looking for device

guitarer

but you said it sounds bad, so I can buy something more expensive that sounds better
and that I can't hear any heavy distortion in that video tbh

Alnico

Ok make a decision.
Do you want a decent interface that is a multi fx and can be fully operated from your laptop and has all the sounds you want? You can use just about any reasonable amp that has a nice clear clean channel for this. Doesn't have to be very expensive.

Or do you want an amp that does all that onboard and is compatible with a computer?

I would go with the first option but that's just experience talking. What do you want?

guitarer

Hm, can you suggest me the set up I need to buy for those two options?
I imagine option 2 would be extremely expensive

but I dont want to buy junk for option one, I want something decent but not too expensive (as I will never gig with that equipment)

Alnico

You should get option 1. It makes the most sense and you will be able to use the Multi FX for gigging when you get there.

Zoom G3 (If you can afford the one with the expression pedal it's worth getting)
A - B USB cable
Marshall MG15 (Not the one with FX built in, you won't need them with the G3)

If you get that set up there's no sound you can't make and sound good doing it. There's plenty of us had G3's and know how to operate them and plenty of us still do use them.

That is the best advice i can give you.
Best of luck.

guitarer

Thanks!
Zoom G3 is around £100! are you sure I should get it or maybe I could use software to make all the effects I need?

As for Marshall MG15, which one? CF, CFX, CD, CDR ?

Alnico

Yes i'm sure. You can get software but then you're back to square one with an interface. The G3 does all that and more so yes, i'm sure. Get it.

Like i said, get the normal MG 15 which is the CF (carbon fibre).
You won't even need reverb on the amp with the G3.

Zoom G3
MG15CF

Go Shop.
When you get it, spend some time reading the booklet and online guides. It's all out there.

Don't forget to buy a guitar lead !

Good luck.

Maynehead

guitarer said:

but you said it sounds bad, so I can buy something more expensive that sounds better
and that I can't hear any heavy distortion in that video tbh

What I meant was, if you didn't need any fx, then you could get an all out valve amp which may sound better than the digital modelling amps, but will not give you the multitude of different sounds. Instead it will just give you one good sound. For example, there's a blackstar ht5 on sale on the forum right now: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/80864/fs-poss-ft-blackstar-ht5-1x10-valve-combo-150 for £150. That is a very well regarded non-digital amp at a great price.

However, as far as modelling amps are concerned, the Vox is one of the best sounding ones. I personally heard a LOT of gain in that vid, especially on the 2nd from last setting on the amp model selector. Plus the gain was only half way up! I think the fact that guitar was in standard tuning and he wasn't chugging out some kind of death metal riff may have led you to believe it wasn't heavy enough, but believe me, there is more than enough gain available for even the heaviest tones.

Anyway, regardless of whether you go the G3 + amp or the modelling amp route, they are both essentially the same thing - a digital modeller going into a solid state power amp. It's just that the Vox has the modeller built in, whereas the G3 needs to be plugged into something to amplify the sound.

The real choice is whether you go down the digital modelling route or the traditional analogue amp route. I.e. lots of different sounds vs one good sound.

guitarer

@Alnico: I can find CD and CDR cheap, half price of the CF, are you sure I need the CF only?
@Maynehead: so with the Vox AD15VT I can get all fx as with G3? and it connects to laptop for recording? (not sure if I got the model right)

Alnico

Yes the CD or the CDR will do just fine - You don't ONLY need the CF - CF just stands for Carbon Fibre - it's the finish on the outside.

CD means CD input for playing along with MP3's which is great and CDR means that + Reverb which you don't need with the G3 but if you can get it, it might be worth having built into the amp.

That amp is alright on it's own but not it's drive channel, just the clean so if you use it with pedals in the future it will be cool. It's own drive channel is a bit fizzy and thin - NOTHING like the sounds you can get from the G3.

The G3 will allow you full control over all the amp models and effects. Stuff that's built into the amp is nice and easy but limited in it's controls like my Vox.

Have you looked at any of these on sites like GAK and Andertons etc?
You can learn a lot from just reading up on stuff.
Also the Zoom website will help.

