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.

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

Mike

Actually, this one's from my wife. ;)

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.