just got my axe fx II, matrix power amp question

W

webstersp

Inspired
Well, been a long time... got the Ultra 2 years ago, liked it but not that much and sold it few months later....
Got the Axe II used, had a very good deal and decided to give it a go.. wow
First lets say that it's a lot easier to dial a great sound out of it!

I don't want to get into the technical stuff but I decided to sell my Mesa boogie Dual rectifier multi watt and
use the axe Fx II with my band. I decided to kept my rectifier 4x12.
The cabinet got 4 xV30 and is 8ohms mono or 4 ohms stereo.
If i want to have the same volume avaible i had with my Dual rectifier is the Matrix GT1000fx ok?
I like the fact that it's 1U!

Thanks for your help and also thanks for the great patches and sound!
And I come from the dark side.. didn't really liked the axe ultra,really liked the kemper.... and now
fell in love with the axe ii!! :p Both i'm keeping both, kemepr at home and axe with the band! :)
 
Yes.. i use the GT1000FX with the same cab plenty of power if you are staying with 1U. If you have 2U space, get a tube power amp. 2:90 and leave AMP sims on, CAB sims off...Thank me later....
 
I don't want to go tube once again, I had the fryette power amp with my first axe ultra, way to heavy!!
And whats the difference you hear between the tube power amp and Matrix?
 
Nothing that cant be dialled in with the AFX- but tube amps are more immediate I guess. The gap is closing with each FW release though.

The Matrix will keep up fine - just remember SS amps need more power, and what they kick out depends on the Ohms of the cab. Tha Matrix for instance is 500w per channel which is going to be inequivalent to around 120 tube watts (because of needing headroom and the fact tube amps kick out more than their rated output when pushed). HOWEVER, thats into 4 Ohms. Into 8 its lower and 16 Lower still. Most 4x12s are 16 Ohms. At that load a single channel on the Matrix is around 120w - so inequivalent to around 30 valve watts. That is why they brought out the GT1600fx - for guys who wanted to run 2 4x12s in stereo and needed enough power per channel. If however you only want to run a single 4x12 its nor problem - just bridge the amp and you have PLENTY of power.
 
Like I said my mesa rectifier cab is a 8ohm cabinet, just like in this picture so is the gt1000fx bridge too loud or ok?
 

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Yeh - it will give around 340 watts per channel - and be plently loud enough, or you could drive it in stereo - with each channel of the amp driving one pair of speakers. That would give the full 500w output per channel, and would get louder than a single channel driving all 4 speakers. You wouldnt HAVE to go stereo either, you could go duel mono - that is copy Left to Right in the AFX, then take a single feed to the Matrix in PARALLEL mode (not stereo or bridged). That takes the input of channel A, and sends it to both sides of the amps. Youd get the same output from channel A and B, but each channel would then derive on pair of speakers (so 2 cables from the amp to the cab - one from each channel going into the two inputs on the left of your pic. It would give you the most headroom, the most volume (if needed), wouldnt give any phase issues (which you can get going stereo) - and sound awesome :)
 
I run the exact same set up as the OP. Stereo is best. Copy L to R is good as well. Most venues for us little guys, lol, do not mic in stereo or even dual mono. So I dial it running bridged 8ohm into cab. Matrix 1000 is enough. Good lite weight touring rig.. If you are used to high gain and heavy and are used to standing in front of a recto cab, the AFX can eventually get there with what I call "dialing for dollars." Or you can just plug it into a TUBE amp and be there. If your lugging that heavy ass cab, why not a heavy tube amp...lol. I only bring the tube amp to local shows..

Assuming OP is a heavy gain guy since he was running a dual recto...
With no disrespect to paulmapp, by his signature, he is not a high gain heavy guy...

I have been a TUBE guy for 35+ years. I give the AFX FX II a 98% there on the TUBEOMETER...lol
 
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I mainly use the vintage channel on the recto and I plan on buying a 2x12 portcity cab. I don't want to take the big 4x12 with me.
 
paulmapp8306 said:
Yeh - it will give around 340 watts per channel - and be plently loud enough, or you could drive it in stereo - with each channel of the amp driving one pair of speakers. That would give the full 500w output per channel, and would get louder than a single channel driving all 4 speakers. You wouldnt HAVE to go stereo either, you could go duel mono - that is copy Left to Right in the AFX, then take a single feed to the Matrix in PARALLEL mode (not stereo or bridged). That takes the input of channel A, and sends it to both sides of the amps. Youd get the same output from channel A and B, but each channel would then derive on pair of speakers (so 2 cables from the amp to the cab - one from each channel going into the two inputs on the left of your pic. It would give you the most headroom, the most volume (if needed), wouldnt give any phase issues (which you can get going stereo) - and sound awesome :)
Click to expand...

Sorry, i haven't understood. You go from Axe Fx II ( copy left to right) with ONE output to One channel ( for example A) in PARALLEL MONO MODE and go with 2 cables ( from Channel 1 and 2 of the Matrix) to the 2 input of a 4x12 cab? Is it right?
Thanks
Cello
 
Yes.

The matrix has 3 modes. Stereo and bridged are normal on most amps.

Stereo is just that, what comes in on IP A is amplified by the left amp module and put out of OP A - In B is amp'd by the right amp module and outputted from OP B.
Bridged takes the IP at IP A, runs it through BOTH amp modules for double power, and outputs it via its own "bridged OP".

The 3rd method is parallel. This takes the feed from IP A, splits the signal and sends one to the left amp module to OP A and the other to the right module and to OP B, so you get two OP signals, both at the 500w (into 4 Ohms) power rating of the amp from a single source. Useful if you want to drive 2 cabs from the same source (not a stereo signal), and while you could do that with Copy L-R in the AFX into a stereo amp - the Matrix lets you achieve the same effect with less cabling.
 
paulmapp8306 said:
Yes.

The matrix has 3 modes. Stereo and bridged are normal on most amps.

Stereo is just that, what comes in on IP A is amplified by the left amp module and put out of OP A - In B is amp'd by the right amp module and outputted from OP B.
Bridged takes the IP at IP A, runs it through BOTH amp modules for double power, and outputs it via its own "bridged OP".

The 3rd method is parallel. This takes the feed from IP A, splits the signal and sends one to the left amp module to OP A and the other to the right module and to OP B, so you get two OP signals, both at the 500w (into 4 Ohms) power rating of the amp from a single source. Useful if you want to drive 2 cabs from the same source (not a stereo signal), and while you could do that with Copy L-R in the AFX into a stereo amp - the Matrix lets you achieve the same effect with less cabling.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. If I use a MONO Cab with only one IP? I have a GT1000Fx Direct in ONE Matrix Q12..which is the best way to connect this? Obviously in mono...but which?
Thanks again
 
cellopet said:
Thank you very much. If I use a MONO Cab with only one IP? I have a GT1000Fx Direct in ONE Matrix Q12..which is the best way to connect this? Obviously in mono...but which?
Thanks again
Click to expand...

Just run it in stereo - but treat each IP/OP pair as a mono amp. So plug the Axe into IP A and connect your speaker to OP A, with the amp set to stereo operation. The only time you want to vary that is if your using a cab that is rated to handle silly power, and its not a 4 Ohm cab - say a 16 Ohm cab rated for 800w (which you could get with a traditional 4x12 loaded with EV12Ls - though you probably couldnt lift that :) ) in which case you run it bridged.

The parallel OP is for if you want to drive two cabs from the same signal.
 
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