Modeling Done Right

Just got the amp a few days ago and love it. The modeling in this amp is far better than any other modeling amp or pedal I've heard yet. I've been playing for 33 years and this is the best amp I've ever owned. It's very simple but extremely flexible. The built in effects are pretty good with reverb that spills over from patch to patch. Patch changes are quick and smooth. I don't know how faithful the models are to the original but they sound good and that's all that really matters in the end. These amp models don't have the digital harshness most amp models have. They are warm and smooth sounding. At least as smooth as a Marshall with EL34's can sound. The only real downfall is that the midi in only recognizes patch changes and not any control change messages. But if you use a multi effects unit with midi like I do it's a perfect match. Another note is that the emulated out works great for blending with the miked cabinet sound to give a big warm sounding live sound. Overall a great warm, loud, versitile, modeling amp with real tubes in both the preamp and power amp.

Marshall JMD501

Already own a JVM410H and a Haze 15H and have owned many Marshalls through the years so I know these amps. Have been looking for an amp like this for a long time having worked with the various PODs/Line 6 Bogner heads, digital modelers etc. anything with built in patch selections and effects that have decent sound. This unit approaches that ideal, at least for me. Great tone, plenty of volume, pretty good effects in a package that is easy to haul. Programmable multi-mode footswitch is very functional. However accessing the 128 possible patches through the MIDI Omni mode is totally useless, a big mistake in the design---should have had a user assignable MIDI channel. Other MIDI commands sent to another device in your MIDI chain will change your patch when you don't want it changed! There are 3rd party vendors that make router boxes that can override the omni mode but you have to spend more $'s to make this fix. Another ding is the limited number of repeats available on the echo efx, not more than a couple and not very controllable. In spite of these limitations (no amp or ax is perfect) I am very satisfied with this amp and it is now my main gigging unit.