what's the fuss about?

[what]

My general impression is that ALL of the MTS preamp modules basically sound the same. [cue gasps, "what the f...?" reactions, etc.] What I mean by this is they all have the same basic tone. They do have various EQ and gain differences but they all basically sound like the same amp. A multi-purpose amp that really sounds like the originals DOES NOT EXIST! If it did, it would cost $10,000 or more and most, if not all, professional guitarists would be using it. Even Marshall and Fender have trouble recreating the sounds of their own vintage amps!

I appreciate Randall's attempt at creating a flexible amplifier but unless a major technological development occurs, it's all in vain. MTS seems to be an over-hyped tube version of digital modeling amps. They may get "close" to the tone but they never really get it.

 

[Iconoclysm]

If you haven't tried the Egnater versions, please don't claim that it doesn't exist. I find the Egnater preamp modules are much more drastic sounding than the Randall modules.

Power tubes play a big part in the sound of your amp, the MTS series is also designed to let you have total control over this...the rack mount power amp even does both 6L6 and EL34's controllable via midi to get the different sounds.

BTW, some of the pros are now noticing the MTS series. Kirk Hammett has reportedly started using them, and we all know he's a Marshall/Mesa guy.

 

[TheAbomb12]

I have to ask which modules you have tried; Because going from a Plexi to a JTM may not be drastic; But going from a Brown to a 1086 is quite a difference.

I can somewhat understand you saying that the MTS line doesn't accuracly reproduce the tones of a Marshall or Mesa Boogie; But I have no Idea how you can say they all sound the same.

Edit: Further, you can look through the "Artists" Page on the Randall site; a TON of Bands/Players are using MTS gear; in particular the RM100M.

 

[Disciple]

I haven't played the Egnater modules, but I can speak for the Randall modules in my opinion.

First I have owned a few Marshalls (800,900 and DSL100) a Rivera Knucklehead Reverb, VHT Pitbull and still own my Mesa Dual Rec that I've had for years. Out of all those, I only still have the Mesa. I've been playing for 13 years and have also played but not owned other high end amps such as Bogner and Soldano's and out of all the ones I have played, I can honestly say the MTS RM100 I currently own and my RM100C combo blow away most of the other amps - versatility wise.

Now do they sound "exactly" like the real amps? Of course not 100% entirely, but they do get pretty close in the overall tone for the most part - especially when you mess with modifying with capacitors and such on the boards.

After all my years of playing and perfecting my sound - I have decided that this amp (so far) is all I need to get a tone I feel very confident and comfortable with. Now is it the ultimate tone, no of course not - there will always be new additions coming out to try out and mix in with setups, but this amp does well for what it was intended to do. And what I've heard about the Egnater modules sounds amazing.

I have since stopped playing through my Mesa and the MTS series has become my main setup and I have no regrets.

I'm sure this amp isn't for everyone, but alot of musician's are becoming aware of its capabilities - maybe it isn't for you or maybe you haven't experimented with it as much as some of us have - there are alot of factors that can effect the tone of the different modules. You just have to dwell deeper than just plugging in and playing to tweak it to a sound you like.

 

[xspiderfingersx]

First off, if youre looking for an exact replica of ton of different amps in one head, youre probably not boned up on tube amplifiers and how they actually work, because we all know that's virtually impossible. However, these come as close are youre ever going to get, and i say that with the confidence of someone who has been playing guitar for 14 of my 19 years of life, the son of a 40 year guitar vet, and the cousin of a guitar player who 95% of people who play guitar know the name of and who has had covers and/or full page adds in every worthwhile publication about guitars on the planet. Guitar is my life and i take tone very very seriously. I've made this my amp of choice at the urging of my cousin(if it means that much PM for his name, so as not to be accused of name dropping) and it has not let me down once. I use the XTC module as my main high gain tone and i've had it next to a bogner ecstacy and it takes a very discerning ear to tell them apart, and i use a blackface for my cleans and when you get a good reverb unit with it, you're a step away from a vintage twin.

Furthermore, this is a new technology and has hit very close for right out of the box. It will only become more refined in the coming years. I've played every major amp in the game at one point or another and this thing is where its at hands down. It defines versitile.

