MC50 Demo Power amp for a Fractal FX
PostPosted:Mon Aug 08, 2016 5:37 pm
Wow, one of the cheapest pieces of gear to acquire...a whopping $350 - no sales tax or shipping charges. No doubt it puts all other power amps to shame.
Here is a demo - like hey - why not show it off - although I'm not showing off great chops. Broke my collar bone a few months back - and sadly no playing for about six weeks straight. So I'm rusty and sloppy with suspect timing....but I wanted to put together this video anyways - mostly for folks who haven't been able to go the MC50 route - to hear what it sounds like. And as a power amp for the Fractal crowd. I've been terribly curious to how one would sound!
Caveat on all of this. I'm using my FX Ultra as a preamp, pushed by a Kinglsey Page tube boost (having a 12ax7 tube running at high voltage). Those are D120's 1966 vintage - recommend in the early 80's.
My main rig is a 73 Vibrolux that's had some unknown mods (mid and treble boosts). So I'm coming from a purest place of critical thinking - and I also gig with my Ultra using a vintage BWG power amp - that incidentally weighs about 2x the MC50.
My observations are as follows:
1. The MC50 colours the sound differently than the BWG - less transparent. It seems to roll off the unwanted high end frequencies that I've not really liked which come with the Fractal modelling software.
2. The bass - low end - is unbelievably focussed and tight. More so than my Vibrolux.
3. It's really powerful. The preamp is only at about 2/3rds volume and my guitars are also rolled back on the volume. I've never really liked rolling back my guitar volume but it is a different animal with the MC50. The sonic sweet spot is with the guitar volume rolled back.
4. Contrary to what I heard Brad say about using the MC50 - It really meshes with my playing and it's definitely the clearest amp I've used for 16th notes - of which I only attempted a few in the demo. There is probably some unwanted compression in there from the Fractal FX just because digital preamps seem to have more of a compressed sound. It's a more compressed sound than the Vibrolux for sure. But I don't mind it.
5. The low end has a true growl to it. Unlike the Vibrolux.
6. There seems to be less sonic differences between my guitars - PRS to my strat (with Area58 pups) to my Custom thingy I'm playing in the video. The Vibrolux really makes those voices different and they all seem of the same sonic family through the MC50 somehow.
7. Really touch sensitive when picking super light.
I've been talking to Simon Jarrett from Kingsley Amps about getting a custom tube preamp made. He's got a new product coming out called the Maiden. To quote his email to me from yesterday: "It has a volume, master, treble, middle, bass and a 3-way bright switch. If you turn up the volume and lower the master it will get some some slight grit to it too, which the Squire does not do (unless you use it to push your power amp). Hopefully we should start shipping the Maiden preamps in around 4 to 5 weeks. This would be my best recommendation. The price will be $310 US." His preamps are based on a Fender BF circuit. Anyways I'm getting ahead of myself. It would be interesting to see a SMS versus a Kinglsley compare..... Have to say My Kingsley Page is hands down the best pedal I've used.
I've been thinking about modding my Vibrolux to take the MC50 as the power amp - but it seems like total overkill to lug around a 'mini-twin' amp to do the job of a preamp.
I guess what I like about the MC50 is it is a different sound from the Vibrolux. My old power amp was more transparent and probably had more headroom. So it allowed the Fractal to sound more like a BF preamp and Fender power amp with some unwanted digital noise thrown in.
But I'm interested to what folks think of the tone. This is just one voice of a few I have setup on the Fractal.
Here is a demo - like hey - why not show it off - although I'm not showing off great chops. Broke my collar bone a few months back - and sadly no playing for about six weeks straight. So I'm rusty and sloppy with suspect timing....but I wanted to put together this video anyways - mostly for folks who haven't been able to go the MC50 route - to hear what it sounds like. And as a power amp for the Fractal crowd. I've been terribly curious to how one would sound!
Caveat on all of this. I'm using my FX Ultra as a preamp, pushed by a Kinglsey Page tube boost (having a 12ax7 tube running at high voltage). Those are D120's 1966 vintage - recommend in the early 80's.
My main rig is a 73 Vibrolux that's had some unknown mods (mid and treble boosts). So I'm coming from a purest place of critical thinking - and I also gig with my Ultra using a vintage BWG power amp - that incidentally weighs about 2x the MC50.
My observations are as follows:
1. The MC50 colours the sound differently than the BWG - less transparent. It seems to roll off the unwanted high end frequencies that I've not really liked which come with the Fractal modelling software.
2. The bass - low end - is unbelievably focussed and tight. More so than my Vibrolux.
3. It's really powerful. The preamp is only at about 2/3rds volume and my guitars are also rolled back on the volume. I've never really liked rolling back my guitar volume but it is a different animal with the MC50. The sonic sweet spot is with the guitar volume rolled back.
4. Contrary to what I heard Brad say about using the MC50 - It really meshes with my playing and it's definitely the clearest amp I've used for 16th notes - of which I only attempted a few in the demo. There is probably some unwanted compression in there from the Fractal FX just because digital preamps seem to have more of a compressed sound. It's a more compressed sound than the Vibrolux for sure. But I don't mind it.
5. The low end has a true growl to it. Unlike the Vibrolux.
6. There seems to be less sonic differences between my guitars - PRS to my strat (with Area58 pups) to my Custom thingy I'm playing in the video. The Vibrolux really makes those voices different and they all seem of the same sonic family through the MC50 somehow.
7. Really touch sensitive when picking super light.
I've been talking to Simon Jarrett from Kingsley Amps about getting a custom tube preamp made. He's got a new product coming out called the Maiden. To quote his email to me from yesterday: "It has a volume, master, treble, middle, bass and a 3-way bright switch. If you turn up the volume and lower the master it will get some some slight grit to it too, which the Squire does not do (unless you use it to push your power amp). Hopefully we should start shipping the Maiden preamps in around 4 to 5 weeks. This would be my best recommendation. The price will be $310 US." His preamps are based on a Fender BF circuit. Anyways I'm getting ahead of myself. It would be interesting to see a SMS versus a Kinglsley compare..... Have to say My Kingsley Page is hands down the best pedal I've used.
I've been thinking about modding my Vibrolux to take the MC50 as the power amp - but it seems like total overkill to lug around a 'mini-twin' amp to do the job of a preamp.
I guess what I like about the MC50 is it is a different sound from the Vibrolux. My old power amp was more transparent and probably had more headroom. So it allowed the Fractal to sound more like a BF preamp and Fender power amp with some unwanted digital noise thrown in.
But I'm interested to what folks think of the tone. This is just one voice of a few I have setup on the Fractal.
