Loving my Randall RM50 MTS Amp
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Posted on Feb 14, 2006 09:08 am
Robbue
Member Since: Feb 10, 2006
I picked this bad boy up about a month ago and man is this thing sweet sounding. I swapped out the stock speaker (although it sounded good) with a V30 and I swapped a couple of the preamp tubes on a couple of the modules with the Groove Tubes ECC83 and a Sovtek 12AX7LPS and whoa does this amp bring it! The stock Ruby 6L6's sound great too!
I have the following modules and they all kick butt!
Recto - With the new preamp tubes it is a great chunky sounding module!
XTC - Designed to model the Bogner Ectasy Red Channel and it nails it pretty darn close!
SL+ - With the Sovteks it sings like a hot rodded Marshall.
Plexi - This is your early EVH sound and just a great growlly crunch.
Ultra Lead - cool tone, thicker for soloing. Not far from the Recto sound.
Top Boost - Great Voxy/Matchless sound. Very spongy.
Clean - Very bell like tones. Love this one for my Strat.
Has anyone else heard this amp? Ty Tabor of Kings X uses it on their new disc called Ogre Tones. I've read that Randall will be releasing a few more signature modules from George Lynch at Namm this year!
Can't say enough about this amp!
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TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Feb 14, 2006 12:31 pm I didn't realize that these were still on the market. I haven't heard anything about them in years now.
These are definitely an interesting idea...kind of like a real-world answer to guitar modellers.
I don't know much about them though. I thought that the different modules WERE preamps, I didn't realize that the amp has its own preamp. I thought that was the whole point, was to swap preamp configurations by changing modules.
So what do the modules contain then?
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 14, 2006 01:47 pm Sorry if I confused ya...yeah the preamps are in the modules themselves.
The MTS line hasnt been out that long and they are for sure still selling them. I dont think they would be putting out new modules soon if the plans were to stop making them.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 14, 2006 10:09 pm So $700.00 for the main amp portion. How much more per module?
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 15, 2006 04:24 pm Each module is $200.00
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Feb 15, 2006 04:38 pm Dayum! $2100 wrapped up in your amp? Wow. Now the $1500 or so I need to spend on a THD UniValve and a 2x12 doesn't seem so bad.
I do remember seeing a review of these amps a long time ago, at least 4 or 5 years ago. Maybe it was a review of a prototype or something but I was intrigued by the idea. But I hadn't seen anything about them since, so I figured that they'd been discontinued. Good to hear that a unique idea like this is still going.
Feb 15, 2006 04:39 pm my mind can't even comprehend that kind of money for that kind of product...holy crap...
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 15, 2006 07:50 pm You cant comprehend getting 5-7 really different sounding tube amps with one purchase. I was looking at a Bogner for $3500 and when I heard the XTC module it was so strikingly close I could not justify the expense for just that one sound...and to get the other modules only makes the tones I have to play with all that more versatile.
I would have spent about $7,000-$10,000 on a Mesa, Vox, Fender and Bogner to have all the tones I get now by swapping the modules. I can even get the Univalve sound using the Plexi module.
Nothing against the Uni as it is a great amp and I did come very close to buying it...but it is a one-two trick pony.
Whats wrong with Randall? It's a great company and a great product.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 15, 2006 08:30 pm I prefer my PODxt for the price. A little time spent working with it to get the tones I want and make them sound realistic and I have saved myself thousands of dollars.
Granted, by a little time I do mean several years of using it. I do also have all the amp/cab model packs installed which does make a big differance.
Dont get me wrong here either, I have owned many boutique amps. Soldano, Bogner, Mesa, BuhdaAnd many other stock and hot rodded models from the standard lines. But I honestly dont miss the space they take up, the maintaining of the beast's and lugging them around when needed.
But for a gigging musician with the money to spend on an amp like that I guess you are getting a good selection of tone to use. I personally these days could never justify it after learning to use the PODxt properly.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Feb 15, 2006 08:37 pm Fortunately, all I need from my pony is one or two tricks :)
Actually the THD heads are pretty versatile with the auto-bias feature. You can swap preamp or power tubes with just about anything on the market. That's a pretty wide pallette to paint from.
But hey if you're a professional, $2K is peanuts to spend on a vital piece of equipment.
Feb 15, 2006 09:00 pm Quote:
You cant comprehend getting 5-7 really different sounding tube amps with one purchase.
Sure, I can comprehend that, just not the money, unless that money is my daily income...
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 15, 2006 10:59 pm In my case I nees lots of trick from my pony, thus the need for the PODxt, and the Frankestein guitar. Many trick, one bean shaped thingy and one guitar.
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 16, 2006 11:53 am Your talking to a Vetta II combo owner as well! Believe me I know all about coming really close to the magic of a good tube amp. I got some terrific tones from the Vetta (mic'd with a Royer R-121)(check out my band www.visualcliff.net I used all Vetta on that record) the Vetta direct though sucks wind big time. I would seriously have to doubt the ears of anyone saying that they get great tones direct. If your going for odd sounds or using it for an effect then direct it can do lots of cool things. But for a staple chunk sound direct is just too sterile.