Most pro guitarists have the money to take on the road what they need when they need it, and to follow the fashion of the times. It used to be big racks full of lights, and now vintage is back in. Lets face it, the guitar amp and mic are close to dead in the studio these days when you have plug ins and protools ect.

As far as fender and marshall getting their old sounds, fender does a fine job of reproducing what they used to make; I dont find any issue with the reissues they make; and for anyone who knows anything about the vintage marshalls, theyre all different. Thats what makes vintage gear so fun, its the hunt for a good one. There arent two plexis on the planet you can stand side by side and get the same sound of. I defy you to find an amp builder or collecter who will tell you any differently.

Now the bottom line here is that tone is always going to be a matter of opinion, and its got a lot more to do with the player then most of us care to give credit for: but if you want something that really does the trick in a lot of theaters of sound, this one trumps every three channel head or rack unit you could buy today and is a very usefull tool for those of us who need multiple tones in one unit.

-dave

 

[NuSkoolTone]

I agree, depending on what modules you use they all exhibit a similar personality some with different gain and eq voicings but similar. I say
they cop the general vibe, but the whole thing isn't there. I still think it's somewhat unrealistic to expect this.

I will say if you choose the right modules you can have QUITE a contrast in tones. (For me I'm currently using a JTM, Egnater SL, 1086(Recto mode), and Ultra Lead)

If you choose 4 modules in the same family (Say JTM, Plexi, Brown and SL+) they will only sound so different, to the point one might be quite close to the other if goosed with a pedal et al.

I have about 10 modules and I go back and forth on what I feel like playing.. it's kinda nice! I would like to get down to my "Core" modules that I use most and think are the best representation for each type of tone I'm looking for (Clean, rhythm, lead). The issue is I don't do just one kind of music, and I am into recording, so having something different to try that I don't normally use, but will just "Work" for a given scenario holds me back from off loading them.

The only thing that has been buggin me about the MTS series is they don't seem to have the "Punch" of traditional amps. I'm using the RT2/50 as a power amp too, so it's not a bad equipment issue.

I played a Mesa Stilleto ACE the other week, and to a fault when I touched the strings the amp went RIGHT through me. The MTS does not have this direct feel to me. However I do enjoy playing it very much.

In closing I will say I think the Egnater stuff gets a little closer to nailing these "Emulations". When I fire up my LP through the Egnater SL I have...I really do hear a lot of great classic tones purrin through.


Just wish I could od something about that punch. I remember Egnater did away with the FX loop on the newer chassis saying it was taking from the tone. I have yet to try that and see if that is the missing link. I'd rather NOT have to use a mixer to add my rack FX to the sound, but if that's the next step for tone, so be it I guess!

 

[Scott]

my Troll Detector just went off :roll:

 

[TheAbomb12]

hehe, we all fell for it.

 

[lightwoheat]

There are possibilities to the modules sounding the same.

1) Amp is turned off
2) Input Cable broken
3) Bad Tubes
4) Bad Speaker
5) Your hearing aid needs batteries

There are probably others but I can't think of anyother quick ones.

Below is a quote from antoher user, followed by a comment.

Furthermore, this is a new technology and has hit very close for right out of the box.

Not sure If I agree with this being a "new" technology. Back in the 80's The Seymour Duncan Convertible Amp thought of this concept. I must admit the Egnater has done a much better job with the overall design as a concept as well as the flexabilty when compared to the SD Amp.

FM

 

[what]

There are possibilities to the modules sounding the same.

1) Amp is turned off
2) Input Cable broken
3) Bad Tubes
4) Bad Speaker
5) Your hearing aid needs batteries

There are probably others but I can't think of anyother quick ones...

FM

Thanks for the valuable information! I never would have thought to turn the amp on. :shock: The things you learn...

I just wanted to state my opinion and I appreciate the thoughtful replies from most of the readers. The comment: "...its got a lot more to do with the player then most of us care to give credit for" is very true.

The MTS isn't for me. You may be very happy with yours and that's great! To each his own. Thanks.

