Matrix GT1000FX power amp Review

Nice Review. I notice there's an Axe-Fx II review in the same issue.
Meanwhile, I just received my Matrix GT1000FX on Friday. It was a difficult to let my beloved VHT 2/50/2 go, but it had to be done. So far with the Matrix, i've only tested it at home (at relatively low volume) i'm very impressed. Running it in stereo through my 4x12 the first thing I noticed was the low noise floor. I'ts almost silent, at even higher volume settings. I am out gigging with it tomorrow however, so I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces, and I'll post my thoughts asap.
 
craiguitar said:
Nice Review. I notice there's an Axe-Fx II review in the same issue.
Meanwhile, I just received my Matrix GT1000FX on Friday. It was a difficult to let my beloved VHT 2/50/2 go, but it had to be done. So far with the Matrix, i've only tested it at home (at relatively low volume) i'm very impressed. Running it in stereo through my 4x12 the first thing I noticed was the low noise floor. I'ts almost silent, at even higher volume settings. I am out gigging with it tomorrow however, so I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces, and I'll post my thoughts asap.
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iGuitar magazine has done some great stuff for a free magazine. I noticed the Axe FX review was there also and another forum member has posted a link to that just before I got to it.

I don't have a Matrix, but I have seen the guys demoing the units now at two different guitar shows, the last one also had the new passive monitors they are bringing out, they can get loud if needed and you could feel the volume not only hear it. Look forward to hearing the feedback as it were.
 
I've seen lots of posts on hardware like the matrix. I have a very basic question - what does purchasing such a unit give me on top of my AXE2? I understand it will boost the power to something like 1000w so if you are playing large gigs, etc it might be beneficial in terms of generating enough volume. Is that the main purpose, or is there some other advantage to having one paired with the AXE?
 
Very cool review! Given he did state he was using it with FR wedges I wish he could have gone a little deeper with the use of different types of speaker cabs both guitar and FR but I realize he was just reviewing the power amp and not so much the system as a whole.
 
I've been planning to replace my Art SLA1 for some time and keep going back and forth between this and the Atomic 50/50. I'm leaning toward the GT1000Fx but I have a question for those around here who already own one. Is the 1U model fan noise "noisy" compared to the 2U model, or is it just "less quiet". This review seems to say "less quiet" which would be fine for me but I'd like to hear some owners' opinions on fan noise comparison between the 1u and 2u models.

Thanks in advance.
 
ironmike2009 said:
I've seen lots of posts on hardware like the matrix. I have a very basic question - what does purchasing such a unit give me on top of my AXE2? I understand it will boost the power to something like 1000w so if you are playing large gigs, etc it might be beneficial in terms of generating enough volume. Is that the main purpose, or is there some other advantage to having one paired with the AXE?
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Well, you will take full advantage of the poweramp simuation of the Axefx since the Matrix is a flat response amp. You won't get the same resuts out of a tube poweramp. Now 1000 watts is way beyond what I need in terms of power. Thus, I'm using a Matrix GT800fx. In the end, it's all about what you want and which road you intend to take along the way. There is so much routing options you can go with the Axefx. Choose the one that fits best your needs!
 
ironmike2009 said:
I've seen lots of posts on hardware like the matrix. I have a very basic question - what does purchasing such a unit give me on top of my AXE2? I understand it will boost the power to something like 1000w so if you are playing large gigs, etc it might be beneficial in terms of generating enough volume. Is that the main purpose, or is there some other advantage to having one paired with the AXE?
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The AFX on its own doesnt put out a signal you can hear - you need to amplify it. you can do that with a power amp (such as the Matrix) into passive guitar cabs or FRFR speakers, or with active FRFR speakers, or with active studio monitors, Passive studio monitors with a small power amp, or by using the headphone out.
 
sprint said:
I've been planning to replace my Art SLA1 for some time and keep going back and forth between this and the Atomic 50/50. I'm leaning toward the GT1000Fx but I have a question for those around here who already own one. Is the 1U model fan noise "noisy" compared to the 2U model, or is it just "less quiet". This review seems to say "less quiet" which would be fine for me but I'd like to hear some owners' opinions on fan noise comparison between the 1u and 2u models.

Thanks in advance.
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Hi there,
The GT1000FX 1u is quite quiet, I have put a link to the youtube video I put up of the GT800 which uses the same fans. Any background noise at all and you will not hear the amp.



The 2u is so quiet that I can not get a noise reading from it, because the noise floor in my house, at 1am, when everyone was asleep, was too loud to measure the amp. I even had to put my head to the back of the amp to visually inspect its fan was turning.

Hope this helps.

My best regards
Matt
 
So is wattage the only real difference between the Matrix 800 and 1000?

Also, has anyone used the Matrix with guitar cabinets and FRFR? Do folks always leave amp sims on for the Axe-FX with the Matrix?

