Can I use a tube amp head without a cab?

NO! you must have a load connected!

 

I'm fairly certain that you can buy "dummy loads" online, don't know how much they cost.

 

would the same rule apply to a head with a tube preamp, but s.s. power amp?

 

tube power sections need a speaker connected or they will fry. i don't know if i would trust a dummy load. tube preamps no problem.

 

In short hooking up tube amps without a circuit is a no no. However there are exceptions such as the Mesa 400+.

An easy way to accomplish what you're doing is to use the fx line out on your head if it has it.

A hybrid head does fulfill your requirements.

FYI I hope you're not hooking your amp to your soundcard without a buffer.

 

If it has an output transformer, it must have a load. Period.
Generally, if it has tubes in the POWER section, it has an output trans. I don't think output transformerless amps made it to instrument amps.

If it has tubes just in the pre-amp, then you can have zero load on it without a problem. This is your case.

You can build, or buy a dummy load. If you buy one, you're looking at between $30 and $60, depending on the requirements.

 

unfortunatly you NEED a load tube amps tend to fry when there not connected its a pain in the ass if you want to quietly record in your bedroom i know but on the plus side its a good excuse to crank the volume up...... er for recording purposes of course

 

You can do this.

It would require a dummy load.

 

But it's a SS power section? Am I missing something about MarkBass amps?

 

Dude, wait until tomorrow, and then call MarkBass's customer service. Or email them. They'll tell you exactly what you need to know.

 

Its clear that a load or dummy is needed, but what is a buffer?

 

OK, here's the way it works...

If your tube amp has a tube power amp, you need a dummy load to record direct into a computer without a speaker.

If your tube amp has a solid state power amp and only one or two 12AX7's, you can plug it into the computer minus the speaker and be fine. But you should call it a hybrid in order to keep the confusion down.

The R500 is a hybrid, not a tube amp. It has a single tube in the preamp. You can run it for 20 years without a speaker hooked up and it will be fine. You can call Markbass if you want, but you'll be wasting your time when you could be writing a good song.

 

http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lingua=en&cat=1&vedi=81



The term usually used for your amps type is a hybird. (tube pre with S/S power)

Using the term "Tube amp" implied that it was Tube powered and serveral people gave you good advice about those.

Most all Solid State powered amps (like yours) can indeed be safely ran without any cab load at all, and lots of guys here do that to record.

 

would an SVT-CL out of the question?

 

Yes, some of the Mesa heads have an interesting feature which lets you run the amp without a speaker load such as the Mesa Buster 200 or the Bass 400.

 

No my bad I missed that. No need for a load on any SS power section I've ever run across.

 

You will destroy your output transformer without a load attached.

The Peavey VB-2 allows the tube DI to be used while the amp is in standby - i.e. now signal being sent to the output section

I think this is an awesome feature - especially since I do not have a cabinet for it yet.