Blues Junior Direct Line Out

[VikingBlues]

"Blues Junior Direct Line Out" .... true - line out is NOT part of the deal with the amp.

So I've been trying to find a way to get a direct line out route by other means. In this case ...
Guitar --> Blues Junior III --> Weber Mini Mass --> Vox Tonelab LE for a Cab simulation --> Art Tube PreAmp --> USB interface --> DAW

What a lot of cabling! I've done some trials yesterday without any cab simulation and they fall short of this recorded trial today with the Tonelab LE cab sim in the chain.

Whether anyone thinks the sound is at all OK is another question. There are a lot of variables in this change and adjustments at each stage can make quite a big difference so I don't claim this is anything like as good as it might be with more trials / work.

https://www.box.com/s/ghfxgey6hgfvp9dkhlv5
PRS SE panned left, Hagstrom Viking panned right. Only reverb and a tad delay for fx otherwise just the guitar and amp.

I've been using the Weber Mini Mass quite a lot the last couple of weeks. Attenuating the sound and with the power tubes working harder but avoiding high volumes shattering windows and relationships with neighbours. I'm impressed with how little tone suck there is with the Weber. The Weber has two power level controls, one for the bass-mid frequencies and one for the upper mids-treble frequencies, and uses a speaker motor - this is all supposed to reduce any negative impact on tone.

[MichaelRobinson]

It sounds OK in my speakers. Not too much and not too little distortion.
It's a great song you play.

[12bar]

Sounds quite natural - it would be interesting to compare it to a "direct" recording via mic...

[losaavedra]

I found this article while hunting the net some while back for a way of getting a line out signal from amps that don't provide it. It's in my 'to do' file as I haven't got around to trying it yet, but looks like a goer. Simple circuitry but various cautions stated so take care if doing it yourself!

http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/speaker_to_line.html

[VikingBlues]

It sounds OK in my speakers. Not too much and not too little distortion.
It's a great song you play.

Thanks Michael. I don't like to crank it up too much even when it's muted volume ... just seems much less musical and too much like a noise. I must be getting old!

Sounds quite natural - it would be interesting to compare it to a "direct" recording via mic...

I'll try and do some sort of A-B comparison. Though time it takes to do that might need to wait till my holidays later this month.
I can definitely say the result without the added cab emulation is nowhere near the mic'ed up sound.

But good to know you mention "natural". That is a quality I'm looking for.

Simple circuitry but various cautions stated so take care if doing it yourself!

Thanks for the link - though an initial look makes me wonder if I might just be more simple than the simple circuitry.

I need to investigate this juggling of gear with the Weber at the centre of it. I'm sure there's further improvements to be achieved but it's a long process in juggling a lot of variables to try to get the best sound. Certainly needs attention to get a sound with enough fullness and body to it going the direct route. I tried the Strat on the same settings of this recording and it did NOT sound too good!

[12bar]

But good to know you mention "natural". That is a quality I'm looking for.

Yes - and that's a thing that my Toneport can't do. Even if it comes close it's still somewhat synthetic.

[VikingBlues]

But good to know you mention "natural". That is a quality I'm looking for.

Yes - and that's a thing that my Toneport can't do. Even if it comes close it's still somewhat synthetic.

I had a Toneport UX1 quite a long time back. Synthetic would be a good description - no amount of tweaking could ever quite lose that problem. The Vox Tonelab ST was better on natural sound, but rather limited on tweakability - not enough adjustable parameters. So that was annoying too in the end.

Currently I've given up on even trying to find a PC based solution (software or interface/software) to get good tone. Perhaps if I won the lottery the Axe II FX would be right! I just try to go for the tone being what I want before it gets to the interface now.

[12bar]

Lately with my kids getting older I can sometimes use my Fender Champ 600, which sounds great but has zero reverb in my room... Maybe it's time for my first pedals or other gadgets... GAS attack!