 

[roodyrocker]

If you listen to the clips on Randall's website then yes, the various modules all sound very similar. Unfortunately the clips on there are horrible. But in reality this is a great idea having various modules with different voicings. I personally don't care if the modules sound identical to other famous amps or not. As long as they sound good period, I'm happy. I have a Bogner Uberschall and its not going to be replaced by anything! But the Randall MTS is a good sounding amp and price wise its a better bargain than many other high end amps.
The first time I heard the Egnater amp was at the NAMM show about 3 years ago. There was a guy kneeling down by this amp just shredding away. As I walked by I thought "**** that guy is good and that amp sounds great!" So I stopped by the booth and saw it was Jack Frost doing the shredding and it was an Egnater amp. I was thrilled to see Randall release a version of this amp and I'm now on an MTS module collecting kick, I'm hooked

 

[IrfaanSE801]

It has a lot to do with acoustics also. In my house, my RM100 sounds like crap, but in my rehersal space and my friend's shop (hardwood floors), you TOTALLY hear a difference in each module's voicings. Too many variables to consider when describing an amp...

 

[Nrrrk]

If you listen to the clips on Randall's website then yes, the various modules all sound very similar. Unfortunately the clips on there are horrible. But in reality this is a great idea having various modules with different voicings. I personally don't care if the modules sound identical to other famous amps or not. As long as they sound good period, I'm happy. I have a Bogner Uberschall and its not going to be replaced by anything! But the Randall MTS is a good sounding amp and price wise its a better bargain than many other high end amps.
The first time I heard the Egnater amp was at the NAMM show about 3 years ago. There was a guy kneeling down by this amp just shredding away. As I walked by I thought "**** that guy is good and that amp sounds great!" So I stopped by the booth and saw it was Jack Frost doing the shredding and it was an Egnater amp. I was thrilled to see Randall release a version of this amp and I'm now on an MTS module collecting kick, I'm hooked

How would you describe the difference between the Bogner and the Randall? Do you have an XTC module?

 

[xspiderfingersx]

the ecstacy and the ubershall are completely different beasts in bogners line either way. But i've had the xtc next to an ecstacy and i found the randall to have a slight bit more buzz to the sound, but nothing really audible aside from that

 

[roodyrocker]

I do have the XTC module for my Randall and it is my main distortion sound in it The Uberschall is different than the Ecstacy as stated above. The Bogner Ecstacy is a 3 channel head with multiple voicing choices based on hot rodded Marshall classic tones. The Bogner Uberschall is a two channel head with more gain. Both are awesome heads but the Uberschall is the heavier sounding of the two.
Randall/Egnater don't have any modules that approximate the sound of my Uberschall.

 

[xspiderfingersx]

i was playing the uber again today and i have to say that i find it to be a little scooped sounding.

Roody do you get the same feeling at all?

 

[roodyrocker]

I suppose it depends where you have your settings at but compared to the XTC in general I suppose so. That thing just smokes though, absolutely killer amp!

 

[xspiderfingersx]

yeah it sounded pretty awesome; id really have to hear it in a band setting honestly to justify that price tag though.


Best advice i've ever gotten from any musician ever is that no gear is truly worth 2 grand haha.

 

[roodyrocker]

It sounds great in a band setting. It has lots of gain and at the same time is a quiet head, no hum, hiss, or noise. As far as the price, no piece of gear may be worth $2K as your friend said but some are worth closer to $3K Hahaha Lately even my pedals have gone to all high end stuff. The combination of good tone and low noise especially in a live situation where volume is high, necessitates this more expensive gear. When I played an Uberschall in the store I thought to myself this sounds so good it is worth the price tag.

 

[markhat250]

I must agree with the original poster of this thread.

To me, the MTS sounds as diverse as a Boogie 3 channel can be. Yes you can get 3 different sounds from a 3 channel Boogie, but in the end, it is still a Boogie. I feel strongly about the MTS in the same light. Nevertheless, I really like the Randall "3 Channel MTS" amp.

And no it's not even an acurate modeler at that (although it gets in the Marshall ballpark I feel). I have owned a Marshall Plexi, Mesa Rec, Soldano SLO, and a VHT Pitt. Now these 4 amps are VERY diverse from each other!! If you think that the MTS is going to give you this luxury of diversity, think again!! My advice from experience is, look at the MTS series more like a very diverse amp, but "within it's own self". I have always thought that the MTS sounded like a "Randall 3 Channel" amp.