Absolutely love my THR30, it’s just a beast little amp. Perfect for my flat where I can’t use my 50W valve amp properly. The sounds I’ve gotten out of it far surpassed my expectations and it also makes a great Bluetooth speaker. That and I got it in one of your B-Stock sales!
It's incredible. Also the Bluetooth to line out for recording is amazing. I had a buddy play a track from his phone through my amp, and I recorded a lead part straight outta the back of the amp into the computer.
On my end I thought the Yamaha sounded better. Much brighter and cleaner sounding to me. The Victory and two-note box sounded muffled, like the speaker was locked in a closet somewhere. The Yamaha was a clear winner for me.
I'm looking at my THR30II right now and LOVE it. I have a wall of amps, pedals, Helix, and the Yamaha is perfect for low volume jamming. Tone is spot on. I also use it for the backyard jams. I use it as my personal monitor and send the output to the mixer out to a QSC 12.2 speaker. Sounds great! Simple, small, great tone.
I just got a Captor X so I'll add a few thoughts. Your amp will sound vastly different through it depending on the settings you use and it's quite easy to make it sound bad if you don't take some time to dial it in well. There are dozens of choices of speaker cabs and 8 different mic options for each cab and you can use two mics on each cab. Beyond that you can change the axis and distance for each mic. And all of that comes before the EQ, enhancer, and reverb options. The differences are not subtle. You can make your amp sound drastically different depending on how you set things up. It's a great example of how important speakers and speaker cabs are to an amp's tone and also how much of an influence the mic setup has. Because of all of this, there really isn't a way to say that an amp "sounds like this" through a Captor X because that's just one of a nearly unlimited number of tones you can get from it. If I only wanted to play at bedroom volume and I didn't own anything, I definitely would not go out and buy a tube amp and a Captor X. It's too expensive and there are cheaper options that will still sound great in that setting. The Captor X is for people that already have a tube amp they love, but need the flexibility to be able to play through headphones or quietly.
Thanks for this. I actually have the Vox Adio about which is great. However it does not record well. I have 2 valve amps and pedal board and wanted to start recording that at home without having to mic the cab. All the reviews of the captor seem to be glowing, but also appear to have had it sent to them. It's always harder to just it as a fair review. Anyway, I did read a comment that the captor is quite trebley and tinny (compared to similar products, granted they are double the price) how have you found the recorded sound? How good is it out of the box? Appreciate any advice you might offer
Just so many reasons to love the Yammy.....first and foremost...it sounds great....it's super portable...makes a outstanding practice amp....great recording capability....built in effects....etc etc etc. After watching and researching the amp...I was still on the fence comparing it to other options. One weekend my girlfriend and I went to a local outdoor mall to do some shopping. I heard this great acoustic guitar sound and a guy singing coming from the courtyard. Sure enough the guy was playing through a Yammy THR30 and it sounded great. I waited for a break between songs...and asked him his opinion on the amp. He said it was the best sounding small portable amp he had ever owned...and at thirty watts it was loud enough for his other gig which was playing in a 50 seat little Italian café. I was sold....bought it....love it. Absolutely no regrets.
Not only is there a price difference, but there are some other benefits of the THR30: - Based on this video, I like the sound better. - It’s very easy to use. - It’s easy on the eyes around the house. - with the wireless transmitter, it is super tidy (no mess of cables). - You can pick it up along with your guitar, and walk out to your back yard (or wherever) and play for a while. - With built-in effects, it’s all right in the box (no pedalboard mess). All this is assuming you just want to play and practice at home without a mess and without a bunch of setup. I just have mine on top of my dresser in the bedroom and my guitar (with transmitter) on a stand next to it. I’m happy, wife is happy. It’s just a different purpose from the valve amp setup. The valve rig, of course, may give you other options that the THR doesn’t, but that’s why I say it’s just a different mindset and purpose.
- It works as a high quality PC speaker, so you can very effortlessly jam to tracks or recordings. Of course, you can also watch movies or stream music through it too. - With the headphones on, you can practice or noodle along in almost perfect silence. It's quieter than a softly played acoustic. - It's many amps in one box. All of them different enough. Very easily accessible. No fiddling through menus etc.
I do agree. you are absolutely right. I have my THR10 for years and i use it with a wireless system in our living room or backyard veranda. Once you have it you will very often just not make the effort to go to your basement studio and fire the Marshalls up. It just sounds amazing. I might even go for the new one at some point to get all amps and the in build wireless. not cheap but for home player all you need. and it sounds great. THR10 Modern amp sim is probably a SOL100 and it just does all you need. Just adjust volume or gain.
@@pentatonicpaddy erm... it's the guessing games that are for children, Paddy. I'm more than happy to be able to see the A/B lights as it meant I could always tell which tone was coming from which amp without the need for guessing like a child. With respect, of course.
I have a couple of the older model Yamaha THR's. The high gain THR10X and the acoustic THR5a, both a amazing little amps. Both shine with their ease of recording into a DAW. Fun and functional. A producer friend couldn't believe the quality of recorded audio that I sent him for a few songs. Now I am thinking about buying a THR30.
hmm, i tried a THR5 and it sounded awful does anyone know if the 10 and 30 are different in sound? otherwise there must be something wrong with my ears because these are so popular.
@@samchadwick4247 That's the 5 watt electric model, I have never played thru that one. but both my high gain and acoustic model sound great and record with zero latency through my Adobe Audition. I believe the 30 incorporates all the THR models in one unit and it is 30 watts.
@@mudwiser1391 right and i think the electric 5 is the only one that hasn't been updated much since the original launch. the 30 sounds great in this vid and nothing like the 5 that i tried.
the way you recorded it, the Yamaha sounds better and fuller, i found the victory sounding too buzzy in the midrange. Maybe the plexiglass or sitting behind the speakers changing the view, or how it feels to play for Pete
Another big selling point is that the THR is also meant to be portable solution that can be used plugged in or battery powered. Very different needs are met in the two options.
Less than a year ago, I bought the Fender SuperChamp X2. I really liked it, tube / SS with 16 voices, reverb, chorus and other effects all built in. Within 10 months, the loud crackling sound began and the tubes were history. I just bought the Yamaha THRII30 and I'm supposed to get it this week. I had the opportunity to play it for 30 minutes before buying and it sounded great. I will come back and edit this post after I've had the chance to really explore the Yamaha.
I have to say I really enjoy the videos you with Pete he is such an amazing guitarist and really does a great job of showing off all the range of all the gear you two review together. I also notice that the Captain played more when he does demos with Pete like he is not intimidated to play along with him It's a much more relaxed and natural interaction between these to that I really enjoy vs the other option Thank you for all you do Andertons luv from Canada
I agree. Pete is such an awesome well rounded guitarist. I've been watching andertons videos from day one and the captain has come on no end in his playing
There’s nothing like the feeling of interacting with a valve amp when you are playing, the response of the tube and the drain of the capacitors. Love my captor and CabM on my amps.
I am listening with my headphones and the fuller sound is definitely coming from the THR. The Yamaha is only £419 at Andertons compared to £2k plus for the Victory setup. For volumes at this level with the versatility being a premium, the Yamaha stands out by a long way. My 2012 THR 10 still rates as my top "HOME VOLUME" amp. Great comparison today, expensive doesn't always mean better.
I'm listening through studio monitors, and the fuller sound is coming from the THR. In fact, I think it sounds much better than the tube amp->Captor-X-> studio monitors chain. I'm hoping it's the rinky-dink studio monitors that are causing the crappy sound, as this (with a Plexi) was what I was hoping to use for bedroom playing. Also, next time, when you are sitting behind the speakers and way off to the side, do not make comments in real-time. Wait until you listen to the recording. The comments about the high-end compression at 6:30 were way off: I though the Yamaha sounded more realistic in that regard than the other combo using a real tube amp.
