neighbor-friendly practice equipment

[no-one]

I guess I'll have to move in a couple of weeks and I won't have the opportunity to turn up the volume (as I'm used to) then.
Currently I use a 2x12 cab with a 100W top, I also have two 100W combos (1x12 and 2x12) and playing low volume is not really fun.
Actually, I don't play that loud, but if I think of living in a small apartment I will definitely need a different setup - probably using headphones most of the time? I just need something for the work days, I'll be able to use a nice band room on the weekend.
Can anyone point me into the right direction here? I have never given this stuff much thought, as I once owned a POD (2.0 or sth like that?!) and I think it sounded horrible when used with headphones - really thin.
Ideas?

[mjtripper]

When I was traveling a lot for work I took a korg pandora with me and it was a great practice device. Now I mainly use either pod farm or guitar rig on my laptop. That little blackstar ht5 combo is a great little amp with a nice headphone out as well, sounds good at low volumes and is easy to carry around.

[rjohnstone]

Boss GT-8 or GT-10 sound great with headphones.
It's the only way I can practice at home as I have an 8 year old and a 9 month old who enjoy their sleep.

[VitaminG]

I've recently dragged out my Korg AX1500G and have been using it with headphones. Many of the factory patches are completely over the top, but toning down the effects has helped a lot. I have been dropping the level & depth of the effects from the "showy" 60 or 70% they set them up at, down to around 30% or less for a more subtle effect, and saving them as user patches. And if a patch sounds too dry or thin, a subtle application of reverb helps a bunch.

[Grandturk]

I've used a POD for years. Sounds great but you need to get good quality headphones. I have POD XT now also Line 6 looper pedal. Works for me but I still crank the Boogie up once in a while.

[j2379]

i recently got a egnater rebel20. very cool little amp, i live in an apt, w other apts in the house no complaints yet.

[Grim]

Guitarrig or Amplitube are perfect for practice.

[Hellbat]

Good quality headphones are a must no matter what solution you go with. I have a Korg Pandora, A line 6 pocket pod, Line 6 Toneport, and an Eleven Rack. All of them are capable of getting good tones with tweaking. The Eleven rack is the most expensive and gets the best "real feel" tones of this selection obviously. If money is no object - Axe-FX.

[Grim]

For headphones, Alessandro MS-1s are value for money, very clear but very laid back... good for tracking.


For recreational listening, Anything from the Grado line. The SR60s can contend with 200$ Sennheisers.

Of course the Grados will work fine for studio use as they are all fantastic headphones. The SR325s are the kings of clarity IMO and are my go-to 'phone at home. I take my SR60s everywhere. If I'm on a train I try to sit with other people with headphones in because they are open-back.

The Alessandros were developed as Grados for musicians, and are 99$ shipped anywhere in the world. Exceptional headphones. Some argue they are better than the SR60s. The 60s are definitely more "fun" and rock though.

[Spivonious]

I think your only real choice is a modeling amp. Check out Line 6, Vox Valvetronix, and Peavey Vypyr. For modern metal I'd lean towards Peavey, for more vintage tones I'd go with Vox. I've never been a big fan of the POD/Spider.

[Skizzwizz]

Hi.
You could get one of the new Vox RhythmVox....1watt, and has beats in it....lousy sound, but hey, you can practice....

As the kind folks said, modeling amp or the Egnater sounds good....maybe the Orange Tiny Terror or TH30

Or even a THD Hot Plate, which could keep your current rig at low volume and you still have your own sound

[Grandturk]

The line 6 spider jam sounds pretty good - the loops in it sound fantastic

[cixelsyd]

I use a Line 6 Toneport GX (Now "Pod Studio GX" I believe) with the output routed through my computer's sound card. That way I can do headphones if needed, or through my PC speakers (M-Audio monitors). It also makes for easy recording, and I find the models to be pretty good.

[wilkinsi]

I use a Boss GT-10 myself, a Roland VS2400 DAW and headphones. I don't use the headphone socket on the GT-10, as it has some filter that makes it sound better than what I'm actually recording. Either way, I still manage to wake the family, which is why I have 2 days off in the week instead of the weekend. I would love to own a Marshall amp (or head + cab), but then I have to start thinking about mic placement and which mic to use for recording.

[no-one]

thanks for all the great input
I'm not too much into buying another combo amp or something that depends completely on a computer. though having it as a additional feature sounds nice.

does the Boss devices (GT8 and GT10) work completely without a amp?

and yes, axe fx is out of my league right now