Has anyone actually taken a look at this Randall?

  • Thread starter Thread starter myhatbroke
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That idea's been around a long time. Decades. Most of the maintenance of a tube amp, with a fraction of the tone. Meh.
 
Are you sure? supposedly its something completely different. It doesnt have a preamp...
 
In the new G3 series, Randall has created a line of affordable combo amps and heads with superb tone resulting from an entirely new tube/MOSFET power section called "Valve-Dynamic."

Though I can't leak the details, the basic design involves a 12AT7 tube incorporated into the power section, rather than the preamp like most tube/solid-state hybrids. The combo of the tube and the MOSFET circuit creates a much more accurate emulation of an all-tube power section in serious performance mode than has ever been created before.

Those are the main points on the review for those too lazy to read. Any opinions on this??? :D
 
This is an old and bad idea. They are trying to use a poorly powered tube to add "tubeyness" to the sound of a mosfet power section. It doesn't work.
 
I owned a rg75, with a celestion speaker in I think 2002. I think it had an open back cab. The one you're looking at is a closed back. It had a pretty unique sound compared to most solid state combo amps that I've played but lacked that tube amp sweetness and came up pretty short on bottom end. I'd say that it was voiced to try and sound like a hi gain marshall/soldano. To my ears, it was'nt a wonderful amp. It was a decent practice amp but over priced. Probably on par with the marshall valvestate stuff. It might even come up short in a side by side comparison.

Have you seen these? https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/store/kit_r.htm

The 6m's (from the recorded sounds that I've heard) sound damn nice for the price. Don't drop $400 on that Randall. Save a bit more and get a used tube amp or kit.
 
A 12AT7 is a really low voltage tube anyway, I can't see it adding much character to a MosFet Amp at all :rolleyes:
 
TravisinFlorida said:
I owned a rg75, with a celestion speaker in I think 2002. I think it had an open back cab. The one you're looking at is a closed back. It had a pretty unique sound compared to most solid state combo amps that I've played but lacked that tube amp sweetness and came up pretty short on bottom end. I'd say that it was voiced to try and sound like a hi gain marshall/soldano. To my ears, it was'nt a wonderful amp. It was a decent practice amp but over priced. Probably on par with the marshall valvestate stuff. It might even come up short in a side by side comparison.

Have you seen these? https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb.com/store/kit_r.htm

The 6m's (from the recorded sounds that I've heard) sound damn nice for the price. Don't drop $400 on that Randall. Save a bit more and get a used tube amp or kit.
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Whats an amp kit?
 
It's pretty much the same idea of the Valve Reactor power section in the Vox Valvetronix series, although the Vox's do not have a MOSFET power section.

I like the way the Vox's sound, though. I'm not so sure about how the Randall will fare, though. I suppose such will depend on how good the Randall's preamp and models are.

I will sort of disagree with Farview's comment, but only because I've not heard it applied to a MOSFET power section. I've played Line 6's and Johnson's and such, but the Vox Valvetronix (or their amps with the Valve Reactor power section (such as the VR30R)) is the only one that, to me, really responds like a tube amp in terms of picking dynamics and getting balls from the power section.

Just my $.02.
 
hiwatt357 said:
It's pretty much the same idea of the Valve Reactor power section in the Vox Valvetronix series, although the Vox's do not have a MOSFET power section.

I like the way the Vox's sound, though. I'm not so sure about how the Randall will fare, though. I suppose such will depend on how good the Randall's preamp and models are.

I will sort of disagree with Farview's comment, but only because I've not heard it applied to a MOSFET power section. I've played Line 6's and Johnson's and such, but the Vox Valvetronix (or their amps with the Valve Reactor power section (such as the VR30R)) is the only one that, to me, really responds like a tube amp in terms of picking dynamics and getting balls from the power section.

Just my $.02.
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Vox has more of a vintage sound, which i hate. Im looking for METAL :cool:
 
Oops. I assumed it was the old hybrid gag. I would think the result would be largely the same, except the tube would "drive" a simulated load.
 
myhatbroke said:
Whats an amp kit?
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just what it sounds like. a kit to build an amp. there are some damn nice amps out there built by hobbyests and builders.
 
myhatbroke said:
Vox has more of a vintage sound, which i hate. Im looking for METAL :cool:
Click to expand...

Well, considering the Valvetronix amps model the following:

UK BLUES - 1960's Marshall JTM45 head (high treble channel)
UK ’70s - 1969 Marshall 100w Plexi head (high treble channel)
UK ’80s - 1983 100w Marshall JCM800 head
UK 90's - 1990's 100w Marshall JCM900 head (lead channel)
UK MODERN - Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 head (Hi-gain channel)
RECTO - 150w Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (modern high gain channel)
US HIGAIN - 1991 100w Soldano SLO100 Head (hi-gain channel)

There's a little metal in those amps. ;)
 
myhatbroke said:
Vox has more of a vintage sound, which i hate. Im looking for METAL :cool:
Click to expand...
You might be confusing the sound that you hear on a CD as the sound that should be coming out of your amp. They aren't the same. If you are looking for that scooped sound to come out of your amps speaker, it shouldn't. That sound comes from mic choice, placement, and processing in the mix. A lot of those 'vintage' sounds are metal sounds, you just have to do the rest of the work.
 
I was just about to say that this seems like the same thing that the VOX Valvetronix series is supposed to have, but hiwatt already pointed that out.

However, I do have one of those VOX amps and I think it sounds great for an inexpensive solid state combo, and it does have some perfectly suitable tones for metal.

I pretty much view the little lone tube in a guitar amp the same way I view the little low voltage tubes they stick in mic pre-amps all the time. It's just bullshit so they can call it "tube" gear.
 
hiwatt357 said:
Well, considering the Valvetronix amps model the following:

UK BLUES - 1960's Marshall JTM45 head (high treble channel)
UK ’70s - 1969 Marshall 100w Plexi head (high treble channel)
Click to expand...

I'd like to hear that amp pull off either of those.......even remotely close.
 
metalhead28 said:
I pretty much view the little lone tube in a guitar amp the same way I view the little low voltage tubes they stick in mic pre-amps all the time. It's just bullshit so they can call it "tube" gear.
Click to expand...

I think the main difference between the Vox Valvetronix stuff as well as the Randall Valve-Dynamics stuff is that the "lone tube" is put in the power section as opposed the preamp section. It seems that folks have woken up to the fact that a lot of the "umph" of tube amps comes from cranking the power tubes, so instead of a purely solid-state power section, they've figured out how to make a small tube power section instead of just sticking a tube in the preamp.

That, to me, is what makes this stuff react more like a tube amp than most modeling amps (although I have zero experience with the Randall equipment).
 
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