Around 9:30 I can hear the difference in the high-end, and the tube-amp does sound more pleasant, but those weak little studio monitors with no bass are not giving the tone justice.
Man, the in the room sound must have been entirely different than what we heard. When they did the A/B test I was sure that the Yamaha was the second one since it sounded so bad, but it turns out that was the one they liked, the valve amp! The Yamaha's distortion tone absolutely killed the valve's tone. The valve amp sounded like a box of fried ass. But that doesn't make any sense, since I bought and returned the Yamaha since I thought it sounded dreadful. It sounded like playing an amp that was covered by a weighted blanket. I guess it goes to show you that what a amp sounds in the room vs what it sound mic'd is entirely different, and honestly my preference will always be a mic'd sound. It sounds more "real" to me. Even on my Katana I do a lot of EQing to get those high ends to make it sound more like a mic'd sound rather than what I suppose most guitar want.
I just got a Captor X so I'll add a few thoughts. Your amp will sound vastly different through it depending on the settings you use and it's quite easy to make it sound bad if you don't take some time to dial it in well. There are dozens of choices of speaker cabs and 8 different mic options for each cab and you can use two mics on each cab. Beyond that you can change the axis and distance for each mic. And all of that comes before the EQ, enhancer, and reverb options. The differences are not subtle. You can make your amp sound drastically different depending on how you set things up. It's a great example of how important speakers and speaker cabs are to an amp's tone and also how much of an influence the mic setup has. Because of all of this, there really isn't a way to say that an amp "sounds like this" through a Captor X because that's just one of a nearly unlimited number of tones you can get from it. If I only wanted to play at bedroom volume and I didn't own anything, I definitely would not go out and buy a tube amp and a Captor X. It's too expensive and there are cheaper options that will still sound great in that setting. The Captor X is for people that already have a tube amp they love, but need the flexibility to be able to play through headphones or quietly.
The Victory was too compressed for my tastes but at the same time thicker sounding than the Yamaha. The problem here is most likely entirely the cab sims used. I don't think the THR allows uploading your own impulse responses but just using the editor software to choose a different cab would most likely even the sound a lot. The Genelec output is probably also better than what the THR speakers are capable of.
I was tl;dr the long comment above me but it makes a HUGE difference what impulse response you use with the captor (or any loadbox, for that matter). If the IR is shit (or you just dont like it), it does not matter AT ALL what amp you put in front of that. And i‘m saying NOT A SINGLE BIT. Could be a cheap knock off amp on low volume or a fully cranked Plexi; if the IR (snapshot of a particular speaker, mic, mic position, room etc) sounds like shit, the tone you‘ll be getting with it will ALLWAYS sound like shit as well. ALLWAYS.
All I can say is don’t buy a Spark. If you receive one then it will either buzz like hell or in my case break within a day of use. Kemper into 8” monitors is glorious mind you.
ive had a spark amp for a few months now and its fantastic, ive powered mine with a 18v cordless drill battery i can take it anywhere , i also have orange, marshall,blackstar valve amps and the spark really is good
I had a Kemper and did not like the sound into my studio monitors. Too 'hi fi' sounding. Not the Kempers fault obviously. Part of the overall vibe of playing a tube amp is the very specific and narrow range of a speaker designed for a guitar amp.
Have a look at the Spark forums - this is a known and common problem. Contact them and demand a replacement grounded power supply - I did, and the new PS solved the terrible buzz issue. I still want the Yamaha THRII 30 - it sounds fantastic for the price compared to the two grand setup in this video. The Victory combo sounds anemic beside it.
chatter I also have the kemper Kabinet which entirely solves the amp in the room issue. Strangely I actually prefer the monitors a lot of the time. It is hifi but also immersive especially for cleans. To each their own I guess. I think a lot depends on the profile and the monitor too.
Hace unos días me compré el Yamaha thr 30 ii. Llevaba años tocando con bias y neural . Estos vsts suenan muy bien, pero la sensación que he tenido estos días con el Yamaha es diferente, especial. Para casa creo que es la mejor inversión que he hecho . He redescubierto la versatilidad de mi strato Clapton y su electrónica . Con los vst no apreciaba tanto esa versatilidad . Con el Yamaha , con los presets crunch que me descargué de la web de este canal, he disfrutado mucho de jugar con el tercer pote de esta estrato, lo subes y de repente es casi como un fuzz, espectacular. Un rango dinámico muy interesante. Con los vsts no se aprecia en la escucha , pero sí sí estas tocando . Impresionante el Yamaha .
I think there is only one clear winner here but the price difference is huge!!! Like Lee said if you already own an amp then getting the captor and monitors is the way forward but come us guitarists are just so so spoilt these days, there are so many great products out there. Well done guys!
I have the smaller Yamaha. It’s amazing and has saved me from insanity this year. It sounds great. It’s as loud as my home theater set up, takes pedals like a champ, easy to use with custom presets or the app to tweak, and use Bluetooth to play along with Pete and the boys in an Anderton’s jam track. Great piece of gear.
+1 for the THR's.... The Flat channel is basically FRFR, running my Iridium into it is a blast, plus basic effects, plus a good Aux In with Vol.... can't ask for more
I do exactly this. The THR doesn't really take pedals well on its own, but with the iridium at the end of the board, plus using the built in delay and reverb from the THR30, it's a killer setup for the money
Wow I even preferred the yamaha with OD. Didn’t expect that! When you made the “blind” OD test in the beginning I thought “yeah I know which one is which, the yamaha sounds wayyyy boxier”. and it was the V30 😳😳😳
Actually, the original Torpedo Captor is still available and it's a steal! I feel most advantages of the Captor X are for live players... for home recording, the regular Captor with the Wall of Sound plug-in does basically the same job. Of course, you have to turn on the computer every time you want to play guitar, which some people may find annoying...
I like that the thr30ii has line outs. This let's you create a physical send/return effects loop using the aux in with a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter. Most practice amps don't have this awesome feature.
I just got the (Black) Yamaha THR 30II and I am Loving-my purchase. Awesome little amp. It has those 65 Blackface Fender Princeton-like "Cleans" and also the Van Halen brown-sound too. I will Never be without. You guys did a great job with this comparison. oNe LovE from NYC
Love my THR30, I can highly recommend it. I also got a Laney L5 Studio, which can be switched between 5 and 0,5W. So you don’t need a reactive load to play a true valve amp at home, there are some good amps on the market that do the job right out of the box.
I was convinced of the Captor X before this (as an at home silent practice/recording solution) and am even more now so - in regards to sound (ignoring price). MY situation is I've got a handful of amp heads/combos/cabs, but I need a silent solution for practice/recording at home. Great video!
The THR has really got me interested, especially the little 10W, think ill watch your other video on them to make my mind up :) I'd love a nice little clean sounding amp that doesn't annoy my neighbours, but don't we all!
Another random video idea for comparison for the at home player: the THR vs the Boss Katana 100w head. At first glance it doesn’t seem like they match up, but the Boss has a speaker in the head (unusual). Can it do what the THR does, and then also be a 100W head for gigging and the various recording benefits it provides?
