What's so special about Matrix GT1000?

joegold said:
Yes, that's the Pearce company I'm talking about.
I originally bought a G1a combo amp, circa 1986.
I even had Dan Pearce do a few mods on mine at the Buffalo factory that I visited several times.
I'm from Toronto so it's just a couple of hours away.
I sold the G1a head to Reg Schwager but kept the cabinet, circa 1992.
It was replaced with a Mesa MKIII and a Simul-Satellite.
I almost bought a G2r at the time but I was trying get some session work and it seemed smarter to have a real tube amp at that time.
Eventually I bought a Triaxis and used it in stereo with the MKIII's power amp and the Satellite.
These Pearce cabs have a 2 space rack on top for any Pearce head or power amp, like the A1 that I also used to use when playing stereo back then.
FWIW My 1st album/cassette release, Time's Square, from 1988 was all done with that Pearce rig and a Strat with EMG SAs and an SPC.
My 2nd album and 1st CD release, A Strange Little Tune, was done with the Triaxis/Satellite rig and a Frankenstrat with passive pickups.

About 10 years ago I got pissed off at the jazz tones I was getting from my Triaxis/Simul-Satellite rig that I'd been using since 1993 (the Pearce was OK for rock too but not as good as the Mesa stuff I replaced it with) and asked Reg if I could borrow the head back to see if it really sounded as good as I remembered.
But in the months prior to that I also had a Polytone and then an Acoustic Image Clarus through a Raezer's Edge 2X10 cab, just for jazz.
Meh on both of those.
But Reg's G1a did sound as good as I'd remembered, so I started looking around for another used Pearce amp online.
[FWIW I found out after I'd bought my Ultra that the reason my Triaxis jazz tone was always a bit too bright was because its 2 Clean Modes both have a hard-wired bright switch that can't be switched off.]
I actually found a G2r in a pawn shop in Texas and bought that.
I think it was only $200.
But when I got it home the built-in digital effects board, by Alesis, wasn't working properly.
I did some research online and found out the likely culprit and tried to fix it myself but I actually fried the FX board completely in the process.
Later on I found another G2r on eBay (closer to $700 this time) and it works great.
I keep the first one for spare parts.
The Pearce G2r in the original Pearce cabinet (way back when, I replaced the stock EVM-12S that it came with with an EVM-12L), in an open back configuration (it can also be run closed back and has a port) is very satisfying as a jazz rig.
I never had to use it on a pop/rock oriented gig though.
I think the G1s sound even better for jazz but they have less gain available for rock.
I still use the G2r on small jazz gigs where I don't want to lug the Axe and my pedal-board etc.

But I'm getting even better tones from my Axe II and whatever I run that through.
I kept the Triaxis rig for pop/rock gigs until I got the Ultra in 2008 and then I sold it.
But I still have the Simul-Satellite.
It's currently in my teaching room at Humber College.

I bet that's more than you ever wanted to know about me or my gear. ;)
Click to expand...
I love to hear about the gear myself, I'm just across Lake Ontario from you just a bit south from Olcott which is about 35 miles across I believe. Anyways I have kept my Pearce preamp and currently have no plans to sell it. The clean channel reminds me of Eric Johnsons clean sound when adding a bit of Chorus. The distortion channel is also awesome, actually it would be a nice preamp for Cliff to mimic. Here is a link to that pearce amp I saw on Ebay.
Vintage Pearce Amplifier Guitar 2 Channel G1B Wood Cabinet EV Speaker | eBay

Here is another one I just saw also
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Pea...808?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27dbc1d4f0

Pass along some of your tunes if you can I would love to take a listen
Thanks
markmusicman
 
PacoCasanovas said:
Correct yourself: You don't need a 1000W tube amp. You need a solid state amp with enough headroom to cover up a 100W tube amp. The main difference between tube and solid state amps is in their handling of signal peaks - tube amps compressing their peaks, which makes the ratio between peak- and average power output smaller and also causing the fact that you think tube power sound louder. This ratio is called crest factor. On solid state amps, there is no tube compression, so your peak power is the ultimate limit to avoid clipping - normal music signal handling approx. 1/8 of its nominal power without clipping. The crest factor of a guitar signal is related to the amount of distortion - lower than average music signal but it don't let you use the full power handling of a solid state power amp.

