How to best play loud at home?

[solarburn]

loud is in the ear of the beholder...

what is loud?

Man, I feel like a philosopher now. ...

Loud is felt rather than heard.

 

[circles]

I play very quietly.

 

[Biff Maloy]

The way I do it is find a high enough powered speaker that can handle your amp and is also inefficient.

I use a Celestion T75 in a closed 1x12 with my 50 watt Germino.

It's still loud but not that bad. But, I live on several acres with room from neighbors.

 

[El Gringo]

That could prove pricey .

Nowadays yes of course

 

[El Gringo]

I play at home with plenty of volume and I would not have it any other way .

 

[JohnH]

Its great to get some loud volume happening at home. But my view is that a 'loud' experience at home or in a studio is probably less power than when performing. A smaller space needs less output to fill it. Too much power in a small space just causes an ear-damaging sonic mess (depends on how the room is). Plus, when we start to play, coming from a quiet home environment, our ears are more sensitive than when thay have already been blasted, so you can get the full experience with somewhat less.

So how to do it? If your amp tone depends on power-stage drive, and if you want to hear that fully at the reduced but still loud volume, then you need an attenuator, or a smaller amp. My amps are 40 and 50W, so that conclusion led me into attenuators because they sound much better turned up. But if you are happy with the tones from Master volume controls, modelling, or selected drive pedals, then all good.

 

[Deftone]

It's just me and the wife and we are on 2 acres so when I want to fire up the half stacks I just wait until she's out.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Know where to stand. For something resembling manageable volume levels but with good tone, use a Marshall 1960B straight bottom in a half stack configuration and stand beside or somewhat behind the cabinet. Being directly in front of a full stack is strictly for the birds! (not the band of that name....) I can get away with playing for several minutes without hearing protection and get no ringing in my ears if I use this setup and don't overdo it. I also adjust my controls for a very controlled amount of treble, it's not muffled but it's not ear piercing, either.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Was in a band gigging small venues, parties, pubs that sort of thing before the pandemic. For various reasons between myself and the drummer I've been working with for the last few years (revolving door of bass players, singers, heath issues, the pandemic, etc.) I'm not jamming with anyone at the moment nor do I play loud at home. Got a family all still home.

I've read time and time again that playing loud is important for a myriad of reasons. 1. You just get a better sound that way, 2. You need to learn/practice controlling the beast as one would need to at a gig, etc. I know this to be true, there are both physical and psychological differences to playing loud.

OK, enough of the background, and justification. Right now all my gear is in my office, quite small. I'm looking for ieads to play loud. I have heads/cabs ( 2, 2x12 cabs - one head/cab normally at my drummers but its all home right now), also have wireless that works for short short distances. So, for example, maybe I buy a very long power/cab cable and put my cab in another room? in the basement?

What are the other options? What do other people doing in order to play loud and not annoy other people (in the house or neighbors) and not damage my own hearing which is already not great.

Thanks for suggestions.

Headphones...

 

[Tincup]

It's just me and the wife and we are on 2 acres so when I want to fire up the half stacks I just wait until she's out.

I do the same damn thing. When I want to play loud, I use the knobs on the right hand side.

 

[dro]

Turn it up

 

[Silverdome]

My opinion on this there's a lot of good options and information out there. With this hobby we all have to figure out a way to bring the volume and we all want to do it in a way that still sounds good. It is my opinion that a PPIV master volume is a great way to achieve this goal.

No matter which way you go there's always going to be opinion about some part of the tone that is sacrificed and everyone is going to have their own preference.

 

[matttornado]

i’m the total opposite. i play in a loud hard rock cover band so when i’m at home , i like to play at a low volume . much more enjoyable especially when working on new tunes. plus it gives my ears a break.
my tone is good at any volume and have absolutely no need to be loud at home regardless of what amp i’m using.
i’m in my mid 50s so i guess i have a different mind set. getting older is hard on my ears and often hurt if i’m playing loud without the band and full mix.
i also have a sound proof rehearsal studio so if i wanted, i could crank my plexi all night long.

 

[marshallmellowed]

How to play loud at home? I place my fingers on the control labeled "Volume" (or "Master") and turn it clockwise until I think "Damn!", and then back it off a little.

 

[chocol8]

and then back it off a little.

I am having a hard time understanding this part.

 

[Seven]

Well, I guess I'm one of those that has developed a style around "playing loud". The challenge with asking this on a forum is the word 'loud' probably means different things to different players. Is it more gain, more volume, more chunk or ? I would guess most people couldn't remain in the same room with me for more than a few minutes when I let loose and I'm okay with that. It's a feeling without parallel.

Regardless, the core purpose with playing 'loud' in the same room with the amp or cabinet is having the speaker/s interact with the guitar and ultimately the person holding it and yes, it makes one helluva difference, but I think the OP already knows this. Hence, the question.

The type of music also has something to do with it, but mostly I think it's about getting that boost of inspiration versus playing thru a little box plugged into an interface.

