The new MATRIX GT800FX. THE amp for THE Axe-Fx

Mine give also a small pop. The ultra also gives a plop but smaller and the XT-800 gave also a plop. Maybe it has something to do with the different currents on this planet. Remember the USA has 110 volt and Europe 220/230 volts. If Australia is also plopless then we know it has to do with the difference in current.

The fan noise is very close to the range of the ART SLA 2 I had. Good that you did not order the original XT-800 it is way much louder. Different usage leads to different cooling.

The more I play with the amp the more I like it. Nothing harsh or cold just nice tube-ish. And remember the sound of this amp will get better after some time. With the XT-800 I had the same experience. Even our bass player had this experience with his XT-800.

So keep on plopping you220 volts guys and all enjoy your new acquisition.

Still testing BTW and altering my patches due to V11.0.

Wiil be continued
 
DADA said:
And remember the sound of this amp will get better after some time. With the XT-800 I had the same experience. Even our bass player had this experience with his XT-800.
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Huh? Eh sorry, but that makes no sense for a solid-state amp, Herman. Must be placebo. or due to optimizing presets or settings optimal levels.
 
yek said:
Huh? Eh sorry, but that makes no sense for a solid-state amp, Herman. Must be placebo. or due to optimizing presets or settings optimal levels.
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Placebo or not we had this experience. I know technically impossible but still. Maybe this is Andy's his big secret. So did you cancelled your order Alex? :lol
 
No way. I'll pass the reports to Matrix and will get a better GT800FX II. :))
 
yek said:
Huh? Eh sorry, but that makes no sense for a solid-state amp, Herman. Must be placebo. or due to optimizing presets or settings optimal levels.
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It's a very common claim in ultra hi-fi circles.

Mind, some of these spend thousands on speaker cables and then fail to pick their brand in a blind test against coat hanger wire.
 
Zer0th said:
It's a very common claim in ultra hi-fi circles.

Mind, some of these spend thousands on speaker cables and then fail to pick their brand in a blind test against coat hanger wire.
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:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol

I fell from my chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
:)

Yes, and:

A "burn-in" period voor loudspeaker cable...
Buying a power cable for 100 Euros (which connects to 3 thin wires in the wall)...
 
Btw, note that I didn't say the Matrix was bad or anything, just similar to the SLA-2. And I didn't think the SLA-2 was bad. I did have my global eq set so that the lows and highs are rolled off. Perhaps I should retest with a flat EQ. Meanwhile I upgraded to firmware v11 and didn't notice a lot of difference, so perhaps it's just my inability to detect differences, lol!

I assume it's safe to have no load attached to one channel of the SLA-2 and GT800FX so I can compare better having both amps attached to a speaker (say, left the ART and right the GT800FX)?
 
If the firmware improvement is in the highs and the lows, it might be hard to hear if you roll them off in global eq? :)

Retesting the Sla and the GT-800 with a flat EQ might be a good idea.

Jens
 
Ok, just did another extensive test. Flat global EQ and for every patch I tried I let the balance of the last effect in the row be controlled by an expression pedal and hooked up the ART SLA-2 to the left channel of the Axe FX and my left FBT Verve 12M and hooked up the other channel to the GT800FX and the right Verve. This is probably the only way to get a good comparison because you hear differences immediately.
Result: the ART has a bit more presence and the GT a bit more mids. I went through my own patches and then to patch 80 (Super Chunk). In patch 80 I went on changing only the amp to a lot of different models. Conclusion is that it sounds fuller through the GT, especially amps like the Recto New. However, sometimes the clearness of the ART has its pro's on some clean sounds.
Used firmware is v11.

Note: the GT bumps anyway, whether I turn on my Axe Fx first or not, it does not matter (as it shouldn't). But, the manual states: "Soft Start Circuit: The PSU is designed not to draw excessive current on startup - prevents the 'thump, as occasionally seen with other equipment." and "Speaker Protection relay with delay to inhibit switch on thump." Heh, well, they forgot the relay on mine I guess! Note that the 'thump' is not on power switch-on but just after the red 'protect' light goes off (a second or two after power-on).
 