Bigger monitors would help a lot.... also, how the Captor is set up makes a MASSIVE difference, the unit really has lots of options for shaping your sound. I'd definitely recommend getting one as long as you already have the other necessary equipment.... if you don't have a tube amp and monitors and just need something to play at low volumes, the Yamaha is the better deal
Been down this route myself for over 20 years but ultimately for primarily home practice the THR is hard to beat. It sounds great at low volume, headphone out option, bluetooth over backing tracks. The settings are super quick to tweak because they are available on the top of the amp. No fannying in menus. Mine has wireless connectivity for a gt10 plus built in battery so can use it unplugged. I bought a Fender 68 Vibro Champ valve which is 5 watt and thought it would useable for home. Unfortunately to get a decent sound that amp is still way too loud unless you live in a detached house away from the neighbours. It sounds awesome but the Yamaha is making me a better player because it’s much more suitable for home so use it nearly daily. I save the pedal board and Valve amp for rehearsal and gigging.
With this inconspicuous video you (probably unintentionally) made me: 1. Sell my valve guitar combo (12"@15W) and my bass combo (15"@250W) 2. Buy an affordable multieffect and a small line mixer, and blend guitar signal into a HI-FI Stereo 3. Save space and money and, most of all, enjoy *better* sound at home volume levels Thank you so much, guys! Btw. I blended my Katana Air output in as well. Sounds better through a HI-FI, too!
If you put in size in the game, the THR is a winner. I have a THR10C which I use when I have to have a shot practice session and you just put it an a table, plug it in and of you go. Of course the valve amp sounded more alive and you just can’t get there with a digital amp, you got to know what your buying. This is a great comparison and it shows that sound wise, the digital amps are getting better. As always Pete’s playing is just wonderful. I really love those ambient parts. Keep up the good work!
I'm not even watching those videos for the gear or the reviews anymore. I don't need any of that. I live in a flat and can't use a real amp anyways. I've settled with an Ipad mini, a Motu M2 a Midicontroller and BiasFX2. That's perfect for my needs. Im watching those videos for the Captain and Pete and the jams. And i love it.
Has anyone here compared the THR-30 II W with the THR-10 II W? For someone like myself, who only really wants classic clean, crunch or slightly overdriven sounds do I really need the 30 version? I suppose that being bigger, the 30 has a larger battery and so can play for longer on one charge. I'm assuming that everyone thinks the wireless function is an excellent feature. I'd be pleased to read your comments.
When the music talk you cant do anything about it ! Impressed by your talent, your work and the quality of your work ahah Keep up, you make us feel great ! By the way if anyone see that comment and want more guitar videos, i might need some feedbacks (:
I seemed to like the Green light on the A/B box all the way. Seriously though, before you revealed the the very first clean comparison, I thought the green would be the Genelec’s more full bodied and present feel. That’s a surprise actually
I agree with most of the comments below. I am listening on Senheiser HD 280 PRO headphones. The Yamaha sounds much fuller. I think though that the 2 3.5” speakers in the Yamaha Kill the 2 3” speakers in the genelecs. Also, guitar amps don’t normally have tweeters which contributes to the extra scratchiness of the victory. Cab sim tweaks and studio monitors with 4 or 5 in full ranges would make a difference.
The yellow cord going from the a/b switch gave me a 100% success rate on telling which app was which ... also the lights on the a/b switch we’re a dead giveaway🤣😀🇺🇸
I'm glad I live in the country, not only have I largely avoided the BeerBug, but I get to use my amp straight into a 2x12 cab. Theres nothng quite like moving big lumps of air.
If I want a good home rig I would get a katana head and use the 5 inch speaker it has. Or play through my computer through a nice set of headphones. It's cheaper and sounds better. Also, tons of amps are coming out with XLR outs that sound good through an interface. The Yamaha doesn't sound good enough to justify buying that only for home use. I would rather have something that I can play at home and on a gig of any size.
I understand the attempted point of this video and with larger studio monitors I’m sure I’d agree the valve amp + captor x sounds better (especially with the captor’s stereo reverbs!) but in this video played through a very nice hifi setup, the Yamaha sounds better 🤷♂️. Still looking forward to getting the captor x and playing my V40 through said hifi speakers cause in that setting it’s gonna kill.
Not sound I would be looking at myself, but I liked the Victory with the Two Notes for cleans and the Yamaha for dirty. However if setup correctly and possibly loading your own impulse using the Two Notes may be a better option for home users because:- 1. You'll be using your normal gigging amp, so sounds should be closer to what you're accustomed to. 2. Most musos I know have a home studio setup already,so will already have monitors. 3. The Two Notes is also an attinuator, so you can use your current cabinet if you don't have a set of monitors. However just using the Captor may be a better option for this ad it's half the price. The Yamaha is a great practice amp, but they are a little on the expensive side, as are the Boss and Vox alternatives, but offer a degree of portability that the Two Notes option can't even come close to, it's also a hell of a lot simpler, just plug in a guitar and play, the Two Notes is not straight forward.
I think the Yamaha benefits from having an integrated system overall... the amp models and IR algorithms were tuned specifically to its onboard speakers. Whereas the Victory + Captor + Monitors, whilst functionally equivalent, is lacking "glue" that binds everything together as a whole.
Guys for home use the new THR-10 is the go to, It’s pretty much the cheapest, and using the app you get access to the THR 11’s full 15 amplifiers and sounds. If you are living in an apartment or thin walls, I feel it’s one of the better solutions, It also works great as my pc speakers, I connect my phone by Bluetooth at the same time so I can play games and listen to UA-cam. I don’t personally see what would be gained by going for the higher cost models. More loud? Get un amp my friend, this is just a tribute
Btw bigger Genelec monitors cost 1k plus per pop easy. One important thing is how does it feel to play it. Some of the digital solutions today sound almost identical to tube amps but feel completely different. Also just to listen to a guitar you can have amp turned down. Two nites is for so much more. Setup is good for recording in all of it's forms. Iso cab and mic and interface card is an option to. Sure headphones or monitors are still needed but it is a valid option and it can cost same or less then a two notes solution.
I think it's worth considering the Orange Dark micro terror (is that's its full correct name?), it's £150 roughly, has cab sim on the headphone port but can be connected to a small Orange cab or a large cab of your choice. I have the old gen THR3-10 and it's awesome, but if this one is now 500 quid, sure it has the models and I think it's great and they've improved the software. But the micro terror and dark do have valves. Also the dark has an FX loop...
Maybe it’s UA-cam’s compression, but they sounded pretty different in the car to me. I’d like to hear a comparison to the Badcat Paw, sort of a hybrid of both if these.
Unless something is missing from the room sound that didn't make the video then the Yamaha kills it. The High Gain was night and day. Even before Captain made changes to the Yamaha it was miles better. I kind of don't get how they were choosing the Victory for some of those.
I have Subzero SZSM-4x Studio, cheap and decent. I'm a DJ/producer at heart so quality is decent for the price compared to others I've used, best about 5-6 inches from a hard wall to prevent bass from getting lost in drywalls.
WOW! This is a very convincing demo of both the THR and the Amp/Captor/Genelec-setup: - both do sound very good - the THR is a great option for like 500$ - the Genelecs seem to be very good spekers - two notes is still in the ballpark (OX and Boss are quite 2 x as much) So thanks a lot for sharing this great video.
Wet dry into two valve amps set quite for the win! It's counter intuative but you can get a bigger sound and better feel at low volumes than with a single amp at the same overall volume. It also means you get to justify annother amp! :D
I own a Victory V40 Dutches and a THR20. I use the THR20 a lot more because the sound quality is good and more sound options to play with plus very portable with battery power to play in the park.
It's the Yamaha for me. Just sounds richer. I have a Blackstar HT Mk II with emulated DI output into my Steinberg UR22 into KRK Rokit 7 speakers, which sounds great and I can use my pedals with that.
Why would you go through all the trouble of using a real valve amp with attenuator if you're not using a real guitar cabinet, which arguably makes more difference to the tone in the room than the amp itself?!
