The tiny lil' bugger is here...

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Rain
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2012/12/06 21:49:47 (permalink)

The tiny lil' bugger is here...

Couldn't resist - went back to Sam Ash and grabbed the little Blackstar HT-1 I mentioned earlier.

Tubes, 1 watt - so I can crank it - and it can even drive a 4x12 cab, though for the time being, the emulated speaker output will be most welcome. And it is surprisingly versatile.


Over 10 years since I sold the last of my amp and I'm glad to say - so long amp sims and PODs and whatnot. At that price, it seemed kind of silly that I'd have to pay more for yet another emulation when I could get an actual tube amp.

The minute we buy the house, I'll start looking for a big brother for this little devil. 

Oh, and I did not buy the Monster Cable which the guy mandatorily offered. ;) - But he was actually a pretty cool sales person.




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    DW_Mike
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/06 21:59:28 (permalink)
    Sweet. I love self Christmas-ing. I always get just what I want. 

    Mike

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    #2
    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/06 22:07:17 (permalink)
    Actually, this one's from my wife. ;)

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    #3
    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/06 22:15:22 (permalink)
    Just tested the direct output for the first time - that thing sound sweet. 

    Obviously, you can't switch cabs or mess w/ different mic combinations. But I've had enough of that in the last 10 years w/ amp sims to want to focus on the actual performance. I'll worry about that when I actually mic the cab.

    And the variety of tones one can achieve using that single ISF button is pretty surprising.

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    ampfixer
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 03:09:09 (permalink)
    Small amps rock. You get get to use everything the amp has to give. Big amps really need room to breath if you want to push them. I've never been a power soak fan but I see the need. With small amps the speaker really is the limiting factor. I just build heads with multiple impedances and at least 2 speaker outs. I also attach a bass cab at times for recording.

    I've not tried that particular amp but I've tried many like it. Add pedals and mix to taste!

    Regards, John 
     I want to make it clear that I am an Eedjit. I have no direct, or indirect, knowledge of business, the music industry, forum threads or the meaning of life. I know about amps.
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    #5
    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 04:32:19 (permalink)
    Rain, does the HT-1 come with an Fx loop?

    I know the HT-5 does but can't find anything about the HT-1

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    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 05:23:48 (permalink)
    Bristol_Jonesey


    Rain, does the HT-1 come with an Fx loop?

    I know the HT-5 does but can't find anything about the HT-1
    Nope.

    It's the simplest little thing.  3 knobs, 1 channel selector and a power switch. Instrument input, mp3/line input, and the emulated out, plus one output to feed an optional cab.


    I'm not much of an fx guy, and I really wanted something bare bone. The HT-1R has the reverb but I didn't even want that.




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    Bristol_Jonesey
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 06:08:26 (permalink)
    I've been looking at the HT-5, which is obviously a bit more powerful but does come with the FX Loop + a fully featured EQ section.

    I'm actually torn between the HT5 and the H&K Tubemeister 5, not sure which way to go to be honest.

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 07:52:30 (permalink)


    There's nothing like tweaking a knob on an actual amp and making it sound perfect...

    ...and then 2 minutes later reaching over and tweaking a knob and making it sound perfect again.

    ...and then...




    It's too much fun... I never have that kinda pure unadulterated fun with an amp sim.



    I hope you enjoy your new amp.


    best regards,
    mike



    #9
    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 14:00:06 (permalink)
    They had the H&K Tubemeister 5, too. Looks like a very nice little amp. I was specifically looking for a little combo, so it didn't end up on my list of options. It also has the emulated out, IIRC. 

    That being said, the ISF feature was a big selling factor for me - the ability to not only switch between but to dial and blend what they refer to as the UK and US characteristics w/ a single knob. 

    One of the numerous clips I've watched before I made up my mind was Andertons' Music little demo on YouTube, illustrating the variety of tones. There are others where I felt they dialed in better tones, but in terms of diversity, this one is pretty cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enaYgJesWeM

    I knew it delivered the heavier sounds, but when I heard that Les Paul in the cranked clean channel  at around 3:40, I was pretty much sold. 




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    bapu
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 15:57:54 (permalink)
    chefmike8888


    Sweet. I love self Christmas-ing. I always get just what I want. 

    Mike

    The Lovely Lady always gets me what I want.


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    #11
    Starise
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 16:07:45 (permalink)
     Wow thats cool. Glad you got it man!

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    #12
    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 16:10:23 (permalink)
    They say your woman will change you...

    From PC to Mac, from Strat to Les Paul, from amp sims to amps, w/ the inclusion of outboard gear, a new desk, racks for my guitars, and so on... In the 3 years since I've been w/ her, my set up definitely changed a whole lot, and for the better. :P

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 17:09:20 (permalink)


    You might want to start bugging John Templeton a.k.a. ampfixer for custom mini amp.

    It'll last you for the rest of your life.

    :-)


    #14
    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 17:21:29 (permalink)
    I used to love my tiny solid state Marshall 1 x 8 combo. Just that and a '57 went a long way - and it was much easier to record than my prized '59 Bassman - no way I could have pushed it loud enough in an apartment. Anyway, it forced me to try all kind of things with mic placement - and the amp placement as well.

    I was much more creative in terms of tone w/ that tiny amp, the mic, a wah and a flanger than I have ever been with the entire array of virtual stompboxes, amps, rack effects and cabs. 

    I don't have the room to bring a cab in here, but I certainly look forward to it once we're installed, to broaden my options a bit. But I love working w/ small amps. And a custom one would eventually be a welcome addition.


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    Rain
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    Re:The tiny lil' bugger is here... 2012/12/07 19:26:17 (permalink)
    Had a bit of time to record a few things before dinner, just using the emulated speaker, and I must say, wow man...

    It's a bit disconcerting for me to simply EQ the guitars to work in the context of the mix as opposed to first EQ'ing them to shape the sound/getting rid of hiss and fizz and then only starting to integrate them w/ rest to the mix. 

    And the layered UK/US tones just blend perfectly into this thick, solid sound.

    Plus, my very worst pet peeve, that unescapable fizz which I just couldn't get rid of w/o severely affecting the overall tone is non-existent. Lo-passing seems pretty much optional - whereas it was mandatory w/ amp sims. Heck, I can even add a couple of db's between 1k and 3k to help bring out the attack a bit w/o having to worry. :)

    I'll probably throw a Tube Screamer in front of it eventually to add a bit more gain, but it already does a pretty good job as is.

    Me happy.

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