 | Download Example 1 Classic American Clean |
| Download Example 2 British Crunch |
| Download Example 3 Class A Chime |
| Download Example 4 Modern High-Gain |
| Clips recorded with a Gibson 1960 Les Paul Historic. Line 6 DT50 112 amplifier miked with a Shure SM57 into an ART Tubeamp Studio preamp into Garage Band. | |
One of the biggest gripes among amp-modeling skeptics over the years has been the lack of realistic power-tube feel and response in modeling amps. So, in 2007, Line 6 collaborated with legendary tube-amp guru Reinhold Bogner to introduce the Spider Valve amp line, which married Bogner-designed 6L6-based tube circuitry to Line 6’s amp modeling and digital effects programs. Now, Line 6 has introduced the new DT50 line of 50-watt, two-channel amps co-designed by Bogner. Without scores of onboard digital effects, the DT50s ostensibly offer a simpler path to classic, authentic tube tones, response, and feel—everything from clean Fender and Vox flavors to high-gain Marshall tones. We were lucky enough to have a turn with the most basic version in the line, the DT50 1x12 combo.
Deceptively Traditional
Removing the DT50 112 from its shipping box involved a small struggle, because this thing leans a bit toward the heavy side. But I soon found its bulk translates to big tones, too. That’s because the cabinet is pretty big for a 1x12 amplifier. At about 22" x 26" x 10 1/2", it’s roughly the size of a 2x12 Fender Twin Reverb. And it’s built like a rock and feels exceptionally road ready, too. (Line 6’s Marc Block responds, “This is what one might call an oversized 1x12, which greatly contributes to the big tones. Players have consistently commented on the fact that this sounds so much larger than a 1x12. What the user gets in trade for a relatively large 1x12 combo is a sound that begins to approach the girth of a 4x12 cab—especially when paired with voicing IV. The weight is actually 63.1 pounds, which is commensurate with the lightest Twins but lighter than the heavier Twins— and an AC30 is over 70 pounds.”)
With its black vinyl covering and generally unadorned appearance, the DT50 has an appealingly traditional look compared to some of the more radically styled Line 6 amps. A peek inside the back reveals other old-fashioned elements, too: pairs of 12AX7 preamp and EL34 power tubes, along with a Celestion 12" speaker.
Operating the DT50 is simple enough on the surface. You plug directly into a High (for standard-level guitars) or Low (for high-output pickups) input and fire it up. Each channel’s knobs are arranged in a horizontal configuration with familiar controls for Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Reverb, and Volume. However, the outward simplicity of the DT50 belies some very sophisticated capabilities. The amp has four topologies that are selectable via a frontpanel toggle. Each has an entirely different basic voice. Topology I is classic American clean (like a 1960s blackface Fender), II serves up British crunch similar to a Marshall, III offers Vox-like class-A chime, and IV proffers modern gain patterned after a Mesa/Boogie or Bogner.
One of the more interesting things that may impress even hardcore modeling skeptics is that switching between the topologies changes both the amp’s tube and digital modeling configurations: When you switch between them you can actually hear a little click as the analog parts move inside. What’s doubly cool is that you can assign any voicing to either channel—or even the same one to both channels. For instance, you could assign voicing IV to both channels and fine-tune the individual channels to switch between gritty and grittier sounds, or apply voicing I to one channel and voicing III to the other and switch between classic Fender-y and Vox-ish clean tones.
Another feature that distinguishes the DT50 from other modeling amps is the ability to switch between class A and class AB and pentode or triode power-tube operation—for each channel. And, again, all of this involves instant reconfigurations of the analog power section, which is completely independent of the modeling side of things. Just as you’d expect, class A feels more responsive and breaks up earlier, while class AB offers more clean headroom. Similarly, pentode mode offers a powerful, clear, more modern sound, whereas triode mode sounds smoother and rounder for a more vintage-type tone.
The channels can be switched via the front-panel toggle or a standard footswitch with a 1/4" plug (not included). The fact that each channel also remembers its last topology— including the class and Pentode/Triode settings—is very convenient.
Adding to its convenience and flexibility, the DT50 also has a low-volume mode intended for small clubs or late-night practicing. This is activated by pulling out the Master Volume knob. At low volumes in this mode, the digital processor is responsible for a large percentage of the tone, but as you turn up the volume the analog components increasingly take over—which translates to more enjoyable tone as you increase the dBs.