The conclution: Yes, you need a 1000W solid state...... :) (you newer use it full, also because most ss-amps can't deliver there full rated power longer then 2 minutes because of their power supplies....)

PS: talking about transfer characteristics (curves) is different from "sound characteristics" - just in case, you don't know ;)

this more than just fanboi blahblah......
Click to expand...

I have found that I don't need a 1000W amplifier of any sort, full stop. I used to gig with a solid state amp and found it sufficient for my needs. I would combine the sound from my Axe setup with the sound from my monitor mix and it provided a decent level that I could gig with easily. It's not about the science behind it, but my main point seems to have been missed.

It's about personal need, and you cannot tell me "You need a solid state amp with enough headroom to cover up a 100W tube amp", because I don't. I used to gig with 100W tube amps, and they were just. too. loud. I didn't state that, and I probably should have to avoid misunderstandings.

I don't like loud onstage volumes because I find it uncomfortable, and I dislike getting into a loudness war with drummers. :)
 
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markmusicman said:
I love to hear about the gear myself, I'm just across Lake Ontario from you just a bit south from Olcott which is about 35 miles across I believe. Anyways I have kept my Pearce preamp and currently have no plans to sell it. The clean channel reminds me of Eric Johnsons clean sound when adding a bit of Chorus. The distortion channel is also awesome, actually it would be a nice preamp for Cliff to mimic. Here is a link to that pearce amp I saw on Ebay.
Vintage Pearce Amplifier Guitar 2 Channel G1B Wood Cabinet EV Speaker | eBay

Here is another one I just saw also
Vintage Pearce Amplifier Guitar 2 Channel G1B Wood Cabinet EV 200 Watt Speaker | eBay

Pass along some of your tunes if you can I would love to take a listen
Thanks
markmusicman
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I remember the difference between the G1A and the G1B, but wasn't the latter a bass amp and the former a guitar amp?
Not sure now if mine was an A or a B.

You can hear excerpts of my recordings on CDBaby.
Joey Goldstein | CD Baby Music Store

The excerpts on iTunes are a bit longer:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/joey-goldstein/id603577855?ign-mpt=uo=4
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/the-joey-goldstein-band/id622929529?ign-mpt=uo=4
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/the-joey-goldstein-quartet/id641429552?ign-mpt=uo=4

And 3 full tracks from my 1988 cassette-only release can be found here on Youtube:
Joey Goldstein - YouTube

Thanks for your interest.
 
BigD1977 said:
I have found that I don't need a 1000W amplifier of any sort, full stop. I used to gig with a solid state amp and found it sufficient for my needs. I would combine the sound from my Axe setup with the sound from my monitor mix and it provided a decent level that I could gig with easily. It's not about the science behind it, but my main point seems to have been missed.

It's about personal need, and you cannot tell me "You need a solid state amp with enough headroom to cover up a 100W tube amp", because I don't. I used to gig with 100W tube amps, and they were just. too. loud. I didn't state that, and I probably should have to avoid misunderstandings.

I don't like loud onstage volumes because I find it uncomfortable, and I dislike getting into a loudness war with drummers. :)
Click to expand...

100 watt tube amps are not that loud unless you drive them into clipping.
Because tube amps clip so softly and so musically, much of the time you don't hear that as "distortion" unless you really crank it.

With the Axe, normally you'll want any distortion generated by the Axe itself and not by the power amp you're monitoring the Axe with.
For regular playing in mono, a 200 watt power amp should be about just about right for driving a single cabinet unless you need to go really loud for metal etc.
100 watts is OK for small venues, like jazz clubs.
For stereo, 200 watts per side is pretty good.
I went with the GT1000 vs the GT800 just in case I needed a bit more power to drive an FRFR speaker.
It's overkill for guitar cabs though.
It's not a good idea to under-power an FRFR speaker.
To get the needed SPL from an FRFR speaker via a ss power amp, you don't want to drive the amp into clipping or it will fry the speaker.
If the amp is under-powered that's likely to happen.
Better to have more power for this application.

Volume also depends on how efficient your drivers are.
EVM-12Ls have the highest efficiency (volume per watt) I've ever seen in a guitar speaker.
 