Maynehead

The AD15 is the earlier model, go for the VT15 if you can.

You will get most of the same types of models and fx on both, but the G3 will be more configurable and being a pedal, you can switch between sounds more easily (although there is a separate footswitch you can buy for the Vox too). The biggest difference will be that the G3 is a separate unit, which you will need to plug into another amp, which should be set to a clean sound to as not to distort the output of the G3, whereas the Vox is plug and play, guitar->cable->amp and off you go. Having not heard both in person I cannot say which one sounds better, but they should both sound decent enough.

Both can be connected to a laptop, using a 3.5mm jack to USB adaptor for the Vox, and a USB A to B cable for the Zoom.

guitarer

thanks guys

MG15CD + Zoom G3 versus Vox VT15

I think I will go for a Vox VT30, it's £70, it's much less than the £130 of the Zoom option

can you tell me please :
do I get the same (approx) effects?
do I get the same heavy distortion?

or do you think it's worth to go with the zoom?
thanks!

Alnico

You will get less of everything and a 30w amp will deafen you in your room (Or never get above number 1) but it is easier and cheaper.

It will still sound good so if it makes you feel good about getting it then get it.

With 5 minutes setting up a couple of sounds i could gig with one of them so you should be able to get something good out of it at home.

guitarer

OK I would go for the VT15 but I read it has no clean channel! that is so disappointing!

maybe the Vox VX1 is better?

or maybe a Marshall MG has many effects and USB? but which one?

Alnico

The VT doesn't have channels it has models and yes, it has a clean model.
The VT15 will do you fine.

guitarer

I read that the VOX are not good for metal, they are good for blues, etc
instead the Line 6 valve are better for metal, but I found them to be very expensive

Is there any other option?

Alnico

guitarer said:

I read that the VOX are not good for metal, they are good for blues, etc
instead the Line 6 valve are better for metal, but I found them to be very expensive

Is there any other option?

What you read and what actually is might not be the same thing.
My Vox is a modelling amp. That means it models the amps very closely.
You think a Vox modelling amp isn't good for metal?

I have models of the Dual Rectifier, JCM800, DSL100, Soldano 100, Vai Legacy...................There's 33 amp in total.
ALL of the metal amp models make an incredible sound.

It's a modelling amp, not a Vox amp although it has models of the Vox amp in there.

The you have 11 pedals, about 5 of which are different drives. One of which is a metal drive.

I have an iPhone and a headache so i can't record anything to show you but trust me, there's nothing wrong with a Vox Modelling amp or a Blackstar or whatever other make/model. The fact is you are in your bedroom and it will sound great. Mine has a great EQ section and if you boost the volume and then use the power scaling it changes the sound again - it's almost infinite.

Right before you ask any more questions, i've got a few.

1 - How long have you been playing?
2 - How old are you?
3 - How much metal can you play, who do you listen to and want to play like and what tuning / strings are you planning on using?
4 - How many guitar shops have you been to to try out amplifiers?

guitarer

I play many years classical guitar, I just bought an electrical, I am well above 25! I want to play thrash, black, death. I haven't been to any shop tbh, all I heard is from youtube

Maynehead

guitarer said:

I read that the VOX are not good for metal, they are good for blues, etc
instead the Line 6 valve are better for metal, but I found them to be very expensive

Is there any other option?

Strange, I've just googled "Vox valvetronix metal" and all the discussions that came up are saying it should handle metal well?

Ofcourse you can get better amps for more money but the whole premise of this thread was to find the cheapest and the best sounding modelling amp/pedal, and we have suggested accordingly. You need to make a choice now, buy the best sounding cheap amp or increase your budget dramatically.

Alnico

That right there my friend is your list of issues !

Ok. I am going to give this one last go before i just go and get on with my life.
The equipment you need is listed above.
Option 1 is more future proof and less of a gimick
Option 2 is a bit more 'Cram it all into one box' but it will still do you. It does me fine and i've had more big amps than i can remember.

http://i.imgur.com/CqB9iF1.jpg?1

Your world of classical guitar will stand you in good stead to play metal. It needs a huge amount of accuracy and a good understanding of music - Your winning here.

