Marshall DSL1 Question

[BuzzCrover]

Hey guys.

I've read through a few threads on here about emulated out and Marshall amps, but none of those threads answered my question, so here goes.

I have a Marshall DSL1, which is a great amp. But as I work nights, I can't use it as often as I'd like. What I'd like to do is hook it into an audio interface and use my PC's headphones to jam away at night.

I've read through a few things about using or not using FX Loop and how the emulated out is mono. Was just hoping someone would take some time to help me understand how I can best achieve taking the sound from the amp and putting it into my headphones and maybe record on my PC in the future.

I'm an IT Engineer, so not intimidated by getting things running into my PC.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

 

[PelliX]

In a nutshell, there are three ways, each with their up and down sides:

1) The emulated out. That's what it's there for. It's a line out with speaker simulation. I'll be honest, it's a pile of crap, though - same across all DSL's. Try it and find out what I mean.
2) The FX send. Without anything in between it's going to sound like crap, too. So something like a DI would be required to get usable sound out of it.
3) A loadbox with a line out. Plenty of these out there, so I'll refrain from naming names and models.

1 is the cheapest, no extra hardware required. 3 would get you the actual signal produced by the output stage of the amp.

 

[SkyMonkey]

Hi @BuzzCrover and welcome to the MF

I don't have the DSL1. I have the DSL40CR, but there is an almost universal agreement that the Emulated Out on the newer DSL range is awful.
I have tried mine and it sounds like the amp is in a well, under a pile of blankets.

So using the FX Send may be a better option.
I'm not sure how the DSL1 works in that regard though.

I know the 40CR better.
If you connect just the Send to a guitar lead the internal signal still goes to the power amp and you can still hear it.
This is possibly so that the preamp can send a duplicate signal to another amp and 'Slave' its power amp.

If you connect a guitar lead to just the Return the internal signal is broken and you will hear nothing.
This is to stop the Series FX loop acting as a Parallel loop.
To get a signal to the power amp the guitar lead has to carry a signal from another source, effectively 'Slaving' the DSL power amp.

So, if the lead connecting the Send and Return is the same lead, that is 'Jumping' the loop with a patch lead and the signal is passed the same as if nothing was connected to the loop. (This is often a test scenario for a malfunctioning amp)
Placing a Chorus pedal in the Loop is doing the same, but now with a Chorus after the preamp.

I think to get a preamp signal from your amps Send to a PC silently you need to connect a lead from Send to your Audio Interface.
Then connect a 'Dummy' lead to Return. A headphone adapter is ideal as there is no cable to act as an RF interference antenna.

To make the signal useable in your PC you will need some software.
A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is recording software that will take your USB Audio Interface signal and allow it to be manipulated and recorded.
I can recommend Focusrite for interfaces. The Scarlet Solo is a good starting place. https://focusrite.com/en/usb-interfaces
Then there are several other 'Guitar' software products that 'Plug-in' to the DAW and take care of amp emulation and guitar effects.

I really am not the person to advise on those matters, but I have the Free DAW from BandLab called Cakewalk.
It is a Full version of the DAW and all you have to do is sign up to BandLab to get it.
https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk

I also have a couple of Guitar amp 'Plug-ins' such as Guitar Rig by Native Instruments (my fave).
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/guitar/guitar-rig-6-pro/
Guitar Rig Player is their Free stripped down version.
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/guitar/guitar-rig-6-player/

With Guitar Rig you can either use the DSL 'clean' signal and send it through amp emulations, or send the clean or dirty signal to just a Power Amp emulation.
Effects can be inserted anywhere into the signal chain.

People are very particular about the DAW they use. Changing to another DAW can be a painful process. That is why you will get at least 10 different recommendations.
I started out with CakeWalk when it was associated with Roland and supplied with a Roland MIDI controller I bought.
It was then sold to Gibson, and then bought by BandLab and has been given away free ever since.

Good luck BuzzCrover

 

[PelliX]

Then connect a 'Dummy' lead to Return. A headphone adapter is ideal as there is no cable to act as an RF interference antenna.

To silence the amp? Not required on the DSL1, because it (at max) has to dissipate ~1 - 1.5W you can simply unplug the speaker for silent operation.

 

[Max Gahne]

Here's a pic of the DSL1 speaker out circuit. It uses a stereo jack so that when you unplug the speaker it dumps the whole L pad to ground making the L pad a 19.2 K load box. Basically it comes with it's own loadbox. That's why the manual says to just unplug the speaker for silent recording.

 

[tmingle]

I know this about a Mesa but its a great video.

 

[Solid State]

I know this about a Mesa but its a great video.

That's actually a great product and the price is right.

 

[tmingle]

That's actually a great product and the price is right.

I think he is using the 1 that's built into the amp, which costs $1600. I think better options may exist than the $300 or so for the separate Cab clone.

 

[Solid State]

I think he is using the 1 that's built into the amp, which costs $1600. I think better options may exist than the $300 or so for the separate Cab clone.

What are you referring to? I looked up the product outside of that video. You think there is a better option at $300? What is it?

 

[Markfresh]

Is it the head or combo?
But regardless.