PacoCasanovas said:
I'm doing this for a living, so please stop insulting people regarding their knowledge

-> Audio Tech - Audio, Light, Musical Instruments, Disco

cheers
Paco
Click to expand...

I probably should have spelled this out too.

I wasn't insulting anyone intentionally. Marketing can introduce exaggerated unsubstantiated claims in general. People can view a vague quote from a website as direct evidence of support for that claim. Saying an amp is designed with guitarists in mind is as valid for any amp that has a picture of a guitar on its front as it is for a Marshall; both very different things and with varying degrees of investment into the said purpose. My comments are an effort to dismiss the hogwash that inevitably creeps in.

Now, in saying that, and before anyone gets their nose out of joint, I am NOT saying that Matrix amps are bad, I am NOT saying that any professional in here doesn't know their job (incidentally, I am also an audio engineer and acoustic engineer, so to think I'm coming from a point of ignorance would be a mistake), and I am not saying that it's purely hype. I have never said any of these things.

What I AM saying is that people should be able to check the marketing claims made by manufacturers, and I am also pointing out the folly of quoting possibly unsubstantiatable claims.

I am also saying that not everybody's guitar or amplification needs are uniform.

If you personally have been insulted, or anybody else thinks that I am personally dissing their knowledge or their work, then that is regrettable, and was not my intention. I don't feel the need to say sorry because I wasn't getting at anybody.

Now, on a positive note, I am sure that a lot of people who read this thread are now coming away with a lot more insight into power amplifiers, and is this not a good thing?
 
plexi59 said:
>> Matrix is designed for guitar playing

See, I don't understand what that means, exactly. I understand what this means in a tube amp (high frequency roll-off, loose negative feedback loop to get gentle compression when cranked), but not in a solid state, linear one. And they don't have any specs other than power rating, so I can't tell. Therefore, it just sounds like marketing bullshit to me.
Click to expand...

That means:
Guitar playing -> guitar players -> dumb monkeys!

A monkey could figure out how to use the matrix

That said, I do not use it. I just a/b'et with my hifi ss poweramp artcoustic pa-300. Couldn't hear any real difference. Tried It through my Marshall w. Eminence speakers :)
 
BigD1977 said:
It's about personal need, and you cannot tell me "You need a solid state amp with enough headroom to cover up a 100W tube amp",
Click to expand...

Well my arguments were just build upon your statement "I don't need a 1000W solid state amp" and the tech background, why more power is needed to get similar results than with tube amps with much less power....I don't think you need 1000W for yourself, I don't know you, your needs and your wants.....I was refering at your statement which had a pretty generalizing character.
Peronally I use a Q12a - Sinewave 1Khz - 169W RMS @ 8 Ohm (regarding my tests), far enough power to my needs! My tests were not made to tell the manufacturer data is wrong, it's made for a further tutorial how to set up the AxeFx II together with the Q12a for best possible performance (also regarding input sensitivity....which is not yet solved for most users)

Cheers
Paco
 
joegold said:
100 watt tube amps are not that loud unless you drive them into clipping.
Because tube amps clip so softly and so musically, much of the time you don't hear that as "distortion" unless you really crank it.

With the Axe, normally you'll want any distortion generated by the Axe itself and not by the power amp you're monitoring the Axe with.
For regular playing in mono, a 200 watt power amp should be about just about right for driving a single cabinet unless you need to go really loud for metal etc.
100 watts is OK for small venues, like jazz clubs.
For stereo, 200 watts per side is pretty good.
I went with the GT1000 vs the GT800 just in case I needed a bit more power to drive an FRFR speaker.
It's overkill for guitar cabs though.
It's not a good idea to under-power an FRFR speaker.
To get the needed SPL from an FRFR speaker via a ss power amp, you don't want to drive the amp into clipping or it will fry the speaker.
If the amp is under-powered that's likely to happen.
Better to have more power for this application.

Volume also depends on how efficient your drivers are.
EVM-12Ls have the highest efficiency (volume per watt) I've ever seen in a guitar speaker.
Click to expand...

Yup! A case in point is the AC30. Man, that thing is loud!

