Recording - August 2014 - 40

BY MIKE METLAY WITH MICHAEL SCHULZE

Yamaha
THR10 Guitar Amplifier
An amp specifically designed for recording
in small spaces-how does it perform?

The THR10 isn't a brand-new amp, but it caught our attention at the NAMM Show in
Anaheim last January and we felt it deserved a proper introduction to our readers. We all
want our guitar tracks recorded at home to sound their best, but often we don't have those
things that add up to great tone in a traditional studio. You know, stuff like a big and goodsounding tracking room with great sound isolation from outside, a well-stocked mic closet,
an iso cabinet, or neighbors who don't mind when you start tracking metal riffs at 2 AM.
At first glance, the THR10 looks like a toy. It's tiny and cute and you can't really imagine it as a substitute for even a small practice amp, much less a screaming
half-stack. But once you plug into it and start delving into its capabilities,
you're in for a surprise. The THR10 is a lot more than just a small guitar
amp-it's a full-on digital recording interface with built-in modeling and
multieffects. It's meant to provide a complete, affordable way for guitarists
to record electric tracks with a tone that won't make them cringe. How does
it fare?
Portable power
Packaged into a neat metal case that looks a bit like a small guitar amp
head, the THR10 measures 14.2 x 7.2 x 5.5 inches and weighs a bit over six
pounds, making it easy to pick up, move around, and store when you're not
using it. It's a stereo amp with 5 Watts of power per side, and its array of builtin speakers is set up to provide a reasonably wide sweet spot as long as the
amp is set up on an elevated surface like a desk or tabletop. In fact, this sense
of width can get a little out of hand if you activate the Extended Stereo option!
The top panel features almost all of the THR10's inputs, outputs, and
controls, and a quick tour gives us a hint at the fun to come. On the far
left, next to the power switch, we find five User Memory buttons where
the amp's settings can be stored and instantly recalled, and a single-digit
LED display that provides basic visual feedback for certain functions
(including a tempo tap function and a built-in tuner).
Then we have an 8-position Amp selector, followed by familiar pots for
Gain, Master, Bass, Middle, and Treble. The next two pots are for the Effect
and Delay/Reverb settings, and then there are separate Output controls for
Guitar and USB/Aux. On the far right of the panel top are an Aux Input
minijack, a 1/4" TRS Phones output that mutes the speakers when plugged
in, and a 1/4" TS guitar input. The rear of the amp has two input jacks, one
for USB and one for the included line-lump DC power supply. (The THR10
40

RECORDING August 2014

will also run on batteries; the manual claims
up to 6 hours' use on 8 AA cells, but we
didn't test this.)
Plug in (your guitar)
The THR10 is designed at the outset to
provide a realistic amplified-guitar experience in terms of playing feel, operation,
and tone. You just plug in, select an amp
model, tweak the familiar level and tone
knobs until you get a sound you like, and
play. Anyone who's used a conventional
amplifier will instantly be comfortable with
the interaction between the Gain and
Master controls and how the 3-way tone
controls let sound be shaped.
There are eight amp models in the
THR10: Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brit Hi,
Modern, Bass, Acoustic, and Flat. Each is
designed to emulate a particular preamp
and power amp-for example, the Clean
setting emulates a 6L6 tube for rich sounds
that work well in jazz or country tracks,
whereas the Brit Hi is a high-gain preamp
with EL34 tubes for the classic British sound.
The Bass model lets the THR10 act as a
bass amp or provide a powerful overdriven
sound for detuned or baritone guitars. The
Acoustic model is designed to emulate a
miked acoustic guitar, with the Gain knob

Recording - August 2014

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