Lots of confusion regarding amps (and looper pedals)

My amps are too loud for even a house, where the wife is (12w,15w tube, 80w solid state). This is where I use the vol. knob to tame the vol. down to where the wife ainā€™t on my case for being to loud. Generally even loud amps can be brought down to whisper volume. + if the amp is still to loud, ya can bring the guitar volume down too.

Perhaps a regular metronome? Not a drum for sure, but serves the same purpose. They keep time, perfectly.
I use a taktell piccolo. Ya wind it up. Very straight forward.
If ya play into a DAW. The one I use has a metronome built into the program. Click on, click off.

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Haha, yes, I guess turning the volume down is something I have to do.

And thanks for recommending a metronome. The thing is: I really hate metronomes. I tried several - apps and regular ones and YouTube videosā€¦ they all make my skin crawl (I guess ā€œsound sensitivityā€ is the official term for neurodivergent people). Drum beats are my alternative because of course I do want to play in time. But I wonā€™t be able to practice with a metronome for hours on end, soā€¦ yeah :sweat_smile: Itā€™s a bit tricky with me, I know.

Cheers for that John
Iā€™ve been happily using
Guitar > Pod Go (pedal) > (guitar in) Trio+ (amp out) > Katana (power amp in)
but based on your setup, have just modified it to
Guitar > Trio+ (fx send) > Pod Go > (fx return) Trio+ (amp out) > Katana (power amp in)
Much more satisfactory :sunglasses:

If you want to bring a DAW into the mix, you can usually create your own MIDI drum tracks or use pre-programmed drum tracks. I have looked at drum machine pedals a bit in the past, but havenā€™t purchased one yet. I think some of the multi-effects pedals have drum options built in as well.

Just to throw out another option, instead of getting an amp and looper, you could always look at getting an audio interface and use guitar sims/effects in a DAW. As I mentioned, you can create a drum track, then you could record other tracks, say a rhythm track, and/or a bassline, then have the DAW loop them all as you practice soloing over it. It isnā€™t quite the same as a true looper pedal, but has a very similar result. Iā€™m partial to Reaper for my DAW, but there are plenty of others out there.

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ā€œWe doesnā€™t needs itā€¦ but why does, we wants it, my Precioussss?ā€ :roll_eyes: :rofl:

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As a fresh owner of one of these Hotone Nano amps (actually thanks to your thread and a bit of a direct conversations with Darrell and Michael that suggested them above!) and because I try to spend most of my time away from the screen thatā€™s my practice setup (I cannot comment on recording side of it):

  • Hotone Nano Legacy amp (got it on eBay and managed to haggle the price down by further 20%). I cannot believe how good this amp is. Not just for the price. The responsiveness of the tone controls really make it go from completely clean to nicely overdriven sound. I run it through the line out either into my headphones or into one of those portable speakers that everybody uses nowadays, but for getting the best sound, you would probably want to buy an actual speaker cabinet.

  • I donā€™t own a looper pedal or an multifx unit, but I have two simple pedals that can put them either before coming into the amp or into the FX loop, so thatā€™s a great feature of this amp.

  • Now the aux in functionality of this cheap amp could be a deal breaker for you. Download drum tracks, backing tracks, etc. from YouTube, load it into a small mp3 player (so you can keep your phone and computer away while practicing), plug it into the amp and you have everything you need with no screens distracting you! I know most of the amps suggested have the aux in as well, but they also have a lot of options. This one literally just has low/mid/high/gain/volume knobs and thatā€™s it. No menus to choose from, no apps needed to control the amp, etc.

With your ADHD if you are only looking for a way to practice, I would stay away from including any DAW, MIDI, etc. It will just distract you even further and prevent you from the original purpose of what you want to do. Play the guitar.

Re-jamming online:
Keith and some others have written endless posts around this community, but the functional option to play with friends online is that one has the microphone turned on, plays rhythm guitar and the other is muted but jams along. You take turns. It is actually quite fun, because itā€™s somewhere in between playing along to a backing track and jamming with someone.

I have dug my Trio+ out for the first time since moving recently and the learning process was needed all over again.
Yes.
The input of the Trio needs to be direct from the guitar, clean, no fx in that signal path.
The circuitry involved from there is what the ā€˜bandā€™ listens to.
Effects need to be added to the fx loop.
They will be picked up by the circuitry that records the looper and your general guitar out parts.