So… in this video the THR sounds better HOWEVER, last month I finally pushed the button on a valve amp after watching this. #Andertons made me do it. I genuinely thought the thr30 sounded great at home until I brought a bad cat with the torpedo and genelec 8010’s. So much more depth clarity and feeling. Great shop, great people and great video. If you are in doubt of this then go to a shop and ask them to set this up for you and try yourself.
Don’t think Lee wanted to undersell his expensive victory amps 😂 even tho you could hear the Yamaha was better on the dirty sounds. Maybe it was the reverb on the thr.
Its honestly a bit nuts how good the Yamaha sounds. Extremely versatile, and it sounds like it would be incredible for home recording. I have a classic tube amp, I have a solid state, and to me, it seems a Yamaha could very well be a better option to record than those in some cases. I've been seriously sleeping on Yamaha. You guys should put the Yamaha SLG200's in a video. I bought one recently, and it's insane how great it sounds.
I think you guys should consider waiting to post these videos until you hear the mic’d sounds. We get a very different listening experience than you in the room! Consider putting a recap at the end of your videos once you’ve had a chance to hear the way your audience hears! Either way, I buy the Yami on principle of sound for value alone. Great tone, considerable savings
What I've done to compliment my few amp heads is to do amp sims on my computer. Using Reaper (or whatever DAW) and one of a million amp sims through a pair of studio headphones sounds great for cheap (couple hundred bucks for all of it). In addition to that, sometimes I'll take the headphone output from my interface into the aux input of my Randall RG1503H and use that to power an old Bugera cab with FRFR speakers (for no coloration) and it sounds killer when I want to play a cranked JCM800 and Rockerverb 50 at bedroom volumes or up to 150W of power is pretty sweet.
I have both devices and like both of them for different purposes. I don't think the setup with the speakers used for the Captor X is really comparable with the Yamaha. The speakers in the Yamaha are quite good for their size, I think they sound better than the ones used for the Captor. The captor also allows other output options, such as the actual speaker of the amp (attenuated to room level!) or headphones, which sound better than the headphone output from the Yamaha in my opinion.
I absolutely love my AC15HWX. It has a master volume (attenuator), and my pedal board has tone-benders and rangemasters, etc. (I have other tube amps too). But far too often, I just use the THRc while practicing. Let's not ignore the convenience factor.
To be honest, I've only recently converted the Vox to a Celestion Blue, and so I'm using it a lot to break in the speaker. But the THR still gets an awful lot of use. Powering up the pedalboard, waiting for the tubes to warm up; it's nice - and a far better timbre; - but flicking the switch on the Yammy is quicker and easier for most practice.
I own a thr 5 and immediately recognized it when a/b ing it. From a pure sound perspective, still prefer the victory. The gain structure on these two amps is different and many people likes the thr more here because it sounds fuller. But it is somehow "innatural", especially on the palm mutes, while the victory sounds like a proper tube amp. Imho the victory needed more "push" or gain from the amp itself to sound fuller.
I think mic placement really did this video a disservice, and I get it that it would have to have been a lot more complicated to really match them up. I’m surprised tho they didn’t go with a deluxe reverb or a DSL and put the captor output with the cab speaker as opposed to the emulated output used, but once again I get that a 12in speaker might produce slightly above bedroom volume. That being said, I still love the content and staff!!
For a low volume recording session the THR won this battle. However the war is a stage setup and cranking the tube amps to get the feel AND sound. IMO...good test though fellas. As always really.
Heard plenty of proof of the sound quality from the Victory and the Captor X. Maybe a bad choice of speakers to represent the valve sound. Taking nothing away from the THR, but it's designed for this, and that includes the speakers.
Through my phone I couldn't hear much difference. But I put the video on through my Hi-Fi system, and it's obvious which is which and which was the real tube amp. Still the Yamaha for the price is something to consider.
I stick a Palmer Audio attenuator on my EVH 5150 and that is fine for bedroom volume. Also use a Nux Solid Studio and a Behringer mixer to play through headphones if I need to be silent.
The yammy totally kills it. The amp sounded buzzy and kinda transistorsh. The Yammy sounded so full and totally like a perfectly mic'd speaker cab. I'm not sure if the captor is the suspect here. I'd like to hear the same shootout with a real cab mic'd on the amp. I so close to buying a THR now.
only one thing im sure,is that genelec 8010 studio monitors looks small, but sound way bigger than it looks,and very very good sound for the tools and for music listening.only bad is not cheap, but worth.
I own the older THR10. It's great for what it's meant to do, but it really struggles with distortion pedals - I only get sounds I like out of the fender amp SIM and maybe the ac30 and turns many pedals that I know would sound great into a real amp, into decoration on shelves.
The new THR30II takes pedals quite well, partly because there is much more amp and cab variety for tonal shaping. I also have the older THR10 and I agree with you - it dislikes many drive pedals! If you have not heard of or tried it yet, try the delay block EQ trick - google: thr10 filter mod, or visit @JohnDaleOfficial youtube channel, I believe the trick is his baby.
In the 2nd example(s) I could hear more midrange from the Yamaha - which I preferred. Don't forget it's going to UA-cam being compressed sent to the USA and out through my studio monitors.... I'm probably not hearing what you are. Best, Pete.
I have a Captor X and to be honest its pretty much like an extension of a modelling amp anyway because you are changing so many parameters digitally at the speaker end of the chain!
Yamaha every time. It seems to have a full tone. At least at this end. I have listened on headphones as well. Yamaha absolutely kills it!!
I agree, in this video. But not in person. It’s irritatingly different
Absolutely love my THR30, it’s just a beast little amp. Perfect for my flat where I can’t use my 50W valve amp properly. The sounds I’ve gotten out of it far surpassed my expectations and it also makes a great Bluetooth speaker.
That and I got it in one of your B-Stock sales!
Oh also, I found for overdriven sounds changing the cab simulation in the app makes a huge difference for reducing the fizz.
It's incredible. Also the Bluetooth to line out for recording is amazing. I had a buddy play a track from his phone through my amp, and I recorded a lead part straight outta the back of the amp into the computer.
On my end I thought the Yamaha sounded better. Much brighter and cleaner sounding to me. The Victory and two-note box sounded muffled, like the speaker was locked in a closet somewhere. The Yamaha was a clear winner for me.
Agree. ( also ) the all in one Convenience of the Yamaha. I am so Impressed with my THR 30II
I'm looking at my THR30II right now and LOVE it. I have a wall of amps, pedals, Helix, and the Yamaha is perfect for low volume jamming. Tone is spot on. I also use it for the backyard jams. I use it as my personal monitor and send the output to the mixer out to a QSC 12.2 speaker. Sounds great! Simple, small, great tone.
I just got a Captor X so I'll add a few thoughts. Your amp will sound vastly different through it depending on the settings you use and it's quite easy to make it sound bad if you don't take some time to dial it in well. There are dozens of choices of speaker cabs and 8 different mic options for each cab and you can use two mics on each cab. Beyond that you can change the axis and distance for each mic. And all of that comes before the EQ, enhancer, and reverb options. The differences are not subtle. You can make your amp sound drastically different depending on how you set things up. It's a great example of how important speakers and speaker cabs are to an amp's tone and also how much of an influence the mic setup has.
Because of all of this, there really isn't a way to say that an amp "sounds like this" through a Captor X because that's just one of a nearly unlimited number of tones you can get from it.
If I only wanted to play at bedroom volume and I didn't own anything, I definitely would not go out and buy a tube amp and a Captor X. It's too expensive and there are cheaper options that will still sound great in that setting. The Captor X is for people that already have a tube amp they love, but need the flexibility to be able to play through headphones or quietly.
Thanks for this. I actually have the Vox Adio about which is great. However it does not record well. I have 2 valve amps and pedal board and wanted to start recording that at home without having to mic the cab. All the reviews of the captor seem to be glowing, but also appear to have had it sent to them. It's always harder to just it as a fair review.
Anyway, I did read a comment that the captor is quite trebley and tinny (compared to similar products, granted they are double the price) how have you found the recorded sound? How good is it out of the box? Appreciate any advice you might offer
Just so many reasons to love the Yammy.....first and foremost...it sounds great....it's super portable...makes a outstanding practice amp....great recording capability....built in effects....etc etc etc. After watching and researching the amp...I was still on the fence comparing it to other options. One weekend my girlfriend and I went to a local outdoor mall to do some shopping. I heard this great acoustic guitar sound and a guy singing coming from the courtyard. Sure enough the guy was playing through a Yammy THR30 and it sounded great. I waited for a break between songs...and asked him his opinion on the amp. He said it was the best sounding small portable amp he had ever owned...and at thirty watts it was loud enough for his other gig which was playing in a 50 seat little Italian café. I was sold....bought it....love it. Absolutely no regrets.
Not only is there a price difference, but there are some other benefits of the THR30:
- Based on this video, I like the sound better.
- It’s very easy to use.
- It’s easy on the eyes around the house.
- with the wireless transmitter, it is super tidy (no mess of cables).
- You can pick it up along with your guitar, and walk out to your back yard (or wherever) and play for a while.
- With built-in effects, it’s all right in the box (no pedalboard mess).
All this is assuming you just want to play and practice at home without a mess and without a bunch of setup. I just have mine on top of my dresser in the bedroom and my guitar (with transmitter) on a stand next to it. I’m happy, wife is happy. It’s just a different purpose from the valve amp setup. The valve rig, of course, may give you other options that the THR doesn’t, but that’s why I say it’s just a different mindset and purpose.
- It works as a high quality PC speaker, so you can very effortlessly jam to tracks or recordings. Of course, you can also watch movies or stream music through it too.
- With the headphones on, you can practice or noodle along in almost perfect silence. It's quieter than a softly played acoustic.
- It's many amps in one box. All of them different enough. Very easily accessible. No fiddling through menus etc.
I do agree. you are absolutely right. I have my THR10 for years and i use it with a wireless system in our living room or backyard veranda. Once you have it you will very often just not make the effort to go to your basement studio and fire the Marshalls up. It just sounds amazing. I might even go for the new one at some point to get all amps and the in build wireless. not cheap but for home player all you need. and it sounds great. THR10 Modern amp sim is probably a SOL100 and it just does all you need. Just adjust volume or gain.
the "let's not say which is which" thing doesn't really work when we can see the lights on the A/B switch ;)
@@pentatonicpaddy erm... it's the guessing games that are for children, Paddy. I'm more than happy to be able to see the A/B lights as it meant I could always tell which tone was coming from which amp without the need for guessing like a child. With respect, of course.
Popcorn, with respect.
The lights are useless if you don't know which one is connected to which output to begin with.
@@jzhu623 They revealed it after the first clean test, so you know which is which for all the rest of the tests.
I have a couple of the older model Yamaha THR's. The high gain THR10X and the acoustic THR5a, both a amazing little amps. Both shine with their ease of recording into a DAW. Fun and functional. A producer friend couldn't believe the quality of recorded audio that I sent him for a few songs. Now I am thinking about buying a THR30.
hmm, i tried a THR5 and it sounded awful does anyone know if the 10 and 30 are different in sound? otherwise there must be something wrong with my ears because these are so popular.
@@samchadwick4247 That's the 5 watt electric model, I have never played thru that one. but both my high gain and acoustic model sound great and record with zero latency through my Adobe Audition. I believe the 30 incorporates all the THR models in one unit and it is 30 watts.
@@mudwiser1391 right and i think the electric 5 is the only one that hasn't been updated much since the original launch. the 30 sounds great in this vid and nothing like the 5 that i tried.
the way you recorded it, the Yamaha sounds better and fuller, i found the victory sounding too buzzy in the midrange. Maybe the plexiglass or sitting behind the speakers changing the view, or how it feels to play for Pete
Another big selling point is that the THR is also meant to be portable solution that can be used plugged in or battery powered. Very different needs are met in the two options.
Less than a year ago, I bought the Fender SuperChamp X2. I really liked it, tube / SS with 16 voices, reverb, chorus and other effects all built in. Within 10 months, the loud crackling sound began and the tubes were history. I just bought the Yamaha THRII30 and I'm supposed to get it this week. I had the opportunity to play it for 30 minutes before buying and it sounded great. I will come back and edit this post after I've had the chance to really explore the Yamaha.
I have to say I really enjoy the videos you with Pete he is such an amazing guitarist and really does a great job of showing off all the range of all the gear you two review together.
I also notice that the Captain played more when he does demos with Pete like he is not intimidated to play along with him
It's a much more relaxed and natural interaction between these to that I really enjoy vs the other option
Thank you for all you do Andertons luv from Canada
I agree. Pete is such an awesome well rounded guitarist. I've been watching andertons videos from day one and the captain has come on no end in his playing
Me too. 100% Better, more informative and enjoyable-to-watch vs. that crazy guy The Chapper ( he was just awful ).
There’s nothing like the feeling of interacting with a valve amp when you are playing, the response of the tube and the drain of the capacitors. Love my captor and CabM on my amps.
I am listening with my headphones and the fuller sound is definitely coming from the THR. The Yamaha is only £419 at Andertons compared to £2k plus for the Victory setup. For volumes at this level with the versatility being a premium, the Yamaha stands out by a long way. My 2012 THR 10 still rates as my top "HOME VOLUME" amp. Great comparison today, expensive doesn't always mean better.
I'm listening through studio monitors, and the fuller sound is coming from the THR. In fact, I think it sounds much better than the tube amp->Captor-X-> studio monitors chain. I'm hoping it's the rinky-dink studio monitors that are causing the crappy sound, as this (with a Plexi) was what I was hoping to use for bedroom playing.
Also, next time, when you are sitting behind the speakers and way off to the side, do not make comments in real-time. Wait until you listen to the recording. The comments about the high-end compression at 6:30 were way off: I though the Yamaha sounded more realistic in that regard than the other combo using a real tube amp.
Around 9:30 I can hear the difference in the high-end, and the tube-amp does sound more pleasant, but those weak little studio monitors with no bass are not giving the tone justice.
I recently bought my first les Paul and the thr 30 from you guys and couldn’t be happier. Great content lads
Man, the in the room sound must have been entirely different than what we heard. When they did the A/B test I was sure that the Yamaha was the second one since it sounded so bad, but it turns out that was the one they liked, the valve amp! The Yamaha's distortion tone absolutely killed the valve's tone. The valve amp sounded like a box of fried ass. But that doesn't make any sense, since I bought and returned the Yamaha since I thought it sounded dreadful. It sounded like playing an amp that was covered by a weighted blanket. I guess it goes to show you that what a amp sounds in the room vs what it sound mic'd is entirely different, and honestly my preference will always be a mic'd sound. It sounds more "real" to me. Even on my Katana I do a lot of EQing to get those high ends to make it sound more like a mic'd sound rather than what I suppose most guitar want.
Yeah the Victory sounded super compressed
I just got a Captor X so I'll add a few thoughts. Your amp will sound vastly different through it depending on the settings you use and it's quite easy to make it sound bad if you don't take some time to dial it in well. There are dozens of choices of speaker cabs and 8 different mic options for each cab and you can use two mics on each cab. Beyond that you can change the axis and distance for each mic. And all of that comes before the EQ, enhancer, and reverb options. The differences are not subtle. You can make your amp sound drastically different depending on how you set things up. It's a great example of how important speakers and speaker cabs are to an amp's tone and also how much of an influence the mic setup has.
