I did end up getting the Line 6 30-watt amp. Once I had a chance to read the very brief and un-detailed owner's manual (called the "Pilot's Handbook" by Line 6 - ugh), I read something that wasn't anywhere on any of the amp's descriptions online: 10 of the 12 preset sounds have a built-in noise gate.

I had noticed that I sounded much better when I finally had the melody side going through its own amp - but now I'm thinking that the NOISE GATE is why I sounded so much better - and cleaner.

Now I'm thinking of returning the Line 6 for something else without all that built-in stuff. I'd rather sound good because of proper technique than electronic trickery. Or am I making too big a deal about this?

No not cheating.

However, I think you have the right approach. I would recommend Practicing with a very dry unprocessed tone. When you play live you have to do what is artistically called for. Eventually you will find "your" sound. When that happens you can use whatever processors you need. I have found myself moving away from processed sounds (except with Toy masheen). Just a bit of reverb and a distortion effect for a few solos.

So in review Practice dry live wet. Oh unless you already have "your" sound and need to practice for live shows, then it is always better to use in practice what you will be using live.

Does that make any sense?
Brett

I don't think it's cheating either, but I have the same reluctance as you: that I want a minimum of electickery in my signal...the more I add at times, the more I feel I'm arriving at the same tone, just with more confusion in-between.

Noise gates clean up extraneous noise in the line that is especially apparent with a hot signal. They are exceptionally useful when you're running distortion. Noise gates don't clean up noise in your playing. If you think you're sounding a little cleaner now, it's very unlikely the noise gate has anything to do with it.

My recommendation is to do whatever floats your boat that day. These things tend to run in phases and will all help improve you in the long run. Anything else is over thinking.

Many thanks for all the encouragement, guys. There's some good info that I took away from all of you.

I actually found a little text that my eyes had skimmed over the first time I read the manual (hint: try not to read manuals when it's early morning and you're not 100% awake yet) which describes how to remove the gate if you want to, so I'll be able to A/B the gated and non-gated sounds. I might just end up deciding to keep the gate intact, especially on the hotter/distorted presets (all the factory sounds can be altered and saved to suit taste, so I'll be able to have a totally dry clean sound as a base to work with).

Thanks again!

Hi there Bergerstick,

I don't know if its like this for everyone but I know that I tend to hear what I think I sound like when I play. (Does that make sense?) Recording at least some of my practicing really reveals what's happening, especially with messy finger releases and stuff that I didn't notice as I was playing.

Then I just turn way up and start farting around again instead of working on correcting my technique. (was that in my out loud voice?)

Rob "I want everyfink louder than everyfink else" Cathcart

Good point. It reminds me that I have some good recording software, and now a laptop, so recording myself should be an integral part of my practice routine. (Besides, you never know when a happy accident leads to a new tune.)
Thanks!