Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

[STRATDELUXER97]

The more I play through this amp,the more I like it...
I'm slowly dialing in the needed presets..

So far I have a Blackfaced Fender 2x12 clean tone

A 70's Marshall "Plexi" type preset with switchable tube echo and a TS9...The TS9 pulls the lows away just like a real stock one does...LOL

Modern Higher Gain Marshall tone

Next I'll dial in a sought of Vox AC30 or AC30TB preset and an early Mark 1 Santana style Boogie tone..2 banks of 4 presets(8 total) should be more than enough presets,in fact I only use around 6 total when I use my Cyber Twin..

Trust me when I tell you that the Vox has much more realistic "British" Marshall/Vox tones over the Cyber Twin...

I notice that both the volume and master volumes need to be dialed up as high as possible to get the correct feel and air moving out of the speakers! This amp is amazing,easy to dial in,and has great tone!

I laugh because the built in TS9 sucks just like a stock one in that it actually adds that horrible mid range hump and removes the lows...Guess I'll have to use my own modded Tube Screamers that have lows and more balls..
Maybe I can mod the TS9 inside of my Vox amp? LOL...Just kidding.. :smack:

Anyway...I'm having alot of fun learning and listening while slowly dialing in some cool usable tones for my music styles..

 

[EOS Catalyst of Fire]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

Vox amps really are good, aren't they. I play a little 14 watt pathfinder, but it gets more lows than my friends marshall 60 watt. sweeeeeet

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

John, you are really adding fuel to my GAS right now.....thanks alot! Seriously though, I really appreciate your reviews. I spent some time with a Cyber Deluxe today and I just couldn't get anything dialed in easily. I know that there is a learning curve, but I want to keep it simple and sound good at the same time. It just looks like the Vox is more of what I am looking for.

 

[Imp]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

new stuff rocks :burnout:

i think VOX has turned more people onto the idea of modelling than Line6 will ever really do.. line6 have put out some very useful stuff, but VOX seem to have just hit the nail on the head with the valvetronix stuff..

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

John, you are really adding fuel to my GAS right now.....thanks alot! Seriously though, I really appreciate your reviews. I spent some time with a Cyber Deluxe today and I just couldn't get anything dialed in easily. I know that there is a learning curve, but I want to keep it simple and sound good at the same time. It just looks like the Vox is more of what I am looking for.

Well,you know how fussy my ears are about tone? This amp pleases and it's very easy to navigate around with...I really like the British tones,but it's really the overall versatility I Like....I'm a tube amp guy first and always have been,but when you need different tones for different tunes and you are playing in front of people,you need versatility...

I'm reading some issues about poor solder joints and little odds and ends,but my amp works great so far...If you plug into one of these amps,be sure to twist some knobs..Some of the factory presets are ok,but it's really the ones I tweak myself that make the amp as great as it is...

Best $600 I could spend on an amp head also..

John

 

[JeffB]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

I notice that both the volume and master volumes need to be dialed up as high as possible to get the correct feel and air moving out of the speakers!

Exactly my findings as well..crank the volume and master volume, adjust gain as needed and use the wattage control to tweak volume .

I was having difficulty getting really good tones out of the UK70's (nonMV 50 watt) and UK80s (800 series) models until I started doing just that. Now I'm getting very convincing replications of those amps. With the gain backed off halfway or less, the UK80's will do a very convincing Led Zep-AC/DC-Thin Lizzy vibe (it sounds more like a mid/late 70's JMP). The UK70's really sounds more like a 60's era plexi 50 watt than the later 70's heads, and will do that Hendrix/Cream thing very,very well.

Cranking the volumes and using the wattage control really made the Vox models come alive as well.

 

[Buckeyedog]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

I had a buddy that worked for Vox/Korg when those Valvetronix's came out. He said the neat thing about them is that you set them up just like you run the original amps. Plexi....dime the gain/volume/mid/treble and the bass to zero. 800....similar as far as diming the gain/volume and using a boost pedal to get that hard rock sound. So research some settings on those amps and duplicate them. Very cool.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

you set them up just like you run the original amps. Plexi....dime the gain/volume/mid/treble and the bass to zero. 800....similar as far as diming the gain/volume and using a boost pedal to get that hard rock sound.

Exactly...I run my Boss SOD in the UK80s model as a boost (level dimed, gain at 7-9 oclock), and it's totally "the 80's" metal sound..Gary Moore, Maiden, Scorpions, etc.

And yeah. I've noticed how authentic the UK70's model is in that if you dial up the bass past 11 oclock it toally starts "crapping out"

Sad thing is, these Valvetronix amps sound more like Marshalls than the new Marshalls do...