Because of all of this, there really isn't a way to say that an amp "sounds like this" through a Captor X because that's just one of a nearly unlimited number of tones you can get from it.
If I only wanted to play at bedroom volume and I didn't own anything, I definitely would not go out and buy a tube amp and a Captor X. It's too expensive and there are cheaper options that will still sound great in that setting. The Captor X is for people that already have a tube amp they love, but need the flexibility to be able to play through headphones or quietly.
The Victory was too compressed for my tastes but at the same time thicker sounding than the Yamaha. The problem here is most likely entirely the cab sims used. I don't think the THR allows uploading your own impulse responses but just using the editor software to choose a different cab would most likely even the sound a lot. The Genelec output is probably also better than what the THR speakers are capable of.
I was tl;dr the long comment above me but it makes a HUGE difference what impulse response you use with the captor (or any loadbox, for that matter). If the IR is shit (or you just dont like it), it does not matter AT ALL what amp you put in front of that. And i‘m saying NOT A SINGLE BIT. Could be a cheap knock off amp on low volume or a fully cranked Plexi; if the IR (snapshot of a particular speaker, mic, mic position, room etc) sounds like shit, the tone you‘ll be getting with it will ALLWAYS sound like shit as well. ALLWAYS.
Yeah, it's weird, to me the way the Victory sounds on this video is kinda how my Yamaha sounds in the room
All I can say is don’t buy a Spark. If you receive one then it will either buzz like hell or in my case break within a day of use.
Kemper into 8” monitors is glorious mind you.
I've had the Spark since July and everything is working perfectly so far.
ive had a spark amp for a few months now and its fantastic, ive powered mine with a 18v cordless drill battery i can take it anywhere , i also have orange, marshall,blackstar valve amps and the spark really is good
I had a Kemper and did not like the sound into my studio monitors. Too 'hi fi' sounding. Not the Kempers fault obviously. Part of the overall vibe of playing a tube amp is the very specific and narrow range of a speaker designed for a guitar amp.
Have a look at the Spark forums - this is a known and common problem. Contact them and demand a replacement grounded power supply - I did, and the new PS solved the terrible buzz issue.
I still want the Yamaha THRII 30 - it sounds fantastic for the price compared to the two grand setup in this video. The Victory combo sounds anemic beside it.
chatter I also have the kemper Kabinet which entirely solves the amp in the room issue. Strangely I actually prefer the monitors a lot of the time. It is hifi but also immersive especially for cleans. To each their own I guess. I think a lot depends on the profile and the monitor too.
Hace unos días me compré el Yamaha thr 30 ii. Llevaba años tocando con bias y neural . Estos vsts suenan muy bien, pero la sensación que he tenido estos días con el Yamaha es diferente, especial. Para casa creo que es la mejor inversión que he hecho . He redescubierto la versatilidad de mi strato Clapton y su electrónica . Con los vst no apreciaba tanto esa versatilidad . Con el Yamaha , con los presets crunch que me descargué de la web de este canal, he disfrutado mucho de jugar con el tercer pote de esta estrato, lo subes y de repente es casi como un fuzz, espectacular. Un rango dinámico muy interesante. Con los vsts no se aprecia en la escucha , pero sí sí estas tocando . Impresionante el Yamaha .
We need the Captain & Pete to confirm what they heard in the room is anything like what we hear on this video.....
I think there is only one clear winner here but the price difference is huge!!! Like Lee said if you already own an amp then getting the captor and monitors is the way forward but come us guitarists are just so so spoilt these days, there are so many great products out there. Well done guys!
For me "the winner" is the Yamaha
Have the THR30 and couldn't be happier. The fact that I lost power over the weekend and (because of the battery) had a smile on my face for a change.
Totally agree ... THR30 still rules its domain
Nah, get an MT-15. Way better.
The true winner is the fans
I have the smaller Yamaha. It’s amazing and has saved me from insanity this year. It sounds great.
It’s as loud as my home theater set up, takes pedals like a champ, easy to use with custom presets or the app to tweak, and use Bluetooth to play along with Pete and the boys in an Anderton’s jam track. Great piece of gear.
+1 for the THR's....
The Flat channel is basically FRFR, running my Iridium into it is a blast, plus basic effects, plus a good Aux In with Vol.... can't ask for more
I do exactly this. The THR doesn't really take pedals well on its own, but with the iridium at the end of the board, plus using the built in delay and reverb from the THR30, it's a killer setup for the money
Wow I even preferred the yamaha with OD. Didn’t expect that! When you made the “blind” OD test in the beginning I thought “yeah I know which one is which, the yamaha sounds wayyyy boxier”. and it was the V30 😳😳😳
From this end, I liked the Yamaha best in all tests.
I watch this channel more than any TV, Netflix, or News. And I love all of those. But, there's no one like The Captain and Pete.
Actually, the original Torpedo Captor is still available and it's a steal! I feel most advantages of the Captor X are for live players... for home recording, the regular Captor with the Wall of Sound plug-in does basically the same job. Of course, you have to turn on the computer every time you want to play guitar, which some people may find annoying...
I like that the thr30ii has line outs. This let's you create a physical send/return effects loop using the aux in with a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter. Most practice amps don't have this awesome feature.
You can use this as an fx loop for like delay and reverb??? Can you explain how to set this up? Thanks!
I just got the (Black) Yamaha THR 30II and I am Loving-my purchase. Awesome little amp. It has those 65 Blackface Fender Princeton-like "Cleans" and also the Van Halen brown-sound too. I will Never be without. You guys did a great job with this comparison. oNe LovE from NYC
Love my THR30, I can highly recommend it. I also got a Laney L5 Studio, which can be switched between 5 and 0,5W. So you don’t need a reactive load to play a true valve amp at home, there are some good amps on the market that do the job right out of the box.
Very similar to my rig mate. But I have the Laney combo. Stunning amps those L5s. Kinda want the bigger one eventually
I was convinced of the Captor X before this (as an at home silent practice/recording solution) and am even more now so - in regards to sound (ignoring price). MY situation is I've got a handful of amp heads/combos/cabs, but I need a silent solution for practice/recording at home. Great video!
The THR has really got me interested, especially the little 10W, think ill watch your other video on them to make my mind up :)
I'd love a nice little clean sounding amp that doesn't annoy my neighbours, but don't we all!
The app gives you endless options to get tube like driven tones. With or without a cheap overdrive, the Yamaha sounds like a dream. Go for it!
@@Sammy86 You know, I think I will, cheers :)
I have the THR and the cleans are what I use all the time, sounds brilliant.
@@Tolbiny oooh cleans with a big of Reverb and compression.. how does this thing sound like an arena!!
SammyS The compressors are great too, as are all the reverbs.
Another random video idea for comparison for the at home player: the THR vs the Boss Katana 100w head. At first glance it doesn’t seem like they match up, but the Boss has a speaker in the head (unusual). Can it do what the THR does, and then also be a 100W head for gigging and the various recording benefits it provides?
Great idea, Brent, I hope they read the post. 👍👍
The Two Notes setup just feels like it's missing something compared to the THR-II.
It's the bass. It would have sounded better with bigger monitors.
