Vraag over een versterker top spelen in een appartement

[mindwalkr]

Hi guys!

Pardon me for writing in english for the rest of the topic but my dutch is limited!

I have a simple question! I live at the moment in an appartment, tyipical dutch style... downtown Leiden 19th century or so, 2 neighbours, one upstairs and another one downstairs!
Sound isolation is as follows.. I hardly hear my neighbours speaking but I do hear them walking (the walls even shake a bit).

So I wonder if anyone has first hand experience in playing an amplifier top in your living room in such a house ? Will you get to meet the police or your mad neighbours melting faces ? :blast:

I was considering getting an ENGL amplifier.. but the ones I like are all 100 watts but I really don't know if the minimum volume on those is good enough and "silent" enough. Right now I've been limited to playing with a POD.

Also is there any specific rules in Holland regarding noise ? Any hour that you must be silent at night ?

Thanks a lot for any hints :ok:

[Harry]

a good talk with the neighbours could tell you more about the limits of the building. And a 100 W amp will be too loud in any surroundings....

[macwilliams]

I have two 100 tops in the livingroom. And they sound perfect on lower volumes. One of them is the ENGL steve morse. my house is attached to other houses and they are build in 1900 so we hear almost everything. Stil they dont hear my play.

Edit:
the engl was in repair but stil an impression of my stack wich i play in the livingroom
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/max1m1n0666/Cabinet/DSC03554.jpg[/QUOTE]

[Ferraririk]

I Have a 100watt tube Half-stack in my bedroom, which is like 2x2 (meters)
We live in a small house, neighbours to both sides, built in the beginning of the 20th century, we hear our neighbours talk&walk, but have had no problem so far, so i think, it's worth trying!

[HaroldA]

I guess it's generally considered not nice to play "loud" after 22:00, but I guess it's best just to talk to your neighbors about your hobby and to set some kind of curfew. Also ask them to address you personally as soon as they have an issue with you playing, instead of calling the police/the landlord/etc.

I've also got an apartment with lots of neighbors and they probably don't even know I play the guitar even despite the fact that I use a Marshall 2x12" JCM800 combo! :soinnocent:

[Baker]

I think a 100W tube amp is much to loud anyway. Let alone in an old building. Get yourself an line6 POD, and a decent rehearsal room for your 100W Tube amp!

[HaroldA]

I think a 100W tube amp is much to loud anyway. Let alone in an old building. Get yourself an line6 POD, and a decent rehearsal room for your 100W Tube amp!

100W is perfect for at home! I use a 50 watt Marshall amp and it still sounds well on very low volume.

A loadbox/hotplate is however recommended to get that bit of extra punch/fatness/control.

[yordi-15]

wow that,s big stuff:mmmm:

[hole]

I'm going to get flamed for this probably, but for the money you'd spend on an Engl top (+ a bit more) (that is, if you get it new), you could get an AxeFX (which models the Powerball).

(Almost) the same sound (no discussion about that here please, go to the AxeFx thread in the rackforum) at much lower (or none: headphones) volumes.

Plus you get another 69 amps, and 70+ quality effect

[HaroldA]

I'm going to get flamed for this probably, but for the money you'd spend on an Engl top (+ a bit more) (that is, if you get it new), you could get an AxeFX (which models the Powerball).

No flames here, but if you go for an emulation option, you'll probably also need a (simple) rack amp to drive a small cabinet.

Something like a Marshall 8008 would be sufficient I guess.

[cluseau]

Will you get to meet the police or your mad neighbours melting faces ?

Definitely, first negotiate about it. I’m aware of the situation in Leiden, visit the place weekly, full of students close to eatch other but it’s one of the nicest cities in Holland. Have a good chat with your neighbors before you start to irritate them. Explain your concern about the noise. Don’t forget they may like it after all. It’s good to have a good understanding about the loud playing. Probably it’s possible to make arrangements about the hours you want to play. Say they are gone the whole day than its no problem for you to go ahead. Sometimes I’m testing amps without a dummy load during day hours. My neigbouirs are aware of this and now in advance it won’t be long. Also if I now they are at home I’ll ask them if it’s a problem to make some noise. It’s working well this way, we have a good understanding both ways..

Success :sssh:

Frans.

[mindwalkr]

interesting insights guys, thanks!

the best thing to do then is definitely to talk with the neighbours and then go from there.. I think they can't listen to me unless I have the windows open where I once got a neighbour from the house in the back knocking on my door on saturday afternoon asking me to keep it quiet when I was playing through my crappy 10w solid state Ibanez amplifier :sssh:

The Axe-fx sounds like an interesting option as well, specially since I'm just playing at home for fun right now but I could always add a poweramp + speaker cabinet in the future and there's no valve maintenance involved.. but I have to find out if I like to dial in sounds in a "programming" fashion instead of turning knobs :)

pretty impressive rack macwilliams :)

[hole]

@HaraldA Poweramp+cab is an option, but (studio)monitors or even HiFi system is a viable options (poweramp and cab simulations are build in)

@Mindwalker. there is knobturning involved (granted, only one :soinnocent:). Also you can use a PC/MAC Editor to edit the settings, so that's virtual knob-turning.... :D. Forummember and AxeFX user YEK1 is from the Leiden area. Perhaps you could contact him for some "hands on" with the Axe?

[mindwalkr]

Ah cool, it's always better to have a little hands-on from an experienced user than buying it online with their 30 days return policy!
I will check some youtube tutorial videos before I decide to bother him :)

One thing is certain, I haven't seen any Axe-fx units on ebay or anywhere so their owners must be loving it to bits

[paulusdeBKB]

I have to agree that modeling is the way to go if you predominantly play at home. The things that a 100W top does best, you'll never be able to do at home anyway, so buying can easily be viewed as a waste of money, regardless of how good the amp is.

[hole]

Last remark about the Axe:
The editting (even without the PC editor) is much easier than I thought after watching many many youtube vids about it!

(Mind you, the editting itself is easy, but there are many, MANY variables that kan be editted, and that can be quite daunting at first. Then again, with every firmware the need to use the advanced parameters decreases (so I've been told, only had my unit for 2 weeks)

[Steven Otto]

If it's an ENGL with a master volume knob; don't worry.

[macwilliams]

interesting insights guys, thanks!

pretty impressive rack macwilliams :)
Thanks, its sufficient :D

I have it in a stereo set up en like t play with a chorused sound effect, because of the chorus it can sound like a higher volume but if somebody in the room talks to me i hear it is not that loud at all. And still it souds great.