Ultra + SLA2 + Marshall 1960a: Anyone using this combo?

[LAYGO]

I'm curious about what some people using this setup with say a Strat/Les Paul are getting out of it? I'm about to get ramped back up & updating stuff, but curious what I should be aiming for.

Recordings or videos?

 

[mikeyen]

That's my live setup - Ultra + SLA2 + 1960A with T75's. Works very well for live situations - it sounds and feels very much like I still have a traditional tube half-stack behind me, and it puts out as much power as a typical 100 watt tube head does. The stage presence of a half stack could also be nice, depending on the type of music you play. And, I have the added flexibility of sending an XLR out to the board with my favorite IR's, or just let the sound guy mic it if he so chooses (to a lot of sound guys, "direct guitar" = "line6lulz").

Though if you're coming from FRFR or direct recording, you may or may not have to tweak your presets once you take away the cab/mic sim and PEQ. It's not a problem for me since I usually start my presents the other wy around - I aim to work with the amp block first to get a good sound through the poweramp/cab setup, and then mess with the cab IR/PEQ to get a good direct tone. Only your ears can tell, of course.

Mike

 

[jonPhillips]

When playing live I run a Standard - SLA - 1960A for stage volume and additional presence. My XLR outs go to the PA (we use our own rig), whilst I have an effects block that's placed before the cab block to send the output to the 1960. So the PA will have the cab sim for whichever patch I'm using, whilst the stage sound uses the 1960. I usually put reverb at the end of the chain, so the stage sound is pretty dry. Actual reverb use is tailored to the venue - some venues need very little, some need more.

It sounds pretty massive when it's all cranked in part due to the subtle difference in sound between the cab block (which usually isn't a 1960 ) and the real cabinet, which just seems to thicken everything up slightly.