To Global Power Amp or Not To Global Power Amp with Ultra

pamisano

pamisano

Inspired
I have a number of questions. I'll start by saying I have a Marshall 9100, a Tubeworks Mosfet, and a Alesis RA100. I am in the process of choosing the best one for my rig.

Marshall 9100 is really bright, even with the pressence turned all the way down. The Alesis is very flat. The Tubeworks is the middle of the road. My first question is around when and why to use the global power amp setting. All three power amps sound better with the global power amp on. My understanding is to use the global power amp setting when using either a FRFR setup, or a solid state power amp into a cab. So, why does a tube power amp sound fuller and more robust with the global power amp setting on? Do I need to turn it off and adjust the tone setting on the amp block?

My next question is around powered monitors. I have a set of powered KRK VXT6 studio monitors I am running with protools. This is where I am kinda confused. I run two outputs on each of my patches. I use the effects loop pre-cab output 2 to my power amp and cab. Pretty happy with the sound, aside from the confusion described above. Output 1, post mic/cab, to my digidesign mbox2 via XLR and into protools. It sounds like @$$. So I gues the question is are the KRK monitors that bad or is it possibly my settings in the Ultra? Global amp and cab are both on.

Also, my understanding of guitar sound in general, is that an FRFR rig would be overkill because a guitar does produce that wide of a spectrum, so how is it beneficial to use a FRFR setup when you wouldn't be taking advantage of the "Full Range"

Thanks in advance,

Pete
 
pamisano said:
Also, my understanding of guitar sound in general, is that an FRFR rig would be overkill because a guitar does produce that wide of a spectrum, so how is it beneficial to use a FRFR setup when you wouldn't be taking advantage of the "Full Range"
Click to expand...

I use an FBT 12ma to monitor myself. It's small, light, & loud as sin. I send a feed to the PA, I want to hear what I'm sending to the PA. I'm too old/lazy to cart around big cabs and then stick a mic in front of them and wonder what I'm sending to the front. I don't care about moving air. Simple as that for me.
 
The standard reply is, there aren't any real rules, if you can dial in what you like, that's the right thing to do. The good and bad about that for me - good: you've got what seems like infinite flexibility to get any sound. The bad: You've got infinite flexibility to get any sound. I use tube power amp, real speaker cab, leave global power amp "on", and am beginning to pick and choose using the cab sims occasionally - using the standard reply above - if I like the sound, that's what I use. Don't go direct to software or computer yet, so no opinion there.
 
yes i agree with MikeDV. I use the global power amp sims turned on when using most of the amps but there are a few of the paches that i've created that i keep them off in the individual settings. I never use the cab sims since i run my axe thru a sla2 into 2 412's... i've tried and it gets muddy sounding.
 
Thanks for the replies! I have found that I prefer the sound of a solid state amp, with global power amp on. The jury is still out on cab sims. I am using an old, and I mean close to 20 years old, Marshall cab with V30's. I like V30's for some things but not for others. I have found I can taylor, somewhat, the sound of my cab by having a cab sim on. But also have found that tweaking without cab sims I can get a pretty good sound, but then, of course am relying 100% on the V30's for everything.
 
I go (OUT1) direct to FOH, then monitor via Atomic FR via OUT2. Amps and cab sims on.
 
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