Author Topic: Vox Valvetronix... wow! (Read 19747 times)

sambo · « **on:** April 15, 2006, 06:50:51 PM »

went to "professional music technology" today... music shop (heavily guitar-based) in northampton.... pretty cool...

tried the GT-8 again and my drummers bro was trying some amps.... in particular, a couple of the VOXAD50 thingymajigs..... we were blown away!!!!! really great sound.... then we asked the price.... guy came back and told us £219!!!!! i thought that was a great price for such a cool-sounding amp.... (this version was black with a silver grill)

then there was another slightly more programmable one (still a valvetronix AD40 though) which was more typical vox appearance.- cloth grill e.t.c..... and it was £429... and apparently thats the older version!?!?!?!

anyway.... two questions...

one- are there any major advantages between the two valvetronix AD50 models- old and new...

two- how would a high-end valvetronix amp compare to a valve combo up to the value of like £500....? for example ill say an ENGL thunder 50 combo.... how would a valvtronix compare to that? and any other amps in a similar price range to the VOX and ENGL....

i know the best thing to do is try, and i will.. when i can... but jsut wondered if anyone had compared the VOX modelling amps to valve amps and had an opinion on a specific case... not just "well valve amps are better so there"

thanks in advance...

any info appreciated....

dave_mc · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2006, 10:01:30 PM »

^well, i haven't tried either of those, but going by what i hear...

the ad60vt, the dearer one, has a lot better models, and more of them, and is better at metal tones (the 15/30/50/100 are supposedly great for classic and vintage sounds, but not so hot on metal tones). So if you can afford it, it's the one to go for. Of course, at that price, there are valve amps you could get...

I'd assume the difference between the valvetronix is that it'll do loads of tones well, while a valve amp will do 2 or 3 tones very well. And if you can crank it (in your band, for example) the valve amp will outperform the valvetronix as well...

up to you really- you need to try them head to head, and if you have a band (don't you?) you'd ideally want to try them both cranked up full blast as well...

sambo · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2006, 10:04:34 PM »

cool thanks for the info + advice dave.... will try and locate a 60...

Searcher · « **Reply #3 on:** April 16, 2006, 02:36:37 AM »

Ha! Told ya the Valvetronix amps are good. :)

What Dave says is pretty much right though. I still do prefer a good tube amp to the valvetronix ones, but then I'm not comparing apples with apples either; I'm talking about $1000+ valve amps. I haven't A/B-ed a cheap valve amp with a valvetronix of about the same cost.

sambo · « **Reply #4 on:** April 16, 2006, 12:13:09 PM »

oh yeah.... you did mark...... see i follow your advice... thats what led me to the vox.... :roll: :lol:

anyway... hmmmmm..... like i said this is for my drummers bro... but still.... i did really like the vox myself.... serious thinking will take place...

dave_mc · « **Reply #5 on:** April 16, 2006, 03:15:13 PM »

Quote from: Searcher

Ha! Told ya the Valvetronix amps are good. :)

What Dave says is pretty much right though. I still do prefer a good tube amp to the valvetronix ones, but then I'm not comparing apples with apples either; I'm talking about $1000+ valve amps. I haven't A/B-ed a cheap valve amp with a valvetronix of about the same cost.

yeah, +1 on the expensive valve amps thingy too- i tried a marshall dsl401 the other day, and I wasn't overly impressed, I have to admit. didn't get to crank it, so I assume it'd sound better turned up, but, yeah...

that being said, if you can get yourself up to engl screamer/laney tt50 kind of cash (£600-£800) sambo, valve amps start to get awesome pretty quickly, lol.

but yeah, unfortunately at the moment sambo (and i'ts not your fault, i know how hard it is to get to try all the amps you want to in the one place) you're trying all of these things on their own- you need to get to try a valvetronix next to a screamer, for example.

that being said, if you WERE to go for the valvetronix, assuming you wouldn't be using it to gig, i'd probably go for the 15 watter, since it's around £100- that way you haven't wasted much cash on it if you do decide to go for a dearer valve amp later, and either way you have a pretty nifty little practice amp. Of course, if you want one to gig with....

back to square one, lol- modelling or valve!

sambo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2006, 05:22:31 PM »

kool thanks dave mate....

i think i am gonna need an amp suitable for gigging cause we've just got our singer.... and will probly be looking for gigs soon.....

having said that.... our drummers dad (who doesnt really care about ANYTHING i dont think) wants to buy us a 1600 watt PA system.... :? :o

so if that happens.... im not gonna need a massive valve amp or anything.... cause i can put the amp through the PA....... thats yet another thing to think about... :?

dave_mc · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2006, 09:58:20 PM »

^true- it's ironic that by that stroke of good luck, it actually makes your choice harder, lol.

_tom_ · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2006, 10:37:43 PM »

Quote from: sambo

kool thanks dave mate....

i think i am gonna need an amp suitable for gigging cause we've just got our singer.... and will probly be looking for gigs soon.....

having said that.... our drummers dad (who doesnt really care about ANYTHING i dont think) wants to buy us a 1600 watt PA system.... :? :o

so if that happens.... im not gonna need a massive valve amp or anything.... cause i can put the amp through the PA....... thats yet another thing to think about... :?

Epiphone valve junior it is.. Or one of the smaller Valvetronix combos if thats what your into.

Elliot · « **Reply #9 on:** April 18, 2006, 05:27:43 PM »

If you can go for the 50 watt + and not the 15 or the 30. With the 50 + you get a speaker out (so you can run it into a 4 x 12) and a celestion built in.

I have the 30 and its not loud enough to compete with a drummer, it also has no speaker out.

I put a celestion G10Vintage in it, and that made it sound like it cost £100 more, so the speaker does make difference.

Also test all ADVTs as there are reliability problems (mine went back to Korg for 4 months!)

sambo · « **Reply #10 on:** April 18, 2006, 05:40:26 PM »

ah cool... thanks elliot mate...

have you got any other amps then? if so, which ones, and hwo do they compare?

hunter · « **Reply #11 on:** April 18, 2006, 06:25:54 PM »

See Sambo, haven't I told you, Valvetronix (=my Tonelab) rulez !

:P

sambo · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2006, 07:14:05 PM »

haha true, true...

BUT..... what do i need to play the tonelab through to replicate the valvetronix sound? cause it sounded nothing like the valvetronix through the headphones i used it with.. not that i can remember anyway...

would i get the same sounds as valvetronix if i used the tonelab through a guitar amp? or would it be best through full-range speakers? i.e, PA or keyboard amp? or whatever...

hunter · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2006, 07:30:02 PM »

well, it's the same technology, Tonelab is Valvetronix too. What makes the difference is the tube that's pushed as a virtual poweramp. With an ADXXVT you'll not go any wrong, these amps are keepers.

sambo · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2006, 07:37:40 PM »

VT? whats the VT part...... im confused... :lol: :?