SumOne

For me it has been preamp pedals, I've owned quite a few but now it seems that in just about any situation I tend to find myself in there are other things that cover those duties: Playing live through an Amp/Cab: No need for a preamp pedal. Playing live wanting stomp on/off a particular tone and distortion: Distortion or EQ pedals or multi-fx with presets cover this. DI to mixing desk: I do that from my Amp (clean or post). To mixing desk and wanting to add different Amp and Cab sims: multi-fx is much more versatile with presets for HPF/LPF/IR/Amp/Cab/EQ/Distortion. Recording: I record a clean signal and then process it, at home - a Multi-fx with a Laptop USB interface does this (and can re-amp and change the sound).

All it seemed to enhance for me was hiss and perhaps a bit of 'clank'. I just kept it fully off. Perhaps you have no hiss in your signal chain for it to 'enhance', or your Amp/Cab isn't reproducing that frequency, (or your high frequency hearing has gone!)

I do actually like preamp pedals and have owned quite a few, but I suppose it's just my situation that I usually find I don't really need them as I play through an amp/cab, or use multi fx as an recording interface. I can definitely see the use of individual pedals for things that get stomped on/off a lot or need a lot of live adjusting.

I'm gonna be contrary and say I can't see much point in preamp pedals. Perhaps they are useful playing through a PA with no backline and not wanting to DI from an Amp, but multi-fx would seem a more flexible option to me for that most of the time. Even a cheap multi-fx unit will do a better live job by having Amp/Drive/Cab/IR/EQ/HPF/LPF and presets all available. And if playing live at pub sort of level then most players still go through an actual Amp which includes a preamp so not much need for a pedal version. And if home recording then a clean signal generally seems best (to then edit later) - multi-fx can act as an interface to your Laptop for that whereas many preamp pedals can't. I dunno, but they kind of seem to be a solution to a problem that doesn't exist for 90% of situations.........perhaps why so many are for sale on here?!

Not exactly a great VST deal, but anyone on the fence upgrading EZ Drummer v2 to v3 I'd say it's worth it: €99 if upgrading from v2, or €179 if buying for the first time. v3 can go full screen, has grid editor, sounds good - some good new kits and presets and midi patterns, seamlessly integrates with the v2 libraries and with my DAW (Reaper). It can be almost too easy to make decent sounding full song drum tracks - it feels like cheating! Can do stuff like drag in files or input a basic rhythm and it will suggest drum patterns that will work with it, it'll then also suggest all the other parts of the song to fit (intro, bridge, fills etc), then you can select a different feel for each part (e.g. amount of snare hits, velocity etc) add some 'humanizing' and change drum kits and preset sounds/fx etc. can have enough control that it feels like you've had artistic input to make something reasonably original while all of the technical drum programming work is done for you (like I imagine a producer/musical director that can't drum but knows what they want to hear, telling a drummer 'play a 120bpm funky breakbeat with no kick drum, use a tight kit, loud snare with reverb, add a fill here, then a swung bridge' etc.). Can have a decent quite original full song drum track made in a few minutes with no technical drum programming skills. Or, you could do all the programming via the grid editor if you want. The downside is potentially being sucked into buying expansion packs and midi files, e.g. there aren't Reggae drum kit presets or midi patterns, Reggae drums are €89 and reggae midi files €29. Do that with a few different genres and it could get pricey.

Being a tuned port I don't think it'd work very well. For live use I'd stick with what you're doing. I guess they might have heard that some old reggae recording studios mic'd the back of cabs and might be assuming it's the same.

The FX Loop is usually post EQ and Amp colouring/distortion (as if you want to put effects pre those amp things it can go Guitar>Effects pedals>Amp). So yeah, if you want Amp distortion> modulation effects then use the FX loop.

If the chest ain't rattln' it ain't happenin'

Charlie xcx - I think about it all the time (Warning - strobing light, could cause seizures) Sort of reminds me of The Streets for the personal/confessional storytelling. Although I'm clearly not the intended audience (45 year old man with kids) it kinda hit home and made me feel a bit retrospective and sad about people I've known feeling that clock ticking angst.

This was what had caused me ramping issues: That is how the settings need to be in Reaper, 'first' and 'last' weren't correct for me. Can now simultaneously live record clean and tracks with Core FX applied, then reamp through the Core to add FX Amp/Cab sims etc and tweak settings as it plays through the recording. All seems to work well apart from last piece of the puzzle: I'm getting into a feedback loop when recording the reamp, that'll just need a bit of mucking about with the routing/muting though.

