Do These New Mini Amps Even Serve A Purpose? | SLO Mini Against A Band

[@belligerentamateur]

If you enjoy washed up hardcore dudes and catchy riffs, Check out Human Animal below!: Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/4dOBzdyAPYIexZ5hlYkQay?si=exLP23ZLSG-VJ1qB4EvULw& Instagram - instagram.com/humananimal814?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Bandcamp - humananimal.bandcamp.com/

[@andyvw8364]

That's my jam bud!

[@lowtonezf104]

Title this series of reviews “will it hang”. Or something like that. Use mini heads, solid state amps, small practice/ combos with speaker outs (crate gx as an example). Might yield interesting results

[@troyfrink]

Stareo Crate GX-15s!

[@JTreml95]

Thats a great idea too, if he could get his hands on a bunch of different metal guitars and do comparisons that'd be cool as well. Seems like he'd be able to give good reviews on those as well.

[@jcugnoni]

Honestly, based on camera audio, the amp did not matter much. It won't make a good band sound bad nor will it make a shitty band the best in the world. The band's energy, song and playing is more important in my opinion. Pleasantly surprised to be honest and thanks for doing such a video.

[@Sven.Jeschke]

TBH it's difficult to spot the difference because most of the time both guitars play the same. But that bass player has a really monstrous tone going! :-)

[@1thess523]

Seriously 👌

[@PERPowns]

I think the fact it's difficult to spot the difference is proof that it works perfectly for use at the jam spot.

[@Masterriffer]

I love this! These are the kind of videos I’ve dreamed of someone making. The whole, “how does this sound In a band setting” is the number one thing i think about, whenever I buy a new amp.

[@HazardousSmoker]

Run that little sucker through the effects loop of a larger tube amp (send from SLO to return of said tube amp) and see what you get. Honestly the sound is there it's just thin as you'd expect from a small solid state amp.

[@ericv7720]

I used to have a 30w Marshall Valvestate combo, and one time jammed with my friend in his band's rehearsal room, and he was using his Mesa MK IV half-stack. All I could hear of my little amp was some top-end fizz. It was kinda' funny!

[@ADR.Hi-Gain]

Kyle: I currently own all 4 of the mini heads & ♥️ them all! Running through EVH 5150-3 : 1X12 cabinet 🔊 which matches up perfectly 30W mini heads-30W cab . Mine are just for noodling around at home in my little rock ‘n’ roll room plenty loud enough that EVH cabinet sounds fantastic. obviously it’s not gonna sound as big and huge as a $4000 head! I’ve been a high gain addict ever since I bought my first mesa /boogie .22 caliber combo followed by 50W combo with the EL 84s “1986” I can say for sure that the mini heads do have the larger big brother heads DNA and they get 75%of the tone for $249.99 (lower volume) I purchased all my gear from Sweetwater they absolutely rock my salesman Alan is awesome 👍🏻 I previously played through a BOSS Katana 1&2 50W combo which I thought sounded really good but after purchasing the mini heads with the closed back cabinet my sound is 10X bigger/thicker playing my Charvel Hendrik signature model 👍🏻

[@lawrenceraddatz665]

Surprisingly the SLO cut through the mix, I think the Mesa sounded a little better, anyway your band sounds great, I was getting a M.O.D. vibe from that song, I'm going to check out your bands KZbin channel now, keep on rockin 🤘🤘

[@BrunoGomes666]

I'm not sure if you would place an ENGL Fireball 25 (for example) in the same category as the mini amps you mentioned, but I think it would be interesting to compare a mini amp with full size PA valves (like the 6L6 on the ENGL) with these full solid state heads to check the differences. Things like headroom and volume for example.

[@AndrienQ]

Those little things can do it. Don't expect any solos from one - they just don't have enough horsepower to go above the noise - but they'll absolutely carry the weight in a rhythm part

[@terrygoss]

Given what you've experienced with the mini head in rehearsal, I would say these will absolutely work on a stage with a decent PA - especially if you're using in-ears. Imagine successful gigging with such a cute little thing!

