Help me with my rig!

[NickCormier]

Ok guys, Ive been searching frantically over the past 2 weeks, for a new rig setup, ever since a show afew weeks ago where I couldnt bring my whole rig (due to transportation issues) and had to mix and match with other amps, and It was just horrrrible. I ended up playing half the show thru a Roland Cube 30, just to get some decent distortion, it was that bad.

Ok, so my rig right now (altho I currently have most of it for sale) is my Pod X3, going into a Mosvalve MV962, into two 2x12s. All I am planning on keeping atm, is my Pod X3.

So the Pod X3 I want to be the basis of my rig, just Im trying to get a smaller decent setup, so if I cant bring my Pod / poweramp / cabs, I will still have enough to play a smaller show.

I am planning on getting either a Carvin TS100, or a Carvin DCM600, for the main poweramp. I heard that its good to have a SS poweramp, if you are using a tube preamp, that way the poweramp isnt bending, and is more reliable, yet still keeps the tube warmth of the preamp. I was thinking of getting one of those 3 or 4 space Rack's in a carrying bag like this.
http://cgi.****.com/NEW-Gator-4-Spac...QQcmdZViewItem

So in this Rack case, I could include the poweramp (Two spaces, usually), and maybe a tube preamp.. Then, when im just doing a small show/cant bring alot due to transportation, I could just bring the Rack case (tube pre/ss pow) and could plug into the house, or into any old cab that is around, and still get a solid sound.. but when I wanna use my Pod X3 and my cabs, I could bring everything and set it up so my Pod X3 goes into the Tube preamp, into the SS poweramp, into the cabinets, Or the Pod straight into the SS poweramp, for an uncolored tone.

So does this sound like it would work??

And what should I look at for a good preamp?? Can someone also clarify for me, that you can also get tube pedals that act as tube preamps? Like so I could plug the tube pedal into the Carvin DCM600, and it would get a decent tube-like sound?

Thanks

[Lefty Robb]

Originally Posted by NickCormier

I heard that its good to have a SS poweramp, if you are using a tube preamp, that way the poweramp isnt bending, and is more reliable, yet still keeps the tube warmth of the preamp.

Thanks

thats about as far from the truth as possible. Tube power amps are great, they have more punch and dynamics than SS and sound better the more you crank em, unlike SS which tend to sound the same at any volume.

First thing you need to answer before asking these questions, is whats your price range?

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by Lefty Robb

thats about as far from the truth as possible. Tube power amps are great, they have more punch and dynamics than SS and sound better the more you crank em, unlike SS which tend to sound the same at any volume.

First thing you need to answer before asking these questions, is whats your price range?

I won't disagree with what you're saying but I actually prefer a tube preamp with a nice SS power amp just for consistency's sake. With this kind of rig, I can get the same sound at any volume.

There is no wrong way to do it as long as you get the sound you want.

[NickCormier]

yeh. I wanna keep it somewhat cheap, depending on if I am having two setups for different levels of practice.. I dont think I want to be lugging my Pod back and forth to like school practices everyday, but a small like 2-3rack carrying bag might not be bad to lug with my guitar, than the huge pod, and having to set it up everyday. Im considering maybe getting an older used rackmount pod pro, for consistancy sake, if I decide to carry around a poweramp in a rack bag everyday, that way I wouldnt have to bring the pod?? Maybe..

As for specifically a poweramp, Im not into the Mesa, VHT, etc range.. $400-450 is my limit I think..

[Lefty Robb]

I'm not quite sure that $450 is really going to get what you want, especially a good tube preamp. Now, did you want a actual tube preamp + effects, or just Tube distortion? I ran a pod bean + the Mosvalve for a very long and was happy, but it always lacked something, which then I found in my current setup, and now I've gotten rid of everything line6 related, not that they were bad, but you come to a point in your playing where you want more, and Line6 just can't deliver it.

old:



new:



and trust me, I've tried like every preamp out there tube and solid state:



the MP-1 was decent, combine with a BBE it actually sounded fairly good, and was probably the best one out of the bunch, but I kept going back to the Line6 because it was a "all-in-one" deal and I always knew what it was going to sound like, and I didn't need external gates, Comps, and delays with it.

[NickCormier]

Yah.. Is there a great difference in sound going from the Pod to the Mosvalve, rather than Pod into a TS100? I noticed you have a TS100 in your rig now, How are you liking it? That was my main choice for a poweramp, so my main rig would be Pod > TS100 > Cabs..

Im so confused =/

[Lefty Robb]

For an anal retentive tube tone whore like myself its night and day, for most other people, you probably wouldn't notice that big difference. But its there, mostly when you crank it though and running it @ 100 watts, massive room shaking bottom end and your classic tight bell like tone from the EL-84's.

Another one to look out for is the Peavey Classic 50/50 and 60/60 power amps, very good and cheap tube power amps.

oh, and if you think your MosValve is heavy, the TS100 has at least another 10lbs on it.

[racerevlon]

Pickup a Boss GT-PRO and one of those Peavey Classic power amps and you're done in 3 rack spaces. Run straight to the board with the GT-PRO and use the power amp to drive stage volume. Blammo