Atomic 50/50 vs. MATRIX GT800FX

yek said:
@ Guitardojo, thanks! I still have a QSC K12 too, although the bass player now uses it.... I returned to real cabs because I grew a little tired of dealing with the broad freq. stuff, and as I wrote, I love the punch and simplicity of a real cab. Jay always says it's fictional, but maybe I'm too. :)
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My theory about that is; "If my ears are lying to me then IGNORANCE IS BLISS!" Tone is subjective and subject to change. I'm gonna tatoo that on my butt.

yek said:
Let me add here a few things to the review:

- There's something with the paint on the Atomic. It smears easily.
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I noticed when I rubbed a box against it, it left a chalky smudge like mark. It went away after I licked it. :razz
 
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GuitarDojo said:
I noticed when I rubbed a box against it, it left a chalky smudge like mark. It went away after I licked it. :razz
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Just a note: licking your Valve Power Amp does not void your warranty - but if you hit the right spot it may well void your bowels ... in the most spectacular way :)
 
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I turned up the Atomic loud this morning and there was a faint ultra-high "whistle" in the signal.
I suspected bad tubes or something but it turned out to be an ordinary ground loop.
Stupid mistake on my side ... I grounded both the Axe and the amp.
Didn't recognize this as a ground loop at first because I'm used to ground loops sounding as hum or buzz, but this is also possible it appears.
Solved. :)
 
Alexander , you said you had the atomic on a trial base ? is it G66 return policy or what ? I wish I could AB it with the matrix and my velocity valve too

Raf
 
Nice yek , btw does it get hot on top ? if it doesn't I'd probably end up buying one too , so your matrix is going too ?

Raf
 
Raf_666 said:
Nice yek , btw does it get hot on top ? if it doesn't I'd probably end up buying one too , so your matrix is going too ?

Raf
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There's some heat but that's just my fingers burning from playing,..

Don't know about the Matrix yet. Like it a lot, may keep it for other stuff / backup, who knows.
 
Mauricio!
Somewhere between " I won't do recordings or videos" and "With video and audio please" we lost touch!
:)
 
James Cullen said:
I think on the clean sounds the 50/50 was sweeter and more bell like. The matrix sounded sterile. My complaint with most SS stuff the cleans reveal the true nature of the beast
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IMHO , this technic was used by van halen : a marshall crancked in a "load box" who takes the sound to a line level , then he amplified that with a transistor amp and guitar cab to play his "crancked marshall" at any volume he wanted.

so that's basically what we do with axe fx , we cranck a virtual marshall...and it's better use it with transistor amp who colors less the sound than a valve amp.
if a valve amp is needed , and the sound is "sterile" without it , IMHO, there's a pb...before the power amp.the virtual crancked marshall in your axe fx doesn't need nothing else.when you play it in your monitor and it sound great, then iyou don't need nothing else : there's no valve added .so it should'nt sound "sterile" in real cab with transistor amp.

i choose the matrix and it sound better , to me , and IMHO , than any tube power amp i ever used with axe fx.
BTW i didn't tried the atomic... but it's just my vision of things and my 2 cent ;-)
 
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Each to their own, everyone will have a favourite.

For me - as Ive said before - the weight was a BIG issue on going the Matrix route. Having said that, Cliff uses a SS amp, though a big Carvin (F1200???) when he A/Bs a real amp with his sim. to me that says that a SS Power amp (if designed well) is actually closer to the real amp than a valve amp would be. IF the valve amp sounds more 3d - or less sterile - or whatever then maybe thats true as a pure A/B, but it doesnt meant the Ss solution isnt actually nearer to the real amp. The Valve power amp solution might actually bo OVER doing that part.

Not a negative comment on anyones personal choice, just an observation - and in the case of the Atomic (rather than the VHT/Mesa/Carvin etc offerings) its supposed to be flat and neutral just like a SS amp, so maybe my comments are less relevant to that particular amp. Ive not had chance to try one.
 
stefherbuel said:
IMHO , this technic was used by van halen : a marshall crancked in a "load box" who takes the sound to a line level , then he amplified that with a transistor amp and guitar cab to play his "crancked marshall" at any volume he wanted.

so that's basically what we do with axe fx , we cranck a virtual marshall...and it's better use it with transistor amp who colors less the sound than a valve amp.
if a valve amp is needed , and the sound is "sterile" without it , IMHO, there's a pb...before the power amp.the virtual crancked marshall in your axe fx doesn't need nothing else.when you play it in your monitor and it sound great, then iyou don't need nothing else : there's no valve added .so it should'nt sound "sterile" in real cab with transistor amp.

i choose the matrix and it sound better , to me , and IMHO , than any tube power amp i ever used with axe fx.
BTW i didn't tried the atomic... but it's just my vision of things and my 2 cent ;-)
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The Van Halen recording was dirty 'brown sound'. I am referring to clean sounds. The Atomic valve amp clearly addeds some 3d roundness and sparkle to the sound. The matrix sounds different. I would call it - clinical. I personally have a preference for the Atomic sound as I use those type of sounds quite often as well as the plexi crunch! Remember recording is an illusion where you have to take big sounds and make them powerful at low volume, hence the VH techniques.

Horses for Courses but I love those clean sounds with the Atomic weight or no weight
There is no best only different at this level

James
 
James Cullen said:
The Van Halen recording was dirty 'brown sound'. I am referring to clean sounds. The Atomic valve amp clearly addeds some 3d roundness and sparkle to the sound.
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hi james, i hear you but, shouldn't the "3D roundness and spackle" be created by the axe fx virtual power amp ?
 
stefherbuel said:
hi james, i hear you but, shouldn't the "3D roundness and spackle" be created by the axe fx virtual power amp ?
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It should, and gets very close but it cannot absolutely replicate the signal passing through the circuitry and the electrons of the valve to give a truer sparkle to the sound. its the same in my recording experience. Analog valve EQ just sounds better than the very best modelling plugin digital wizardry. Its particularly noticeable on clean sounds like acoustic guitar and Fenderish clean amp sounds. I hear the difference and is better. Whether it "ought" to sound the same is irrelevant, the fact is it is not as good. The power amp warmth and saturation of the modelled sounds is very good and makes cranking an ear splitting valve amp unnecessary , so I agree with you there. It is specifically the sonic lushness of the valve circuitry adding the character I am alluding to which I prefer. Having worked with sound for a long time now I trust my ears not what "ought to or should" People try to convince themselves that something should sound better because they own it or have bought it when in fact it does not and we need to be honest here. Trust your ears always

James
 
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