[@lucasiciliano]

Congratus Kyle ,"Human Animal" is a great live gigging band ! I saw your video with your live gig rig and I liked your choices ! I tested all the four mini amps and according to me they're more than warm up toys ! I really respect Diezel and Slo mini, Friedman and Bogner are good too, but I think you should rec the Rectifier and SLO mini to have the audience's opinions ! I listened to the amps more times with headphone and I liked band energy & tone ! Well done !

[@castleultra1082]

If you’re playing a gig where you’re mic’d up I feel like this is where these amps will really shine. I have the Bogner head and it kicks ass

[@crustophiles]

Nice comparison! Only improvement I can think of would be to have miked your cab so we could hear semi-isolated tones from both amps. But this was really cool, plus your band kicks ass. Oh, and your jokes aren't as low wattage as you claim, Man - they cut through good.

[@Rando515]

I just got one. I have been experimenting with using a tube power amp for loudness. If you have a tube amp with a return in, power is not an issue. You get that Soldano sound. You can tweak the EQ if you have a good presence and Depth control on your tube amp.

[@pkdude5334]

I want that burgundy explorer

[@needsLITHIUM]

20 or 30 watts Solid State is fine for practice, in my experience, especially if you have 2 guitars, and they volume match. For live shows, you might need some in ear monitoring, or reinforcement like an IR pedal going into a keyboard amp, wedge floor monitor, or an FRFR cab with a bit more juice. Ironically, smaller amps are loudest with either a single speaker/full range 2 way cabinet, or a 4x12. A single speaker just ends up being really loud, with all the sound coming from one spot, though it tends to be more localized as a result, and a 4x12 will have all of the speakers pushing more reinforcement so it will carry. 2x12's are a weird in between no-man's-land that ends up not being loud or present enough.

[@bradkillingsworth4137]

Dude I’m getting huge Madball and Pro Pain vibes and that’s always a good thing🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@doc_matter]

That breakdown a little before 7 minutes is siiiiick

[@ericwilliams538]

I've been doing a lot of research on these little amps. Watching newer, and older KZbin videos from various different content providers. Just based off the videos I've seen, I'm ready to invest in one. I feel like one of these amps will suit my needs very well. I don't play in bands anymore, and don't necessarily have to worry about how they will hold up in that situation. Now a days, I just sit at home, and write music, and need something for just a home studio setup. Having kiddos to worry about, and not being able to really drop the type of cash it takes to get a bigger, full sized tube amp ( like a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier) these mini heads are just awesome!!! Now to decide which one to get!! I was thinking about getting the Bogner, or Diezel!!!

[@Van020280]

I have big high gain tube heads and also two of these, the Bogner and Friedman and I play the mini heads all the time. They sound fantastic through a 4x12 at low nighttime volume levels. I also crank it during the day with an EQ in the loop and another one boosting the front the thing shakes the walls and the floor.

[@gleenlevasseur6533]

dude ignore all the pretenders giving negative feed back this video is beyond helpful and I thank you for it tremendously

[@bwgti]

I liked this Kyle. I like that it was just a camera mic as well. It sounded like just a band practice. Nice hardcore sir. Keep it going.

[@bofuscrapshaw]

Band sounds awesome

[@briansmith1760]

I will agree. Sweetwater's return policy is fantastic.

[@soad11dude]

@8:50 I agree that a lot of solid state amps have a certain midrange that sounds kind of unpleasant by itself... but that same mid frequency cuts through really well in a full mix scenario. This SLO was no exception. At the end of the day.. I'm sure people would compliment that tone at the end of a gig if you played well and crush it as a band

[@Bridging_the_Political_Divide]

All tones are valuable. No tones are better or worse, just different. Aside of having a ton of amps, I have many older effects units, which have very unique/odd "niche" tones that can be used creatively in songwriting. I have high end amps, but play my Carvins and Peaveys just as much. All tones are to be valued.

[@chrissstarr1608]

I was impressed with the grind of it..the power was nice in the band setting .. thanks for doing what you do..I lived in Erie for years ...

[@troyredford149]

On my phone I couldn't hear much difference. I also have the SLO mini and the Friedman BE mini and I personally think the Friedman sounds better and it has more low end.

