Just grabbed a Studio preamp on a whim. What am I in for?

[jgk723]

I read all 99 reviews on HC last night (took 5 hours) and grabbed a Studio that's missing the rack ears for $375. I've never heard one, but I am expecting I am in for something great.

I chose it over the Quad because many people on HC said that after a comparison of both, the gain circuit in the Studio is just plain sweeter. (I'm sure I'd have been plenty happy with the Quad nonetheless.) I am really looking forward to running this through my RevF Recto's power stage which has the Mark III transformer.

So what am I in for? Is this thing "the greatest amp ever made" like most of those reviews said? This was the first item I've ever seen on HC's reviews that, out of 99 reviews, didn't get less than an 8 on Sound Quality. There's usually one or two guys who are like "this thing blows don't buy it". Perhaps its a sign that EVERYONE loved it.

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

Here's my take on mine.

I've run it into several different power amps

- 100 watt 6L6 Carvin valvemaster
- Carvin 50/50 power amp (my main amp)
- Peavey transtube (solid state) 1X15 bass combo
- Crown PA
- Peavey pa
- blackheart class A 3/5 watt 1X12 combo

The same dominant characteristics are common regardless of what you plug it into.

The amp has a VERY incredibly smooth high end and upper midrange. I absoltuely hate the way the main outputs sound. I think they're harsh, fizzy and stale sounding (there may be something wrong with them, I'm not sure) but the recording outputs are UNREAL. Super smooth, creamy and still tight and powerful.

The midrange is extremely dominant in the amp but it's not obnoxious. It's a very well defined and distinct midrange. You can scoop the eq and take the mids to zero and yeah you'll get a nice scooped metal tone but you'll still have enough of that midrange necessary to prevent the amp from sounding like a thin solid state amp.

The low end is very tricky though. It can get too thick if you're not careful and is one of the amps weaknesses if you want to call it that. The low end will also change depending on what amp you plug into. Through my old 6L6 valvemaster, the low end never could get tight enough to do the super fast metal chugging thing. If you're not into that, you're in luck but if you are, you need a decent power amp with enough power and tightness to prevent the low end from getting away from you.

My carvin 50/50 is plenty tight and much more powerful and full sounding and as a result, I can get more low end thunder without the lows getting flabby.

But yeah, the low end is voiced to be very thick and smooth without getting too loose and farty as long as you keep the bass knob below 5 and the low end slider on the EQ below a certain point. If you're into jazz, classic rock or blues then more bass can be introduced for a thicker meatier low end.

It's just one of those things you'll have to sit down with and play around with becuase like I said, depending on your power amp, it can alter the overall FEEL of the studio but not really the tone. That was apparent as the overall tone of the studio was the same regardless of what I plugged into (even the solid state crown and peavey power amps). It's a good thing becuase you don't have to worry about a poor PA crippling the tone.

What you DO have to consider is that a good power amp can greatly improve the overall composure and tightness of the tone and ultimately, the speakers and cab will also play a major role in final tone shaping and a tight closed back or ported cab can help tighten up lows or an open back cab can exploit big filling sounds if you have a nice tight amp.

Running the amp in stereo with a good stereo FX unit sounds much better than mono. I've tried both ways and with a pair of 2X12's with some stereo chorus and delay, the sound just wraps itself around you and you'll wonder how you lived without it. Live with a full band though, it's not such a glaring difference but can help sound dispersion if you have a cab on each side of the stage.


The cleans on the preamp are very clean and shimmery. They're not the big fat thick fender cleans (unless you change your eq settings). The only real Achilles heel of the preamp is that you have to share the eq'ing with both channels and you really can't have a super squeaky clean channel and brutal metal channel. The more gain you want on the lead channel, the more breakup you have to deal with on the cleans. It's not a huge problem as it's not as drastic of a difference as most people would think. My clean channel live is louder than my overdrive channel and has plenty of headroom to stay clean as long as I'm aware of my strumming or picking strength.

Anyhow, I've got several videos of my setup on youtube if you want an idea of what it sounds like live as well as numerous recordings primarily showcasing the lead tone.