I use an old Mosvalve MV-962 power amp with the Axe-FX II thru two Marshall 4x12 cabs. It sounds best when I turn amp and cab sims off.
 
craiguitar said:
Nice Review. I notice there's an Axe-Fx II review in the same issue.
Meanwhile, I just received my Matrix GT1000FX on Friday. It was a difficult to let my beloved VHT 2/50/2 go, but it had to be done. So far with the Matrix, i've only tested it at home (at relatively low volume) i'm very impressed. Running it in stereo through my 4x12 the first thing I noticed was the low noise floor. I'ts almost silent, at even higher volume settings. I am out gigging with it tomorrow however, so I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces, and I'll post my thoughts asap.
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Just thought I'd update on this. Now I have had the GT1000FX (1U version) long enough to post a proper opinion.

Firstly, as stated above, I bought this unit as a direct replacement for a VHT 2/50/2 valve power amp. I had owned the VHT since 2007 and have used it with an Axe-Fx Standard, then Ultra, and finally Axe-Fx II. I had noticed a significant improvement in the power amp modelling within the Axe-Fx II, so it became clear that it was no longer necessary (indeed, overkill) to have a seperate valve power amp in the equation. Also, the mighty weight of the VHT was becoming a burdon (literally!). I had already tried a friend's GT800FX and that test made it clear for me that the Matrix was the way to go.

So, my general impression after some rehearsing & gigging is that there is no distinguishable difference for me in terms of sound quality between the 2/50/2 and th GT1000FX. The sweetness and natural sag the VHT had is not lost with the Matrix. They seemed to slow down the response just enough to make it feel right. I had no reason to worry. There is plenty of power there too. I could turn my V30's inside out with it if I wanted to! I'm not 100% on where to set the volumes at yet. I'm somewhere around 11 O'clock on the Axe II and at around 1 O'clock on the Matrix at the moment. That is plenty loud enough for me. As I mentioned in my previous post, I like that it runs almost silent, with hardly any hiss from the speakers, even at high levels. I love the lightweight switchmode power supply, or at least my ageing/crumbling virtabrae do. This was one of the chief selling points for me. So, to sum up, I'm impressed. If you're considering switching to a SS power amp, then this is the one.
 
Thanks for the comparison vs. the VHT. I have the VHT as well, but have been considering making a jump to SS and/or FRFR. Are you running your matrix through a traditional cab, or FRFR?

Here's a dumb question... can you run the VHT into a passive FRFR cabinet? The power ratings are so far apart with tube vs. SS. How does tube power translate to an FRFR set up? Can it work, or will the tube power throw too much coloring into the FRFR, therefore defeating the purpose of FRFR?
 
Thanks, I'm running through a traditional cab, with the cab sims turned off, mic'ed with SM57's to feed the desk.
However I'm considering (instead of mic'ing the cab) feeding an FR signal to the FOH desk as well, so best of both worlds while playing live.
I'm not too sure about the VHT and a FRFR cab. I never tried it, but at a guess i'd say it would colour the tone too much. Yes, the VHT is pretty flat sounding, but it is still 'voiced' for guitar, so probably not the best combination.
 
I'm assuming that, asside from the larger chassis and larger/quieter fans, that the 2u is the same design (circuit) as the 1u. Can anyone confirm?
 
axel said:
I'm assuming that, asside from the larger chassis and larger/quieter fans, that the 2u is the same design (circuit) as the 1u. Can anyone confirm?
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Yes as far as I understand the design of the 2U chassis is purely to accomodate the larger (quieter) cooling fan. Sound-wise it is the same as the 1U version.
 
craiguitar said:
Yes as far as I understand the design of the 2U chassis is purely to accomodate the larger (quieter) cooling fan. Sound-wise it is the same as the 1U version.
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Yes, this is correct.
We start with a GT1000FX 1u and add an additional 1u of height to make the surface area of the heatsink much larger and install a single 80mm rather than two 40mm fans.
The result is having to visually inspect the fan at the back to make sure its running, because I can not hear it. They are both the same depth at 8 1/4"

We offer both at the same price to make it easy for people to pick whichever suits their application. The guys/girls doing a lot of travelling, including flights, go for the 1u, whilst amps that will be sat in a studio environment the majority of their lives tend to be ordered as 2u.

Hope this helps.
Best regards
Matt
 
GT800FX user of the first hours here. Already sold my last tube PA (VHT 2502) shortly after the arrival of the GT800FX. Recently decided to get a GT1000FX as well. Wasn't sure it should be the 2U or the 1U. So I agreed with Matt from Matrix to give the GT1000FX 2u a try first (with the option to swap it against the 1U) to compare sound & fan noise with the GT800FX (1U).

I can confirm everything, Matt stated above! Like the sound of the GT1000FX slightly better than the GT800FX, which already sounded great and - paired with the Axe-Fx II - for me there is really no need for tube PA anymore.

The fan of the GT1000FX 2U is almost inaudible, but the two small fans on the GT800FX as well as on the GT1000FX 1U are way more quiet than the fans on all tube PAs I ever had - and there have been some ;-)

I finally decided to go with the GT1000FX just for the form factor.

Once again great service from Matrix. Thanks a lot Matt and Pam as well!
 
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