Other features include MIDI input and output jacks, a cabinet-simulating XLR direct out for recording without having to mic the amp, a serial effects loop with a Level knob, and dual-XLR L6 Link jacks for connecting to any of Line 6’s POD HD multi-effects processors. One advantage of the latter is that you can pair any POD HD preset with the DT50’s analog components to avail yourself of a lot more than just four tones.
Everything Is Illuminated
To test the DT50, I used a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Historic. When I switched on the DT50, I was pleasantly surprised to see that each control’s label was illuminated—which is definitely handy when you’re playing on a dark stage. It also eased my apprehension about navigating a fairly busy control panel. Thankfully, the DT50 comes with a handy removable reference sheet that logically details the different functions.
Being a big blackface fan, I first tried Topology I, the classic American clean sound. While the DT50 didn’t quite have the intangible magic of an old Fender Deluxe Reverb, it was thick, warm, and spongy—and the springreverb modeling sounded quite realistic.
The other three topologies—crunch (II), bright clean (III), and high-gain (IV)—were strikingly distinctive. Crunch mode, with its touch-sensitive bark, was particularly inspiring. The bright clean sound was appropriately jangly, but could also be a hair strident. Switching to the high-gain setting almost resulted in a Back to the Future moment—like the scene where one chord from a giant stack propels Marty McFly across a room. (Note to self: Always lower the Master Volume when switching between topologies.) With the volume adjusted, the high-gain voicing was appropriately pulverizing. On all of the voicings, the amp was least dynamic in low-volume mode, but this is often true even of classic all-tube designs. And this mode still provides a great tone for practicing.
The Verdict
The Line 6 DT50 112 is a smart new amp that successfully merges valve power and modeling technology. It offers a wide assortment of usable tones in a single package, as well as the capacity to communicate with external gear for impressive flexibility. While the DT50 won’t necessarily replace a fine collection of vintage valve amps, it costs a fraction of the price of said collection, sounds great in its own right, and would excel in almost any performance situation.
Buy if...
tube amps are your first love but you need a broad tonal palette and a lot of flexibility in one amp.
Skip if...
you’ve got a studio full of old tube amps and don’t play out much.
Rating...
Street $1299 - Line 6 - line6.com |
Revv G3 Purple Channel Preamp/Overdrive/Distortion Pedal - Anniversary Edition
The Revv G3 revolutionized high gain pedals in 2018 with its tube-like response & tight, clear high gain tones. Suddenly the same boutique tones used by metal artists & producers worldwide were available to anyone in a compact pedal. Now the G3 returns with a new V2 circuit revision that raises the bar again.
It would have been easy for Wampler to simply make a Mostortion clone and call it a day, but they added some unique twists to the Mofetta pedal. While the original Mostortion had a MOSFET-based op amp, it actually used clipping diodes to create its overdrive. The Mofetta is a fairly accurate replica and includes that circuitry, but also has a toggle switch for texture, which lets you choose between the original-style diode-based clipping in the down position and multi-cascaded MOSFET gain stages in the up position.
Luscious Low Gain and Meaty Mid-Gain
The Mofetta’s control panel is very straightforward and conventional with knobs for bass, mids, treble, level, and gain. The original Mostortion was revered for its low-gain tone and is now popular among Nashville session guitarists. Wampler’s tribute captures that edge-of-breakup vibe perfectly. I enjoyed using the pedal with the gain on the lower side, around 9 o’clock, where I heard and felt slight compression that gave single notes a smooth and silky feel. I particularly enjoyed the tone-thickening the Mofetta lent to my Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Sport’s split-coil sound as I played pop melodies and rootsy, triadic rhythm guitar figures. The Mofetta has expansive headroom, and as a result there’s a lot of space in which you can find really bold, cutting tones without muddying the waters too much. Even turning the gain all the way off yields a pleasing volume bump that would work well in a clean boost setting.
There’s a lot of space in which you can find really bold, cutting tones without muddying the waters too much.
Switching the texture switch up engages the MOSFET section, introducing cascading gain stages that elevate the heat and add flavor the original Mostortion didn’t really offer. Classic rock and early metal are readily available via the MOSFET setting. If you need to stretch out to modern metal sounds, the Mofetta probably isn’t the pedal for you. Again, the original Mostortion was, first and foremost, a low-to-mid-gain affair, so unless you’re using it as a boost with a high-gain amp, the Mofetta is not really a vehicle for extreme sounds.
