the vast, vast majority are not - and are not meant to be run like that. They are designed to be "Additive" not like a synergy module added to your effects loop or something.

Although, there's a handful that you can jimmy-rig to behave like a preamp, if they have the right characteristics, since you're already confused about this it wouldn't help by confusing you further

 

[Faded Abyss]

What's the question?

I suppose more of a goal than a question. I’m always trying to get more out of pedals because I think they are the coolest way to enhance tone - but balancing between having an already high gain tone, there’s nowhere to go. It’s like having 2 wives and the main stay does everything really well but the other wife can boost the experience when you plug them into each other. Wait a minute…



These tones sound good to me and I think he’s running into a power amp. I also noticed the Driftwood Hatchet has an option for “preamp” or “distortion” and says it can be a preamp or in front of the amp. So the presence and resonance controls of these types of pedals are probably just shelving high and low eq vs a real amp it affects the negative feedback or feel of the power amp also

 

[bubbastain]

I suppose more of a goal than a question. I’m always trying to get more out of pedals because I think they are the coolest way to enhance tone - but balancing between having an already high gain tone, there’s nowhere to go. It’s like having 2 wives and the main stay does everything really well but the other wife can boost the experience when you plug them into each other. Wait a minute…



These tones sound good to me and I think he’s running into a power amp. I also noticed the Driftwood Hatchet has an option for “preamp” or “distortion” and says it can be a preamp or in front of the amp. So the presence and resonance controls of these types of pedals are probably just shelving high and low eq vs a real amp it affects the negative feedback or feel of the power amp also

The old AMT “2” pedals (R2, P2 etc) have a preamp out jack to go into a power amp or effects return as well as a Drive out jack to be used as a distortion pedal. I had the R2 (Rectifier) pedal and thought it was great. I used it ways. Sounded great into my tube power amp and equally cool in front of a Teisco Checkmate 50 tube amp head.

 

[Faded Abyss]

The old AMT “2” pedals (R2, P2 etc) have a preamp out jack to go into a power amp or effects return as well as a Drive out jack to be used as a distortion pedal. I had the R2 (Rectifier) pedal and thought it was great. I used it ways. Sounded great into my tube power amp and equally cool in front of a Teisco Checkmate 50 tube amp head.

Nice. I’ve never heard of them, but those came out almost 15 years ago. Even though they haven’t been in the spotlight, they must be doing something right because they’re still around and I checked out their F-1 pedal and that thing sees like an analog spaceship.

And that’s cool you were able to get different uses out of it. I used to be really picky on what kind of saturation I put in front of an amp but lately I’ve been getting into more doom and sludge types of sounds. I used to think it sounded like nails on a chalkboard but maybe my old ears filter out the harshness that was overbearing.

So anyways… yeah… I’m experimenting with other than tube screamer 2% clipping boosting a gained to the max amp

 

[Geo]

I’ve heard people say similar things about non master volume amps, which is insane to me not to have control over gain staging and just be stuck in whatever the downstream volume is set at. Because putting a pedal in front of the preamp isn’t much different - but if you like the pickups output with no adjustment, I’m not going to preach you to change something that is perfect. Less in the chain, the better

My non master amps are my favorite to play but yeah, fucking loud. There's nothing like the dynamics though.

 

[bubbastain]

Nice. I’ve never heard of them, but those came out almost 15 years ago. Even though they haven’t been in the spotlight, they must be doing something right because they’re still around and I checked out their F-1 pedal and that thing sees like an analog spaceship.

And that’s cool you were able to get different uses out of it. I used to be really picky on what kind of saturation I put in front of an amp but lately I’ve been getting into more doom and sludge types of sounds. I used to think it sounded like nails on a chalkboard but maybe my old ears filter out the harshness that was overbearing.

So anyways… yeah… I’m experimenting with other than tube screamer 2% clipping boosting a gained to the max amp

I have the F1 pedal. It’s great. I’ll use it as the clean preamp and then put distortion pedals in front. I have several videos demoing distortion pedals with the F1 into a Mosvalve power amp.
Also, the F1 can be used in 4CM to add a clean channel to any amp with a loop.

 

[pintspiller]

I use one of these, even better with an sd1 in front, Euge has a great clip as well

 

[csguy0]

What gives? Has anyone tried these and wanted to sell their amps or use these over a good amp modeler? A lot of these fuzz and doom pedals make it seem like they capture power amp distortion from the real amps… that nobody will ever hear the power distortion from unless in a rare case of being ran through an attenuator which isn’t the same… It’s always been marketing gimmicks to me but maybe I’m missing out since people are obviously buying them up and they aren’t cheap by any stretch.

Definitely marketing - it took me a while (and I'm still learning) to understand what all these sounds are like and how they are created. When I first heard power tube distortion through my Fryette, I likened it to a turbo whistle in a car. I think there's some value in understand the sounds you already have before diving into the marketing machine.

 

[Faded Abyss]

Definitely marketing - it took me a while (and I'm still learning) to understand what all these sounds are like and how they are created. When I first heard power tube distortion through my Fryette, I likened it to a turbo whistle in a car. I think there's some value in understand the sounds you already have before diving into the marketing machine.

Absolutely agree. I try my best to avoid that machine, but I also have a pedal addiction. So far throughout all demo’s I’ve listened to, the most convincing one is the Lahar Effects Iron Scourge. It gets that specific CC sound that hasn’t been matched as well in any other way

 

[napalmdeath]

I use one of these, even better with an sd1 in front, Euge has a great clip as well

If Isis created an amp in a box, this shill would demo it and say it was greater than sliced bread.

 

[stephen sawall]

Zvex Box of Rock. I remember talking to Zac about it years ago. He voiced it to sound like his favorite amp a JTM45.

It really does sound like a amp. More than any other pedal I have heard.