Looking for an amp that I can record with that sounds great at low volumes.

You want a Two note or similar with an IR.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think there's an amp that's ever been made that won't annoy the other people you live with when cranked up.

 

You might want to take a look at the Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister series. They have a built-in DI Out and can be used with the speaker turned off.

 

You can't go wrong with a Princeton Recording amp.if you can find one.
Super cranked tones @ room volume and recording outs too.

 

Sometimes (time/budget) I use my Line6 HD500X straight to the console and sounds great. Plugin wise I have also used Slate's TH-U Overloud, but to my ears and style, Presonus' new Ampire sounds really good! I tracked a scratch/demo track with Ampire and wound up keeping it for the final take. They all take some tweaking but you can get some really good sounds.

 

I would look into a used THD univalve. 15 watts with an attenuator. Other good choice would be a used Fender Champ, with a couple of nice pedals.

 

The Lunchbox line

 

When you say you want something that gets good sounds at low volumes, what do you mean?

Because everybody here assumes you mean cranked amp tones. Do you actually want cranked amp tones? Or are you looking for great cleans to run with your POD?

 

Yamaha THR 10 - various flavours available but I like the 10C. I have recorded direct via USB, as well as ‘line out’ via headphone jack into a board. Never tried it miked...

 

My Mesa Boogie Rectoverb 25 can be cut down to 10 watts. I get some good tones at that wattage

 

Let me introduce you to the Fender Frontman 25R

 

silverface champ

 

VIBRO CHAMP

 

I have never understood the term ''home volume".
How many db are you talking about?
No amp in the world will sound decent for recording , clean,under 85 db anyhow.
So are 85 db tolerable for your home?

 

In my experience, low wattage tube amps used for clean tones at home sound best with bigger speakers. Since you are going clean with pedals (at home), Vox AC15, Blues Jr. Bassbreaker 15. All have master volumes.

Orange Rocker 15 has a 10" speaker, but an attenuator that will take it to 0.5w.

But you really need a headphone jack. Ibanez TSA5 (for tubes) or THR10. Both of these have line out jacks.

 

For quick and dirty, I would recommend the loadbox and using an IR. Now that I live in an apartment and still have and love these amps, it's easier and cheaper just to keep them and do that.

For crucial stuff, get your material together and just go to a studio, they're going to do a better job than you. There are places where you can use vintage amps and high end mics in a nice room for a few hours that a session costs much less than getting an amp or getting properly set up at home.

 

It sounds like a simulator might be a good choice for you right now.

Just as a heads up, though- I’m having a real good time with my Marshall Origin 20 for lower volume stuff. Cranked for breakup, it can still get loud. Loud enough for small gigs easily. But it excels at clean stuff as well. Just doesn’t have a lot of headroom.

It gets fat, full cleans at very manageable volumes. Especially with the boost that works like a “fat” switch. Also has built in power scaling that works pretty well to get more balls at low volumes. And you have the option of silent recording with a cabinet voiced line out.

Nothing fancy. It’s a single channel, 1x10, master volume combo amp. No reverb or any other effects. Just a solid little tube amp voiced in the vein of the 62-66 JTM amps. I use a mini HOF reverb with mine in addition to a comp, drive, and boost, and it does everything I’d ever need.

 

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