My set up:

Guitar ā†’ Trio+ input
FX loop out ā†’ Zoom G3 multi-fx ā†’ FX loop in
Trio+ output ā†’ mixer ā†’ computer (or monitor speakers or headphones)

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Yup, thatā€™s right for if you want to program and record loops, but once itā€™s up and running you can put an fx pedal in front of the guitar into the Trio and it still works.
(for some reason I presumed the fx pedal would be applied to the drum & bass as well :roll_eyes:)
Yourā€™s and Johnā€™s method is far more satisfactory though :smiley:

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Yes - I should have done a caveat.
Once the band sections are recorded and youā€™re using the Trio+ to simply do its play-back magic (including loops) then you can send fx to the input.
I use a lot of instructionals from the Pedal guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqwmt2bmFkY&t=386s

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Because it doesnā€™t cost much and it sounds and responds really nicely. A lot of my stuff was done using it, Now I have my Bugera 5W tube amp it wonā€™t be used as much as it was but I shall never sell it.

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Take a look at the donner circle looper. Itā€™s two pedals in one. One side can be used as a simple looper. The other side is a drum machine which can also be used separately. The can also be used together and the pedal will adjust your loop to exactly match the drum tempo.
Here it is in action

The simplest option as I see it would be to just buy the circle looper and an amp. The problem with this setup
Guitar ā†’ Looper ā†’ Amp
is that the loop is a record of your guitarā€™s dry signal. So whatever effect you select on your amp will be applied to the loop. I donā€™t think that is such a big deal. The fun is had by creating music. You can do this with guitar->looper->amp setup like this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyoxIJRJixs&list=PLOy0xrRHxUMamupvDT923EcyAx4Fl3s_b&index=28

and this guy

and these people
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOy0xrRHxUMamupvDT923EcyAx4Fl3s_b

Keep in mind you already have a modelling amp and effects unit with your mustang micro. You could therefore go

guitar ā†’ mustang micro ā†’ looper ā†’ any practice amp using the clean setting

Now your effects will be recorded on the looper! You just need an adapter to connect your fender to the 1/4" jack on the looper. But worry about that later.

Here are your amp models

Here are your FX

Here is a reference.

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Thank you so much! Sorry for (once again) the late reply.

Iā€™m still wondering if/how I can use the Mustang Micro with a Looper - so far I havenā€™t found a solution. But itā€™s just probably my brain not being able to focus :see_no_evil:

Iā€™ll go back to the research I guess. But your advice helped, thank you so much! Iā€™ll probably be back with even more questions.

Like this. Guitar ā†’ looper ā†’ mustang micro ā†’ headphones.


If your headphone cable is short you might need to use a3.5mm(1/8") extension cable like this.

I didnā€™t know this is possible! Thank you so much! Especially seeing it helps!

This wonā€™t work that well if you want to change presets and play a clean rhythm first and then do some leads with a higher gain tone, for example.

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It may be possible using the XSonic Ulooper.

Cheers,

Keith

But only with the Plus version of the Mustang Micro? Iā€™ve got the older version.

Ah, it may not be possible then. It doesnā€™t appear on their compatibility list:

Frankly, if this isnā€™t an option, then using a looper with that unit probably isnā€™t practical.

Cheers,

Keith

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Is there anyone here in the Community who has tried the ULooper?
More out of curiosity than anything else. I already have the Trio+ but the lack of an fx loop has often been one of the main reasons offered for not getting a smaller modelling amp. (THR/Katana 50).
Itā€™s the function of using it as a line out that might tempt me.
Whenever I play at our local open mic, I just play my tele clean into the PA :roll_eyes: but I gather this lets you use your amp to modifify your sound first.

@brianlarsen
I use Trio+ and have a multi-fx pedal in the chain ā€¦ Trio+ fx out ā†’ multi-fx unit ā†’ Trio+ fx in.

If you did this you could have the Trio+ and a muti-fx unit and from the Trio+ you send a signal from the Mixer Out to the pa.

It would give you the drums / bass / pre-recorded loop plus your own live guitar part (with fx added as and when you wish).

My multi-fx is an older version Zoom G3 and is still going strong.

Or, you could use the fx that are built in to the Trio+.
Each and every genre has three settings (green / amber / red) giving clean, slightly dirty, more dirty) guitar tones that are meant to be appropriate for the genre chosen.
Top left button on the Trio+.

No fx loop needed.

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