Yeah, I know, dumb question

[Moonfury]

Sorry guys to bother you, but I just wanted to make it clear for myself regarding several issues. Recently I've become a grateful customer of Diezel Company by getting a Herbert. I've never had an amp/cab before, always played directly from digital processor to audio card. So here are my questions:

1. Is it ok that currently I have no cab and use Herbert's compensated out to connect it to the audio card? (Now it's Herbert -> M-Audio Profire 610)
The problem is I began to worry after reading Herbert's manual, where I found:

3.2.7 Compensated Out
A frequency corrected signal will leave this jack if you connect it to a mixer or recording device. Use it to quietly compose or send an auxiliary signal to a console etc. Always make sure that your amp is connected to either a loudspeaker or a load.

Does it really mean that Herbert can be damaged if no cabinet is connected?

2. Is it ok that Herbert produces sounds itself when I'm playing?
Sounds become quieter if I turn master volume down, but they are still there. Here comes the third question so far:

3. Is it ok that my master volume knob does not only change the volume, but also.. like.. saturation of the signal?
So here is the deal: EITHER the sound if fat and saturated with full volume (like 5 o'clock), but at the same time Herbert produces pretty loud sounds itself and besides there is a lot of noise in the signal, because it gets boosted OR the volume is down (like 10 o'clock) and there is no noise, but the sound is not so fat.

4. Is it ok that if the guitar is pretty close to Herbert, there is a lot of mic-like feedback?
In the manual I found:

4.3 Microphonics and Bad Noises
The overall performance of pre-amp tubes is easily influenced by mechanical factors from the outside. This would manifest itself by a sudden feedback sound with high pitch. The input stage is especially suspect to this phenomenon. If one encounters microphonic tube behavior, then the first tube should be checked as a rule. Pre-Amplifier tubes can also cause hum or other bad noises, like crackling or ticking.

Does that mean I have to check the first tube? Herbert is pretty new, I bought if from the official reseller in my region, it hasn't been played before.

Sorry guys that I made you read that much, but this is something that bothers me, especially that this amp is not cheap at all
Thanks!

 

[elfredoo]

1) NEVER use a tube amp without a load. A load is a speaker. Or a powersoak or a resistor that can take the power produced and handle the heat that the sound is convertetd to. Yes it can be damaged if you use no load and turn the volume up.

2) Don't know which sounds you mean. Could be because of damages from 1) or usual noises coming from using a guitar with a high-gain amp nearby. Depends on Pickups of the guitar and much more things.

3) High-gain and much volume produce noise. You need much experience to handle this on stage or while recording. The most noises are a "natural" cause of using these high gain amps and a guitar at loud volumes. Most noises are being eliminated by using the 2nd or 4th position on a usual stratocaster using the pickup selector, cause the pickups are in a combination that eliminates much noise.

4) yes, normal....comes with high gain and microphonic pick ups.

start experimenting with the amp (using a load!) and gain experience. if you are unsure ask an experienced guitar player to test the amp if everything is alright. a proper load is a load that is the same (or higher) than the jack in the amp you are putting it into:
4 Ohm cab into 4 ohm jack on amp (NOT 8 ohms, NOT 16 ohms)
8 Ohm cab into 8 ohm jack on amp (or 4 ohms. NOT 16 ohms).
16 ohm cab into 16 ohm jack on amp (or 8 ohm, or 4 ohm)

 

[Peter Diezel]

Welcome to the board

and ........ thanks Elfredoo