I like all my distortion, (preamp and poweramp) to come from the Axe, and mixed with the monitor signal it bolsters up my sound enough that I can play well and loud enough, and I haven't fried a speaker.... yet! ;)

If I start to play gigs where I would need earplugs, then I absolutely would need a higher powered amp.

Your point about speaker efficiency is huge actually. I'm watching the development of graphene speakers avidly for this. Fingers crossed! :)
 
LVC said:
what model?

New I see these things go for a lot of money but their values drop off the charts used. Reason I am asking is that I am looking to get new speakers for my home office (thinking Adam 7s) -- but I see Bryston 2B-LP Stereo Power Amplifiers (60 watts) selling used for 25% their retail value.

thoughts?

Used Bryston with a good set of speakers or the Adams?

cost will probably come out the same.
Click to expand...

For years the 2B LPs were the way to drive passive nearfield monitors, like NS10s.
But nowadays there's a sonic advantage to using powered monitors because the manufacturers can exert more control over the entire system.

I guess the success of using a power amp like a Bryston to power a near-field studio reference monitor depends largely on the quality of the crossover they used in the monitor.
These days, for studio monitors, I think it's probably safer to go with powered monitors.

The 2B LPs make for a great sounding headphones amp too.
 
joegold said:
To get the needed SPL from an FRFR speaker via a ss power amp, you don't want to drive the amp into clipping or it will fry the speaker.
If the amp is under-powered that's likely to happen.
Better to have more power for this application.

Volume also depends on how efficient your drivers are.
EVM-12Ls have the highest efficiency (volume per watt) I've ever seen in a guitar speaker.
Click to expand...

simple rule of thumb in the PA world, take a amp which is twice to 2.5 times more powerful than your speaker nominal power rating!
You're right in terms of speaker sensitivity with the EVM12L, it's 100dB @ 1W at 1khz in 1meter distance between speaker and RTA mik. This is pretty remarkable for a guitar speaker, most other drivers had sensitivities between 95 - 97dB. It's a huge difference - at means your 97dB sensitivity speaker would need twice the power to get the same perceived loudness than with a EVM12L
 
I hesitate to get involved in this thread, but there are some basic facts wrong in here, and I'll put the record straight from the Matrix standpoint as best I can. Let me also start off by saying that what I am not going to do is give you a step-by-step list of all the little tweaks we've done to the amplifiers to get them to sound how they sound. There's 30 years of experience with mosfet amps gone into these and we are not in the business of teaching our competitors how to build amplifiers.

Firstly, we tried to build a straight talking, no b******t website. We have a reputation for products that do "exactly what it says on the tin" and we stand by them. If you think there's anything misleading on our site, do PM me and let me know, I'll address it.

Lets briefly address the whole "I don't need 1000W" thing ... a typical 100W valve head delivers 100W ... before it starts to distort. cranked, you can get a lot more, 200W, 300W on some ... and then there's the "sag" ... they deliver more in the first 100ms and then sag down as the power supply drops in voltage under the load. The GT1000FX was built to provide a similar power level. 1 channel will provide 500W into 4R,, and about 325W into 8R ... and many guitar cabs are 8R. To match the 300W performance, plus a bit more on peaks, of the typical 100W valve head, into 8R, I would say we are about spot on.

Of course, it has a volume knob, you don't have to use all that power, it's just as happy tickling along at 5W, no issues there.

Then there's the "built for guitarists" thing. We did indeed start off with plain PA amplifiers, people liked them and bought them to use with AxeFX, but we got some comments about what could be improved. There were simple practical things like "can it have combination connectors so we can use 1/4" jack or XLR" ... and there were other things like "can you match the input sensitivity to the AxeFX" ... look at our GTFX1500 ... 3 channels especially for the "wet-dry-wet" players. Ever seen a 3 channel PA amp?? There are of course many more little tweaks, all done especially at the request of guitarists for their particular needs, that we have never been asked for in a PA amp, so I think its fair to say they are genuinely "built for guitarists."

Finally, the sound. As I said, I'm not going to go through the tweaks to the circuitry, but one thing I do know, I can hear the difference. There is a certain sound to Class A/B mosfet amps that is hard to measure on an analyser, but, your ears pick it up straight away. There's a smoothness and a warmth to the sound that you just don't get with bipolar amps. A mosfet is a voltage controlled device, just like a valve. the voltage on the gate controls the current flow in the drain. A bipolar transistor is a current controlled device, the current flowing into the base determines the current in the collector. Again, you'll find it hard to measure, but your ears can hear it and it has long been recognised that mosfets give a more "valve like" sound.

This isn't "hype" ... even my wife, who wouldn't know one end of a transistor from another, can hear it. A customer who came in just a few weeks ago with his wife, they could both immediately hear the difference between our PA amp, the GT800 and the GT1000FX, and I didn't even tell them which was which, but they both picked out the GT1000FX as being "smoother and warmer". I'll guarantee you they all have the sme low distortion figures and the same flat response. They could hear it maybe some people can't. Thats fair enough, there could still be other aspects of the GT range that make it a good purchase anyway. They are a solid, reliable, light and compact amplifiers.

When we first started selling amps to AxeFX users, we sold our XT range of PA amps. Some people complained that they sounded "too clinical, too hard and cold" even though their mosfet nature makes them less harsh than bipolar designs ... now clearly we did not want to alter the flat frequency response or the distortion, but there were other aspects we could adjust to make it respond a little more like a valve amp. The GT800FX was the result. Not only did it have the handy features a few people had asked for like combi connectors, it had a "softer" sound that seemed to please a lot of people. Some people asked for more. Again we made some subtle changes to the way the amplifier reacted to dynamics and people loved it.

Now you may say "I tried it, I couldn't hear the difference", fair enough. We do know that many people can. We have had so many emails from experienced guitarists and AxeFX users telling us how they had tried multiple amps, but, the GT1000FX was the first one that sounded "like a big, clean, valve head". I have to assume that they can hear the difference.

At the end of the day, we all have our preferences. We think we build a good, solid, reliable product, for a fair price, that does "exactly what it says on the tin". If you buy one and don't like it, you can always send it back. We get VERY few back, and we sell enough. I don't recall seeing any in the last 6 months, but I could be wrong.

At the end of the day, if you want to believe that "all amplifiers are the same" and any old PA amp will do, that's completely fine by me. We sell a well-priced range of quality PA amps as well, perhaps you'llbe happy with one of those. We believe we offer a great product at a great price. It may not be to everyone's liking, but we do try hard to give people what they want. I appreciate that sometimes its hard to describe exactly how some subtle aspect of the quality of the sound can sound "better" or "smoother" even though the graphs are just flat, but in the end, you just have to listen and trust your ears.

Maybe guitar strings are just bits of steel wire at the end of the day, and a 1982 Chateau Lafite is just old grape juice ... but I know what I prefer.
 
RobinMatrix said:
I hesitate to get involved in this thread, but there are some basic facts wrong in here, and I'll put the record straight from the Matrix standpoint as best I can. Let me also start off by saying that what I am not going to do is give you a step-by-step list of all the little tweaks we've done to the amplifiers to get them to sound how they sound. There's 30 years of experience with mosfet amps gone into these and we are not in the business of teaching our competitors how to build amplifiers.

Firstly, we tried to build a straight talking, no b******t website. We have a reputation for products that do "exactly what it says on the tin" and we stand by them. If you think there's anything misleading on our site, do PM me and let me know, I'll address it.

Lets briefly address the whole "I don't need 1000W" thing ... a typical 100W valve head delivers 100W ... before it starts to distort. cranked, you can get a lot more, 200W, 300W on some ... and then there's the "sag" ... they deliver more in the first 100ms and then sag down as the power supply drops in voltage under the load. The GT1000FX was built to provide a similar power level. 1 channel will provide 500W into 4R,, and about 325W into 8R ... and many guitar cabs are 8R. To match the 300W performance, plus a bit more on peaks, of the typical 100W valve head, into 8R, I would say we are about spot on.

Of course, it has a volume knob, you don't have to use all that power, it's just as happy tickling along at 5W, no issues there.

Then there's the "built for guitarists" thing. We did indeed start off with plain PA amplifiers, people liked them and bought them to use with AxeFX, but we got some comments about what could be improved. There were simple practical things like "can it have combination connectors so we can use 1/4" jack or XLR" ... and there were other things like "can you match the input sensitivity to the AxeFX" ... look at our GTFX1500 ... 3 channels especially for the "wet-dry-wet" players. Ever seen a 3 channel PA amp?? There are of course many more little tweaks, all done especially at the request of guitarists for their particular needs, that we have never been asked for in a PA amp, so I think its fair to say they are genuinely "built for guitarists."

