To stick with Matrix or not

[Chronos]

So my Matrix GT1000fx blew up on me a few weeks ago. Basically I asked to borrow a speaker cable at my bands practice space. Normally I use a heavy duty speakon-1/4" cable that is maybe 3 feet in length. The cab i use at the space was covered with new PA gear, so I said i could just put my rack on another area, but id need a cable. Long story short, i plug in this cable and power everything up, no volume, turn the volume up on the matrix and the entire unit dies. Wont turn back on. Theres no doubt in my mind, it was the cable.

Solid State amps won't blow up or die from not having a load like a regular tube amp. Plugging a Solid State amp that was only meant for 8ohm or higher loads into a 4ohm load WOULD blow it, but absolutely not the cable, or even just leaving it on without a connection.

Odd that it died on you, but I can't say that I wouldn't still want to stick with Matrix. I'm using an EHX Magnum 44 and the response/feel/linearity of it is absolutely great, it just might not be loud enough for everyone's uses. I use mine for studio and practice stuff so I don't need huge power, and with Solid State you only need the power so it doesn't distort when trying to crank it. Definitely enough headroom for how loud I play with the 44 Magnum, but if I could afford any SS amp I'd go straight for a Matrix.

In between options could include the SS amp from ISP tech. The price is in the middle of the others and so is the output power. Going direct is fine for live, but you'll grow to miss playing on a real cab if you forego it all together. If the repair cost doesn't kill you I'd personally want the Matrix back to functioning.

 

[gtrjunkie]

Most of the time when amps blow is when people erroneously use an instrument cable instead of a speaker cable.

Agreed. An instrument cable MAY work but if it's an unknown cable to the user it probably has more of a chance than a speaker cable to have been repaired by a hack with the contacts so close to each other that a little bit of a bend causes a short. Yes, I've been guilty of this.

 

[GM Arts]

Speaker and instrument cables are entirely different and you will get best results using the right cable for the job.

Instrument cables need to be shielded, carry very low currents (which means the wires don't need to be thick), and should have lowish capacitance (which means thick insulation between the centre core and outer shield).

Speaker cables need to carry high currents, which means thick wires so that power is not lost in the cable. Capacitance and shielding are not important for speaker cables, but the cable and its connectors must be robust, because a damaged cable can destroy your amplifier (a short harms solid state amps, and open circuit can damage a tube amplifier).