ADA Preamps > MP-2
NEW To Racks - Have ADA Gear - please advise
MRob:
GREAT info! Man this forum is awesome.
Ok, so I HAVE a good furman in storage, I was just trying to save rack space. From what I've read so far, I will use a 6 space rack and use the Furman... done deal there.
AND, I have the ADA Pedal pack... BUT it's the older one. All I really want to do is be able to go between patches. I don't want or need anything complicated...
i will be firing it up soon!
Harley Hexxe:
Hi MRob,
If you have the MXC, Quad Switch, and CCP, then that's all you need for your MP-2 rig, and it's completely up to date. Your rig is a simple one, which is good to start with. You don't want to get overwhelmed.
It will automatically be set up for program changes as soon as you plug it in. The trickiest thing would be MIDI mapping, or MIDI control of your ART processor with the MP-2, but we know how to take care of that.
A 5 or 6 space rack case would be the best option. I was never a fan of SKB cases, but that's a matter of personal preference.
You would have all the tones/effects you would ever need with just that basic set up. You could (if you wanted to), insert the ME 80 in the loop too, but why would you want to? You already have all the clean/distortion sounds in the MP-2 and all points in between, with everything else already there, and the ME 80 would just complicate your signal levels.
Keep everything as simple as possible, and you'll have a great sounding rig that will be as versatile as you need it to be, without a lot of headaches.
Harley 8)
MRob:
Harley! Thank you and everyone here for your great words and wisdom. YES! Simple and with minimal to no headaches.
I like things clean and simple with little complication... so much so that, I've been looking VERY hard at the new Mesa Mark V 35!
That little thing is a beast and sounds freakin amazing! Wow! Pop that bad boy on top of a couple 1x12s and i'm done.
Or... am I? Hmmm... while I like simple I also like chorus and delay and a few other things. When I play live I really only use abut 3-4 different sounds, but I want those sounds to be solid and to kick ass! Then again, isn't that what we ALL want? LOL!
I have the ADA MP2 and it's just been sitting there... and I have been jones'in for that 80's big guitar sound SINCE the 80s and from what I read, and with what I "currently" have, apparently, I HAVE it! :) So, we will see.
I want that tight rocking guitar sound that remains articulate with the notes, has a heavy chunk and remains tight!
Now... speaking of simple, when I look at those three pieces of black and red foot controllers, I don't see simple...?? Do I need all of those pieces? Ha! I'm planning on reading the manuals tonight.
rnolan:
Hey MRob, well sounds to me like you'll get just what you want with the MP2 rig. It's worked well for me for 20+ years :thumb-up: Only difference is I use a QV for effects (as that was what was available back then). As Harley says the Art will do you fine. Like you I use 3 or 4 sounds these days, very simple.
To change patches all you need is the MXC. The exp pedal and quad switch plug into the MXC (marked on the back, pedal1 pedal 2 switch 1 switch 2). They use small stereo leads. But you don't need to use either of them (for many years I didn't).
However, the one I find most useful is the exp pedal. I assign that to the MP2s master stereo vol, good for fine tuning vols when playing and turn vol off between songs. This is easy to set up BTW, you plug the exp pedal into pedal 1 on MXC, then in the MP2 global midi menu (system edit) find stereo master vol (there's a menu map in the manual), move the pedal (MP2 senses the move and assigns the exp pedals CC number (#31 IIRC)) and it's done. On start up you need to sweep the pedal once for it to activate, then it controls the MP2s output level. BTW this is the only way you can access the MP2s st master vol feature. I tend to use the same patch for both lead and rhythm these days and use the vol pedal for the lead boost.
Harley Hexxe:
Hi MRob,
Actually, the Foot switches are very simple and when you try them out, you'll probably end up asking yourself: "Why didn't I do this a long time ago?"
As Richard says, the MXC will handle all your program changes...why so many buttons? Simple. Who plays with one tone all night long? With the MXC, you can save 10 different combinations of tones and effects. Most people use only 3-4 basic tones for a whole gig, and then just add or remove effects as desired. You can do all of this with these pedals. Try programming and saving your Rhythm tones on the bottom row buttons, and your lead tones across the top row. Have all the effects you want to possibly use, programmed into each of these preset locations also, even if you don't want them to be on all the time. I'll explain why next.
Your Quad Switch is a very simple, but very handy item because the four buttons serve a very important purpose. One button will bypass/activate your effects loops, the next one will do the same for your chorus, the next one for your tremolo/vibrato, and the last one is a tuner mute button. The beauty of it is, you don't have to program the preamp or the switch to do these things, it's already setup like that as soon as you plug them in. It doesn't get any easier than that.
The CCP is almost as easy if you want to use it for your Wah pedal, and it works great for that. All you need to do is tell the MP-2 what kind of wah you want to use it as, and set the range, which I found is good at 70%-75%. Save it, and your good to go. When you want your wah on, you just step on it like any other stand alone wah, (toe all the way forward). to turn it on and off.
Truthfully, I think you will have the hardest time trying to decide which tone you want to keep when you are editing. I believe you'll be like a kid in a candy store with NO supervision :lol: You'll get so wrapped up in the spanking cleans, the singing crunches, the gnarly distortion/overdrives, and the "Ice-Pick-In-The-Forehead" Metal tones that you get out of the MP-2, that you'll totally lose track of time...until the police come knocking on your door after hours. C:-)
By the way, I should mention there is a vid on Youtube where a guy puts the MP-2 up against a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. The MP-2 nails it, no problem.
...Anything else you want to know....we are always here :thumb-up:
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