Finally, the sound. As I said, I'm not going to go through the tweaks to the circuitry, but one thing I do know, I can hear the difference. There is a certain sound to Class A/B mosfet amps that is hard to measure on an analyser, but, your ears pick it up straight away. There's a smoothness and a warmth to the sound that you just don't get with bipolar amps. A mosfet is a voltage controlled device, just like a valve. the voltage on the gate controls the current flow in the drain. A bipolar transistor is a current controlled device, the current flowing into the base determines the current in the collector. Again, you'll find it hard to measure, but your ears can hear it and it has long been recognised that mosfets give a more "valve like" sound.

This isn't "hype" ... even my wife, who wouldn't know one end of a transistor from another, can hear it. A customer who came in just a few weeks ago with his wife, they could both immediately hear the difference between our PA amp, the GT800 and the GT1000FX, and I didn't even tell them which was which, but they both picked out the GT1000FX as being "smoother and warmer". I'll guarantee you they all have the sme low distortion figures and the same flat response. They could hear it maybe some people can't. Thats fair enough, there could still be other aspects of the GT range that make it a good purchase anyway. They are a solid, reliable, light and compact amplifiers.

When we first started selling amps to AxeFX users, we sold our XT range of PA amps. Some people complained that they sounded "too clinical, too hard and cold" even though their mosfet nature makes them less harsh than bipolar designs ... now clearly we did not want to alter the flat frequency response or the distortion, but there were other aspects we could adjust to make it respond a little more like a valve amp. The GT800FX was the result. Not only did it have the handy features a few people had asked for like combi connectors, it had a "softer" sound that seemed to please a lot of people. Some people asked for more. Again we made some subtle changes to the way the amplifier reacted to dynamics and people loved it.

Now you may say "I tried it, I couldn't hear the difference", fair enough. We do know that many people can. We have had so many emails from experienced guitarists and AxeFX users telling us how they had tried multiple amps, but, the GT1000FX was the first one that sounded "like a big, clean, valve head". I have to assume that they can hear the difference.

At the end of the day, we all have our preferences. We think we build a good, solid, reliable product, for a fair price, that does "exactly what it says on the tin". If you buy one and don't like it, you can always send it back. We get VERY few back, and we sell enough. I don't recall seeing any in the last 6 months, but I could be wrong.

At the end of the day, if you want to believe that "all amplifiers are the same" and any old PA amp will do, that's completely fine by me. We sell a well-priced range of quality PA amps as well, perhaps you'llbe happy with one of those. We believe we offer a great product at a great price. It may not be to everyone's liking, but we do try hard to give people what they want. I appreciate that sometimes its hard to describe exactly how some subtle aspect of the quality of the sound can sound "better" or "smoother" even though the graphs are just flat, but in the end, you just have to listen and trust your ears.

Maybe guitar strings are just bits of steel wire at the end of the day, and a 1982 Chateau Lafite is just old grape juice ... but I know what I prefer.
Click to expand...

I have to thank you for this post. It has answered the 'built for guitarists' idea roundly, which was my only real query. I can absolutely understand and get behind not discussing particulars of circuitry, because it's none of our (forum members) business.

If I need to upgrade, I WILL try one out, and judging on what people are saying here, I will probably keep it. If I need to upgrade.

Again, thank you. This was a really cool thing to do.
 
RobinMatrix...

I'm in a situation where I'm soon gonna wish to use the GT1000FX also/more as a normal PA amp again (for less strict listening purposes, like playing VSTi's, CD's, ...) coming out of my PC soundcard interface.

I'm not gonna do the usual panicking and guess that it is completely safe to not use guitar program material only (...??? :mrgreen )

This leaves the question:

With all these tweaks for dynamics of a guitar etc., will it still sound ok to the general ear for this purpose or will there be a "weird" phenomenon with other program material?
And if so, will it only be heard by people with Big Ears (what to listen for?), or be irritating to anyone?

Thx!
 
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