Heads Sitting On Speaker Cabinets, iPad Remotes, and Other Mental Gymnastics

It's a great app, as far as I'm concerned. Here's a site with an explanation and some examples to give you an idea of what it can do, including using it for mixing, using it for tracking, using it for touch commands, and as a midi controller!

http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/tech/apple-logic-remote-ipad-controller-app-what-does-it-do-580192

Ooh, that does look cool! Especially all those key commands.
I'd been using a bluetooth numeric pad as a remote in the past with my desktop machines, but now I mostly grab my laptop and take it into the vocal booth or wherever with me. I wonder if I'd use this.
 
Ooh, that does look cool! Especially all those key commands.
I'd been using a bluetooth numeric pad as a remote in the past with my desktop machines, but now I mostly grab my laptop and take it into the vocal booth or wherever with me. I wonder if I'd use this.

If you're using a laptop for everything, maybe not. But I actually use it as more than a remote. I like that I can program one-"button" key commands, grab multiple faders at once for automation, and actually use it right next to my desktop machine as an adjunct to whatever I'm working on. The way it interfaces with the Logic instruments is also pretty darn cool.

I think you'd like it. But if you don't need it, heck, there are other things to blow your earnings on.
 
Uh, off topic a bit, eh boys...? When I set up my bass rig, due to space limitations at gigs, I put the head on top of my cabs, but I have a piece of restaurant skid mat, the stuff about 3/4 " thick with all the holes in it, between the two parts. I have read in a few different publications that the vibrations will mess with the head...especially bass thumps. Of course, I bought the mat at a supplier because they can really get stinky when used in bars and stuff.

That's a great idea. Does it work well absorbing the vibrations?
 
Tube rattle is the only thing that has plagued and/or concerned me. The 2x12 is much worse at coaxing those weird artifacts out of the amp than the 1x12. When it bothered me during a show, I just put the head on the floor and went on. Then one day I thought about it and gathered up a bunch of the high- density packing foam that Dell uses to ship their big servers in. A few cuts and some hot glue...presto! Instant amp isolation pad!

Serg, the Remote app on e iPad also works with Garage Band, which I've also used quite a bit. It's bloody brilliant! Pick up a used 2nd Gen iPad2 for cheap and don't look back. Seriously.
 
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Tube rattle is the only thing hat has plagued and/or concerned me. The 2x12 is much worse at coaxing those weird artifacts out of the amp than the 1x12. When it bothered me during a show, I just put the head on the floor and went on. Then one day I thought about it and gathered up a bunch of the high- density packing foam that Dell uses to ship their big servers in. A few cuts and some hot glue...presto! Instant amp isolation pad!

Another great idea! I don't have tube rattle with my PRS heads for some reason (though I've had it with lots of other amps). But I do like the iso pads idea.

What kind of packing foam does Dell use? Got a pic of what you've made?
 
So far, so good, Les...spent many years in the food industry and noticed big difference when walking on those mats, so I figured it couldn't hurt, plus it kinda acts as a skid stopper. Without it, I had noticed my bass head changing positions when playing loud, so it does that, too. ( kinda like china walking across the hutch...)
 
So far, so good, Les...spent many years in the food industry and noticed big difference when walking on those mats, so I figured it couldn't hurt, plus it kinda acts as a skid stopper. Without it, I had noticed my bass head changing positions when playing loud, so it does that, too. ( kinda like china walking across the hutch...)

It's worth my checking out. I have a friend in the restaurant supply business, so I'll have him get me one.
 
Cool, although I like the idea of seperate heads in a wheelie rack with shelves, where you can spin 'em and pick and choose head/spkr combinations...yup...I need a bigger man-cave!! And more $$$$$
 
Serg, the Remote app on e iPad also works with Garage Band, which I've also used quite a bit. It's bloody brilliant! Pick up a used 2nd Gen iPad2 for cheap and don't look back. Seriously.

My girl has an iPad2 so I'mma load it up and give it a trial run.
 
What kind of packing foam does Dell use? Got a pic of what you've made?
You know, I have no idea. I only know it as the white stuff, grey stuff or black stuff. Each one has its own characteristics (basically, stiffness and density). My amp "pad" is missing (I haven't used it in over a year) and I've shipped a bunch of heavy computer gear since December, so I may have sacrificed it to the shipping gods. Don't remember. But I also used simply two 2"x2"x10" strips of the grey stuff for a while...just inside the the amp's skid feet. Worked like a charm.

