Matrix power amps, any experience?

professorben

@digitalscream has raved about their speaker cabs, but anyone tried the power amps, specifically the GT800fx???

cheers.

BGG

Only ever hear great reports on them.

monquixote

Moved to the right section. 

My concern with Matrix is that everyone I talk to seems to say. "Matrix are great, they were brilliant about fixing mine when it broke". 

professorben

monquixote said:

Moved to the right section. 

My concern with Matrix is that everyone I talk to seems to say. "Matrix are great, they were brilliant about fixing mine when it broke". 

apologies, the £ sign was obscured by wine.

professorben

monquixote said:

Moved to the right section. 

My concern with Matrix is that everyone I talk to seems to say. "Matrix are great, they were brilliant about fixing mine when it broke". 

Hmmmm so reliability issues?

Jetfire

Ive had one and it didnt play nicely in my set up. I had a TC electronics G major, Laney IRT studio and a GT800 (I think it was). Used to go into protect mode all the time. However, it was fine without the G major.  I gigged with it for a while but got shot of it as I just didnt get on with it sound wise. I couldnt say what it as precisely but it sounded a little .... fake?

drwiddly

I have a GT1000FX that I got a few years ago. I've had no reliability issues at all. It's very powerful with loads of headroom but I still prefer a valve power amp with my Axe FX or Kemper. Good as the Matrix is, it doesn't have the punch or the bloom of a valve power section. Just my opinion though.

Si_

+1

No reliability problems with mine (I've had a few), but thought they were "too stale", which may sound strange given that's what people want. Opted for a 1u Valve Power amp instead (Marshall EL84 one).

sweepy

I use a Marshall 20/20 with my Axe-Fx with a pair of Yamaha CBR12's, works perfectly and is certainly loud enough

guitarfishbay

I have the 1u GT1000FX. The fan is fairly noisy for low level playing but that's about it. It doesn't have the same thump as a valve amp but with the low frequency resonance control on the Axe FX 2 dialled to your cab you can get close enough. When I had a HD500x I wasn't as happy with the low end (it just was in the wrong place for the cab and also less dynamic). I guess you need a preamp that can put out a decent low end to begin with as the Matrix isn't going to add anything not already there.

It is good at sounding tight but warmer/looser sounds are better and more natural with a valve power amp. 

professorben

So a Mesa preamp dialled for thrash levels of gain are gonna sound huge??
I reckon the GT800fx might be the way to go, if I do jump on the Kemper/Helix/HeadRush wagon I'm sorted too. 

digitalscream

What I really want is for them to bring the GM50 module back - basically half a GT800FX in a module you can install into your cab to make it a powered cab. For some reason, they only sold them in packs of 5 (which is rather expensive).

Dopesick

I believe Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer/ANb/various others uses the GT1000FX. He uses the Amptweaker Tight Metal Pro as a preamp and his guitar tone is fucking monstrous. Not really any tube sag going on but high levels of beef.

drwiddly

sweepy said:

I use a Marshall 20/20 with my Axe-Fx with a pair of Yamaha CBR12's, works perfectly and is certainly loud enough

+1 on that! When I used one with my Axe Fx, I turned it up to about half with the AF output on about 10 o'clock. It sounded massive but far too loud for use with a loud band. Who knew?

They do run hot though and the fan exhausts to the side (bit weird for a rack amp!) I ended up drilling a few holes in my rack case next to the vent to prevent overheating.

digitalscream

drwiddly said:

sweepy said:

I use a Marshall 20/20 with my Axe-Fx with a pair of Yamaha CBR12's, works perfectly and is certainly loud enough

+1 on that! When I used one with my Axe Fx, I turned it up to about half with the AF output on about 10 o'clock. It sounded massive but far too loud for use with a loud band. Who knew?

They do run hot though and the fan exhausts to the side (bit weird for a rack amp!) I ended up drilling a few holes in my rack case next to the vent to prevent overheating.

I believe mine had the vents front and back.

One of the best sounds I ever had was with my Eleven Rack and a Marshall 20/20. I just don't understand why they included the Deep switch, because everything sounds awesome with it on and shit with it off.

p90fool

monquixote said:

 

My concern with Matrix is that everyone I talk to seems to say. "Matrix are great, they were brilliant about fixing mine when it broke". 

I wish I'd known at the time their factory was fairly close to me, I'd have thrown it in their skip instead of my wheelie bin.

fretmeister

Can the Marshall 20/20 run in mono?

Si_

No, Stereo only.