So, I received the newly reengineered version of the Rocktron Velocity 300 today. Spec's wise, its a 1U poweramp that puts out 150watt/channel into 4ohm, 75 watt/channel into 8ohm, or 300 watts into 8 ohm bridged, according to the manual. I run each channel into a single side of my 2x12, which is closed back and loaded with 8ohm Mesa C90's. Its fricken loud, I can't imagine being in a situation where this isn't loud enough. If it wasn't, I'd just grab a 8 ohm 4x12 and bridge into it, that should be plenty loud.
The size is a 1U rack unit at 9.5" deep. The AxeFx itself is deeper. Weight is 18.7 pounds.
In the past I've used a variety of power amps with the AxeFx, including the QSC GX3, the Rocktron Velocity 100, Crate Powerblock, and the effects returns into my Mesa Boogie heads. Inevitably, like many on the board, I've been unsatisfied with the solid state amplfiiers, but the Boogie tube stages sounded awesome. The SS amps have just felt cold and thin, leaving an "edge" to the sound which I just didn't like and I couldn't seem to dial out with just AxeFx settings. Especially after the AxeFx v7 upgrade, it seemed to me to be more a problem with the amps than anything with the AxeFx.
Enter the Velocity 300. I've always liked the build quality of my Velocity 100 and wanted a bit more power available, but the old V300 was 2U which I was trying to avoid. When they reengineered the 300 into a 1U unit I wanted to give it a shot, because I'd heard good things about the "Reactance" control helping out with the "cold and thin" thing. Plugged her in and cranked it up. Short Story- the Reactance control works. It doesn't take much, but it totally thickens and rounds the tone off to where it's much more like going through my Mesa poweramps. I know in theory that the AxeFx should be able to do anything necessary to the tone, but I'm convinced at this point that cheaper SS poweramps can still do things to the tone that you can't compensate for in the AxeFx. Or maybe I just haven't figured out the right things to change in the AxeFx. In any case, I don't care, because the Rocktron Velocity 300 has fixed that problem for me. Cranked up a Plexi1 patch hit with the new BB model in front, and had a super fat and smooth lead tone very reminiscent of Andy Timmons. I have the reactance set at about 3. There is also a definition control which seems a bit like a presence control. Might be good for a quick fine tune if the sounds not cutting well in a venue. I also fired up the Das Metal patch and it sounded as fat and thundering as I hoped. Good stuff.
So, I haven't had it long, but so far the new velocity 300 looks like a winner. And at $369 ish it's not too expensive.
also no annoying banana plugs.
The size is a 1U rack unit at 9.5" deep. The AxeFx itself is deeper. Weight is 18.7 pounds.
In the past I've used a variety of power amps with the AxeFx, including the QSC GX3, the Rocktron Velocity 100, Crate Powerblock, and the effects returns into my Mesa Boogie heads. Inevitably, like many on the board, I've been unsatisfied with the solid state amplfiiers, but the Boogie tube stages sounded awesome. The SS amps have just felt cold and thin, leaving an "edge" to the sound which I just didn't like and I couldn't seem to dial out with just AxeFx settings. Especially after the AxeFx v7 upgrade, it seemed to me to be more a problem with the amps than anything with the AxeFx.
Enter the Velocity 300. I've always liked the build quality of my Velocity 100 and wanted a bit more power available, but the old V300 was 2U which I was trying to avoid. When they reengineered the 300 into a 1U unit I wanted to give it a shot, because I'd heard good things about the "Reactance" control helping out with the "cold and thin" thing. Plugged her in and cranked it up. Short Story- the Reactance control works. It doesn't take much, but it totally thickens and rounds the tone off to where it's much more like going through my Mesa poweramps. I know in theory that the AxeFx should be able to do anything necessary to the tone, but I'm convinced at this point that cheaper SS poweramps can still do things to the tone that you can't compensate for in the AxeFx. Or maybe I just haven't figured out the right things to change in the AxeFx. In any case, I don't care, because the Rocktron Velocity 300 has fixed that problem for me. Cranked up a Plexi1 patch hit with the new BB model in front, and had a super fat and smooth lead tone very reminiscent of Andy Timmons. I have the reactance set at about 3. There is also a definition control which seems a bit like a presence control. Might be good for a quick fine tune if the sounds not cutting well in a venue. I also fired up the Das Metal patch and it sounded as fat and thundering as I hoped. Good stuff.
So, I haven't had it long, but so far the new velocity 300 looks like a winner. And at $369 ish it's not too expensive.
also no annoying banana plugs.