Your biggest problem is your computer. You need to put it down, or at least stop paying blind attention to it. You don't have to listen to me either, just remember that the computer doesn't have all the answers, some of them have to come from an actual decision that you make. The computer also can't play the guitar for you and it can't find you good tone, that is in your head and hands with the guitar and amp.

All You Tube demo's are a compromise and as such the sound you're hearing is not what it really sounds like. It's to do with compression on the recording and the equipment used to record with, most times either a phone or a webcam. You cannot trust these 100%. We use them to give us a flavour of what a pedal or amp sounds like and then we go and find that amp in person and try it out - at least get someone to play it for you so you can hear it. Sometimes we buy blind and take a chance. This place is full of buying and real life experience - we don't regurgitate what we read on guitar world. The advice me and few others have given you is based on years of buying mistakes, gigs, some of us it's recording. Again you don't have to listen but please don't be surprised if you didn't listen and something doesn't work.....................like the interface thing you tried. QED.

You need to get out to shops and ask them all these questions - write them down beforehand. Any shop would rather someone had a list of things they wanted to know and find out about when they demo something like an amp, it shows you actually might be serious and then you will get all the help they can give you. Some shops aren't great at this but some are. Depending on where you live, someone will know a good shop to go to.
Amazon is good if you know what you're talking about, as in you've had years of experience or if you don't mind buying  blind to try something. If one of these guys offered me a mint JCM800 2203 i wouldn't need to find out anything about it because i got my first one in 1987. When you've been around the block a few times then Amazon is great because even if it's a new product, you have an idea from reading a spec sheet what it's likely to do. This helps you narrow down a decision but if you really want to know before buying, you go to a shop and get a proper demo. Or a mates house. Or a jam session.

You can take this however you want but if you carry on the way you are, in 10 years time you will know a few riffs more than you do now, you will have spent thousands on the wrong gear and the only thing you *will* be any good at is posting on internet forums about your opinion on tone which will be based on loads of negative experiences and things you have read by other people who do the same thing, most of which were unfounded because they were great amps but you never set them right, played them loud enough, etc.

Now go play your Ibanez unplugged and stop making excuses not to play it.
Plan a trip to a guitar shop this week and write down at least 5 things you want to know about amps
Write down all the things that are your goals with buying an amp / effects set up.

Get some lessons to initially help you with the jump from classical to electric. NO one is saying you can't play, i'm bloody sure you can coming from the classical world but i am saying that the electric world, especially rock and metal is VERY different to the one you're used to and so are the people therein. Get out there and experience it and get involved, don't just play the music and hope someone is going to send you a link that programs your amp for you and magically makes you sound like God - it doesn't work like that.

Plan
Play
Focus
Play
Buy from a shop after demoing something yourself
Play
Research everything you can find to do with electric guitars and equipment
Play
Get lessons
Keep playing.

The very best of luck to you and *Once you have been to some shops* and got yourself a small amount of experience, let me know and i would be only too glad to chat to you about what you saw / played and help explain things further / help you learn more.

http://i.imgur.com/viomNzv.png

guitarer

Thank you, really appreciated, but as you imagine it is really hard to find what one is looking for especially without knowing the market!

For example I found this amp: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peavey-Vypyr-VIP-2-40-Watt-Guitar-Bass-Acoustic-Amplifier-/182229094685 which also plays violin! and it has usb! and it's only for £50!

I really need the more versatile and heaviest sounding amp below £100 now at ebay, with usb port, isn't there any other suggestion? I can go for the Vox but how about the Marshall15DFX? (avail now at £55)

The problem is that the ebay listings or even manufacturers' websites do not list all features clearly, eg how many effects does the amp have on board etc! so it's hard to find something good!

or maybe this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blackstar-ID-CORE-STEREO-10-2-X-5-WATT-Combo-Guitar-Amp-W-Effects-and-USB-/272338118464

or the Fender Mustang 1?