Yes, I also err on the side of caution and chose the 150w Redback for the 100w Carvin. I should've just bought the 200w Black Shadow!!
However, I did some more testing tonight. Channel 2 in stereo with matched impedance to the Redback sounded just as lackluster as Channel 1 in bridged and stereo. I went back to bridged and started creating new tones. Everything sounded muffled until I drove the pre-amp tubes up past 7.5. Wasn't crystal clear, but better. However, I really want that tight Marshall tone you achieve at lower gain settings (think AC/DC), but my tone is more muffled at the lower settings.
I also think I leveraged the characteristics of the Redback by pushing the pre-amp tubes as saturation and brighter tone emerged.
• OD1 7.5
• OD2 7.5
• Master 7
• Bass 4
• Mids scooped -4 (anything higher and it starts getting honky)
• Treble 6 (anything higher and it sounds ice picky)
• Presence 4 (anything higher and it starts getting ice picky)
With a dry signal, this got me halfway there. Then I re-introduced the Lexicon MP-1 PCM 60 reverb setting and boosted the 80hz to +8 and 100hz to +3 on the Rane EQ and achieved a MONSTROUS low end riding under a nice, bright growl. However, pinch harmonics were clipping, breaking up and ice picky–something I never experienced with the Black Shadow and EMGs.
Maybe this is this best tone I'll get with the Redback, or maybe the MP-1 really does need some service. I feel like I've seen and heard amazing MP-1 settings well past the values I listed above. Even some of the factory settings sound mid-rangy and muffled. I doubt ADA intended those presets to sound like that.
I feel like my unit only shines when settings are halfway through their bands. Or, maybe the low end of the Redback is accentuating things in an unfavorable way.
The simplest way to put it: all this expensive gear sounds like a combo practice amp, unless I boost bass and scoop mids. I feel like I'm not enjoying the full range and capabilities of this preamp.
I'm sort of out of tests. Not really sure what to do now. New speaker, cabinet or power amp? MP-1 service? Once I get the EMGs back in, I'm hoping to hear a difference!
Here's a question for you guys. With a dry signal, MP-1 to power amp, do you hear clarity from bass through treble? Do pinch harmonics sing and ring out, or are they anemic and break up quickly? I only get the MP-1 to sound full and saturated when I soak it with effects. I just want to know if that's normal for this preamp.