[Fireproof]

Anyone use a Vox AD30VT (or even the larger Valvetronix modeling amps)?

I'm looking for tips on tweaking the sound for the Stevie Ray Vaughan "Cold Shot" sound.

Thanks in advance!

[Stratrat]

Okay, you can now officially count me amongst the Vox AD30VT users. I've been reading and hearing so much good stuff about this amp (both here and elsewhere) that I went out and picked one up today. I wanted a small, light, grab-and-go amp that was loud enough to cover jam sessions with a drummer, and versatile enough to do several different genres of music. My Blues Jr. fit the bill on the first two counts, but it's a one-trick pony as far as sound goes - even a pedalboard will only take you so far!

First impressions are very good - this amp covers a LOT of tonal ground, and sounds pretty doggone decent at just about anything. I messed around with everything from Dwight Yoakam to Judas Priest (and many in between!), and it can do reasonable facsimiles of any of them. The effects are kind of cumbersome to adjust, but I'll use my pedalboard anyways so it's not really an issue. In addition to the volume and master volume knobs, it has an attenuator on the back panel that lets you go from 0.1 watt to 30 watts. You can go from volumes so quiet that you can hear your strings over it, to LOUD. I haven't played it up against drums yet to see how it holds up, but I have a feeling it'll be plenty enough.

Just for the record, these are the amps it models (this is the VT version, not the VTX):

Boutique CL -> Dumble OD Special (clean channel)
Black 2x12 -> Fender Blackface Twin Reverb
Tweed 4x10 -> Fender Bassman
AC15 -> '62 Vox AC15
AC30TB -> '64 Vox AC30 Top Boost
UK70's -> '71 Marshall JTM Plexi
UK80's -> '83 Marshall Superlead
UK Modern -> Marshall J-800
Numetal -> Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
U.S. Higain -> Soldano SLO
Boutique OD -> Dumble OD 100 (OD channel)

It takes a little knob twisting to find the sweet spot on each model (what amp doesn't?), but they're definitely there. I can find something useful on just about every amp model. If you're looking for TeH bREwTAl MeTallLz, the XL might be more up your alley, but for just about anything else this amp should fit the bill quite nicely. A hardcore "tube snob" would undoubtedly turn his nose up at it, but for anybody with less discriminating ears (and who can't afford a room full of hand-built PTP boutique amps!), it's a winner IMO.

[Paulinnc]

One of the things to watch out for with these amps are the input jacks. They are plastic and can come loose, especially where you plug in the instrument cable. It is a very common problem with these amps. It happens because the jack is not seated properly in its holder. It causes the nut to come loose and the jack can fall into the amp. It is a pretty easy fix though. If this happens to your amp, take all the screws out of the back and remove the back panel. Then remove the chasis you, you will be able to see that the input jack is not flush with the other part. To fix it all you do is heat up a soldering iron and touch the solder. Once the solder melts the jack should slide into place by just pressing it in. Once it is in flat, take some plumbers tape and wrp the threads of the jack with it. Put the taped threads back through the hole and screw the nut back on. That should keep the nut from the input jack from coming off again.

I had to do this with my amp and I haven't had that problem since.
If I do any mods to this amp it will be switching out the speaker with eithera celestion vintage 10 or an eminence rajun cajun. I would also like to cut the back panel so the amp has an open back so it would be easier to access and give it a little different tone. These are fun little amps that don't sound bad. I just wish Korg/Vox would pay a little bit more attention to the quality of assembly.

I was looking at an AD30VT-XL, and from what I saw I think the only difference is that they added an fx loop. I could be wrong though, I haven't played one so I don't know exactly what the differences are. If you want more info on these amps and mods to them etc. check out Patchtronix.com the forum there has tons of info on these little guys and cool stuff you can do with them.

[eXperiment63]

If you want a REALLY nice bluesy tone... Put it on Nu-Metal and put the gain at around 9-10 o'clock... Give that a try and tell me what ya think.

[BluezOldy]

Originally Posted by Paulinnc

I was looking at an AD30VT-XL, and from what I saw I think the only difference is that they added an fx loop..

Unfortunately they didn't but the mod for putting one in can be found on the Valvetronix forum mentioned above.

The VT-XL models have different hi-gain amps to the VT models and are meant to be an addition to the range not an upgrade.