I think tube rattle plagues players with combos and extremely bass-heavy amps. My MkIII didn't have any trouble, but it's isolated with Boogie's patented system and hat amp isn't all that bassy. The SuperD is crazy bass-heavy. Even at low volumes, our other guitarist would just enviously shake his head. "I can't compete with that" was his usual comment. Anyway, even with the highest quality tubes (came with SED =C=s) they eventually cave in. Dirty Bob had the same problem with his HXDA 30w combo. He plays pretty loud, too, so there's not much you can do in that situation. Just buy the best tubes you can and be prepared to change them often.
 
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Les, your newly ordered HXDA 30 will have a custom made Iso-Pad in the box when it arrives.! My local dealer just got in an HXDA 50 head and cab and sold it the same day before I could give it a spin. I did see it going right back in the box it came in with this foam for shipment Boogie speaks of. Hmmm! Wonder why they pack the amps for shipment with those. Best of all it is custom made and free!!!
 
It's an interesting topic. I think some amps would be more prone to issues than others in terms of the vibration thing. I can't say I'd worry about it with PRS amps. The functionality is another ball of wax as is what "looks cool" or impressive. That's something, that ultimately, you need to decide. I remember doing some reading way back when about combos vs. head/cab and things regarding tone being different between the same amps but different configurations. I remember some saying the combo, with the chassis being vibrated by the speakers in the cab is "part of the sound" and the "magic" of certain amps. That's all pretty subjective, of course, but theoretically makes perfect sense. I know of a manufacturer or 2 who had noise issues with combo versions of a certain amp, but the head/cab version didn't exhibit those noise issues. This was all while the amps were fairly new as well. Again, not something I'd worry about with PRS amps. So, I think there's a lot of folklore out there on the topic but you need to decide what will work best in terms of functionality for you. If tilting the cab get you better results, then you have your answer. If being able to wheel multiple heads around on a cart makes things more productive, you have your answer. It's VERY typical to see studios set up with the amps in the control room and most big studios will have a pile of heads for layering tones but maybe just a small handful of cabs. I'm going to guess most customers aren't going to care enough either way, it's more about whether they believe you will get them the end result they're looking for. Your studio looks clean and pro, so I doubt they care about the look of whether an amp head is on a cab or not.

On a side note, I find that the feet on PRS heads are extremely hard(at least on my 2 Archons). Harder than a fair amount of other amps I've owned. I've used these little black foam squares from curtain rod packaging to put in between 2 heads, more for protection of the amp on the bottom, so the PRS feet don't dig in to the tolex. The foam is kinda high density, maybe only 3/8" thick? Provides a nice little cushion and is low profile and not very visible. Funny part is the amp on the bottom is fairly road worn already, so I'm not sure of the purpose. :laugh:
 
I've used these little black foam squares from curtain rod packaging to put in between 2 heads, more for protection of the amp on the bottom, so the PRS feet don't dig in to the tolex. The foam is kinda high density, maybe only 3/8" thick? Provides a nice little cushion and is low profile and not very visible. Funny part is the amp on the bottom is fairly road worn already, so I'm not sure of the purpose. :laugh:

For years I've used a couple of layers of a very thin black foamy plastic that Sears sold as liners for their tool box drawers (I don't know if they still do). I cut it to fit under the feet of my amps. It does a great job preventing those little circles and stains that you often see from any amp's rubber feet on the cab's tolex.

Experience has shown that this stuff leaves no marks of its own. I also use a little of it on dynamic microphone clips to isolate the mic a little more when I'm too lazy to thread up a shock mount. The pieces I have are, gosh, 15-20 years old and have retained their elastic properties amazingly well. I stack two small pieces under each foot of the amp. Even works with PRS amp feet.

Edit: From the photos, it appears that they're still making this stuff (this is not the woven-looking rubber stuff, it's actually a sheet of some kind of foamed plastic):

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-chest-drawer-liners/p-00965215000P
 
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I decided to move my head back to the desk-sized keyboard stand I had it on for a while. I really need to tilt my cabinet back to fully appreciate what's coming out of the speaker for recording, regardless of the vibration issue. I'm just not happy tweaking my amps and not being able to hear the speaker cone the best way I can.

I am, however, going to move forward on having a cabinet on wheels made for my heads and other guitar detritus.

There's just no way around it.
 
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