Bigger monitors would help a lot.... also, how the Captor is set up makes a MASSIVE difference, the unit really has lots of options for shaping your sound. I'd definitely recommend getting one as long as you already have the other necessary equipment.... if you don't have a tube amp and monitors and just need something to play at low volumes, the Yamaha is the better deal
Been down this route myself for over 20 years but ultimately for primarily home practice the THR is hard to beat. It sounds great at low volume, headphone out option, bluetooth over backing tracks. The settings are super quick to tweak because they are available on the top of the amp. No fannying in menus. Mine has wireless connectivity for a gt10 plus built in battery so can use it unplugged. I bought a Fender 68 Vibro Champ valve which is 5 watt and thought it would useable for home. Unfortunately to get a decent sound that amp is still way too loud unless you live in a detached house away from the neighbours. It sounds awesome but the Yamaha is making me a better player because it’s much more suitable for home so use it nearly daily. I save the pedal board and Valve amp for rehearsal and gigging.
With this inconspicuous video you (probably unintentionally) made me:
1. Sell my valve guitar combo (12"@15W) and my bass combo (15"@250W)
2. Buy an affordable multieffect and a small line mixer, and blend guitar signal into a HI-FI Stereo
3. Save space and money and, most of all, enjoy *better* sound at home volume levels
Thank you so much, guys!
Btw. I blended my Katana Air output in as well. Sounds better through a HI-FI, too!
If you put in size in the game, the THR is a winner. I have a THR10C which I use when I have to have a shot practice session and you just put it an a table, plug it in and of you go.
Of course the valve amp sounded more alive and you just can’t get there with a digital amp, you got to know what your buying.
This is a great comparison and it shows that sound wise, the digital amps are getting better. As always Pete’s playing is just wonderful. I really love those ambient parts. Keep up the good work!
I'm not even watching those videos for the gear or the reviews anymore. I don't need any of that. I live in a flat and can't use a real amp anyways. I've settled with an Ipad mini, a Motu M2 a Midicontroller and BiasFX2. That's perfect for my needs.
Im watching those videos for the Captain and Pete and the jams. And i love it.
Has anyone here compared the THR-30 II W with the THR-10 II W? For someone like myself, who only really wants classic clean, crunch or slightly overdriven sounds do I really need the 30 version? I suppose that being bigger, the 30 has a larger battery and so can play for longer on one charge. I'm assuming that everyone thinks the wireless function is an excellent feature. I'd be pleased to read your comments.
When the music talk you cant do anything about it !
Impressed by your talent, your work and the quality of your work ahah
Keep up, you make us feel great !
By the way if anyone see that comment and want more guitar videos, i might need some feedbacks (:
The Captor X is an amazing piece of kit, both for home-recording and for stage. Small and portable & supports an amazing amount of impulse-responses.
I seemed to like the Green light on the A/B box all the way. Seriously though, before you revealed the the very first clean comparison, I thought the green would be the Genelec’s more full bodied and present feel. That’s a surprise actually
I agree with most of the comments below. I am listening on Senheiser HD 280 PRO headphones. The Yamaha sounds much fuller. I think though that the 2 3.5” speakers in the Yamaha Kill the 2 3” speakers in the genelecs. Also, guitar amps don’t normally have tweeters which contributes to the extra scratchiness of the victory. Cab sim tweaks and studio monitors with 4 or 5 in full ranges would make a difference.
I have high end handwired tube amps. The THR30ii is my go to amp.
The yellow cord going from the a/b switch gave me a 100% success rate on telling which app was which ... also the lights on the a/b switch we’re a dead giveaway🤣😀🇺🇸
I'm glad I live in the country, not only have I largely avoided the BeerBug, but I get to use my amp straight into a 2x12 cab. Theres nothng quite like moving big lumps of air.
Well, THAT was a surprise: the thinnish sounding rig was the valve amp, the deeper sounding was the Yamaha.
If I want a good home rig I would get a katana head and use the 5 inch speaker it has. Or play through my computer through a nice set of headphones. It's cheaper and sounds better. Also, tons of amps are coming out with XLR outs that sound good through an interface. The Yamaha doesn't sound good enough to justify buying that only for home use. I would rather have something that I can play at home and on a gig of any size.
I understand the attempted point of this video and with larger studio monitors I’m sure I’d agree the valve amp + captor x sounds better (especially with the captor’s stereo reverbs!) but in this video played through a very nice hifi setup, the Yamaha sounds better 🤷♂️. Still looking forward to getting the captor x and playing my V40 through said hifi speakers cause in that setting it’s gonna kill.
Just noticed Slash uses a THR in his talk with Nikki Sixx. That’s good enough for me.
Not sound I would be looking at myself, but I liked the Victory with the Two Notes for cleans and the Yamaha for dirty. However if setup correctly and possibly loading your own impulse using the Two Notes may be a better option for home users because:-
1. You'll be using your normal gigging amp, so sounds should be closer to what you're accustomed to.
2. Most musos I know have a home studio setup already,so will already have monitors.
3. The Two Notes is also an attinuator, so you can use your current cabinet if you don't have a set of monitors. However just using the Captor may be a better option for this ad it's half the price.
The Yamaha is a great practice amp, but they are a little on the expensive side, as are the Boss and Vox alternatives, but offer a degree of portability that the Two Notes option can't even come close to, it's also a hell of a lot simpler, just plug in a guitar and play, the Two Notes is not straight forward.
I think the Yamaha benefits from having an integrated system overall... the amp models and IR algorithms were tuned specifically to its onboard speakers. Whereas the Victory + Captor + Monitors, whilst functionally equivalent, is lacking "glue" that binds everything together as a whole.
Guys for home use the new THR-10 is the go to,
It’s pretty much the cheapest, and using the app you get access to the THR 11’s full 15 amplifiers and sounds.
If you are living in an apartment or thin walls, I feel it’s one of the better solutions,
It also works great as my pc speakers,
I connect my phone by Bluetooth at the same time so I can play games and listen to UA-cam.
I don’t personally see what would be gained by going for the higher cost models.
More loud?
Get un amp my friend, this is just a tribute
Btw bigger Genelec monitors cost 1k plus per pop easy. One important thing is how does it feel to play it. Some of the digital solutions today sound almost identical to tube amps but feel completely different. Also just to listen to a guitar you can have amp turned down. Two nites is for so much more. Setup is good for recording in all of it's forms. Iso cab and mic and interface card is an option to. Sure headphones or monitors are still needed but it is a valid option and it can cost same or less then a two notes solution.
I think it's worth considering the Orange Dark micro terror (is that's its full correct name?), it's £150 roughly, has cab sim on the headphone port but can be connected to a small Orange cab or a large cab of your choice. I have the old gen THR3-10 and it's awesome, but if this one is now 500 quid, sure it has the models and I think it's great and they've improved the software. But the micro terror and dark do have valves. Also the dark has an FX loop...
I like the Yamaha better is had a fuller fatter sound IMO. Plus with the app you can tweak the EQ for more or less treble/bass.
Maybe it’s UA-cam’s compression, but they sounded pretty different in the car to me. I’d like to hear a comparison to the Badcat Paw, sort of a hybrid of both if these.
With the distortion pedal you can hear the valve tone of the tube amp for sure.
Unless something is missing from the room sound that didn't make the video then the Yamaha kills it. The High Gain was night and day. Even before Captain made changes to the Yamaha it was miles better. I kind of don't get how they were choosing the Victory for some of those.
I've been using my two notes cab M with good headphones. with the new preamp update its actually a great pedal platform.
I have Subzero SZSM-4x Studio, cheap and decent. I'm a DJ/producer at heart so quality is decent for the price compared to others I've used, best about 5-6 inches from a hard wall to prevent bass from getting lost in drywalls.
WOW!
This is a very convincing demo of both the THR and the Amp/Captor/Genelec-setup:
- both do sound very good
- the THR is a great option for like 500$
- the Genelecs seem to be very good spekers
- two notes is still in the ballpark (OX and Boss are quite 2 x as much)
So thanks a lot for sharing this great video.
