Pete Thorn's Iso cab box, for cranking amps at home

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petethorn

New member
Hi dudes, I made an Iso box for my new pad, so I can record and jam through guitar amps reasonably quietly. In my old place I had a similar setup but this is a big step up- I could actually fit a 2-12" inside this Iso box I built, it's quite large.

Thanks Too Mike Ralph for putting his Iso box build up online, I copied many of his ideas:

http://www.amptone.com/diyisobox.htm

Here's a video showing you the box I built:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYqbDEV ... tube_gdata

 
total cost, around $400- Mogami mic cables and speaker cable were around $130 with ends, and the 703 insulation and burlap was like $100 and change..... the wood, spray adhesive, and L brackets, weather strip, silicone glue to seal the inside and screws and the rest was probably a hundred and something....

I might get some sandbags to set it on, it's sitting on 4 inches of the mineral fiber now but some dense sandbags might help damp the low end when palm muting :) It's still pretty quiet right now, and it sounds really good!
 
Very cool! Nice job and thanks for sharing, I'm sure my daughter wants me to biuld one today!!
 
It looks very cool. Some clips of how it sounds and your impressions of how well it records would be very cool. Thanks for posting. :rock:
 
Looks excellent, Pete. How big of a gap did you leave between the exterior of the cab and the back and side walls? It looks pretty tight but not touching where you would be transferring directly from the cab to the walls.
 
Hey that is cool, Pete. Here is mine for my 4x12:

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Recorded many of the clips in my sig with it, including "Dance Of The Dead" Solo Section I and "Dance Of The Dead" Solo Section II. Fits a 4x12 and not boxy sounding at all... It is kept in a closet under my stairs across from my control room. The thing comes apart with velcro so I can disassemble it in seconds or remove a wall to move cabs in and out...

Steve
 
I do not have 24 hour access to a studio anymore and the one I can use pretty much anytime is about 20 miles away. Something like this would be very practical for me. The people next door just had a baby. Now if I could just build a box big enough to put a drum set in ???
 
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=59615&hilit=iso+box

here's mine I had built for me last year, cost about $700 (cheaper if u build yourself) 4ft all around, on wheels
walls are really thick, I lined the inside w/ rigid fiberglass (not pictured)
this is a must for the best sound
I can crank my peacemaker late at night and it sounds like a muffled practice amp
:thumbsup:
 
Is the main function for this to be able to record a tube amp set at moderate volumes without bugging neighbors or is it for cranking the bejeezus out of your amp so the speakers yelp like tina turner after one of ike's bad days?

It would be super cool if one of you iso box dudes could record a clip with the iso box and one without, same amp, just to show the difference if makes.

Overall I think these are cool, I'm just trying to weigh the benefits before I head to home depot. :) Heck, my mancave where most of my amps/guitars are in a converted attic, and there's some unfinished space on the sides that's too low to make into anything but storage... I could make a hell of an iso room(or two) there I bet. Hm, plus I'd save some floor space in the mancave for more gear if I had cabs stay in the iso rooms...

another Pete
 
Another question...what about infinite sustain via controlled feedback? Also, I normally tweak my amp/speaker tone live and then place my mics. If the cabs in an ISO box had do you set up your sound? :confused:
 
amiller":2srk6sa3 said:
Another question...what about infinite sustain via controlled feedback?
Click to expand...

That's always my question when it comes to iso boxes. A good portion of my playing is that direct connection with the loud amp in the room.
 
amiller":2xaby9ob said:
Another question...what about infinite sustain via controlled feedback?
Click to expand...

I recorded in a studio once with a dimed amp isolated in another room while I was in the control room - we cranked the monitors. ;) Can also use that trick with the axe-fx. Not quite the same as being in the same room with the cranked amplifier though.

Pete
 
stratotone":3n972xvg said:
amiller":3n972xvg said:
Another question...what about infinite sustain via controlled feedback?
Click to expand...

I recorded in a studio once with a dimed amp isolated in another room while I was in the control room - we cranked the monitors. ;) Can also use that trick with the axe-fx. Not quite the same as being in the same room with the cranked amplifier though.

Pete
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I did...and yes, not quite the same but I guess that's a compromise. I edited my post and added a second question...
 
here is my answer:
I prefer recording w/o the iso box, but usually...it's impossible for a ranked plexi
and not it is not for annoyign the neighbors, it ids for recording 100 watts of cranked power tube distortion
but w/ the iso box it's about 95% the same


the reason is to not only save your neighbors but save yourself!
my internal organs hurt after recording 4 days w/ my peacemaker all the way up (plexi)
the coolest sound ever...and yes the interaction of feedback in the same room is to die for
but, my body HURT

w/ the iso box you are safe and the sound isn't much different, just not the same open air interaction w/ your pick ups


this would be the same in a studio..if you were in the control room and your speaker was out in the live room
same exact thing

aside from that, iso box is a win win
 
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