[@jrlee243]

The only point I could really hear the difference is when you went in to a break down. It just got really mid focused with not much bottom end. But that bass player really supports its pretty good. I am curious if a power amp would help it? I have a fryette v2 power station I use with my syn2. Great vid. it was fun to see someone actually try it Instead of just re-amping a mix.

[@darkphotographer]

well i got a small 30w solid state marshall combo the g30r that i have convert to a head , and play with a 4x12 sound massive when you play it with is original 10" is not loud enof to keep up with drummer ,

[@rpanchelli]

now how does it compare to the tube lunchbox heads in a band mix? something like the MT15

[@MichaelODay313]

Hey Kyle, GREAT videos. Recent subscriber, you should do Boss Katana MKII head review. I was really surprised when I bought one for home practice, decided to bring it to band pracytice and plugged into a 412 and was totally blown away.

[@RokDAWG1]

I knew it would be able to hang but with the way the sound is in the room and using the camera mic there's not much sound separation. In a live setting where you could put a mic on the cab, I'm certain that would make a big difference. I'm definitely impressed with it!

[@danielcarter4392]

i really dig your band! also the SLO mini sounded sick!

[@Van020280]

Kyle Bull putting a Guptech PDEQ in the loop of these gives you a few extra decibels and a lot more low end.

[@DareBear2099]

Doesn’t sound thin or harsh, I can hear you clearly with the SLO mini. I do feel those harsh mids, surprising it could hang, and would make a good backup if your tube amp fails.

[@smeemusic]

t I 9o.90 09

[@smeemusic]

^that was a pocket comment. lol^ instead of deleting it, I'm commenting on it because algorithms

[@ronniewebster4365]

I feel like the SLO did well for what it is. I felt a lack of power more low mids, fewer highs, and low end, not as much chug/crunch, and less sustain in the mix compared to the Rectifier.

[@MK-oz2lf]

What if you put the mini head into the fx return of the Mesa head?

[@jimmybiter2936]

🤘Right on!! Would I gig with it? No Would I use it at band practice? 🤘 I was surprised how well it hung with the rest of the band.. Great video Kyle🤘🤘

[@thisguy2973]

I thought it sounded fine. The Mesa is obviously going to cut through with a more balanced sound, but the SLO was loud enough to hang.

[@PERPowns]

We're all compensating for something KB lol. Great video dude. I think these would be great for someone who has a shared jam spot and want's to keep an amp there without having to 1. worry about something happening to an expensive amp when they're not around 2. lug a heavy ass amp from the homestead to the spot.

[@caileanhunt8679]

Not as beefy in the low end but surprising volume. I could definatley hear that SLO sound in the clips. Cool song btw

[@DavePowell666]

In my band both me and the other guitarist use JoYo mini amps at practice. But last gig we both used them live (with mic'd up cabs) instead of our full-size 6505 heads. It was a small venue and they sounded great. It probably even worked out better cuz we could decently crank them without annihilating the stage and PA. 😆

[@michaelgallegos8811]

I was almost pulling the trig on that cause of the 30 watts not to bad price point lets see Kyle the Orange micro dark terror is another one that would be cool to have

[@cmd_f5]

I think they both sounded fine. In that kinda setting there's so much going on in the room that as long as the mids and lows cut through it's fine. Plus two guitarists jamming the same stuff helps balance out any iffy frequencies.

[@apoplexiamusic]

THIS! is the test the world needed!

[@ordohereticus3427]

You got it man: the amp in terms of how it sounds from a central capture position with the whole band playing is going to sound very different from how it might sound to you on its own, or even to you as you’re standing in front of the amp. This is why I don’t take ramblings about cutting in the mix too seriously because a person playing live will never have a perfect idea of how things sound all over the room or across a venue. My take: it cut. It was more than audible. Even the low end was sufficient, though there was a bit more depth to the Dual Rec, which is understandable. And note, I agree with Oldguyjammin, I’m not actually impressed by the SLO mini and think there are far better alternatives for the price, including the Katana 100. But it hung out fine in this setting.