One of the Mofetta’s real treats is its responsiveness. Even at higher gain settings the Mofetta is very touch sensitive. You can tap into a wide range of dynamic shading just by varying the strength of your pick attack. I enjoyed playing fast, ascending scalar passages, picking with a medium attack then really slamming it hard when I hit a high climactic note, to get the guitar to really scream.
The Verdict
Wampler is a reliably great builder who creates pedals with a purpose. I own two of his pedals, the Dual Fusion and the Pinnacle, and both are really exceptional units. The Mofetta captures the essence of the Mostortion and makes it available at an accessible price. But even if you’ve never heard or played an original Mostortion, you’ll appreciate the truly versatile EQ, touch sensitivity, and the bonus texture switch, which expands the Mofetta’s range into more aggressive spaces. The wealth of dirt boxes on the market today can make a player jaded. But Wampler pushed into a relatively unique, satisfying, and interesting place with the Mofetta.
Filthy, saturated fuzz is a glorious thing, whether it’s the writ-large solos of Big Brother and the Holding Company’s live “Ball and Chain,” the soaring feedback and pure crush of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” or the sandblasted rhythm textures of Queens of the Stone Age’s “Paper Machete.” It’s also a Wayback Machine. Step on a fuzz pedal and your tone is transported to the ’60s or early ’70s, which, when it comes to classic guitar sounds, is not a bad place to be.
Catalinbread’s StarCrash is from their new ’70s collection, so the company is laying its Six Million Dollar Man trading cards on the table—upping the ante on traditional fuzz with more controls and, according to the company’s website, a little more volume than the average fuzz pedal, while still staying in the traditional Fuzz Face lane.
The Howler’s Viscera
Arbiter Electronics made the first Fuzz Face in 1966. The StarCrash is inspired by that 2-transistor pedal, but benefits from evolution, as did almost all fuzz pedals in the ’70s, when the standard shifted from germanium to silicon circuitry to improve the consistency of the effect’s performance. The downside is that germanium is gnarlier to some ears, and silicon transistors don’t respond as well to adjustments made via a guitar’s volume control.
While Fuzz Faces have only two knobs, volume and fuzz, the silicon StarCrash has three: volume, bias, and low-cut. Catalinbread’s website explains: “We got rid of that goofy fuzz knob. We know that 95 percent of all players run it dimed, and the remaining 5 percent use their guitar’s volume knob to rein it in.”
I suspect there are plenty of players who, like me, do adjust the fuzz control on their pedals, but the most important thing is that the core fuzz sound here is excellent—bristly and snarling, with a far girthier tone than my reissue Fuzz Face. It’s also, with the bias and low-cut controls, far more flexible. The low-cut control allows you to range from a traditional, comparatively thinner Fuzz Face sound (past noon and further) to the StarCrash’s authentic, beefier voice (noon and lower). Essentially, it cuts bass frequencies from 40 Hz to 500 Hz, resulting in an aural menu that runs from lush and lowdown to buzzy and slicing. And the bias control is a direct route to the spitty, fragmented, so-called Velcro-sound that’s become a staple of the stoner-rock/Jack White school of tone. The company calls this dial a “dying battery simulator,” and it starves the second transistor to achieve that effect.
Sweet Song of the Tribbles
Playing with the StarCrash is a lot of fun. I ran it through a pair of Carr amps in stereo, adding some delay and reverb to mood, and used a variety of single-coil- and humbucker-outfitted guitars. While both pickup types interacted well with the pedal, the humbuckers were most pleasing to my ears with the bias cranked to about 2 o’clock or higher, since the ’buckers higher output allowed me to let notes sustain longer before sputtering out. Keeping the low-cut filter at 9 o’clock or lower also helped sustain and depth in the Velcro-fuzz zone, while letting more of the instruments’ natural voices come through, of course.
With the low-cut filter turned up full and the bias at 10 o’clock, I got the StarCrash to be the perfect doppelganger of my Hendrix reissue Fuzz Face. But that’s such a small part of the pedal’s overall tone profile. It was more fun to roll off just a bit of bass and set the bias knob to about 2 or 3 o’clock. Around these settings, the sound is huge and grinding, and yet barre chords hold their character while playing rhythm, and single-note runs, especially on the low strings, are a filthy delight, with just the right schmear of buttery sustain plus a hint of decay lurking behind every note. It’s such a ripe tone—the sonic equivalent of a delicious, stinky cheese—that I could hang with it all day.