I do wish that they would offer a "classic" MESA sound like a MKII/MKIII instead of just the rectifier...that would make it just about perfect and cover all the bases I need to.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

Exactly...I run my Boss SOD in the UK80s model as a boost (level dimed, gain at 7-9 oclock), and it's totally "the 80's" metal sound..Gary Moore, Maiden, Scorpions, etc.

And yeah. I've noticed how authentic the UK70's model is in that if you dial up the bass past 11 oclock it toally starts "crapping out"

Sad thing is, these Valvetronix amps sound more like Marshalls than the new Marshalls do...

I do wish that they would offer a "classic" MESA sound like a MKII/MKIII instead of just the rectifier...that would make it just about perfect and cover all the bases I need to.

Yep I agree....On the Plexi 70's Marshall preset I dialed the mids and the volume all the way up,the highs at around the 2 O'Clock postion and the bass almost up all the way...I originally had my amp on the 3o watt setting and noticed that the lows weren't tight enough...After switching over to the 60 watt setting,it tightened up the tone alot..I also feel the Marshall tones are very convincing and "close enough" for when we play out...It's getting the volume up and moving some air(Like on any good amp)that gets us the tone..

I'm very happy with this amp up to now...I'm reading about a bunch of issues with these amps and probably some things I could improve on myself? Stuff related to cheap jacks,headphone jack problems that make the amp cutout,cold solder joints at the F/C jack on the amp,etc...My amp is fine so far though...

John

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

You guys are right about dialing the EQ very similar to the way you would do it on the actual tube amp. That's why the Marshall settings sound better with the volumes high and the gain low.....they get buzzy otherwise. The variable output switch is something I wish every amp had. It sounds boldest on the 60W setting, and gets spongier as it get closer to 6W. It helps me get certain amp models to have the right feel under my fingers. One of these days, I'd like to hook the Vox modeler up to a good stereo tube power amp like a Mesa or VHT, and see if it's possible to make it sound better than most all tube amps. The Vox really has a very versatile preamp or computer, or whatever you call it.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

John,
How does the amp respond to analog pedals?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

John,
How does the amp respond to analog pedals?

Haven't tryed that yet? My pedal board is at my drummer's house..I need to get it and try the effects out...Other people have said the effects were fine,but I'd see myself sticking the Deja Vibe into the loop and not the front of the amp...Replacing the 2 preamp tubes was a complete pain in the a$$ though! That's it's biggest con so far,but the amp has great tone and is easy to navigate around on...It's a cool lookin amp also..The Tube Screamer in the amp is anemic(Like a non-Spina Modded one)...LOL..I need to use one of my own Tube Screamers through this thing so I don't lose all the lows and the fullness..

John

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

Thanks Buddy, looking forward to reading your next review! If it passes the test on pedals, I think that I will get one in a couple of weeks.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

I've run all my boss stompers through the front w/ no issues on the 30 & 50 watt combos...no different than through my 1987X (other than the 1987X just sounds better cos it's a "real" tube amp).

I suspect it would be no different w/ the 60 watter.

IMO the effects barring the delays are not that great anyways on the Valvetronix amps. The phaser and flanger are horrid, IMO, and the rest are "eh" at best.

But then again, I prefer the grimey sound of old analog Boss stompers...so take that for what it's worth

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Vox Valvetronix 120 Watt Head.Dialing In Some Presets

I've run all my boss stompers through the front w/ no issues on the 30 & 50 watt combos...no different than through my 1987X (other than the 1987X just sounds better cos it's a "real" tube amp).

I suspect it would be no different w/ the 60 watter.

IMO the effects barring the delays are not that great anyways on the Valvetronix amps. The phaser and flanger are horrid, IMO, and the rest are "eh" at best.

But then again, I prefer the grimey sound of old analog Boss stompers...so take that for what it's worth

The Univibe effect in the Valvetronix is excellent,but the Tube Screamer is horrible! It brightens too much and it strips all the lows out of the original preset...I'll use my own modded TS pedals in mine..I've been pretty much dialing up my presets with just reverb and or delay or echo..I've been very pleased with what I've been able to dial in on this amp and this is only on the 70's Marshall,BF,and the Vox amps...I've not even dialed in the 59 Bassman,Boutique,Soldano,or the higher gain Marshall settings yet..Maybe I'm in for more of a treat when I get around to it? :dance:

I Know I don't like the fuzzy Recto settings...I sold my Tremoverb head because of the "mosquitoes" in the preamp from too many preamp tubes and all that casgading gain stage crap!....LOL :smack: