Budget amp better than the Spider? Vox NuTube!
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2019
- Analog micro amps are far more interesting than cheap digital modellers that crank out 500 lousy sounds. We take a look at what VOX has to offer, and are seriously impressed!
Many thanks to Thomann for hosting us at #TGU2019!
Check them out at Thomann:
Hi Gain: bit.ly/2YPE6lk
Boutique: bit.ly/2YOPyxF
Rock: bit.ly/2YJ0tZO
AC: bit.ly/2YJ0vko
or on Amazon: amzn.to/2yFPUfD
Many thanks to Steve from Boston for guesting on the show! Check out his channel at:
/ pixxylixxx
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The Intro & Outro song - "The Eagle Has Landed"
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Reaper skin is "Fusion Beta"
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About Spectre Sound Studios:
I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, and plugin effects.
We've covered Moon on the Water, played Bias FX, given you the absolute best in Stupid Musician Texts, ranted & raved about bass guitar, and this channel is where The Eagle has Landed.
Everything you've wanted to learn about recording Hard Rock & Heavy Metal can be found right here on this channel!
I also respond to your comments & questions: The best make it into the SMG Viewer's Comments series of videos. Loads of fun, lots of laughs.
Thanks for checking out my channel & please subscribe!
Instead of worrying about setting a glass of beer on your amp, you gotta worry about dropping your amp in a glass of beer...
LMAO hilarious dude !!!!
Evilwhiteclownpunk lol! You have won the Internet. I literally have Coca Cola burning my nose now. So glad I finished my hotdog before I read that, would’ve been hard to explain!
Hahahaha, also you have to stand really really still whilst playing with one just in case you pull it around the room with the guitar lead. Either that or nail it to the top of your cab:-)
It's small enough to fit in a pitcher, handle and all. Also, don't leave it on the couch...
guys... i think this audio might not have been recorded by spectre sound
Very good! How are those bass lessons coming?
SpectreSoundStudios wait, there are bass *lessons*!?
@@SpectreSoundStudios GLENN! I heard that the audio was not recorded by Spectre Sound. Now, do I hold the bass with the strings against me?
@@dbackscott Yeah, they come in Advanced, Basic and Adjusted for Bassplayers. The latter comes with more easy-to-read material.
It isnt?!?
I wonder who didn't record the audio...
I also didn't record the audio!
I love when glen plays guitar i realize im better then i give myself credit.
he plays pretty much like shi*
Lmao.. I thought the same thing..
Glen, PLEASE do great and affordable bass amps. Everyone does guitar amps, but no one touches affordable bass amps
I don't know what you call affordable and what are the quality bass amps but there is this one for 400$; Hartke TX600 Head
Dark Glass pedal to PA with my vocal .
Warwick lwa1000 amp head is pretty affordable around $700ish
I suppose I'm thinking more along the lines of the Joyos. 150-300 range that are decent enough to use.
Ampeg ba110
Fun fact: You can use any DC-operated analog (not digital, not tube) distortion or OD pedal as a basic foot switch. You just plug the footswitch cable into the output, and it makes the switch of that pedal act like an amp switch. Tis a trick one of my old jamming buddies sent my way, and at least with the pedal he was using (an old orange Boss OD/Distortion that I can't remember the name of), it worked just as a channel foot-switch should.
Glenn: “...talking like we know what we’re talking about.”
Steve: “Well, I sorta do..”
As always, thanks for the free content!
Except he wasn't very accurate on how a tube works lmfao
I can't believe he recorded this at Spectre sound, it's horrible. 🤘🤣
It's made of metal? Do circuits gleam? Is it perpetual and keeps the country clean?
Glenn takes pride in probing all your secret moves!
Yes, it's made of metal. As for the rest of your questions, you're gonna have to reiterate. If clean is your dig, then you probably couldn't go wrong with that Boutique model. I'm usually not impressed by "boutique" amps, especially considering how much real boutique amps cost, but I love the sound of that Vox Boutique head. It's slightly compressed, sparkly and jangly, yet warm. These are all the good things that Vox is known for. Most other companies that have tried to do the same thing have failed miserably. Vox has always excelled with clean/slightly driven tones, and that's what you get with the Vox Boutique.
@@MFKR696 Commie Crusher was just referencing "Electric Eye", a Judas Priest song. He wasn't actually asking questions.
@@Panglo55 Ah ic. I've never been a fan of that band, though I do love some of Halford's solo efforts.
It zooms in to you, but you don't know it's there.
I played a show one time where the bandleader had me run through his nuTube to keep our stage footprint down, and I was pleasantly surprised at how it sounded. These are good little amps for the money.
The latest generation of class D chipsets from TI have made amazing products possible that just couldn't exist a couple years ago. There small, insanely efficient (no heatsink needed) & stupid cheap.
This is the first series of mini-heads that I've actually liked. Even the Boutique one sounds great, and I don't typically like stuff like that. It's like Vox saw all those other mini-heads from companies like Joyo and said "Bitch, please... Hold my beer."
Whats with the audio? Definitely not up to your usual standard Fricker. WTF?
I see these, and can't help but think they're a _massive_ missed opportunity - if they'd put an effects loop in them, they'd make a brilliant low-cost option for modeller amplification, for those of us with Helix/Kemper/etc. As it is, they're pretty crap as a backup for anybody who uses high-gain with time-based effects in the loop, which is a damn shame because the high-gain and rock ones sound great!
Good point! Next time I see the Vox guys, I’ll have to bring that up.
@@SpectreSoundStudios Cheers :) Even if they did it with a stereo jack socket and a Y-splitter, that'd be a good result. My only other gripe is companies who make these micro-sized amps, but rate them for 4 ohm loads. Almost nobody has a 1x12" or 2x12" guitar cab rated for 4 ohms, so unless you're packing a tiny amp with a massive 4x12", you ain't gonna get that power. You'll probably have an 8 ohm cab, so you'll be putting out 25W with a solid state amp, so there'll be nowhere near enough headroom for a gig...you probably won't have enough power to hear yourself on stage, even if you're reinforcing it all with a PA.
@@SpectreSoundStudios Please do. The other option that I never tried appears to be the little hotone legacy amps. They come with an FX loop. It would be cool if you could do a review of them.
Actually, my friend Brandon brought his 4X12 with a Joyo Bantamp to a gig & rocked the place....
@@SpectreSoundStudios - OK, I kinda wasn't clear. I meant that most folk who're after this kind of amp are trying to make a portable/lightweight rig (if they're not just carrying it as a backup). I know that's my main goal, 'cos I'm a broken shell of a human being. The requirement to have a 4 ohm cab just to get the bare minimum headroom for a gig out of it is...well, it defeats the point of a small, cheap option if your choices are to replace all the speakers in your cab just to get the right impedance, or replace your small cab with a 4x12".
It's a consequence of the "use more windings in your output transformer to get better sound" ethos in the guitar world, which itself is a hangover from the days of only valve amps being able to do the job properly, so most cabs use 16 ohm speakers and are geared towards 8 ohm or 16 ohm operation. While we're in this transition period (before valves get so expensive that nobody can afford them any more), more needs to be done to coax luddite guitarists into the modern age.
Worth noting that I say this as the owner of a Powerstage 170, which puts out 85W into my 8 ohm 2x12" and is still louder than god's farts, though.
Was the audio recorded by Spectre Sound?
No Josh, it wasn't. Still going to reading lessons before bass lessons, I see.
NICE
SpectreSoundStudios lol
SpectreSoundStudios strange... I was under the impression that it was. You should have put some sort of disclaimer in the video at regular intervals to ensure people got that this was NOT recorded by Spectre Sound. Just like some simple white text or something. Oh well, maybe next time if you remember! And of course, Fuck You Glenn ;)
@@tommystratpaul 🤣😂
Glenn! Please do more videos with Steve you guys have a great chemistry and I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! Been watching both of you for years! Cheers
Really impressed by the sound of these. Now only if they had effects loops...
Glenn, thanks for sharing this. You and Steve are great together, BIG fans of you two!🎧🙏🏻
We had one of these in the workshop and it was surprisingly good and amazing value for money. Great video!
Awesome demo! Boutique and Rock are my favourites. Thanks for a great video!
Glenn's face at 10:02 when he's tuning to Drop D is such a mood.
i wanna wait for Ola Englund to do a Will It Chug? episode on the high gain version. i think we don't need that because this thing absolutely chugs \m/
also, I agree with Glenn. I'd rather have one amp that makes one great sound that one that makes 500 shit ones. this might be that one amp for me.
That thing is pumping out some gorgeous sounds
Tried the boutique at the guitar shop. Great sound. I was playing through a Fender cabinet and using a Fender Strat. Great crunch for classic rock.
Pretty shocked by how good these little amps are!
@@SpectreSoundStudios hey Glenn, what are the outputs on the back?
i have the CLEAN one and its an amazing PEDAL platform. loud and clean out of the cab, makes my stomps sound gorgeous.
Thank you for reviewing these. I've been looking for a place to sing their praises. FYI, the "deep" switch is just a low end boost to compensate for low volumes and not a scoop and the ECO switch turns the amp off after 15 minutes when not in use - ECOfriendly. I've been using a pair of the MV50 "Clean" models in to two of their Vox BC112 4ohm cabs in stereo with a Helix in front of them and... wait for it... this is the best rig I've ever owned. No bullshit! 1. Two of these in to 4ohms is super loud. I mean "BIG stage" loud. 2.They love just about any amp model I put in front of them from Fenders to Friedmans with plenty of head room to run delays and verbs after the model and before the MV50s. 3. Because the NuTube behaves just like a tube you get that warm whoomph you'd expect from tubes. And 4. With the right set up it does everything I want it to and nothing I don't. I've never been able to say that last part about any rig I've ever had. $200. One pound. 50 watts. Fits on your pedal board. Sounds amazing! And you haven't ordered YOURS yet because...
Hi Glenn...Thank you for reviewing Vox’s new tech. Your favorable review will lend credibility to this line of small but reasonably powerful micro-amps. I’ve already been sold on them for a while.
I use a pair of these in my live rig and for some studio sessions. Since I’m a rock guy, I have the Rock versions. I dial in one for crunch (cleans up with my guitar’s volume control) and the other for lead tones. Both are on my pedal board with a half a dozen pedals and a Radial ABY switch. I run them into a pair of 1x12” cabs, each loaded with 12”, 4 ohm, Eminence speakers. The tone is there, load in and out in one trip each way and because Class D power is kinda self scaling, this compact rig can be as loud or as quiet as I need it to be for small to medium venues without sacrificing tone. The other guitar player had a Line Sux (no, not a misspelling) w/the Bogner designed tube power section. He sold it and built himself a new rig similar to mine.
That. Is. Crazy. Way to go Vox. I use to have a Tonelab which was so so but couldn't do metal to my satisfaction. This really isn't bad at all. Thanks for showing these off Glen!
Two of my favorite UA-camrs! Awesome.
Steve is a great guy!
ive had one for about a year now and i still love it! Yes its kinda funny im running gibsons into a little affordable vox but THEY SOUND SO GOOD!
My favorite budget is also the Boss Katana. I love that the guitar player is using a PRS which is what I’m trying to get for my birthday.
Hell yeah!!!
That thing sounds amazing!
Wow the KORG NUTUBE 6P1 DUAL TRIODE is one funky looking 'tube'
Plate voltage of 12 volts too.
We just have one in the band and man, it delievers. Crunchy classic sound. Great and cheap.
my god these little boxes sound amazing
If Glenn Flanders / Monsenior Fricker showed up in a suit and tie again I might have hurt myself !!!!
With some of those "oh fuck, I can't speak my mind rn or I'll start arguments" faces...... I think he might just be Glenn Flanders anyway in this vid... (also hence the "I have nothing to do with this horrid shitty sound" overlay)
Man there's so many good options for budget gear nowadays, I would've been so happy with something like that 15years ago.
The riff Glenn!!! Awesome 👍
Despite your not running the Hi-gain model through the gain range via the amp's knob, this was actually the best demo video to date that illustrates the differences between those 3 models by Vox and w/o an unwarranted break between the contrasts so, memory is still more viable for a more refined comparison. 🤘😎
thanks for the review video.
Damn... I'm going to pick one of the High-Gain ones up for rhythm tones. Great find, Glenn!
Scooping the mids at 9:00 really makes it sound like the over-produced pop-metal sound. I really like the "dirt" in the middle.
I've seen those little amps while looking on websites and never gave them much thought until now. Search and found some others who reviewed them and it seems they sound legit. Good video.
Those Vox MV amps are great. As for the gigging musician, think of a rehearsal rig with the Harley Benton Vintage 30 cab - or even as a backup amp.
There are some "budget amps" that blow the Spider series amps out of the water.
Yep... super affordable & great sound. Seriously impressed.
Glenn, Awesome as always!
I have one serious question that you may have already covered.
Because of noise restrictions, I had an idea that my band could practice using something like ax fx and electric drums through a low volume system or headphones. Have you tried this or do you know anyone that has successfully done something similar?
Good Question
GLEN! GLEEEEN! GLEEEEEEEEEN!
Watched most of your videos by now and find both you and what you're talking about to be very representative and inspiring. Matter a fact your intro song t'ill this day still inspires me to make and mix heavy mix and making it even heavier. However, i'm a producer myself and find it troubling when you talk about the engineering stuff in such a easy manner, for example when you explained how the compressor or limiter works, you're correct in fact, but i feel like your oversimplifying it waaayy more than necessary.
Since, i'm a producer myself but have a studio with instruments and have played guitar for about 10 years and about the same for digital mixing. Although as a producer, i'm way more interested in the audiotechnical rather than the physical act of playing an instrument. Therefore, i would LOVE for you to talk more about DAWS, pro's & con's, why some work better for professionals / selfthought as i am myself. I also would like for you to talk more about the actual mixing, and the theoretical knowledge that lays behind it rather than talking in a way that makes you a "jack of all trades and a master of none"
Greetings from Stockholm and i absolutely LOVE what your doing, your both inspiring, professional and also quite funny!
Keep up the good work and also a big FUCK YOU from producer Andreas Ängvreten!
These have been out for a while. My rhythm guitarist has one as a back up. Sounds great and holds live!
I don't heaps understand how class D poweramps work, but they seem to work really well.
I've got a TC Electronic rh450 bass rig which is class D, crazy light, and heaps loud. It has a pretty nice response. I still go with an all tube rig for guitar gigs though.
Look at you still rocking those camo shorts. I love it!
Glenn Fricker: The Modern Adonis. Coming soon to a concrete jungle near you.
WTF does that have to do with the amps?
SpectreSoundStudios
Because all you could see directly surrounding the amps on the close up shots are those ghost white gams of yours. Couple that with the hair-flip intro and you’ve almost got yourself an entry for Canadians Next Top Model!
Seriously though, I’m just busting your balls dude. I’m a huge fan and you’ve taught us all a lot. You’re half the reason I got into home recording to begin with and I couldn’t have done it without your videos. Thanks! Fuck you from Central Michigan.
@@ryanwilson5936 Glenn is the definition of ''can dish it out but can't take it''
@@SpectreSoundStudios They're just teasing you! Harness it, embrace it, let it fuel you!
Paul Blart Mall Cop truer words have never been spoken haha! Content is good though
“We have a pro crew here!” *audio not recorded by Spectre Sound
Hi Glenn - just curious have you been able to play through a hotone ampero yet ? if so thoughts?? keep up the good work
I played one of these through a Marshall 4x12 the other day and it sounded killer, definitely pushed enough air for gigging volumes. I'm waiting for VOX to release an AC30 combo variant with this technology (maybe to replace the AC30VR). The possibilities for the NuTube technology seem very promising.
The expression of "This is it!" on 6:00 is priceless :D
Pedal builder here: The nu tube is like the display in old vcrs and radios. It works just like a regular tube, electrically. It is a tube not a chip.
alternate vote for your incomplete poll: boss katana! love your channel, keep up the good work!
Wow I need that Hi-Gain Vox amp. It sounds very nice by itself. I really want to hear this amp with a distortion pedal in front of it. Thanks for the video and the great playing form Steve from Boston. Their is nothing like watching Steve play with those meat hammers that he calls hands.
The 1st generation pod is back!
I’ve got the High Gain model. Plug it into a 1X12 4-ohm Celestion cream back closed back cabinet and it sounds great!
Kind of feel like unless you're releasing a standalone power amp, you've got no excuse to not include an effects loop these days.
Favorite budget amp: BOSS Katana series.
I was just about to say that.
Wrong it's line 6 spider
No,fender original mustang amps are better than spider and also better than katana 50!
I only use VOX amps. Never been let down. They're best at 10.
I have a MV50 clean as well as a Mini Super Beetle both are awesome when run through a 12" cab.
Oh man this may be exactly what the doctor ordered. I recently acquired a new cab, and have a spare cab laying around now and thought about using it as a rehearsal gig cab but need a head to fill the needs but a tiny micro head like this may be just what it needs.
The ECO switch doesn't lower the output power, it controls the auto-off function. With the ECO switch on, the amp will turn off if there is no output for 15 minutes.