[@Dudesbrewsguitarreviews]

I tried the black spirit 200 in a gig and I ran it through a Diamond cab and a through midi and that thing was brutal

[@mikebush3834]

Hey Kyle... Ok, so from my experience, I used a peavey 6505mh with a band at practice and it did not keep up. Given the drummer was hitting the drums like he was trying to kill them. I sold the peavey and got the PRS mt-15. It was a little better but still didn't keep up. I think these mini heads are made for practicing at home when writing music or noodling. I do think that if you mic the cab then you gotta better chance of keeping up but for metal I'd stick to a half stack.... Just my opinion

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Mesa Boogie Mark V 35 tube amp keeps up a great smaller combo amp.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

I use mine for jams as I hate carrying 50lb heads and 200lb cabs to a jam session. But I prefer amp modeler like HX Stomp to FOH way lighter and sound as good.

[@WyldestZakk1980]

Is it possible to use this little amps as an "Pedal" in front of a proper tube amp, or are the 30 watt poweramp to powerfull? It´s a bit annoying that they didn´t add an "TO AMP INPUT - OUTUP"

[@Senium1]

i feel like most gear has gotten to the point that you can get a pretty good sound out almost of anything especially if youve been playing for awhile.

[@MrBenolicious]

Hey Kyle i own a be mini and playing it through a 2x12 with greenbacks and I can’t get any good tones out of it for my life!! I guess you get what you pay for. I never would never dare to get this to a band practice kudos!!!

[@belligerentamateur]

The Friedman Mini sounds fucking incredible to me, maybe user error? Lol

[@MrBenolicious]

@@belligerentamateur probably dude lol cool vids man keep em coming!!🤟

[@Ghostman1846]

Great video and love the inside view of a working band practice. I'm pretty sure that these little suckers are not geared for live play. Practice, jamming, goofing around is all there, but in a band live performance? no, not even a little bit.

[@chrisnicolaides7834]

This. Unfortunately from the SLO segment of the video there is NO way to discern the level or tone of each guitarist as it seems the same notes are played for ~95% of the excerpt. We will trust your good judgement Kyle.

[@MysterySchool33]

Really, Great video. Us that dont own these all have this same question and we are serious about it. Thats for being serious....You are earning being a full time youtuber

[@JTreml95]

you're an animal on the videos man, you're one of the most helpful channels I use for guitar and gear references and I really appreciate the work you do, it's a huge help!

[@samizdat113]

Hey Kyle, have you ever ran EL34 tubes in a Tripple X? Mine had EL34's when I bought it. I have a set of 6L6's but was wanting your opinion on the differences before swapping.

[@TWendo0311]

If you're going to shoot out some more mini amps, what about blending two for an affordable, "unique" tone. Great video other wise!

[@MetalZoned]

Interesting idea

[@ronnmims7696]

I think it sounds really good. I remember you really like the g12h anniversary, which is one my all time favorites. I wonder if a 4x12 of the anniversary speakers would be a better fit being lower in wattage. 120w as opposed to 240.

[@Bat21bravo]

I just snagged one and i concur with your overall review Kyle. Will it replace my 100 watt Marshalls, no but its a great affordable tool for the toolbox.

[@Bat21bravo]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXnFdnummJaGY5I

[@shortscott86]

Me: "The only thing this channel is missing is dick jokes." Kyle: "Hold my [non-alcoholic beverage of choice]." Great video as always! 🤘

[@xriz8409]

i am really not into massive metal tones but i love your reviews as you put these amps to their limits. I just keep coming back for my daily dose of heavy riffage. keep it up! ///e: the kiddo in the blink shirt... man ... i love blink, kudos to him, but he looked disturbed :D

[@humananimal814]

That's our drummers oldest son, he comes and hangs sometimes. He's been taking bass guitar lessons and starting to get his feet wet with music. It's awesome to see his interest!

[@brendanflaherty6696]

These B.A.D. mini heads can really haul the mai. I’m in a punishingly loud 2-guitar band, and the other guitarist brought the Friedman variety of this head to a practice… it absolutely kept up, and held together at volume surprisingly well. The one issue was cleans… no cleans at those volumes. But we don’t do much of that anyway. Here’s a question fer ya… one of these mini heads, or a used Boss Katana 100w head? Same ballpark, price-wise.