It doesn't take much tweaking to get a good sound out of this thing like you have to do with the rectos and stiletteo but there IS a great deal of tonal variety at your control when using the EQ sliders.

One other thing worth noting is that there's no solo boost. If you're a lead player, you need something to push the dB output more. I searched and searched and played numerous overdrive and clean boost pedals and ended up with an MXR 10 band EQ. I love it to death and in the FX loop (as running through the front doesn't provide NEARLY as much of a dB increase) gives me all the volume I need to jump out as well as MUCH more tonal flexablity for accenting certain frequencies or cutting others than most of the overdrive and clean boost pedals that just had bass and trebel controls.

Enough chit chat...here's the music. Couple of metal vids showing brootalz rythem and recordings showing leads. More vids of the mesa if you go to my videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFHKnVhIgAE

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/SeventhHeavyKornaker.mp3

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/brianssixth.mp3

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/briankquiet.mp3

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/briankrock.mp3

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/briankheavy6.mp3

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/briankclean.mp3

 

[jgk723]

Cool. Now you've got me really psyched! I'm gonna be looking out the window for the UPS truck every 5 minutes now!

I listened to all your songs and they're awesome. Not just the tone, but the playing too. How did you record these with the Studio Pre? Did you run the recording outs direct with an effects unit in between? Sounds awesome!

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

I use the recording outs (as they're smoother) into my power amp into (for those clips) an avatar 2X12 with G12H30 mic'd w/SM57 into a studio projects VTB1 preamp into my computer which used Adobe audition 2.0.

Although I know it's not even close, I'm aiming for petrucci's tone from his evening with rudess album.

 

[reo73]

Except for maybe a Mark IIC+ my Studio Pre and 50/50 set-up is my favorite amp of all time. If you like the Mesa Mark tone you are going to like the Studio. It can go from absolutely pristine cleans to mild blues grind to 70's rock crunch to over the top Metallica metal. And if you play lead you will love the smoothness of it.

Here is my Studio Pre soundclip contribution...

http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=24622

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

Very cool man!


I just did this one.. totally different

http://www.drewlankford.com/music/brianschilljam.mp3

 

[JT_Marshmallow]

(previously known as jgk723)

Awesome clips, guys. reo73, what was your recording rig for this one? Also, that rhythm guitar sound you've got is awesome. Is that the rhythm channel or lead channel?

 

[reo73]

(previously known as jgk723)

Awesome clips, guys. reo73, what was your recording rig for this one? Also, that rhythm guitar sound you've got is awesome. Is that the rhythm channel or lead channel?

Just a SM57 into a crap Fostex MKII digital recorder. The rhythm tone is the lead channel with the volume at about 5 and the lead drive down around 3.

 

[CudBucket]

Drew, thanks for the tip about the recording outputs. I don't find the main outs to be fizzy but I'm still going to try the recording outs into my 4x12.

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

It may be another mystery anomaly with mine. :roll:

 

[dmcguitar]

DMT - did you grab it off ebay?

There are a couple there now, gathering from what I've read here it has an awesome distortion, closest to the C+. Being that they are all old and used, how reliable are they? I'm thinking for a few hundred that'd be nice to get that tone, rather than a few thousand for a new amp.

I've never actually bought anything off ebay, do the ones on there look decent? (I see case scraches, but aesthetically I could care less, as long as the knobs are on it, and it works fine).


Thanks

 

[CudBucket]

Historically, they're very reliable. If you've ever seen one in the flesh you'll know that they don't make amps like this anymore. Same for my 50/50. They're built like the proverbial tank.

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

yeah mine is beat to hell and back on the outside. It's got places where the previous owners apparently tried to touch up the white lettering with white out where it had chipped away and black sharpie on the black painted ares but the once white silk screened logos and markings on the front are all a smoky creme color now. :lol:

It whips our singer's stiletto trident's *** though. :twisted:

 

[dmcguitar]

Hey Pony,

I see you have the preamp, a poweramp and the gmajor. Do you have switching setup somehow, maybe with the relays on the gmajor? I have that already and was wondering if you can make "multiple channels" with it. Like say have the lead as a main tone... and then make another patch with boosted mids and delay for a lead and so on. and have the rhythm as a semi clean sorta deal.

thanks

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

Nah I've never gotten much into programming with the Gmajor. I really only use it for a little ambience. I do use a 2nd volume pedal to control various functions based on the patch I'm using. Delay mix, tremolo speed, etc.