These amps sound great. I have the vox mv50 ac version. It sounds like an AC30. Great little addition to my studio. If only they had an effects loop...
I think the eco switches just allows the amp to power off when not in use! ;)
*middle of concert*
Amp in eco mode: "Are you still there?"
Countdown timer: 30 29 28 27 ...
I have the AC version and it’s great.
Did Spectre Sound record the audio for this video?
These budget amps sound really good. Probably very usable in an actual mix. I do wish that there are more knobs though, but it sounds so much better than the Spider amps. If anything, using pedals would make it sound even better.
Im curious on your thoughts about the Peavy Vyper 30
Planning on pairing one of these with the Harley Benton 2x12 vertical and selling my Vox VT120+.
I've got the "clean". It's a great pedal platform and pushes some serious air. No FX loop, so I got a Bantamp.
Nice! That High-Gain version is pretty spoopy. It sounds like a head 10x its size. Can't beat the portability for so much crunch. And it's nice to have you back, Glenn. Your evil twin, Zen Fricker (from the other night) scared the fuck outta me. ; )
I've tried one of those and they are impressive, however all the effects and everything you get in the spider V amp for practice is better than just that little piece.
Two of those through two one twelve cabs would be killer.
Vox Box rocks with some quick tricks from PixxyLixxx!!!
Pretty cool sounding little amps. Definitely heard some Black Crows territory with the Boutique version, I would go with the Rock amp & hit it with an OD. I do have a JOYO Zombie & love it! I record my demos with it, cant go wrong.
Eagle has landed riffs 🤘
What's your opinion of the small effect processors from Vox like the Stomplab 1G and 2G?
Eco mode is not a wattage control, it turns off the amp if there's no signal for a certain amount of time to save electricity.
I use the 250 ML on a shit ton of session recordings. The distortion isn't my cup of tea, but the clean tones are unsurpassed by any other amp I've tried. I've even used it on some of my own stuff to get that shimmering 80's Is This Love tone. I used to hate it, but it's really grown on me over the years.
Seems like something I could have use of. I’m only wondering how well it would take pedals?
The Vox Nutube rocks. I do find however that real tubes have a bit more signal lenght to them... sustain is longer on real tubes. Soundwise, though, the nutube is awesome. When can we preorder that new pedal from you guys?
I got a Peavey Windsor for only $250! I recommend finding one if you want to sound like Mastodon or something similar
Never realized how much better The Eagle Has Landed sounds in Drop D.
Hey Glen, would you be up for getting a hold a of a Boss SY-1 Synth Pedal for guitar? its polyphonic and could be a lot of fun :)
Tasty tones
I have a mini super beetle that uses the same tech and it is awesome.
Holy shit that sounds great !
Damn, i need that Rock and High Gain amp!
That’s a really nice blue color on that SE PRS. Idk if that’s the camera / post color or if it actually looks like that.
I am a bassist , vocalist and I run the bass through a Dark Glass Alpha to a PA and it sounds great with no amp . What do others think of bass amps ???
hells yea I need one
Glenn and Steve both kick major ass. No bullshit, you get the real scoop from these guys. The audio and video quality is always superior too. The two best guitar/studio gear channels on YT are by far Spectre Sound Studios and Steve From Boston.
your both legends guys and cool amp
I thought the first one sounded rather plastic at hi-gain, but I liked the other two. I've looked into Nu-Tubes and they are a completely new device tech; actually based on display technology, they glow--which is kinda cool.
I've had the AC version for ages, AWESOME tone!
Particularly through a Orange PPC412 ;-P
Cool sounds guys, Cheers! wish i was born earlier, seeing Dio live in the 80's would be incredible. but the 90's gave us Black Metal. not for everyone, but a huge genre for me!
BlackDeath60 8 when night falls
They’re cool, somebody needs to make a video comparing those to the Joyo or others
If this had multiple channels and maybe an FX Loop...oh wait, Vox make a "real" head with nutube technology. Not sure if I like the sound of it though for modern metal. There's a reason Vox isn't big in that genre. But wow these small, cheap ones really tickle my urge of modifying gear...adding a second channel and an FX loop. I might give that a shot when I find some time. The circuit boards look pretty overseeable after some research. This is simple and all analog, except the class-D power section. Basically a drive stompbox (which I have build and modified some in recent years) with a built in power amp. Great video as always and very inspirational.