The models are:

Glass: Modeled on the Clean channel of a collectible 100-Watt head named the Overdrive Special

Funked: Modeled on a classic American black-faced 2x12 combo

Buzzsaw: Inspired by the British-made 50-Watt head that created the sounds of ‘70s hard rock and metal

Crunched: Based on a very rare modded VOX AC30/6TBX Top Boost combo, adding new hot-rodded gain levels and EQ

Thrashed: Modeled on a 1983, all tube, single channel, master volume 100-Watt head

Raged: Based on the high gain channel of a modern, all-tube 100 Watter, with boosted bass and mid frequencies and even more gain

Modern: A still higher gain modification to the “Modern High Gain” channel, with scooped EQ

Fluid: The UK Modern setting with maximum gain and mid-range EQ, modified to emphasize a vocal-like tone for legato-style playing

Molten: Based on VOX’s US Hi-Gain model but capable of even more powerful, heavily saturated sounds, with an Octave effect mixed into the preset

Black: A version of the UK Modern mutated to Class A, rather than Class AB

Damaged: Rooted in VOX’s US Hi-Gain model with more gain and a completely re-voiced and modified EQ to be thicker and darker.

NEW VOX VALVETRONIX XL RANGE

[Stratrat]

Thanks for the info, Paulinnc. I'd heard about problems with the input jack falling into the amp - that's something I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on. I actually broke my usual rule with this purchase and bought the 2-year extended warranty from GC. While some people have reported no problems whatsoever with the ADxxVT amps, others have had nightmares with them so I figured I'd cover myself just in case.

I read a number of threads on the Valvetronix forum about people swapping speakers, tubes, cutting holes in the back panel, etc. The general consensus seems to be that the stock tube is a good compromise between the low and hi-gain models and there isn't much improvement to be gained from swapping it, but speaker swaps make a much more noticeable difference. I'm going to hold off on any mods until I play it for a while and get familiar with it.

eXperiment63: I'll give that patch a try tomorrow...thanks! I've played it for a few hours tonight and already discovered a lot of different sounds.....I just want to avoid falling into the trap I've found with other multi-FX gadgets, where you end up spending more time fiddling with the knobs than you do playing!

[Stratrat]

I jammed with a drummer today - the AD30 had no problem being heard over him. It's a small room, but I could hear it just fine and even he could hear it well over his kit. The "Boutique Clean" model sweated a little bit because it's very low-gain and quieter than all the other models....if I were gigging and was going to make a habit out of using that amp model, I'd definitely be sure that I was going to be miked or going direct-in to the board. All the rest of them were fine straight from the amp.

[krissovo]

I jammed with mine last night with the band as well, again clean amps were low volume.

Here is an interesting point, if you use the line out then it by-passes the tube and you lose the valve reactor circuit! So if you want the benefit of the tube then you would have to mic it up.

[Bluesyzep]

I don't know much at all about amps but was experimenting trying to get the Boutique Clean as loud as I could on a Les Paul. I know the gain has to be lower to avoid distortion. I'm around a 3 or 4. I've tried fiddling with with treble, middle, bass, volume, master volume, pickup volume, etc. I can hardly hear it. I had similar results at GC when I fiddled with an MG100. Finally, I gave up and just assumed there is something I'm not understanding about how amps work.

In the mean time I'm happy playing my acoustic through a Crate CA30.

[GeetarGal101]

I have a hand-me-down AD30VT. And I, too, like the Boutique Clean (with the gain turned up) setting for my Strat. Add a touch of reverb and there's a killer tone to play around with.

Further on the Dumble anecdotes: It was understood (in writing, if I'm not mistaken)that he expected you to never sell the amp, and if you did he would never speak to you again.

[BluezOldy]

Originally Posted by Bluesyzep

...I can hardly hear it.

Sorry to mention something so basic but my local dealer had an AD30VT because of the low volume. The solution was simple: on that one the attentuator control knob on the back was turned right down.

[Bluesyzep]

Originally Posted by DalRon

Sorry to mention something so basic but my local dealer had an AD30VT because of the low volume. The solution was simple: on that one the attentuator control knob on the back was turned right down.

Thought someone might say that since I didn't add it to the list. It's up all the way.

[MCH]

Here's my Vox AD30VT revamped. I wanted to use the 12" Hellatone speaker. In order for this to work I broke up the cab into a head and speaker cab. This works good for me. I can adjust the head unit without having the speaker beside me. I added a FX loop and a speaker cab output jack. The 12" speaker made quite an improvement on the sound. Tighter bass and cleaner sound.

http://img76.imageshack.us/my.php?im...latone2cv0.jpg

[twilli227]

Nice job MCH.

[krissovo]

Hey MCH that is cool, I have the FX mod completed and I like the idea of splitting the unit into head/cab. For the cab output is it just a case of wireing the existing speaker output cables to a jack?

[MCH]

Originally Posted by krissovo

Hey MCH that is cool, I have the FX mod completed and I like the idea of splitting the unit into head/cab. For the cab output is it just a case of wireing the existing speaker output cables to a jack?

Yes it's as simple as that. Be sure if you use another speaker (speaker cab), that it is an 8 ohm load.