Mixing tube and solid-state amp sounds

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:31 am

For big loud sounds I like to mix a solid-state amp in with the tube amp. It kind of fills in the sound. Other people don't seem to be hearing what I'm hearing. I have to kind of do it on the sly. Am I crazy or am I on to something? Do you guys do this?

getreel · Post by **getreel** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:53 am

There are some good sounding solid state amps out there today. I think it probably has more to do with the individual amp's sound than whether it's solid state or tube. Mixing them sounds like it's working for you. I have an older Roland Blues Cube that's a great sounding solid state amp. I've used it plenty to record with. I like my Line 6 Tone Port thingee a lot too and it has no tubes and can sound like an entire amp collection.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:28 pm

i'm liking Valve Junior mixed with Pathfinder right now.

Judas Jetski · Post by **Judas Jetski** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:30 pm

I've been getting some pretty spectacular results out of my solid state amps lately. But then I'm hitting them to tape. (BTW, thanks for the tape, Knights!

) I don't know if it's the tape, or the way I'm recording the amps, but I haven't heard any complaints about the tone being 'brittle' or what have you. Mixing amp types can bring out a fuller tone? Sounds totally plausible to me.

rawktron · Post by **rawktron** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:49 pm

Ok, I have nothing useful to add, and you've clearly been around a lot longer than me by your post count so I'm sure you've heard this before - but "Knights Who Say Neve" is the most awesome username ever.

Sorry, had to post that!

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:58 pm

Not sure if you are doubling with them, I don't, but I love the Pathfinder for rhythm contrasted with a Pro,Jr. or Marshall for lead.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:38 pm

If the sounds you are mixing blend and make sense in your production than its good.

rawktron wrote:Ok, I have nothing useful to add, and you've clearly been around a lot longer than me by your post count so I'm sure you've heard this before - but "Knights Who Say Neve" is the most awesome username ever.

Sorry, had to post that!

#2 only to the Brill Bedroom.

farview · Post by **farview** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:19 pm

Tube or solid state doesn't matter. As long as it makes the sound you want, it's all good.

I will mix different amps together every once in a while because one amp will have something the other one lacks. I do a lot of heavily distorted stuff, so I try to keep the track count down. The more that you layer, the less room for the other instruments.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:47 pm

I pair up my '76 vibro champ with my vox cambridge twin 30 (solid state) quite often and love the blend. Been blending solid state and tube amp tracks for years - not doubling but actually splitting the signal and mic'ing both amps.

What I find ultra cool is blending the 2 amps and acoustically mic'ing the guitar itself when playing a hollowbody.

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:56 am

Yea I meant tracking both at the same time, not doubling with another amp.

But I've also reamped to crap solid-state amps to get a blend. Gorillas, Fender Jam, Roland Cubes. Thus the "on the sly" part of my original post. People don't go to studios to record through a Crate. I've used a 9 volt powered amp set on a horrible "overdrive" setting to get extra buzz. It sounded good in the mix, but I didn't volunteer how I got the sound. I feel odd about all this...musicians want to blaze through a Marshall (so do I), but they like the way a 30 dollar practice amp sounds when put in context. There's a disconnect there someplace.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:01 am

A split tube/SS setup has been the foundation for Bob Mould's setup for years (dating back to his Husker Du days):

http://guitargeek.com/rigview/81/

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:04 am

More Bob Mould info:

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/7147/eqnote.html

'What I'm trying to do is create a stereo image using a solid state amp on the bottom end to create a clean, tight bottom end, and using the Fenders to create stereo distortion'.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:54 am

Knights Who Say Neve wrote:Yea I meant tracking both at the same time, not doubling with another amp.

But I've also reamped to crap solid-state amps to get a blend. Gorillas, Fender Jam, Roland Cubes. Thus the "on the sly" part of my original post. People don't go to studios to record through a Crate. I've used a 9 volt powered amp set on a horrible "overdrive" setting to get extra buzz. It sounded good in the mix, but I didn't volunteer how I got the sound. I feel odd about all this...musicians want to blaze through a Marshall (so do I), but they like the way a 30 dollar practice amp sounds when put in context. There's a disconnect there someplace.

And that Sir, is the crux of the biscuit!

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:35 am

Knights Who Say Neve wrote: People don't go to studios to record through a Crate. I've used a 9 volt powered amp set on a horrible "overdrive" setting to get extra buzz. It sounded good in the mix, but I didn't volunteer how I got the sound. I feel odd about all this...musicians want to blaze through a Marshall (so do I), but they like the way a 30 dollar practice amp sounds when put in context. There's a disconnect there someplace.

That's the art of engineering that makes it so much fun, and artists have secrets that don't necessarily need to be revealed to the public or to the consumers of their "product".

The original Crate amps with those bare-wood enclosures from the late 70's/early 80's had a smooth, compressed OD that was (and still is) sooooo cool IMHO, and just doesn't seem to exist in any modern boxes.

Stuff like this is what creates the chasm between artist and engineer. Their world, their views are from a perspective of live performance; whereas an engineer's view mostly comes from the perspective of creating an illusion of big sound printed on small medium. Film producers (for example) are masters of creating and capturing the illusion of "huge" on this relatively tiny format of film.

The tricks of your craft have to be "many", your passion for creating the illusion has to be strong and your dedication to amassing a personal library of knowledge takes endurance. That's what makes for a seasoned engineer, right? Passion, dedication, and endurance. And it helps to understand the difference between the two world's of "live artist" and "studio engineer".

Just my opinion, I could be wrong, that's just how I see it.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:54 am

KennyLusk wrote:
Knights Who Say Neve wrote: People don't go to studios to record through a Crate. I've used a 9 volt powered amp set on a horrible "overdrive" setting to get extra buzz. It sounded good in the mix, but I didn't volunteer how I got the sound. I feel odd about all this...musicians want to blaze through a Marshall (so do I), but they like the way a 30 dollar practice amp sounds when put in context. There's a disconnect there someplace.
That's the art of engineering that makes it so much fun, and artists have secrets that don't necessarily need to be revealed to the public or to the consumers of their "product".

The original Crate amps with those bare-wood enclosures from the late 70's/early 80's had a smooth, compressed OD that was (and still is) sooooo cool IMHO, and just doesn't seem to exist in any modern boxes.

Stuff like this is what creates the chasm between artist and engineer. Their world, their views are from a perspective of live performance; whereas an engineer's view mostly comes from the perspective of creating an illusion of big sound printed on small medium. Film producers (for example) are masters of creating and capturing the illusion of "huge" on this relatively tiny format of film.

The tricks of your craft have to be "many", your passion for creating the illusion has to be strong and your dedication to amassing a personal library of knowledge takes endurance. That's what makes for a seasoned engineer, right? Passion, dedication, and endurance. And it helps to understand the difference between the two world's of "live artist" and "studio engineer".

Just my opinion, I could be wrong, that's just how I see it.

GREAT POST KENNY!

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Mixing tube and solid-state amp sounds

Mixing tube and solid-state amp sounds

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