Sean Ashe
Power User
Hey everyone 
Last week I received my Matrix GT1000FX and have waited to put a review/my thoughts so that I could spend time with it and use it thouroughly.
This past year at NAMM, I was approached by the cool people at Matrix and asked to join their artist roster. I finally placed my order for the GT10001U about a week or two ago and I was SHOCKED when it came only 3 days later. I live in Indiana, so from UK to Indiana, 3 days is pretty dang fast haha! I received the poweramp, opened the package, and immediately threw it (okay maybe placed it carefully) in my rack and then hooked it up. My first test I always do for anything Axe FX related, is go to the Mesa Mark IV sim as I'm sooo familiar with that (Previous Mark V owner here), and tried it through my cab (where I've run the Mark V through).
I was blown away! Don't get me wrong, IRs are really rad and I still do use them and record with them, but having a live cab with basically 100+ amp heads, is just too cool. The Matrix can go louder than I would probably ever need to run it, and it is very transparent in my experiences with it thus far. I was shocked that I've had to do minimal tweaking to all of my patches, it just translates really well. It also brings more versatility to my rig, so that now I don't NEED to use FRFR or direct. I just enjoy having options and the Matrix provides that for me.
I set up all my patches so that they are set for FOH (cab sims on ) and for live cabs (no cab sims). Also something exciting to me, I was finally able to take IRs of my cab/s !!!! I have some really REALLY great sounding early 80s Marshall Cabs, and I took about 10-15 IRs that just sound fantastic. I have these running for my live patches, to go to FOH so that it's consistent. Also enables me to tweak patches on my studio monitors with those IRs, and then have them translate fairly well to the live cab Once I can retrieve my IRs from the Axe FX (when Axe edit launches) I'll post them for everyone, I'm sure some of you guys will like them.
Overall I really enjoy the Matrix and I guess my biggest compliment to it, is that I have no complaints! I really enjoy when gear is 'plug and play' where I don't have to do too much work to get everything to work together. I plugged the Matrix in, and it works perfectly and does exactly what I want to do. I would recommend anyone who's looking for a poweramp for the Axe FX, to look into Matrix for sure! Also super nice dudes there, which is a big factor for me for gear I use.
Hope you enjoyed my review/thoughts, if this is in the wrong forum section I apologize, I was unsure of which one to put it in (amps/cabs or reviews).
Also if anyone has any specific questions to ask that I didn't cover about my experience with it, don't hesitate to ask
- Sean Ashe
Last week I received my Matrix GT1000FX and have waited to put a review/my thoughts so that I could spend time with it and use it thouroughly. This past year at NAMM, I was approached by the cool people at Matrix and asked to join their artist roster. I finally placed my order for the GT10001U about a week or two ago and I was SHOCKED when it came only 3 days later. I live in Indiana, so from UK to Indiana, 3 days is pretty dang fast haha! I received the poweramp, opened the package, and immediately threw it (okay maybe placed it carefully) in my rack and then hooked it up. My first test I always do for anything Axe FX related, is go to the Mesa Mark IV sim as I'm sooo familiar with that (Previous Mark V owner here), and tried it through my cab (where I've run the Mark V through).
I was blown away! Don't get me wrong, IRs are really rad and I still do use them and record with them, but having a live cab with basically 100+ amp heads, is just too cool. The Matrix can go louder than I would probably ever need to run it, and it is very transparent in my experiences with it thus far. I was shocked that I've had to do minimal tweaking to all of my patches, it just translates really well. It also brings more versatility to my rig, so that now I don't NEED to use FRFR or direct. I just enjoy having options and the Matrix provides that for me.
I set up all my patches so that they are set for FOH (cab sims on ) and for live cabs (no cab sims). Also something exciting to me, I was finally able to take IRs of my cab/s !!!! I have some really REALLY great sounding early 80s Marshall Cabs, and I took about 10-15 IRs that just sound fantastic. I have these running for my live patches, to go to FOH so that it's consistent. Also enables me to tweak patches on my studio monitors with those IRs, and then have them translate fairly well to the live cab
Once I can retrieve my IRs from the Axe FX (when Axe edit launches) I'll post them for everyone, I'm sure some of you guys will like them.Overall I really enjoy the Matrix and I guess my biggest compliment to it, is that I have no complaints! I really enjoy when gear is 'plug and play' where I don't have to do too much work to get everything to work together. I plugged the Matrix in, and it works perfectly and does exactly what I want to do. I would recommend anyone who's looking for a poweramp for the Axe FX, to look into Matrix for sure! Also super nice dudes there, which is a big factor for me for gear I use.
Hope you enjoyed my review/thoughts, if this is in the wrong forum section I apologize, I was unsure of which one to put it in (amps/cabs or reviews).
Also if anyone has any specific questions to ask that I didn't cover about my experience with it, don't hesitate to ask
- Sean Ashe
