la bam Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Just thinking - what amp gimmicks that dont have any real effect on the sound - actually make you want to buy the amp, or think it's cool? Along the lines of: VU meter Striking leds etc Ultra violet light etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Mute switch and decent DI out. Tuner out is handy too. Not bothered about lights. meters, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Not really gimmicks but an input clipping indicator & a mute button are always welcome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 A decent compressor - a la Trace Elliot - I can't see why amps don't have built in tuners. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Tuner def 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 I'd like a tuner, a good compressor and a mute switch. That'll do me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 I like some gimmicks like the peavey mega which let you choose led colour of the knobs etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 + Non-fragile knobs. Big feet. Comfy fold-flat handle on top. UV lights. - Stupid pictograms (sorry Orange I love your amps but hate the silly style decisions). Redundant FX loops. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 7 hours ago, TheGreek said: A decent compressor - a la Trace Elliot - I can't see why amps don't have built in tuners. Yup. The Trace Dual compressor. Better still, the "sound balance" control that sat in the middle. Footswitchable mute/ Tuner out -Useful for tuning silently on stage without giving it away by running over to your amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witch Hazel Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) i'd like an LED input level meter, preferably blue LEDs, with some extra LEDs in a different colour at the end of scale to indicate clipping. i wouldn't buy an amp just for that, but if i had an amp that did that, i'd smile every time i turned it on and set the gain. Edited July 17, 2021 by Witch Hazel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 On valve amps, external bias adjustment and monitoring LEDs is a nice feature to have, and I'd prefer that to more complex arrangements that automatically set the bias. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moley6knipe Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 If GK made an amp with a Trace UV light I’d be like “shut up and take my money” 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) on a combo... kick back design... so simple and a great idea. Oh... and that Marshall logo... A Kick Back Marshall... now ya talkin' Edited July 17, 2021 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Not a gimmick as such but master volume controls that get to full output at halfway are very common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 My markbass lmt500 has loads of features but the most useful has been the really good sounding di with knob to adjust the level on the front. It’s got me out of a hole many many times, whether live or recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) Amp gimmicks that don't work: Have you tried to read the positions of the knobs on Peavey's 'Trace Elliot' green backlit stuff in the dark? There's a reason Trace put the UV light out front of the green markings, so you could see it in the dark! Edited July 18, 2021 by Downunderwonder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said: Amp gimmicks that don't work: Have you tried to read the positions of the knobs on Peavey's 'Trace Elliot' green backlit stuff in the dark? There's a reason Trace put the UV light out front of the green markings, so you could see it in the dark! Agreed. The OP asked for gimmicks that don't really affect the sound that DO work. Compressors, mute switches, tuner outs, etc are quite useful features, not gimmicks. The Trace Elliot UV light is a brilliant gimmick that did work and I dont know of any other manufacturer that has ever copied it. From a 100 yards away on a dark stage, if the amp was glowing green, you knew it was a Trace Elliot. Edited July 18, 2021 by Sparky Mark 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted July 18, 2021 Author Share Posted July 18, 2021 17 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said: Agreed. The OP asked for gimmicks that don't really affect the sound that DO work. Compressors, mute switches, tuner outs, etc are quite useful features, not gimmicks. The Trace Elliot UV light is a brilliant gimmick that did work and I dont know of any other manufacturer that has ever copied it. From a 100 yards away on a dark stage, if the amp was glowing green, you knew it was a Trace Elliot. Yeh, that's more what I was thinking of - things that make an amp stand out - trace's UV a great example - but are mainly aesthetic. Tuners etc are good because i suppose they can look cool in led form on the amp. Peak lights like on mixers, a big whacking lit up 10 sliders for eq etc etc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) The Genz Benz Streamliner blue LEDs intended to light up the front panel window were an example of an aesthetic gimmick that backfired. For some reason many Streamliners developed a fault where the LEDs didn't light up which didn't affect the sound but certainly persuaded me not to buy one. Edited July 18, 2021 by Sparky Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 On my Ashdown RM500 when on mute the background light on the VU meter is a different colour. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 6 hours ago, Sparky Mark said: The Genz Benz Streamliner blue LEDs intended to light up the front panel window were an example of an aesthetic gimmick that backfired. For some reason many Streamliners developed a fault where the LEDs didn't light up which didn't affect the sound but certainly persuaded me not to buy one. I have an irrational dislike of blue LED lighting, it just makes me think of tacky 2000s nightclub decor and the like. So I'd cheerfully have one with the LEDs dead! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted July 18, 2021 Author Share Posted July 18, 2021 20 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: On my Ashdown RM500 when on mute the background light on the VU meter is a different colour. Yes - love that! That's a great visual aid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 I like mute buttons and clip lights. Actually the more lights the better for me, lots of lights. I used to have a rack mounted compressor as part of my set up, and only used one of the two channels. I still used to turn the dials to the point where the lights came on on the unused channel. LOTS OF LIGHTS!!!! Audiences think you're professional if you've got lots of lights on your gear...it's true. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 So I'm guessing you like lights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 3 hours ago, Beer of the Bass said: I have an irrational dislike of blue LED lighting, it just makes me think of tacky 2000s nightclub decor and the like. So I'd cheerfully have one with the LEDs dead! Yeah, but if they couldn't make simple LEDs work reliably that doesn't bode well for other aspects in my book. A perfectly good design compromised by a tacky marketing gimmick (IMO of course; YMMV). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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