Engl Poweramp anyone )

[FrankD77]

Thx i misread your post.
Thought you where bashing the 8008 being a class D

I knew about the adjustment screw indeed.
Maybe time to revisit. I played with it a while ago and maybe with the engl920 give it another go .
Dont know how to explain it. When i use the 9001 it takes me for lead some time to get something useful. It's not bad at all just a bit of a "different" beast.

Synergy i can highly recommend.
The IR output is even ok. The modules i have sound great and if you did the first rather high investment the modules are actually pretty cheap compared to "full pre amps" especially when you have a good tube or SS power amp it makes a lot of sense.

Playing wise it "feels" the same as a tube. It's hard to explain to people used to captures. But as you know tube amps have a certain feel and response. I don't bash Plugins (there are some great ones) but they never really capture that "rubbery" or "tight" feel. The synergy does that well. The sag knob also adds some feel of a poweramp. I use it very lightly when going into the 8008 or the interface and it does make a difference thats very subtle but does add that "feel"
If you have the change try one out.

The Vai module is awesome for fat leads. And the be/dlx is supposed to be the ultimate hotrodded marshall. So that's one on my wish list

I think it's a smart move.
High end tube amps are getting so insanely expensive and plugins so good that loads of younger players probably never look at tubes. With a system like Synergy i think it's much easier to add a killer tube pré amp to for example an axeFX

For me I'll probably stay with rack gear. It has something relaxing to play with and in all honesty a lot of guitar parts all sound the same now a days. With rack gear you are more motivated to create your own sounds. It's just the "G"UI that can be challenging.

Btw I'm from 1971

 

[FrankD77]

Found the info about the 9001
It's the oxidation of the return and send.
Probably why I don't have any issues. It's never been used outside of the studio. And when i got it from the attic i first brought it to a tech.

But will jumper it anyway now
Also read it's super sensitive for the v1 tube. Seeing the results in the engl i now know what I'll do in winter

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Thx i misread your post.
Thought you where bashing the 8008 being a class D

I knew about the adjustment screw indeed.
Maybe time to revisit. I played with it a while ago and maybe with the engl920 give it another go .
Dont know how to explain it. When i use the 9001 it takes me for lead some time to get something useful. It's not bad at all just a bit of a "different" beast.

both the 9001 and 9004 preamps from Marshall are solid. If you cannot make a decent electric guitar sound with it, then Beak needs to school somebody. It is capable of the PERFECT Marshall 'Sound'. If it was not thrilling, you have something wrong. Put a Golden Era Pre73 infront , go in the instrument with your guitar. Get the gain right, then take it into the 9001.

I think it's a smart move.
High end tube amps are getting so insanely expensive and plugins so good that loads of younger players probably never look at tubes.

Sad. Just sad.

For me I'll probably stay with rack gear.

That sounds reasonable. The rack has it all.

Say you want a synth. Rack synth. What would you choose? Korg M3R . It is an 8 buttons to edit/program , Digital, analog, physical world 16bit synthesizer. Does all the M1 waveforms too. COSTS $75 or less , but is KICK ASS! Very cinematic. So many secrets and modes. Frist of the sample driven synth, that is technically not a rompler. Hence the rompler shame is not part of the unit. All Data/prog cards are free on websites now. 10,000+ patches

Say you want a rack Fx box. Korg A3. Does everything. All effects. Quiet. tons of secrets, and button combinations. Phases like nothing else. Cost $100. All data/prog cards are free on websites. used extensively through pop music of the 90's.

Yamaha D5000's, Pcm80's, Korg A's, dual mono blocks, Tube pre's. Yes please.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Korg M3R is A.I. Synthesis

take that Sam Altman

 

[ecc83]

Mention was made of a dodgy FX loop? This is indeed usually caused by tarnished switch contacts on the jacks. Pumping cleaner in rarely fixes it, you have to "get in there.

Acquire some strips of thin card (UK bog roll centre is perfect) and soak them in a cleaner/lubricant, WD-40 is fine. Plug in a jack then slide the card twixt contact. Remove jack and agitate card. Rinse and repeat. We in the trade used a similar trick to clean relay contacts in the days of coal fire when everyone smoked.

Dave.

 

[FrankD77]

@ecc83
Luckily my 9001 has no issues.
But to be sure I'll jumper it any way.

@LazerBeakShiek
It can do that marshall sound. But more in the jcm900 realm. I love the clean and crunch channels. And those are indeed very "woody" marshall. The lead is where for me it falls apart.

But in all honesty i have some more than decent alternatives. And tones are always very personal. I also didn't like the high gain settings on the dsl20 but same there clean and crunch were awesome for such a cheap tube head.

Racks are an amusement park for guitarists. A friend told me nothing beats the flexibility of his axe FX. Till I explained why there was a patch panels and endless routing options with or without a line mixer (using logics IOs).

Everytime you will find a new way to combine gear and get unique sounds.

At the moment I'm experimenting with a dry signal, one with a harmonized 5th that is delayed and has its own chorus/reverb and second delay. While another signal is routed through a non delayed octaver. When both are joined in the bus there is a slight compression and widener.

And I'm only using two units and the x32

Since I'm playing they claim they have blown the tube amp out of the water and it's indeed getting better but it's still different brought for me. Although i use and get inspiration from both.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

@ecc83
Luckily
@LazerBeakShiek
It can do that marshall sound. But more in the jcm900 realm. I love the clean and crunch channels. And those are indeed very "woody" marshall. The lead is where for me it falls apart.

The 9001 balances R1 and R2. When you get to the lead channel it is better either/or. Otherwise gets too thick with noise. The low gain bluesy tones are fantastic. Great brown sound.

I never took to the Axe Effect. seemed very computer complex. I did purchase the line6 PodXT rack the guitar one and bass preamp together. For get this..$86. Line6 no longer supported the win10 driver. So, its junk. I never liked line6's sound anyway.

Sounds and the machines that make them are sacred. People who engage the aether, and produce music with them are truly unique.

 

[FrankD77]

I bought a small Microsoft surface tablet to control the rack gear that is windows only.
Most are working in parallels under mac luckily.

 

[FrankD77]

Decided to write something about the 9001

https://music.frankdoorhof.com/2026/09/11/the-marshall-9001/

If i missed something let me know so I can add it.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

"Closing thought.
I’m using the 530 on the 920/100. I’ve read several people online that claim the E530 sounds thin on a solid state amp and really comes alive on a tube power amp. I tested the 530 straight into the interface with Genome running a tube power amp emulation. This sounded more than ok. But as soon as the ENGL 920/100 was connected it the E530 was like “finally now I can go”…..

Yeah… tubes rule"

Yes, you hooked up that Engl530 and the Engl920. Got the 'magic item set' bonus, and next leveled it!

Won the card game with a Flush.

 

[FrankD77]

Well in all fairness.
All my pre amps sound better on the 920/100

Powertubes are i think often overlooked. But that's why the plexis got their reputation. And mastervolume amps often miss "thickness" till you raise the volume.

With the marshall dsl20 I would lower the gain and first adjust the main volume till i hear the compression setting in too much and than use the pre amp gain. Totally different amp...

But you need an attenuator