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Did a quick A/B/C-comparison today. A is Art SLA-2, B is the new Matrix and C the Engl 850/100.
First thing: the loudest fan noise comes from the Matrix (probably because it runs at higher speed), second is the Engl, almost nothing comes from the ART. And, this is rock´n´roll, hit the strings and forget about the fan noise, who cares?
Switch-on thump: ART and Engl = no thump (ok, the Engl is a tube amp with standby switches), the Matrix must be missing that relay described in the manual...
Soundwise: I did not have much time for testing, just tried my main patches through all three amps without tweaking. First impressions are: the Matrix sounds warmer, rounder, more musically than the ART that has a little more "bite" which may be appreciated for cleans but turns into slightly annoying fizz at high-gains. OTOH this can easily be dialed out per EQ. The Matrix also is louder than the ART and has the better connectivity. My ART is for sale anyway...BUT: I was surprised that the Matrix even is on par with the Engl, seems to cut through better and sounds clearer, sweeter both with cleans and high-gains. Have to do more testing, maybe the Engl also has to go, it has a lot more headroom, two switchable voices and volume levels, deep and presence control, but weighs a ton and the last complete tube replacement did cost me 240.- €...
 
Mine has arrived in Australia. Unfortunately have nothing to A/B it with as I sold my EL84 20/20 yesterday. Will give it a workout over the weekend and report back. Is anyone else running through the Atomics?
 
Hey Maxwell, im also in sydney. Would love to get together once youve dialed in your rig with the matrix. I can bring a mesa 2:100 and a mesa strategy 500 to compare. Shoot me a pm.
 
Yesterday I racked the GT800FX in my flight case with the Axe-Fx: my amplification (case + Axe + Matrix + power supply for the phantom power) weights as my pedalboard (case + Liquid Foot Pro + 1 Mission pedal + 1 extra momentary switch). It's funny.

I'll test this night and tomorrow night playing with the band.
 
I know some are awaiting my thoughts, and maybe clips again (or maybe not lol) - but Im not going to write much until next week.

The reason is Im quite busy, but have booked a day off work monday to turn up and work on the amps.

I have had a couple of hours at modist volumes and my initial thoughs are this:

Compared to the XT800, the GT is closer to my reference VHT 2:50:2. With the XT I was fighting the low mids. I had to raise the 125 and 250hz bands to get the warmth, but that gave too much mud and I had to reduce the 500hz to compensate. The 1k needed cutting for higher gain tones and raising for cleans. The 2k, 4k and 8k needed a little rise as well. On top of this the ammount I needed to compensate changed dependant on guitar used, and patch.

well, with the GT, that low mid fight has gone. im still raising the 125 hz by 0.8db (but I have the VHTs deep at 12 O'Clock at the moment where it was at its lowest point when I a/bd with the XT) - and remember Im not trying to get great patches through the Matrix, im trying to emulate the VHT initially. I raised the 250hz but only by 0.1db. the 500hz ant 1k are flat. im still raising the 2k and 4k (by about 0.8 and 1 db respectively) but I expected this as Valve amps tend to have prenounced highs compared to a flat response. the 8K I left flat. That Matrix doesnt need it - it has enough highs and their smooth.

So - much less tweeking to match the Two amps roughly. There is still a difference on a patch by patch basis, but not really on a guitar by guitar one. Patches where you amp sims have low masters seem to benefit from raising the Sag a little (adds a little body to thoses), for patches with high masters leave the Sag alone. This I expected too. the VHT will add a little sag, but the % it adds is more when the Axe isnt adding any/much itself. Anyway - high gain patches need a little top to help, but thats better done with the sims orescence control - also upping the depth helps. Clean sounds also benefit from a little more depth and sometimes prescence. Both HG and clean patches benefit from some adjustments to the damp as well. A little less for clean sounds and a little more for high gain ones.

for some reason mid heavey sounds seem to be cleaner with the Matrix than the VHT. I found I was raising the gain if the sim a little (only a notch or two), but sag seems about right (though I run thoses high for these tones, so see earlier for the reason) as is prescence and depth. the only thing I played with really was the damp and trebble. Dependant on the sim these needed either raising or lowering (that is BOTH needed raising or lowering). Marshalls were a raise, Buttery and Trainwreck were lowering.

