RM50 landed

[Mattfig]

OK ,cool amp....No MIDI kinda sucks....Lighter weight is the key!

Before I even started her up I put in new tubes (the head was new but I didn't like the stock brand) - 2 EH6CA7s, a JJECC803 Gold in V1 a, matched and balanced EH12AX7Gold in PI and left a ruby in the loop....I biased the power tubes at 36....Hot!

The reverb is adequate....Tone is excellent....I wasn't really worried but you never know....It's a killer amp! Plus it's my easiest way of swapping power tubes...I know the RT2/50 isn't difficult but there's a lot of wires in the Rack of Delight and it's hard to get to the power amp there....With the RM50 it's swap, bias and go....Wish there were two sep bias pots though...

Overall, it's made me realize why I love MTS....Every mod sounds different thru every amp I've played....The RM50 is no exception....It's got a very raw tone...Probably due to no MIDI or pedalboard usage...It's gonna be my plug and play amp....OD boost in front, ISP in the serial loop, and ROCK!

 

[Mike361]

Well I have only owned the 50 combo so I couldn't coment on the others as you can. Is this actually your first rm50? Could you tell me what you think the differences are tone wise? Pm me if you want or post it here. Reason ime asking is I have been thinking about getting a rm100. I am always looking for opinions. I have read some think the 50 has a more softer tone but you say it is more raw. And I assume your running through the same cabs as the 100.

 

[VitaminG]

cool! I would like to pick one up one day. I'm not utilising the midi on the RM100 at the moment anyway and could easily get through a gig with just two modules.

Lighter would be nice too

 

[Mattfig]

Hmmm...Don't think I'm qualified to answer these questions yet...I'll be able to put it side by side with the RM100 in a few days...I think the tone is awfully close...The RM50 has a nice tone for sure and is lighter than the 100...I like mixing power tubes in the 100 for a little different tone - Yet the 50 sounds excellent with 6CA7s on its own...

I'll report back with better findings in a few days....

Oh yeah, and yes, this is my first RM50...I got it new for a great price and am very pleased with the decision thus far...

 

[Mike361]

Looking forward to the comparison, I would sure like to be able to try out diferent speakers in mine. I have 4 combo amps, they are great for easy travel, but it would be nice to put together a great cab and be able to use it with diferent heads. I think I would go with v30 and maybe g75t's or et65 mix. Anyway the rm50 is the only amp I have kept for the last 6 years. The others come and go.

 

[Rod]

My first MTS ?mp was the 100 watt lunchbox. Next was an RM20, then I bought an RM50 head the a combo.
When the dust settled I only kept my RM50's. I think they have a balance and sweetness to the tone that the other amps just don't have. The are more touch sensitive as well

 

[Mike361]

Rod, did you keep the rm50 head or combo? And did they both sound the same. Trying to decide if I should get the head and a cab or just keep the combo. Prices are pretty good on the 50's right now. I assume they sound the same but like to hear from actual owners. Their are so many micro mini heads coming out nowadays and I plan on getting a cab soon, just haven't decided on selling or trading for a 50head.

 

[Rod]

Mike I have a head and a combo.. I love both but I use mostly the combo at home in my music studio and the head for playing out live. The combo is pretty heavy. I use WGS British Lead speakers. They have a more balanced tone than the mid scooped Celestion GT75's that come in the combos

 

[Mike361]

Thanks for the reply. I am sure it just comes down to ease of use what suits your needs. I am going to consider the B lead speaker though. I have been trying to decide what will go in the combo. I did break in a et65 in the combo, but put it in the HRDX that really needed a new speaker. It sounded very good in the rm.

 

[Rod]

I originally had a WGS et65 in the rm50 combo. For me the low end was murky and other frequencies were muffled... at least in live band settings that's what I noticed. In a Fender type amp I could see it working well. My modules are all Marshall based plexi and hot rodded Marshall tones so the Brirish lead works well with those. If I want a little cleaner tone I run an Eminence Delta Pro... sort of an EVM12L. And if I want a real big sound I will run both speakers

 

[kc2eeb]

Never even had an RM100. RM50 and RT2/50 + RM4 only.
I like to push the power amp. If you can't push the power amp, it may as well be solid state.

 

[VitaminG]

Never even had an RM100. RM50 and RT2/50 + RM4 only.
I like to push the power amp. If you can't push the power amp, it may as well be solid state.

so you really could get by without the RM4 too. All those preamp tubes might as well be solid state. You could lighten the load & rock a moduling preamp into the RT2/50

 

[kc2eeb]

Actually, no.
Preamp distortion/overdrive is distinctly different from power amp distortion.
They both work together.
Modeling preamps are, in my opinion the least convincing emulation of the classic family of amplifier tones, INCLUDING, all solid state ones like the Roland 120.
For a great sounding solid state amp check out:
http://www.destroyallguitars.com/retro-channel/4913-retro-channel-rr1
Definition of terms: (My opinion)
Digital modeling is something like Line 6.
MTS, (again, my opinion,) is not modeling. There is no algorithm held in a memory chip through which the signal from the guitar is "processed."
If one simply permanently soldered the individual modules in place, you would have an all tube signal path i.e. a tube amp.