One method to make 'loud' happen is wait until everyone leaves the house (rare) or build yourself a floating room within a room, which will cost serious money and everyone will be mad because you're not paying enough attention to them, etc.

Any other method of isolating yourself from the speaker blast will defeat the purpose of feeling like you're playing live.

The downside to playing 'loud' is other people being very unhappy, especially when you play the same phrase over and over and over trying to make it stick. Musicians understand it, but no one else does. I can play the same thing for an hour and it feels like only 5 minutes. Other people with an attention span of a gnat don't hear it that way.

The other downsides is hearing damage (which is very real) and relying on the loud feel thing as part of how we play can catch up with us.

Recently I went from a loud and live type set-up to isolating the cabinets 50' feet away in a spare bedroom. I emptied it out and acoustically treated it to deal with reflections and to somewhat isolate the sounds from the outside and the outside sounds from the inside. I still get guitar bleeding into a vocal mic, but can overdub later, etc. Loud is loud unless you have complete isolation.

Part of the downside of isolating a combo or cabinets means all you hear is what is in the headphones, especially with closed back headphones. Isolation cabinets are a solution, but your still stuck listening with headphones. DIY isolation cabinets are a lower cost option, which is like having a 1x12 in a well insulated dog house, inside the house. They take up space.

All forms of isolation take away the physical interaction/response between the guitar and speakers and some people kind of wig out when playing thru headphones. You can hear all of your mistakes this way, it doesn't feel the same and it also exposes how your signal chain actually sounds.

Live rigs and studio rigs are not always compatible and more often than not, recording exposes the unnecessary gain we enjoy when playing live. My levels of gain are probably cut in half when recording which forces me to play more accurately. It's a weird thing, but anyone who's been down this road knows exactly how it feels.

So, I don't know if any of that helps, but another alternative is to build or have delivered a large wooden shed and then double insulate the snot out of it. Even with that, the neighbors can hear you wailing away at midnight. The cranked up midrange frequency of an electric guitar can penetrate the concrete walls of a stadium so it takes very good planning to isolate a guitar. A below ground bunker might be a good option.

A few final suggestions would be to pause on the loud thing and look into some of the newer wonder boxes that are all the rage. Strymon, Boss and NUX has several that have a good following and you can go directly into an interface or even a headphone amp or you can look into the expensive boxes. Speaker IR's and Amp Emulation have come a long way, but it's still not the same as playing thru the real thing.

Nothing replaces a good tube amp moving air with speakers and nothing feels like having the guitar vibrate against your body. We are lucky to know what this feels like. Some don't.

 

[marshallmellowed]

I am having a hard time understanding this part.

Ha, yes, I have that same problem

 

[Marcomel79]

All on 10

 

[marshallmellowed]

Well, I guess I'm one of those that has developed a style around "playing loud". The challenge with asking this on a forum is the word 'loud' probably means different things to different players. Is it more gain, more volume, more chunk or ? I would guess most people couldn't remain in the same room with me for more than a few minutes when I let loose and I'm okay with that. It's a feeling without parallel.

Regardless, the core purpose with playing 'loud' in the same room with the amp or cabinet is having the speaker/s interact with the guitar and ultimately the person holding it and yes, it makes one helluva difference, but I think the OP already knows this. Hence, the question.

The type of music also has something to do with it, but mostly I think it's about getting that boost of inspiration versus playing thru a little box plugged into an interface.

One method to make 'loud' happen is wait until everyone leaves the house (rare) or build yourself a floating room within a room, which will cost serious money and everyone will be mad because you're not paying enough attention to them, etc.

Any other method of isolating yourself from the speaker blast will defeat the purpose of feeling like you're playing live.

The downside to playing 'loud' is other people being very unhappy, especially when you play the same phrase over and over and over trying to make it stick. Musicians understand it, but no one else does. I can play the same thing for an hour and it feels like only 5 minutes. Other people with an attention span of a gnat don't hear it that way.

The other downsides is hearing damage (which is very real) and relying on the loud feel thing as part of how we play can catch up with us.

Recently I went from a loud and live type set-up to isolating the cabinets 50' feet away in a spare bedroom. I emptied it out and acoustically treated it to deal with reflections and to somewhat isolate the sounds from the outside and the outside sounds from the inside. I still get guitar bleeding into a vocal mic, but can overdub later, etc. Loud is loud unless you have complete isolation.

Part of the downside of isolating a combo or cabinets means all you hear is what is in the headphones, especially with closed back headphones. Isolation cabinets are a solution, but your still stuck listening with headphones. DIY isolation cabinets are a lower cost option, which is like having a 1x12 in a well insulated dog house, inside the house. They take up space.

All forms of isolation take away the physical interaction/response between the guitar and speakers and some people kind of wig out when playing thru headphones. You can hear all of your mistakes this way, it doesn't feel the same and it also exposes how your signal chain actually sounds.