Regarding Catalinbread’s claims about the volume control? Yes, it gets very loud without losing the essence of the notes or chords you’re playing, or the character of the fuzz, which is a distinct advantage when you’re in a band and need to stand out. And it’s a tad louder than my Fuzz Face but doesn’t really bark up to the level of most Tone Bender or Buzzaround clones I’ve heard. In my experience, these germanium-chipped critters of similar vintage can practically slam you through the wall when their volume levels are cranked.
The Verdict
Catalinbread’s StarCrash—with its sturdy enclosure, smooth on/off switch and easy-to-manipulate dials—can compete with any Fuzz Face variant in both price and performance, scoring high points on the latter count. The bias and low-cut dials provide access to a wider-than-usual variety of fuzz tones, and are especially delightful for long, playful solos dappled with gristle, flutter, and sustain. Kudos to Catalinbread for making this pedal not just a reflection of the past, but an improvement on it.
Catalinbread Starcrash 70 Fuzz Pedal - Starcrash 70 Collection
The release of a newRed Panda pedal is something to be celebrated. Each of the company’s devices lets us crack into our signal chains and tweak its inner properties in unique, forward-thinking ways, encouraging us to be daring, create something new, and think about sound differently. In essence, they take us to the sonic frontier, where the most intrepid among us seek thrills.
Last January, I got my first glimpse of the Radius at NAMM and knew that Red Panda mastermind Curt Malouin had, once again, concocted something fresh. The pedal offers ring modulation and frequency shifting with pitch tracking and an LFO, and I heard classic ring-mod tones as the jumping off point for oodles of bold sounds generated by envelope and waveform-controlled modulation and interaction. I had to get my hands on one.
Enjoy the Process
I’ve heard some musicians talk about how the functionality of Red Panda’s pedals are deep to a point that they can be hard to follow. If that’s the case, it’s by design, simply because each Red Panda device opens access to an untrodden path. As such, it can feel heady to get into the details of the Radius, which blends between ring modulation and frequency shifting, offering control of the balance and shift ratios of the upper and lower sidebands to create effects including phasing, tremolo, and far less-natural sounds.
As complex as that all might seem, Red Panda’s pedals always make it easy to strip the controls down to their most essential form. The firmest ground for a guitarist to stand with the Radius is a simple ring-mod sound. To get that, I selected the ring mod function, turned off the modulation section by zeroing the rate and amount knobs, kept the shift switch off and the range switch on its lowest setting. With the mix at noon and the frequency knob cranked, I found my sound.
From there, by lowering the frequency range, the Radius will yield percussive tremolo tones, and the track knob helped me dial that in before opening up a host of phaser sounds below noon. By going the other direction and kicking the rate switch into its higher setting, a world of ring-mod tweaking opens up. There are some uniquely warped effects in these higher settings that include dial-up modem sounds and lo-fi dial tones. Exploring the ring mod/frequency shift knob widens the possibilities further to high-pitched, filtered white noise and glitchy digital artifacts at its extremes.
There are wild, active sounds within each knob movement on the Radius, and the modulation section naturally brings those to life in more ways than a simple knob tweak ever could, delivering four LFO waveforms, a step modulator, two x-mod waveforms, and an envelope follower. It’s within these settings that I found rayguns, sirens, Shepard tones, and futuristic sounds that were even harder to describe.
It’s easy to imagine the Radius at the forefront of sonic experiments, where it would be right at home. But this pedal could easily be a studio device when applied in low doses to give a track something special that pops. The possible applications go way beyond guitars.
The Verdict
The Radius isn’t easy to plug and play, but it’s also not hard to use if you keep an open mind. That’s necessary, too: The Radius is not for guitar players who prefer to stay grounded; this pedal is for sonic-stargazers and producers.
I enjoyed pairing the Radius with various guitar instruments—12-string, baritone, bass—and it kept getting me more and more excited about sonic experimentation. That feeling is a big part of what’s special about this pedal. It’s so open-ended and controllable, continuing to reveal more of its capabilities with use. Once you feel like you’ve gotten something down, there are often more sounds to explore, whether that’s putting a new instrument or pedal next to it or exploring the Radius’ stereo, MIDI, or expression-pedal functionality. Like many great instruments, it only takes a few minutes to get started, but it could keep you exploring for years.
Red Panda Radius Ring Modulator/Frequency Shifter Pedal