The Specials 'Nite Klub'

A Ska covers band I was in had an advert for a singer, someone applied and we'd arranged for them to come to a practise session, we sent them the set list of about 30 songs and two of them were Madness songs. Their response was 'actually, I won't come along, I don't do Madness songs'. No attempt at finding any middle ground. A few of the band aren't overly keen on those Madness songs so we could've potentially dropped them (although there is a certain expectation that a pub ska band will play some Madness - there's always at least one punter shouting for it). Seemed a bit niche to want to be a singer in a Ska covers band playing pub gigs but will not even meet up with any band that has played any of their songs!

Yes, the Core seems very low (unnoticeable) latency. But I'm also using 'ReaInsert' which I think automatically deals with latency when reamping. I'm using the Core Main/Dry/Sub outs to Reaper via USB which is working well - can record a dry signal and signals with effects/cab sims etc, and then the signal goes back out to the Core to use for its audio outputs. What I still can't figure out is though the reamping: Once recorded, I want to be looping the dry signal and running it back into the Core to muck about with Core effects, and then back into Reaper to record. It's a long shot but has anyone here done it the Core and Reaper? I'm probably missing something on the Core in/out USB settings or a Reaper settings. It's a bit of a complicated puzzle as there are 3x signals going from the Core to Reaper, then Reaper output is going back out to the Core to use for its outputs - but how do I now make that signal then get processed through the Core again (rather than monitor) and sent back to Reaper? .....I'm sure it is possible, but there is a lot of back and forth virtual wiring to understand! Watching this has helped me with ReaInsert. This video is I'm all good upto 2 minutes but then he goes through Ableton routing that don't appear the same in Reaper/ReaInsert. And this is all good up until 1 minute where he selects the reamped channel input as 'Primary', but that's not something that appears for me.

Update seems to have worked fine, I like the new 'Fat Tube' Amp. I've now got the Core working as an interface from Bass/Keyboard into my Laptop DAW (Reaper) , and back out - to use Core outputs rather than Laptop headphone out. I need to figure out reamping now so I can record clean Bass/Keys etc and then use the Core to add fx. It seems like it should work well for that as it's already sending/receiving the information, I just need to muck about with in/outs and some settings in Reaper.

Fabian, Prophecy

It'd be a stretch to call this Reggae. Dubstep - but more on the 'Dub' influence than most:

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It's about 3 and a half years since this thread started. Since then I gave up on the multi cabinet idea as got an Ashdown RM 500 with a TecAmp 212 (4ohm 600w) it has always been plenty loud and low enough. Turned up above about half way starts to drown out the band PA and un-mic'd drum kit.

There's something that makes me feel a bit sad about it. Also, vinyl records being put on walls. Has a similar vibe to stuffed animal heads on walls. Trophies no longer doing what made them good.

I'm on the side thinking pull up banners look like you're at a corporate event (possibly fine for function bands playing at corporate events, not very rock n roll though). We've got a thick vinyl 2x2m (I think 3m long x 2m high might have been better) with metal rings and use big re-usable zip ties. It means a bit of clambering about at setup/down but we're yet to play a venue where there isn't something to tie it into behind the drummer.

I'd been ready to sell the Core (again!) as have taken to just using a separate tuner and the Compressor and EQ on my Amp for live use. But another good use occurred: Re-Amping for home recording. I was finding myself looking about for an interface (like the Focusrite which costs about £100), but actually, the Core probably does that interface job just as well for for Guitar/Bass/Keys. And the added bonus being the Re-Amping in a DAW and using Core for effects/EQ/compressor/amps and cab sims etc, and the effects are just as applicable for Keyboards and Guitar as for Bass (so I guess could also be quite useable for Drums and Vocals). I've been looking around for VST effects for home recorded Bass and Keys, lots are free, but it can be also an expensive business (e.g. just one VST effect like Tape Delay can set you back £50 or £85). So, stick with the Core , or sell it and spend the £ on an interface and VST? .......I'll stick for now but workflow will be a key thing.

I love bass synth sounds, but similar to what others have said - I've had a lot more success with keyboards than the cost and effort needed to do it on a Bass Guitar. Even cheap and small keyboards just lend themselves to that particular job better. I have got a Bass Guitar to sound good live with quite synthy sounding fuzz and octavers and modulation and envelope filter combinations though. On the live vs home - I find that isn't just synth sounds, everything needs adjusting for a Amp/Cab played at volume in a venue and fitting with the rest of the band. Usually I find what can sound really harsh at home/headphones sounds good in the live setting (Rat or Tonebender type distortion being my winners live - but can sound pretty horrible at home though, whereas some muff type fuzzes can sound good at home but very un-defined/mushy live). Generally, I've found live that more mid/highs are needed to be heard, and perhaps cut some low to stop it being too boomy.