I use an MXR 10 band eq in the loop as a boost for solos that has the mids and upper mids pushed a little harder and the lows cut just a little.

 

[mikeymike]

Hey fastredponycar. In your first video you have a nice little rack case. Mind telling me what kind it is and who makes it? How much was it? I'd like to get one for my 2:100. Thanks for your time. Sorry for getting off topic.

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

the small 4 space case is the SKB roto mold case. It's too shallow to hold the studio pre so I go the SKB 8 space case.

If you're referring to a vid with everything in it (furman, gmajor, amp, poweramp, etc) it's the SKB 8 space case. And it's not as bad of a back cracker as I thought it would be. I can probably make it about 60 feet before I have to set it down.

I could probably carry it further but scoliosis is a *****.

 

[dmcguitar]

question about the studio.

Without a power amp, can one still use the preamp? I understand I can record with it via the recording out, but for practice or gig use, how would i use it while waiting to get a power amp?

also can anyone compare the difference in tones generated from the
el84 20 watt, the 50 watt and the simul-class 90 watt mesa boogie power amps?

thanks.

 

[FastRedPonyCar]

I've used it several ways. I've sent it into my mic preamp into my PC out of my studio monitors. Not a terrible sound but definately not nearly as good as going through a real amp+speakers.

I've also used it as a glorified overdrive pedal by sending one of it's recording outputs into the main input of several different types of amps anywhere from a keyboard amp at church, to a 1X15 bass combo amp, my little 5 watt class A blackheart combo amp and direct to a PA. It's got a lot of uses but most definately sounds the biggest, fullest and richest through a dedicated power amp and cab though sending it to the fx loop return of any decent amp will sound really good. It turned my brother's crate V32 class A tube combo into a fire breathing monster! I just sent it to the fx loop return and bam... class A 30 watt power amp and 1X12 speaker for a small gig. Sounded gnarly too.

 

[JT_Marshmallow]

DMT - did you grab it off ebay?

Yea, there's always a few up on ebay that will go for around $400-450.

I'm thinking for a few hundred that'd be nice to get that tone, rather than a few thousand for a new amp.

If you drop $450 on a Studio and $550 on a poweramp, you're going to have some of the greatest tone ever made for less than the price of most used heads. Rack gear is a secret treasure that most have forgotten about. Its amazing how cheap you can get preamps and poweramps on ebay. Its like racks are too complicated for most players or something...

I've never actually bought anything off ebay, do the ones on there look decent? (I see case scraches, but aesthetically I could care less, as long as the knobs are on it, and it works fine).

Anyone here would tell you the Studios are built very solid. I mean they were built during the Cold War, so...

also can anyone compare the difference in tones generated from the
el84 20 watt, the 50 watt and the simul-class 90 watt mesa boogie power amps?

I asked the same question a few days ago:

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=21931&highlight=

To answer your question about the Simul Class 2:90...unless you're in a metal band who has another guitar player with another 100 watt tube amp, its waaaaay overkill as far as volume. Granted it does have the Half-Power mode which is nice - but to tell you the truth, for the year and a half I had the 2:90, I never turned off the Half-Power mode!

Currently I'm still trying to decide between the 20/20 and the 50/50. I guess I'll just wait and see what kind of deal I'll find on either, but I'm really leaning towards the old 50/50 because it has the Low Power (15 watts) switch. I'd recommend that one to you as well. It'll take up 2 spaces in the rack and they go for around $550 on ebay.

As for the 20/20, since they're newer they tend to be going for MORE $$$ than the 50/50's. I've always wanted to try a lower wattage power amp, but if I can score a 50/50 for less I'd go for it.