Live rigs and studio rigs are not always compatible and more often than not, recording exposes the unnecessary gain we enjoy when playing live. My levels of gain are probably cut in half when recording which forces me to play more accurately. It's a weird thing, but anyone who's been down this road knows exactly how it feels.

So, I don't know if any of that helps, but another alternative is to build or have delivered a large wooden shed and then double insulate the snot out of it. Even with that, the neighbors can hear you wailing away at midnight. The cranked up midrange frequency of an electric guitar can penetrate the concrete walls of a stadium so it takes very good planning to isolate a guitar. A below ground bunker might be a good option.

A few final suggestions would be to pause on the loud thing and look into some of the newer wonder boxes that are all the rage. Strymon, Boss and NUX has several that have a good following and you can go directly into an interface or even a headphone amp or you can look into the expensive boxes. Speaker IR's and Amp Emulation have come a long way, but it's still not the same as playing thru the real thing.

Nothing replaces a good tube amp moving air with speakers and nothing feels like having the guitar vibrate against your body. We are lucky to know what this feels like. Some don't.

"Nothing replaces a good tube amp moving air with speakers and nothing feels like having the guitar vibrate against your body. We are lucky to know what this feels like. Some don't."
I totally understand where you're coming from. Some things, which are part of the interaction between the guitar and sound field (dynamics, controlled feedback...) just can't be achieved at low volume. And yes, regardless of whether one can play at volume in today's venues, there's that punch from a 4x12 (or 2) that you get with some volume, that you can still enjoy playing at home. I worked for 10 years as an Army contractor, testing ammunition up to 20mm, so I'm no stranger to how over exposure to volume can damage one's hearing. We used the proper hearing protection, and were tested once a year for hearing degradation (I always tested fine). I know how to play loud, and do it conservatively (sounds counter-intuitive). I stay on the ragged edge of loud and too loud. One can also invest in some decent musician's earplugs, which allow you to crank a 100w amp to a level where you can "feel it", without damaging your hearing. I use a balance of amp attenuation (with non-master amps) and common sense to get where I like to be. Is this for everyone? Of course not, but I love the feeling I get playing loud. I'm fortunate that I'm not close to any neighbors, and have plenty of opportunities to play loud without disturbing anyone at home. If one is happy playing quietly through a little combo, then that's great, and it's all they need. It's just not enjoyable enough for me. Gigging is a whole other animal, as you do what's needed to fit a given situation. In those situations, I do my best to pump enough volume through my monitor to get as close as I can to that feeling I get at home. Since stage volume must be balanced, that's typically still fairly low.

 

[Minegoto11]

Was in a band gigging small venues, parties, pubs that sort of thing before the pandemic. For various reasons between myself and the drummer I've been working with for the last few years (revolving door of bass players, singers, heath issues, the pandemic, etc.) I'm not jamming with anyone at the moment nor do I play loud at home. Got a family all still home.

I've read time and time again that playing loud is important for a myriad of reasons. 1. You just get a better sound that way, 2. You need to learn/practice controlling the beast as one would need to at a gig, etc. I know this to be true, there are both physical and psychological differences to playing loud.

OK, enough of the background, and justification. Right now all my gear is in my office, quite small. I'm looking for ieads to play loud. I have heads/cabs ( 2, 2x12 cabs - one head/cab normally at my drummers but its all home right now), also have wireless that works for short short distances. So, for example, maybe I buy a very long power/cab cable and put my cab in another room? in the basement?

What are the other options? What do other people doing in order to play loud and not annoy other people (in the house or neighbors) and not damage my own hearing which is already not great.

Thanks for suggestions.

Was in a band gigging small venues, parties, pubs that sort of thing before the pandemic. For various reasons between myself and the drummer I've been working with for the last few years (revolving door of bass players, singers, heath issues, the pandemic, etc.) I'm not jamming with anyone at the moment nor do I play loud at home. Got a family all still home.

I've read time and time again that playing loud is important for a myriad of reasons. 1. You just get a better sound that way, 2. You need to learn/practice controlling the beast as one would need to at a gig, etc. I know this to be true, there are both physical and psychological differences to playing loud.

OK, enough of the background, and justification. Right now all my gear is in my office, quite small. I'm looking for ieads to play loud. I have heads/cabs ( 2, 2x12 cabs - one head/cab normally at my drummers but its all home right now), also have wireless that works for short short distances. So, for example, maybe I buy a very long power/cab cable and put my cab in another room? in the basement?

What are the other options? What do other people doing in order to play loud and not annoy other people (in the house or neighbors) and not damage my own hearing which is already not great.

Thanks for suggestions.

Attenuator!!! I have a Weber mass 100 that knocks the 1987x (both channels between 5-7) down to "bedroom level" , it also works as a dummy load, has a line out and a headphone jack. I highly recommend the Weber, it's well built and mine takes a beating, they're made to order with options and affordable, about half the price of the Power Brake I bought 10 years ago. Make sure to double your wattage, 50W head...100w attenuator