I hear ya about the space issue and what not but after my years of recording using the best Line 6 has to offer and now since owning this Randall...Tubes rock 100% and anything short of tubes just dont have that same harmonic richness. You can get close...but then again were not playing horse shoes or with hand grenades.
I love my Vetta for live applications..it totally rules but in the studio nothing beats tubes and the fullness/punch and rich content they put out.
I do agree that the Univalve and the ability to swap tubes is awesome. I came really close to getting one. The only thing that held me back was that no matter what tube config you try you wouldnt get anywhere near a high gain metal type sounding amp.
Feb 16, 2006 11:57 am Well, it's not like this debate will end any time soon. I personally very much like the sound of my POD running direct...
Different strokes for different folks.
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 16, 2006 12:31 pm Oh absolutely!! I am in no way saying you wont sound good with a PodXt or whatever...I love my Vetta and it will be used on everything I do,,but,,I was just crushed by the results of this Randall...it was like YES!!! Thats what I was missing,, and no amount of Vetta tweaking ever got me to that point...it was always close but no cigar.
I will never go back to a solid state or modeler again for my chunk rhythm sound. I have some killer solo sounds I created with my Vetta and those I will use time and again.
As in anything...your milage may vary.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 16, 2006 11:00 pm Yep, it will definately never end. And that is good in the end. Amp builders still sell good amps, and peeps like Line 6 still sell their gear. Glad to hear you are in both camps though and have found the best of both worlds.
Robbue, I visited the Visualcliff site. I must say your music is very appealing to me. I very much like the progresive, and fusion sound you have there.
I am even tempted to buy the CD set as it is the type of music I listen to frequantly. Do you still have the limited edition EP included with the set?
My 16 year old listened to a couple as well and stated it sounds a bit like Explorers Club meets The Dregs. He is a big Petruci and Morse fan, so I guess that is a compliment.
BavPolMember
Since: Sep 10, 2005
Feb 18, 2006 08:09 pm This interchangeable module thing that Randall is doing is the same idea that Seymour Duncan used in the Convertible, many years before this. That was an idea before it's time, but wasn't really executed too well as those amps had some reliability problems.
You sound like you are sold on the sound of it, and that's great(early Van Halen sound, I won't hold my breath). I'll have to go test drive one, but (and this is just my 2 cents) I already have serious doubt's. First off, from the retailer's description, the modules are different preamps. If you've built, repaired, and played real Plexi's, or even metal panel 4 input models, the preamp alone will not give you that sound, the power tubes have got to be at the point of grid clamping, which also means you're getting PI clipping as well. The other problem is the output tubes themselves, 6L6's ??, ............not gonna get that EL34 sound without EL34's in there. More than just the sound is the feel of a 1959 or a 1987 model (if you don't need the volume).
Having spewed all that hot air, I must admit that some of the new modeller's record pretty well. In fact they sound more like what they are emulating than they feel like what they are emulating...........if that makes any sense.
Gary
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 19, 2006 01:38 pm Makes perfect sense to me.
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 20, 2006 05:35 am Thanks Noize!!!! Much appreciated! Yes we do still have the EP (there is only about 200 of them left) and we wont be repressing them.
You have obviously been a great influence on your 16 yr old! Extend my thanks for the comparison although I wish I came even remotely close to those guys !
Best,
Rob
RobbueMember
Since: Feb 10, 2006
Feb 20, 2006 05:40 am BavPol I totally agree with your assesment and nobody will ever emulate EVH's fingers as well!
There is a total difference in feel from the Vetta to the Randall. Absolutely.
I will be trying out a pair of EL34's in the Randall soon enough as the amp has a biasing panel on the back so that you can do it yourself. I wonder how different those modules will react with them!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 20, 2006 07:16 pm Robbue, I will probably be ordering the set then yet this week. As I said, my son really was getting into the tunes. He sat down and listened to the rest of the bits and was very impressed. And aside from that, as I said earlier. I really enjoyed it myself.
And honestly the influance was not all me. Both of my 2 youngest grew up right in the middle of the studio. They went everywhere with me, to auditions, listening to new bands I was going to record. Any of the bands that have been here, or been recorded elsehwere and mixxed here. And yes, they were exposed to every kind of music imaginable. From the tattoed, multi-pierced punk rockers to the subtle acoustic folk type's. And a little classical thrown in for good measure. They have been lucky enough to meet people from all walks and enjoyed something about every one. The 13 year old has been into Skindred for a couple of years and finally got to meet them last year, and for the first time in his life was actually speechless. I think it was the fact Benji was not much taller then he and the Jamaicin accent probably through him as well.
Anyway, you should really notice a differance between the 6L6 and the EL34. I used to switch them in my Soldano and it was a huge differance. The Randall may not react nearly as hard, but it should still be very noticable.
