AVT150h question

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legionserial

legionserial

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I have a Marshall AVT150H and I have had troubles with the sound from day 1. I'm trying to get a decent metal tone. The distortion seems to get kind of muddy, especially on palm mutes, doesn't seem tight enough and lacks clarity, and there is way too much bass all in all there seems to be waay to much low end.

I would accept that this is the problem with a hybrid amp as opposed to all tubes, but my old valvestate sounds great, and despite buying the AVT I still primarily use the old amp.

I have the AVT cab that came with it and have heard that a 1960 could potentially improve the sound a lot. The AVT cab has a completely sealed back, which I'm guessing may account for the abundance of low end.

Basically, does anyone else have any experience of dealing these supposedly sucky cabs and changing to something else. Would be grateful if you could give me a comparison. I'm hoping that a better cab could clear up the muddiness or something, but don't want to waste my money finding out its the amp and not the cab.

Failing that...its time to go amp shopping again I guess :(

Cheers :D
 
legionserial said:
I have a Marshall AVT150H and I have had troubles with the sound from day 1. I'm trying to get a decent metal tone. The distortion seems to get kind of muddy, especially on palm mutes, doesn't seem tight enough and lacks clarity, and there is way too much bass all in all there seems to be waay to much low end.

I would accept that this is the problem with a hybrid amp as opposed to all tubes, but my old valvestate sounds great, and despite buying the AVT I still primarily use the old amp.

I have the AVT cab that came with it and have heard that a 1960 could potentially improve the sound a lot. The AVT cab has a completely sealed back, which I'm guessing may account for the abundance of low end.

Basically, does anyone else have any experience of dealing these supposedly sucky cabs and changing to something else. Would be grateful if you could give me a comparison. I'm hoping that a better cab could clear up the muddiness or something, but don't want to waste my money finding out its the amp and not the cab.

Failing that...its time to go amp shopping again I guess :(

Cheers :D
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The 1960 is sealed also. I don't think the 1960 will make you like your amp. It would make it better, but not if you don't like it to start with.
 
i have an avt150h and like it...my style is much different than yours i think. why can't you back off on the bass on the head (there's a knob for it)...is the scoop in or out (i don't ever use the scoop)? what kind of guitar are you using? it seems odd to me that you would have this problem because my overdrive channels are actually lacking in the bass as compared to the clean channel. where did you get the amp from?

i think a muddiness problem sounds more like a guitar thing, but i guess if your guitar sounds good with other amps maybe not.....like i said i think my style is way different than yours 'cause i don't ever play metal, but your problem is not one that i have had
 
Don't forget to turn your distortion down, there's no reason it has to be cranked really high. If you'd normaly have your distortion at say 8-9 try setting it at 5-6. Many people told this to me and it really gives me a better distorted guitar sound on a recording.
 
Ya I have my distortion down at about 6 or 7. Any lower than that and I feel myself having to take somewhat of a heavy handed approach. The best sound I can get is without the scoop, and the bass backed way down to about 2 or 3 with the mids on about 3 or 4.
It sounds great for standard chord playing and some lead, and anything that doesn't involve palm muting, even with the scoop on. Its the palm muting that I have the problem with. The distortion just doesn't seem as tight as my little 8080valvestate, and you can hear too much fuzz and mud, rather than a tight punchy saturated crunch. I'm thinking maybe of throwing a compressor in somewhere, maybe that would help. I basically get the same thing I have had on a pod, with high gain, muddiness, until I add some compression.
It also brings out harmonics which make it sound slightly dissonant, although I have a feeling this is to do wtih the intonation on one of my guitars, as the others don't don't make those harmonics, its just strange that doesn't come out on my other amp. I've tried backing down on the distortion to get rid of the fuzz but as I play fast metal, that means I can't be so lighthanded with the fast palm mutes.
I guess maybe its just not the best amp for what I'm doing right now, like I said, it sounds absolutely sweet for everything else until the palm mutes come in. It certainly has a nice sound for nu metal/punky type stuff tho. Reminds me a lot of Smashing Pumpkins :)
I'm thinking maybe of throwing a compressor in somewhere, maybe that would help. I basically get the same thing I have had on a pod, with high gain, muddiness, until I add some compression.

Other solution is to go get me a dual rec...guess I'd better get my mask, my newspaper and a banana and head off to the bank. :D

Cheers for the responses guys :)
 
Well you may be right about the amp not being suited for what you're doing. Over that past year I've heard many people complain about the 150 and the tone that comes from it. I actually had a guitar player from Indy in a few weeks ago who used and hated the avt150 but when he played my amp, avt50, he loved it. He says there's a huge tonal difference between the two. Don't know why exactly these amps wouldn't sound the same but he isn't the first person I've talked to that has said that. With all that being said GET THE DUAL REC. Nothing beats an all tube monster.
 
The old Valvestates like the 8080 are so much better than the new "hybrid" amps from Marshall it's not even funny. The 8080 is a great metal amp. I would certainly expect to play that over an AVT.
And a new cab won't make a whole lot of difference.

None of them quite compare to tubes....but I'm sure you already know that ;) .

The 8080 was good enough for Chuck Schuldiner though! Word. :cool:
 
same problem

i have the exact same problem with my avt150, theres a slight fuzzines or something on everything and it ruins the sound, the ampsounds good but i cant get a tight, clear, sound. ive tried turning the treble down and it helps but its to dark sounding.
 
You wan't that Chunk! Chunk! Chunk! I don't think your gonna get it with that rig. Marshall knows this. If your loking for solid state chunk (not crap crunch,emulated whatever), the Valvestate 8080s are real cool, when you plug em into a decent 4x12, with real speakers in it. Crank it up to 11! Check out Wayne Static, or Tommy Prong's tone. Valvestates! :D
 
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Ya I don't really use the AVT anymore. The 8080 is all I really need for recording. Its got a great sound. :D
 
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