Marshall CODE 25

[JeffB]

I picked one up about 10 days ago as a graduation gift for my son. Figured he would love all the app stuff since he's a iphone addict, and it is small enough to take to college with him in the fall.

I decided play it for a bit to break the speaker in, do the firmware updates, learn the app so I could help him, and of course my own curiosity as I had only played one in the local mart.

No way in hell would I give this to a friend, let alone my own flesh and blood. It has to be a joke. I have not even bothered with pre-sets....I have dug deep into the editing and started from scratch.

Gateway app rarely connects via BT , despite firmware updates.

SHRILL. I have pounded the speaker for about 15 hours hoping it would break in just a little. Nope. Every guitar I plug in sounds like it has a poorly wound low output tele pickup, stainless steel strings, and metal picks.

1960 Cab sims are hardly different. Its just shrill or more shrill or a little less shrill. Unlike real life, there is little difference between a quad of v30s and a quad of t75s.

The only way most of the crunchy/gainy amp models sound good is to throw the virtual Guvnor pedal in front of them and roll the amp gain way back. It adds some meat and tames some shrill.

Real pedals sound like garbage in front of it.

Positives?

Its pretty easy to edit/navigate via the front panel.

It cleans up well and naturally via guitar volumes.

It is a loud little amp. It will certainly deafen and/or kill any animals within a 2 mile radius with the shrillies. Beware of bats swarming the house at night when you switch it on for bedroom practice. If you live near the Ocean, please think of the Dolphins and Porpoises before buying this amp. They will be beaching themselves in order to mate with this POS.

My Son's Spider IV 30w sounds like a Bogner comparitively.

 

[czarokrates]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Enough said. ****ty line of products,I had hoped they would have been "something" on DSP amps market.
IMO the crown.... is still for Spiders

 

[nsnate02]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Tried the Spider V and ended up with the Code 50. I had the exact opposite experience you had.

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[Open lane]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

It's a shame. Cool name and marketing, but i've heard about a lot of displeasure with these things. I tried a roland "cube street," which runs on batteries. It sounded great. Also, few people deny the technology isn't there after trying a fractal (yes, i know entirely different price point). Everytime i keep getting excited when i hear about such products, thinking things are evolving... Yet most end up being horrible.


Btw, I the roland cubestreet amp seems great but it's not way loud so it's not practical for a lot of applications (but completely desirable for someone in an appartment)

 

[EAProwlerB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Get him a Blackstar Id: CORE BEAM.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Tried the Spider V and ended up with the Code 50. I had the exact opposite experience you had.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

I'm talking about two different amps with different speakers and cabs.CODE 25 and a Spider IV series. I have not tried the C50 and new Spiders.

I think the Spyder IV 30 sounds like @$$ too. But it sounds better than the CODE 25.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Get him a Blackstar Id: CORE BEAM.

Actually his first amp was the standard ID-Core 10. Its now mine. He likes his Spyder better.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

so do you plan on reading the manual before taking it back?

 

[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

so do you plan on reading the manual before taking it back?

It does not come with one. Only a quick start guide.

So I downloaded it off the website. It doesn't help a poor design, and doesn't provide any solutions that 10 days of deep editing the models does not.

What is your point, other than being a smartass?

 

[nsnate02]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I'm talking about two different amps with different speakers and cabs.CODE 25 and a Spider IV series. I have not tried the C50 and new Spiders.

I think the Spyder IV 30 sounds like @$$ too. But it sounds better than the CODE 25.

I've heard that a time or two. That being said my Code 50 sounds great and I like the app a lot as well. Of course I hear the opposite on both accounts so there must be something to it or maybe I just happened to get the good one of the bunch.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

It does not come with one. Only a quick start guide.

So I downloaded it off the website. It doesn't help a poor design, and doesn't provide any solutions that 10 days of deep editing the models does not.

What is your point, other than being a smartass?

Yea just the smart-ass thing

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I'm in agreement. I picked up a Code 50 after I decided my EVH wasn't really what I wanted. The 50, and I'm assuming the 25, sounds very digital. It's hard to describe in words. One thing I can say is that every distortion/od setting has this weird "breath" (lack of a better word) after every note/chord played. It reminds me of when a jazz drummer is playing with brushes. that's sort of what it sounds like. Some of the settings sound like there's a slapback delay engaged when I'm just resting my fingers over the strings, even when there's no such effect engaged. Surprisingly, there's a 60s Twin setting that sounds pretty decent. Not great, just decent. It could be a great amp if it didn't sound so digital.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I think part of what you may be hearing is the noise gate. I always turn those stupid things off on modellers.