[@MetalZoned]

Pleasantly surprised. It didn't do the best job in the world but it was good enough which is a lot more than can be expected. It would be interested to see it compared to a 20 watt tube head such as the DSL20 or BugeraG20 - different price points I understand but how much more are you really getting

[@chrishussey1134]

that Sat Nice in the mix.. the other players definately fight to keep up with the mesa..

[@thatguyinaband6341]

mind blowing! I can't believe that little crap could be heard, unbelievable! sounds really piercing and stabby, but it freaking did it! thats wild!

[@Senium1]

love the band, reminds me of a heavier cro mags!

[@waynemaroney689]

All you would need is a second one and slave one, have them stereo into your cab….especially at that price point

[@russiangoose7053]

Super enlightening! I agree the amp was impressive for what it is but it had some tonal issues I also agree with you on, definitely needed more lows for sure. I play with a bit looser and slightly scooped tone since I'm into horror punk and death metal and the quacky mids and lack of lows definitely would bug me. I do like mid forward for some things like thrash but a little scooped is where I'm at home lol. Really appreciate the content as always keep up the good work!

[@Van020280]

An EQ pedal in the loop of these things make them shake the floor and walls.

[@ehiracheta]

I had the Diezel Mini head..and when my drummer plays its if its on mute. LOL.

[@theinnermostsanctum]

Yes it keeps us from being evicted. I love my lunchbox amp and speaker combo (the Orange Micro Dark with 4x12 headphone out cab sim with its 8 in "voice of the world" speaker). Its louder than all fuck and extremely useful for around $300.

[@marccuomo2295]

All out war rocks those lunch box amps.

[@smeemusic]

seems like this could be a good backup amp to throw in the cable bag. does it have an fx loop on it tho? I have 2 100 watt tube amps but for live i refuse to lug them both around just so I can have a backup. that being said, I have one of those joyo zombie amps. I've never had to use it and hope I never do but I know it can do the job if I need it to. I don't find a hell of a lot of use for these small form amps except for practice or backup but overall I do just prefer my evh. I mean of course. duh. lol. but when you're in a pinch these small amps with little use turn into GOLD.

[@gnarlantlers70]

Effects loop to ABY to seymour duncan powerstage and/or di + ir. Hell, even find an inexpensive 2 channel SS PA amp and run it to a fullstack. I bet you could get it all and still be cheaper than soending $5000 or so on a full on Soldano 100 watt

[@xiwiwix]

BruH! 🤣🤣The question posed ☠☠ YES, BRO! These are the kinds of videos peoples need! I had to learn the hard way if a Mini Recto or an EVH 15watt 5150 worked in a band setting. First off, wow, the cymbals sounded so good, why? haha 2nd, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it cut. Whoa. The jokes, had me 🤕 PTSD'd 😅😅😅 I believe your assessment is spot on. Flat out, from the recording, I think you nailed all the problems I noticed. Great video, Kyle! Thank you for this. There's nearly not enough of these kinds of videos, so yeah, thanks!

[@goathair33]

Song sounded pretty cool!

[@russiangoose7053]

I think it would be pretty funny to slave one of these into an SD power stage hidden behind the cab and make everyone think it's super loud 😂

[@metalgear74]

If they were to just put the preamp of this into pedal form with the Soldano badge it would be about $200. With this you also get a practice amplifier section. This is actually a good deal for someone just getting into things.

[@TheFelineEmpire]

Are you in Erie? Ever go to World of Music?

[@belligerentamateur]

I am! and I do! In fact, our guitarist Adam works there as a salesman!

[@TheFelineEmpire]

Excellent. I’m about 40 minutes away in Ohio. I love WOM…used to go there a lot when I was in high school a LONG time ago. Be well and rock on!

[@humananimal814]

@@TheFelineEmpire And our singer designed that WOM shirt Adam is wearing as well as others!

[@kristiansimko4370]

Hey Kyle! Are there any tabs or could you make a guitar lesson for a song Aftermath? I really dig that song and love the riffs ☝️👌

[@kingu4120]

its not a tube amp but did somehow sit in the mix but I'd consider it a novelty or a beginners amplifier.