Anyway - on Monday Im upping the volume a little and working with my stock 5 patches. Ill duplicate them, and tweek one set for the Matrix. The EQ curve Ill leave to compensate (thats the 0.9db rise at 125, 0.1 at 250, 0.7 at 2k and 1db at 4k) but ultimately Ill flatten this and work with patch EQ.

Initial thoughts are the Matrix is a keeper. I would keep the VHT as well, but given the AFX 2 one may have to go when my name comes up.

Anyway - more thoughts and clips next week.
 
Matrix GT800FX vs Peavey Classic 50/50 tube

OK, I managed to spend a couple of hours yeaterday and today doing some comparisons between my trusty (and heavy) Peavey stereo tube amp and the Matrix. Because really all we want to know is will it do the job of those glowing orange things that cost us money and crap out on us occaisionaly.

So I used the 2x12 cab with the Beyma 12GA50's in and plugged one side of the Matrix into one speaker and the Peavey into the other. Initially, yesterday I matched the volumes using the outputs on the Axe. (Matrix on full and Peavey at 12 o'clock outputs) Realising that because the Axe output to the Peavey had to be cranked and I was probably putting a little more juice to the Peavey, today I matched the Axe outputs (both 12 o'clock) and the matched the volumes on the Matrix and Peavey's masters.

Yesterday I got close to matching them and today even closer. I concur will Pauls assesment (even though I'm using a different amp). The Peavey had a touch more prescence and low mids but not much. Changing the global eq for the Matrix worked well. A touch of 2k and 4k as well as some 63hz and definitely in silmilar territory.

Next I tried a rough test micing up the 2 speakers. Mic placed between the 2 speakers and using same guitar, playing a D chord through both amps. (same patch and settings obviously) Played the chord twice through each amp and averaged the readings then compared the waveforms.

Now remember, this isn't the most accurate of tests and it was just to see if the Matrix could recreate the sound of the Peavey.

View attachment 4926

Matrix is green and Peavey is black. Very similar!!

Now when compared flat, I actually prefer the sound of the Matrix. The more I swapped between the 2 the more I liked the Matrix. The Peavey had a slightly hasher upper mid sound and boxy lower mids. The Matrix highs were smooth and lows still punchy without any compression or blanket over them. Feedback and note bloom was there, just like the tube amp. Mids were nice and transparent. Overall I felt that the Matrix is giving a truer representation of what the Axe sims are doing. Volume wise the Matrix has lots left in the tank, easily overshadowing the Peavey.

Even if we were comparing 2 different tube amps, the readings above would be similar enough to say, OK, similar amps or same type. But with the GT800, the feel is identical now and with even less colouration than a tube amp. Can't wait to gig this thing!!

I'm very happy with the Matrix amp, so is my back and so will my wallet be when it never has to replace another tube again!!

Just a comment regarding the concerns over fan noise. When I gigged the XT800, the amp was barely lukewarm after a gig (2 1/4hours). The fans are there to do a job, which is to cool what is after all an 800w amp. Now IMO, it gives me a lot of comfort that everything is running nice and cool. Less component failure and less shutdowns and a longer life of the amp mean more playing and happy wallet!

Hope to get some vids of the comparison between the 2 soon! 8)
 
Lightningboy,

This is my WOW moment translated in a quite scientific approach. Thanks for the work and sharing this info. I think this amp is really the entrance to a new amp aera. And like others stated: no more expenses on those orange/red/blue-ish glas bulbs.

Still testing mine

Regards
 
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