Wet dry into two valve amps set quite for the win! It's counter intuative but you can get a bigger sound and better feel at low volumes than with a single amp at the same overall volume. It also means you get to justify annother amp! :D
I own a Victory V40 Dutches and a THR20. I use the THR20 a lot more because the sound quality is good and more sound options to play with plus very portable with battery power to play in the park.
It's the Yamaha for me. Just sounds richer. I have a Blackstar HT Mk II with emulated DI output into my Steinberg UR22 into KRK Rokit 7 speakers, which sounds great and I can use my pedals with that.
Why would you go through all the trouble of using a real valve amp with attenuator if you're not using a real guitar cabinet, which arguably makes more difference to the tone in the room than the amp itself?!
Finally someone is saying it. Thank you
Agreed.. you’d just buy the Captor at £475 and use the attenuation. Straight into your cab. Which is what I do with my Captor.
Because a lot of valve amps sound a lot better than other non-valve alternatives.
I'm a Marshall 100W valve 4x12 half stack guy but, man, that Yamaha is good! On my shopping list for sure.
You will not regret it. I've barely played my 40w Blackstar tube amp since I got the Yammy.
So… in this video the THR sounds better HOWEVER, last month I finally pushed the button on a valve amp after watching this. #Andertons made me do it. I genuinely thought the thr30 sounded great at home until I brought a bad cat with the torpedo and genelec 8010’s. So much more depth clarity and feeling. Great shop, great people and great video. If you are in doubt of this then go to a shop and ask them to set this up for you and try yourself.
Don’t think Lee wanted to undersell his expensive victory amps 😂 even tho you could hear the Yamaha was better on the dirty sounds. Maybe it was the reverb on the thr.
Its honestly a bit nuts how good the Yamaha sounds. Extremely versatile, and it sounds like it would be incredible for home recording. I have a classic tube amp, I have a solid state, and to me, it seems a Yamaha could very well be a better option to record than those in some cases.
I've been seriously sleeping on Yamaha. You guys should put the Yamaha SLG200's in a video. I bought one recently, and it's insane how great it sounds.
I think you guys should consider waiting to post these videos until you hear the mic’d sounds. We get a very different listening experience than you in the room! Consider putting a recap at the end of your videos once you’ve had a chance to hear the way your audience hears! Either way, I buy the Yami on principle of sound for value alone. Great tone, considerable savings
What I've done to compliment my few amp heads is to do amp sims on my computer. Using Reaper (or whatever DAW) and one of a million amp sims through a pair of studio headphones sounds great for cheap (couple hundred bucks for all of it). In addition to that, sometimes I'll take the headphone output from my interface into the aux input of my Randall RG1503H and use that to power an old Bugera cab with FRFR speakers (for no coloration) and it sounds killer when I want to play a cranked JCM800 and Rockerverb 50 at bedroom volumes or up to 150W of power is pretty sweet.
I have both devices and like both of them for different purposes. I don't think the setup with the speakers used for the Captor X is really comparable with the Yamaha. The speakers in the Yamaha are quite good for their size, I think they sound better than the ones used for the Captor. The captor also allows other output options, such as the actual speaker of the amp (attenuated to room level!) or headphones, which sound better than the headphone output from the Yamaha in my opinion.
I actually kind of preferred Yamaha here. But the choice and settings of IR have huge effect on the tone.
I absolutely love my AC15HWX. It has a master volume (attenuator), and my pedal board has tone-benders and rangemasters, etc. (I have other tube amps too). But far too often, I just use the THRc while practicing. Let's not ignore the convenience factor.
To be honest, I've only recently converted the Vox to a Celestion Blue, and so I'm using it a lot to break in the speaker. But the THR still gets an awful lot of use. Powering up the pedalboard, waiting for the tubes to warm up; it's nice - and a far better timbre; - but flicking the switch on the Yammy is quicker and easier for most practice.
I own a thr 5 and immediately recognized it when a/b ing it. From a pure sound perspective, still prefer the victory. The gain structure on these two amps is different and many people likes the thr more here because it sounds fuller. But it is somehow "innatural", especially on the palm mutes, while the victory sounds like a proper tube amp. Imho the victory needed more "push" or gain from the amp itself to sound fuller.
I think mic placement really did this video a disservice, and I get it that it would have to have been a lot more complicated to really match them up. I’m surprised tho they didn’t go with a deluxe reverb or a DSL and put the captor output with the cab speaker as opposed to the emulated output used, but once again I get that a 12in speaker might produce slightly above bedroom volume. That being said, I still love the content and staff!!
For a low volume recording session the THR won this battle. However the war is a stage setup and cranking the tube amps to get the feel AND sound. IMO...good test though fellas. As always really.
if your using two notes, I recommend buying the own hammer IR's. Best sound I ever got out of my rocker 15 terror.
Heard plenty of proof of the sound quality from the Victory and the Captor X. Maybe a bad choice of speakers to represent the valve sound. Taking nothing away from the THR, but it's designed for this, and that includes the speakers.
I'm going to splash out the dosh for the true valve system. Even though the Yamaha sounds better in this demo. Great videos guys.
Through my phone I couldn't hear much difference. But I put the video on through my Hi-Fi system, and it's obvious which is which and which was the real tube amp. Still the Yamaha for the price is something to consider.
I stick a Palmer Audio attenuator on my EVH 5150 and that is fine for bedroom volume. Also use a Nux Solid Studio and a Behringer mixer to play through headphones if I need to be silent.
The Yamaha crushes!!! It's not even close.
The THR smoked the valve amp
The Yamaha has a lot more low end, and the captor has more mid-range. If you added the raptors mids to the Yamahas lows, it would sound perfect!
The yammy totally kills it. The amp sounded buzzy and kinda transistorsh. The Yammy sounded so full and totally like a perfectly mic'd speaker cab. I'm not sure if the captor is the suspect here. I'd like to hear the same shootout with a real cab mic'd on the amp. I so close to buying a THR now.
You need to demo Bad Cat The Paw "in the office" :)
No surprises there for me: the valve solution is a) much more pleasing to my ear and b) completely unattainable 😂
I think the THR nailed it, sounded much better than the victory.
If you have the space, just get a katana mkii, the 12" speaker makes all the difference
only one thing im sure,is that genelec 8010 studio monitors looks small, but sound way bigger than it looks,and very very good sound for the tools and for music listening.only bad is not cheap, but worth.
What are the EQ settings on the THR30 high gain demo with Les Paul?
I own the older THR10. It's great for what it's meant to do, but it really struggles with distortion pedals - I only get sounds I like out of the fender amp SIM and maybe the ac30 and turns many pedals that I know would sound great into a real amp, into decoration on shelves.
The new THR30II takes pedals quite well, partly because there is much more amp and cab variety for tonal shaping. I also have the older THR10 and I agree with you - it dislikes many drive pedals! If you have not heard of or tried it yet, try the delay block EQ trick - google: thr10 filter mod, or visit @JohnDaleOfficial youtube channel, I believe the trick is his baby.
In the 2nd example(s) I could hear more midrange from the Yamaha - which I preferred. Don't forget it's going to UA-cam being compressed sent to the USA and out through my studio monitors.... I'm probably not hearing what you are. Best, Pete.
I bet they would be great together!
Could we know which are your clean settings on the yamaha please ?
Man I preferred the Yamaha by a fair amount, the valve amp was super scooped.
I have a Captor X and to be honest its pretty much like an extension of a modelling amp anyway because you are changing so many parameters digitally at the speaker end of the chain!