Anyone go from an ARt SLA2 to the matrix 1000

kmanick

kmanick

Fractal Fanatic
Can anyone who has owned both and settled on one of the new Matrix power amps give me their impressions on what I can expect if I went this route
in terms what the differences are in tone and feel between the 2 pwoer amps.
I currently have an SLA2 and a mesa 50/50 and I yesterday I grabbed a Mesa Studio Pre from the Boogie forum to pair with my 50/50 as I just decided I want a real tube amp to run with my recto cab. (I miss my Mark IV, there I said it)
The SLA2 isn't bad, but it doesn't blow me away either and running everything thru the Recto cab somewhat kills the versatility of the Axe II.
So I'm thiniking......................
Get one of the matrix Power amps and run it with a passive FRFR cab
or get one of the powered CLR FRFR cabs supposedly coming from either Atomic or Matrix when they become available
and forget about a power amp all together.(this seems to make more sense to me but I need somthing that I can run at pretty low volume and have it still sound great are these powered cabs all crazy loud(like the Mackie Hd I tried a while back?)
thoughts from ayone who has owned both or ditched the whole power amp thing would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Well, i cant compare a art to a matrix, but i can tell you that a power amp makes a lot of difference. I run a recto cab also and i do love my matrix amp, to me it does feel like i am playing with a tube amp. I used to have a carvin power amp and the matrix in my opinion is quite a bit better sounding. I know some guys have gone from the art to matirx and said there was no comparison and the matrix wins hands down. I also see where you are coming from in terms of getting the most out of the axe and using a frfr. When i had my ultra i couldnt get frfr to work for me, wasnt my thing, but with the improvements they have made with frfr and the II i am going to be tring it again with one of the new frfr products you listed.

If it were me, i would sell your art, and look for a used matrix gt800fx, with the gt1000fx being out a lot of people are getting rid of there gt800fx for cheap to upgrade. By the time you do that and run it through some paces, one of the new frfr products should be out, and if you still arent happy you can then sell your gt800fx and get one of those.
 
I'll let you know later this week. Have used the ART for a year or so and just ordered the GT1000FX yesterday. Stay tuned!
 
No comparison!!!! Matrix a lot more headroom and your back will love you...sounds freaking awesome also.
Will never go back.:mrgreen:mrgreen
 
I'm curious as to what will the power source be in their upcoming powered monitors/cabs?
how similar will it be to there power amps?
 
kmanick said:
I'm curious as to what will the power source be in their upcoming powered monitors/cabs?
how similar will it be to there power amps?
Click to expand...

I sent an email to Matrix with this very question before making my purchase. I was told the powered FRFRs will use the GM50/GM100 amps, so there will be no sound difference if you use the GT1000FX series with a passive version.
 
I would recommend Matrix GT1000FX...just got it yesterday and got it hook up Blackstar V30s cabs...I have been my using my Blackstar Series One 100 as my power amp previously but now I don't it anymore...Matrix sounds even better...
 

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Manny Fufish said:
I sent an email to Matrix with this very question before making my purchase. I was told the powered FRFRs will use the GM50/GM100 amps, so there will be no sound difference if you use the GT1000FX series with a passive version.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm this is interesting to me . Is the GM50 a lower wattage power amp? I am going to be using this rig primarily at home and maybe for asome small gigs where the stage volume won't be too bad.
Galo: thanks for the input :)
 
GM50 is equivalent to the power of one side of a GT800FX (although with the new voicing) and the GM100 is equivalent in power to the GT1000FX. Looks like the GM100 will initially only be available in the powered Matrix wedges.
 
As far as solid state went from a Carvin DCM200L to an Art SLA-2, back to the Carvin DCM200L and then to the Matrix GT800FX and have been very happy either running FRFR or conventional cabs.
John
 
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