Using non-keyboard amps with synth. Bad Idea???

Box · Post by **Box** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:18 pm

My question is, can you use a synth with a guitar or bass amp? I think that a bass combo will be ok, but not sure. Also that a synth would probably blow a guitar or regular bass amp sky high. I thought I'd ask people who'd know for sure before I accidentally blow my friends's amp.

gryphon · Post by **gryphon** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:21 pm

not really. The impedances are all wrong, but your ears are generally what matter. Poly Evolver through vintage Twin Reverb? f**k yeah

Box · Post by **Box** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:29 pm

So playing a synth through a guitar or bass amp would be ok?

JUGEL · Post by **JUGEL** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:31 pm

Twin sounds good for electro-pianos ... not so much synths..

I'd stick with the bass amps. No problem there.

RawBC · Post by **RawBC** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:44 pm

My friend and fellow radiophonic dub synthesist, Joe, uses a Line 6 combo with his Ion and last I checked he was running his SP-404 through a Marshall combo...

...the odd thing is, I play my guitar through a Peavey KB 60.

Well, not really, I guess, because it handles all the processing, Whammy effects, and octave madness rather well...

Anyways, yeah, you can totally do it. I run my Alesis AirSynth through the CD input of my Peavey Blazer all the time and it works well.

You know, though, I wasn't a fan of running synths into vintage tube amps like a Fender Twin and such, I didn't really like the tone no matter what I tried. Although I have not tried a Mesa Boogie or anything like that. I had an Acoustic 134 combo with 4 inputs (2 low, 2 high) and my stuff sounded really good, especially with some really deep and thick tremolo.

I have read here in these very threads that acoustic guitar amps work well because they too have a more expressive tonal range since there are all those delicate acoustic timbres and harmonics and such. Do a little digging, you'll find answers, but the best one you'll get is if you just try it out because we all have different flavors. Hope this helps...

RawBC · Post by **RawBC** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:45 pm

My friend and fellow radiophonic dub synthesist, Joe, uses a Line 6 combo with his Ion and last I checked he was running his SP-404 through a Marshall combo...

...the odd thing is, I play my guitar through a Peavey KB 60.

Well, not really, I guess, because it handles all the processing, Whammy effects, and octave madness rather well...

Anyways, yeah, you can totally do it. I run my Alesis AirSynth through the CD input of my Peavey Blazer all the time and it works well.

You know, though, I wasn't a fan of running synths into vintage tube amps like a Fender Twin and such, I didn't really like the tone no matter what I tried. Although I have not tried a Mesa Boogie or anything like that. I had an Acoustic 134 combo with 4 inputs (2 low, 2 high) and my stuff sounded really good, especially with some really deep and thick tremolo.

I have read here in these very threads that acoustic guitar amps work well because they too have a more expressive tonal range since there are all those delicate acoustic timbres and harmonics and such. Do a little digging, you'll find answers, but the best one you'll get is if you just try it out because we all have different flavors. Hope this helps...

yburn · Post by **yburn** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:30 am

the main problem you get with guitar amps is that whatever you put through it, you'll get the sound of that amp stamped all over it. Not a problem if you are happy with that sound but can be a problem if you create a patch without the amp and then hear it through the amp and it's completely different.

Post by **wiss** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:35 am

yes and no.....

yes, you can..

no...if your after tone, its a bad idea...the guitar/bass amp does not cover the freq range of the synth....a lot of synth just are two powerful and have to large of a freq range for s guitar/bass amp to handle.

Jinsai · Post by **Jinsai** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:35 am

You can play through a guitar amp.

The real question is "should you".

Guitar amps are designed for guitars. They are matched to the guitar's impedance which is very different than a line-level synth. They use speakers that have a pronounced midrange bump, poor high- and low-frequency response, and break up easily. The amps themselves are generally designed to impart "character" to the raw guitar sound.

Bass amps are more of a mixed bag - some use full(er) response speakers than guitar amps and generally will output more power without breaking up.

The end result is playing synths through guitar and bass amps sounds very different than playing them through proper keyboard amps, PAs, or studio monitors.

If you really want that guitar or bass amp sound on top of your synth, by all means, go ahead.

But if you actually want your synth to sound like it's "supposed" to sound, or anywhere close to what it sounds like through your monitors, get a proper keyboard amp.

"I'm too cheap to buy an amp" is not a good reason to play through a guitar amp.

"I like the way it sounds" is a good reason to play through a guitar amp.

zmd · Post by **zmd** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:54 am

do it as if you were a guitar player.
most guitar players would never put amps into one lump, each one has characteristics that work well with certain guitars, certain pedals and certain styles.

so, do like a guitar player, try em all, try bass ones, try guitar ones, try keyboard ones, try portable PA heads, you will find your tone that way. my one and only beef with keyboard amps, is that they are little portable PA's, and they do noting character wise (for the most part). my personal rig involves 2 guitar amps, one tube, one solid state (it has a stereo drum machine input that i use exclusively, cuz the normal in sucked), and a peavey pa200 into a couple of old shure columns. these sound grrrreat for certain boards, but i'll tell ya, i can't just mix and match and be happy...you have to work for your tone a little bit:)

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:47 am

If it sounds good...it is good. People have used guitar amps for recording synths in the studio for years.

CountFunkula · Post by **CountFunkula** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:52 am

Sometimes when I get bored with a synth, running it through a guitar amp gives it new life.

*NOTHING wails like an SH-101 through an Orange AD15* ...not that I ever got bored with the '101.

dthestampede · Post by **dthestampede** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:52 am

muse and atari teenage riot are two names that come to mind. i forget the stack matthew bellamy uses to push synths through but alec empire/ atr can be seen on youtube using marshall stacks

Post by **tallowwaters** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:05 am

Box, this goes in sound production. The lost topic you made belonged in sound production. consider this your final warning-it the topic has to do with sound after it leaves the synth (such as recording questions, amps, etc) it goes in sound production. no excuse for your ignorance on this on.

Box · Post by **Box** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:51 am

tallowwaters wrote:Box, this goes in sound production. The lost topic you made belonged in sound production. consider this your final warning-it the topic has to do with sound after it leaves the synth (such as recording questions, amps, etc) it goes in sound production. no excuse for your ignorance on this on.

I'm sorry... I've seen other people post similar topics here. I didn't know their was a specific forum for stuff like that. I'll make sure to post topic in right place next time.

P.S. Last time you didn't say anything so I didn't notice. You should give a first warning before you issue a final one; you think? Also, if such things are rules there should be an official post. Unwritten rules are hard to obey.... cause you don't know they exist....

Using non-keyboard amps with synth. Bad Idea???

Using non-keyboard amps with synth. Bad Idea???

Can vs. Should