[@nm-156]

I'm seeing quite a few instances of these amps saving the day for gigging guitar players. They bring it for backup and mike it. And nobody's the wiser😉

[@chrishussey1134]

vs a 40 watt tube amp maybe?

[@brandonvon3774]

If I wasn't listening for a difference, I wouldn't have noticed anything. But I thought the rectifier made the band sound fuller. But as someone already noted, it's hard to tell the difference.

[@andyvw8364]

I started off with an Orange micro dark. They're no joke. They sound the best cranked up. And with a 2x12 it's pretty heavy for what it is. Little amps are cool but at the end of the day there little amps... They can be fuckin fun and not bad to start out with!

[@headspacemhk8297]

Just got the Friedman be mini and holy balls I was blown it kicks ass lol

[@TrickyPickins]

I don't really know how, but in the clip with the SLO the guitars sounded pretty low saturation and flubby (which isn't at all what you were saying), and was kinda blending into the bass guitar during the chuggy parts. Thoughts?

[@michaelgallegos8811]

Dude u guys sound sick as hell man never heard u guys before !

[@Turbo-D]

the joyo bantamps are nothing but amazing IMO

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Almost loved the tones as much as the allusions to your ding dong. For real, very positively surprised

[@VincentPeer]

Honestly, couldn’t tell whether I was hearing you or the other guitar player with either amp.

[@moparbryan]

Honestly I thought the SLO cut through better than the Mesa. But tbh I’m not a huge rectifier fan (and yes I know the circuits are same) but rectifiers sound muddy and fizzy. As per the mid focus on the SLO I was once told “Marshall’s and my amps aren’t designed to sound good by themselves. The mark of a good amp is that it sounds a little bright and harsh on its own but that’s what makes it sound good in the mix.” And “your amp should have sharp elbows to stay alive in the mix”.

[@BazonBlades]

I have thought about trying the Diezel mini, but never pull the trigger. After my last SS amp purchase I just don't see myself ever buying another SS amp. They just don't feel right to me.

[@ProducerRyan]

Cool video, didn’t even know these were a thing!

[@slayerbear17]

I'm curious, what was the impedance of the cabinet you were using? I'm assuming 16 ohms? 8 ohms? I have the Joyo Zombie and Vivo, and while these can be great at recording and I use them as a back up rig for live, I'd never dream of running full tilt volume wise risking destroying my speakers from the amp clipping. At best these are glorified foot pedals and one trick ponies. Keep up the good work Kyle, Always enjoy your videos!

[@TheMasonator777]

I’d much rather have an Orange SuperCrush 100… Oh,Yeah, I do!

[@platinumpengwinmusic5564]

That's what I was wondering, if you're in the market for a solid state head why wouldn't you just get a super crush?

[@TheMasonator777]

@@platinumpengwinmusic5564 I guess these mini heads are decent for a small easily packable backup amp. Still the SuperCrush head or a Katana head isn’t that hard to carry, unless you are really pressed for space.

[@jordinc7074]

Band is sick!

[@jordinc7074]

Side note. You could do day in the life, vlog style videos too perhaps.

[@cisemokram]

Having less low end actually helped it pop more i think

[@davidsparks6146]

Like most people said, hard to tell if not impossible. Isolating the SLO would have been a better solution in my opinion. I bought one just a week or so ago and it sits on top of my Peavey Valve King, a 20w all tube amp. The SLO is louder, but without the 2nd clean channel it isn't as versatile as the Valve king for practice. Anyway, my main amp for gigging is a Mesa Boogie Mark 5 combo. which is an excellent pedal plate form as well as a monster tone amp.

[@belligerentamateur]

isolating would defeat the entire purpose of the video, no? I think the sign that you can't tell much of a difference between the 2 amps in the video shows that it actually works, as you'd notice if the second guitar was gone after switching to a much less powerful amp

[@davidsparks6146]

@@belligerentamateur If it all sounded the same was your goal, then it was a success. At any rate it is a loud little bugger.