What i do is put the speaker in another room or cupboard and mic it up, this might sound counter intuitive but bear with me,
I turn the gain and master up to the sound i like ,to the loudest i can go without the rest of the house hearing it.
Then run the mic into interface and thru phones.
I get a nice sound in the headphones , and u can hardly hear the amp, i have a mrs and 2 young children, and they can sleep soundly with my room door closed, and cannot here the amp from there rooms, if my mrs walks near my door she says the sound of the strings is louder than the amp...
U can then crank the headphones to ur level.

 

[Markfresh]

Or build a iso cab and chuck a speaker in there

 

[OriginOfTheSpecies]

Torpedo wall of sound plugin is free, it hosts IR responses (also free ones available) and has power amp simulation if you're using your DSL1's preamp running straight from effects send to an audio interface. There's a few other free ones out there.

If you want to capture the whole real amp, power section and all you'll need a load box between your speaker out and your cab/mic simulation.
I'm really impressed with the AMT PE-15 which is made in Siberia and cheap as chips on Reverb. Unfortunately they're 8ohm only and for some silly reason DSL1 only has 16ohm out without modding.

 

[miyaru]

I have a DSL1CR, and never use the emulated out, as it is not worth listening to. Instead I use the FX send into a Mooer Radar cab emulator. A solution which will set you back around $ 150,=. This way it is convincing. And: you can load your own IR's in the Radar!

From the Radar I go straight into a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 3rd gen audio interface. There I can mix with other sources as it has a beautifull mixer and monitor matrix. Mostly I play along with Spotify or You Tube, or record in either Ableton Live 10 Suite or Reason 11 Suite.

But without any of the DAW software you can play with Spotify or Youtube. Of course you play along with MP3's or WAV files from your PC.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Mooer/Radar-Speaker-Cab-Simulator-1500000216643.gc

 

[Msharky67]

I have been experimenting with this technique. Here is what I can do.
1) Mic cab thru mic adapter into soundcard or Nux MG-300.
2) DI out into NUX-MG300 using just the IR's and FX
3) Isocab mic into mic adapter or direct into soundcard.
4) Bugera PS-1 out into soundcard or NUX MG-300.

I like number 1 because its the easiest to hook up. I know what those DI's usually sound like. Yeah pretty bad. I was pleasantly surprised how the sound changed using the IR's. This is my favorite way by far. I need to do a test with the DI alone vs the IR's to see how each sounds. I did a quick test with and without the IR's. Its like night and day. Its fizzy and fuzzy without but with it acts like using a normal cab. I am quite impressed. I have a DIY Iso cab that I won't need anymore.

 

[BuzzCrover]

Hey all,

I'm just now reading through these thoughtful and detailed replies. I've stumbled on an incredible forum here.

Sorry again for the delay, had a family bereavement so I've not really been on my PC.

Will be replying shortly to a bunch of these to improve my understanding.

Thanks!

 

[BuzzCrover]

Is it the head or combo?
But regardless.

What i do is put the speaker in another room or cupboard and mic it up, this might sound counter intuitive but bear with me,
I turn the gain and master up to the sound i like ,to the loudest i can go without the rest of the house hearing it.
Then run the mic into interface and thru phones.
I get a nice sound in the headphones , and u can hardly hear the amp, i have a mrs and 2 young children, and they can sleep soundly with my room door closed, and cannot here the amp from there rooms, if my mrs walks near my door she says the sound of the strings is louder than the amp...
U can then crank the headphones to ur level.

Not an option for me sadly. My house is a British house from the 1920s. Its as small and necessary as can be haha.

 

[BuzzCrover]

T

I have a DSL1CR, and never use the emulated out, as it is not worth listening to. Instead I use the FX send into a Mooer Radar cab emulator. A solution which will set you back around $ 150,=. This way it is convincing. And: you can load your own IR's in the Radar!

From the Radar I go straight into a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 3rd gen audio interface. There I can mix with other sources as it has a beautifull mixer and monitor matrix. Mostly I play along with Spotify or You Tube, or record in either Ableton Live 10 Suite or Reason 11 Suite.

But without any of the DAW software you can play with Spotify or Youtube. Of course you play along with MP3's or WAV files from your PC.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Mooer/Radar-Speaker-Cab-Simulator-1500000216643.gc

This looks like the best option, with minimal investment and effort.

Functionally how does this look? From your OUT, into this, and out of this into the focusrite, which then connects to the PC as an audio input?

 

[BuzzCrover]

Update:

So it'd be a £200 investment to do the solution I want, but my girlfriend encouraged me to try the amp/pedals out to see if it was audible in the bedroom at low volume and it isn't.

So I'm going to just jam with the low level audio for the short term, then use @miyaru's solution to get the audio into my PC in the medium term.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and advice here.

 

[gregr]

http://m.mooeraudio.com/product/Radar-51.html

 

[Whiteknuckle]

Year and a half late, but just wanted to let you know that the easiest and cheapest solution would be to just stick a lead between fx send from the amp and your pc interface.
Then get one of the free IR loading plugins, and then have fun finding and testing free IRs