At any rate, I find it disheartening that Marshall cannot make an inexpensive/introductory level amp in this day and age that sounds 1/2 as good as their SS practice amp output of the 1980s. I'm not so sure I like the CODE any better than current MG series amps.

That said, the whole idea of most modellers is that they are designed to sound like a recording of an amp, instead of how the amp sounds naturally. I guess you have to get into the big bucks modellers for that natural emulation of the circuit sort of thing...fractal or whatever.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Marshall just needs to do a JMD2. The only thing wrong with the JMD1 was the puzzling model selection. It sounded good. Actually some of the models sounded better than the actual amps they modeled. Few real Haze 40s sounded that good. Most models sounded 98% exactly like the amps they modeled. Do a JMD2 with the classic Marshalls people want, such as 68 plexis, 2204s, Silver Jubilees, in addition to more proven modern Marshalls, a few stomp pedal models that the user can add at his own discretion in addition to the excellent time delay effects, and make it easy to use. And it should be priced to severely under cut the high priced modelers.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I don't think that they really want to do good versions of their classic amps. They want to do versions for kids to buy to get them in the door, that then make these kids want to eventually spend the ridiculous amount of money required to buy the real version.

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[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I don't think that they really want to do good versions of their classic amps. They want to do versions for kids to buy to get them in the door, that then make these kids want to eventually spend the ridiculous amount of money required to buy the real version.

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nobody will want to buy the real thing if the CODE Is supposed to be the gateway drug.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Marshall just needs to do a JMD2. The only thing wrong with the JMD1 was the puzzling model selection. It sounded good. Actually some of the models sounded better than the actual amps they modeled. Few real Haze 40s sounded that good. Most models sounded 98% exactly like the amps they modeled. Do a JMD2 with the classic Marshalls people want, such as 68 plexis, 2204s, Silver Jubilees, in addition to more proven modern Marshalls, a few stomp pedal models that the user can add at his own discretion in addition to the excellent time delay effects, and make it easy to use. And it should be priced to severely under cut the high priced modelers.

Agreed. JMD Much better amp. Marshall should have re-vamped it just like you stated.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

nobody will want to buy the real thing if the CODE Is supposed to be the gateway drug.

Never said that they did it well.

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[JeffB]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

Never said that they did it well.

:haha:

 

[dpaterson]

Re: Marshall CODE 25

I know this is an old thread but this comment (below) had me laughing my head off so I decided to post (and besides: tonight seems to be a good night to upset some rather touchy people anyway):

so do you plan on reading the manual before taking it back?

Too funny!!! LOL!!!

Well for what it's worth: I've got five CODE amps (1 x 25 for practice, 2 x 25 to run in stereo and micd, up for recording, and 2 x 50 to run in stereo micd. up to an Alto Pro PA for live) and I really could not be happier (and over the years I have indeed owned my fair share of Marshall valve heads etc. so I really do believe I know what they're SUPPOSED to sound like). Never had an issue with malfunctions, Bluetooth, software, firmware updates, or any of the other issues that have cropped up on the Marshall forums (and feel free to see my posts there and "let rip" if you must). True: I've spent a LOT of time getting just one or two presets to sound EXACTLY the way I want (Dio, Vivian Campbell to be precise) but man I could not be happier. Only shortfall in my opinion is the USB recording feature. It doesn't do the job I'm afraid. It works yes. But there's just no substitute for the sound coming out of the cabs. hence mine are micd. up (so if somebody buys them for this reason and this reason only then they are indeed going to be dissapointed in my ever so humble opinion i.e the sound is very "dry") (but there's a "trick" to recording "directly" from them too). Had them for about a year and wouldn't change them for anything really. And as I've noted on the Marshall forums: I believe that your input makes all the difference i.e. I've heard some guitars sounding terrible through these amps. Again: maybe I just got lucky with my choices i.e. Jacksons with high output ceramics and a Blaze VC-II (need I say more) (and it helps that my wireless system apparently "overdrives" these amps. too without me even knowing it until last night as per another thread of mine around these parts tonight). Anyways: if anybody needs any help or input with these amps. then lemme know and I'll be happy to oblige.

Regards,

Dale.

P.S.

For what's it's worth: since this thread was started these amps. or, rather, their user base has expanded somewhat i.e. there's loads and loads of patches available now (and in some, albeit few, cases I'd challenge anybody who can tell the difference between the real deal artist and the CODE preset). Also a very nice PC editor (not from Marshall). Anyways. Just some more info.

Now where is that proverbial "cheque in the mail" (from Marshall Amplification!!!) LOL!!!