Monitor / amp?

Gear & Tools Talk
1

hi friends
can anybody help me understand the difference between and monitor and a amplifier ?

I have The box Ma8/2 CL

and someone recommend me to add an amp to it, just dont know the difference

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An amplifier is the electronics that sit between an input (your guitar or voice) and the output (speaker). The amplifier takes what is typically a minimal signal and increases (amplifies) it to a higher level so it can be heard through the speakers.

A monitor is a speaker. Itā€™s also called a fold back in some countries. Thereā€™s typically a set of speakers pointed towards the audience, these are often called ā€˜front of houseā€™.

The monitor speakers sit in front of the performer and are pointed at the performer so they can hear / monitor whatā€™s being output.

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Also, although ostensibly the same, thereā€™s a difference between a guitar amp and most other audio amps (like stage/PA amps).

Most audio amps aim to be rather neutral, so that they can be used to play back a wide variety of music.

Guitar amps are specifically designed to work with guitars and to colour the tone.

If you plug a guitar into an amp that isnā€™t designed for guitars, it will work, but it wonā€™t sound right.

Cheers,

Keith

5

This is a stage monitor it is self powered (so includes an amplifier) but it just reproduces the sound fed to it, thereā€™s no shaping, no gain / precence, no effects, nothing. Itā€™s in theory meant to be as neutral and transparent as possible.

Thatā€™s not what guitar amps are about, they shape and colour the sound to give you specific tones

6

This bad boy does a lot of sound shapping and mutch more effects than i actually use. I use the same 3 always :rofl:

Please someone correct me if i am wrong. But right now i dont see the porpuse of an amp

7

The FX pedal will take you a long way :+1:

Will work fine with the monitor as all the sound shaping is done in the pedal.

You may get cravings for an amp in the future but do some research before you spend any money on one, work out what you like and what youā€™re likely to do with it. No need for a 100W Marshall for playing in living room. :slightly_smiling_face: - or stick with modelling for good. I still take my modelling pedal to open mics just because itā€™s more practical. Does the job.

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If you have a guitar effects pedal, that will normally perform the function of the pre-amp section of a normal guitar amp.

If you have an active speaker (which your powered monitor is as it has a power amp built in) then that can perform the function of the power amp, speaker, and cabinet part of a guitar amp.

So, effectively, if you put these two pieces together, you have all the functionality of a standard guitar combo amp in a different form factor.

So, if by ā€œampā€ you mean ā€œguitar ampā€ then, no, you donā€™t need one.

If by ā€œampā€ you mean ā€œpower ampā€, then you donā€™t need one of those either, as the active monitor you have already has a built in amp.

Cheers,

Keith