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Author Topic: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2  (Read 19695 times)

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MarshallJMP

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cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« on: Time Format »

For the moment I'm using the MP-2 for cleans only but the downside of the MP-2 is that it generates to much heat in my rack.I also have a classic and I was thinking of maybe swapping the mp-2 with the classic for cleans.

So my question for all the classic/mp-2 users, which preamp has the best clean sound in your opinion?
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Griphook

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #1 on: Time Format »

Hey MJ,

For my use, it strongly depends on the guitars I am using.

My Eko Semiacoustic plays better with the MP1 Classic, but with my 7 String Cort, the MP2 is more brilliant and "shiny"

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Dante

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #2 on: Time Format »

While I have no complaints about the clean tones in the Classic, I would have to say the MP-2 has the more transparent cleans. They cut through a mix with warmth and clarity. My Classic has that clarity, but I have to push it to get it through the mix.

Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #3 on: Time Format »

Hey MJMP,

   When I think of clean tones for a guitar, the first amp that comes to mind is Fender Twins. That is probably the most classic clean guitar tone known around the world, and the first good amplifier I ever owned.
    I can get good cleans from any of the ADA's, so now it's just a matter of taste as far as dialing it in. The MP-1 and MP-2 both have great clean tones with a lot of warmth on tap. The Classic has great clean tones, but not quite as warm as the other two, it's more of a Marshall clean IMHO. The great thing about the MP-1 and the Classic is the clean tones in there are much more dynamic so you can push the clean tones harder with humbuckers and the amp will respond more like a vintage tube amp in that respect. That's something I have always felt was a downside of the MP-2.
    One thing I've noticed about the Classic is that the levels are much more balanced between the clean and distortion tones, when I'm running it through a mixer. The other two preamps always seem to have a much stronger output on the clean tones than the distortion tones, so I have to edit the levels and try to balance them without changing the sounds.

     Harley 8)
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MarshallJMP

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #4 on: Time Format »

Hooked my classic up to try out, so anybody has some good clean settings/presets I could try out ?
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #5 on: Time Format »

MJMP,

    There are a lot of good cleans in the Classic already, some of my favorites are in the Brown Tube voicing. All I ever do with them is tweak the level and EQ a bit.
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rnolan

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #6 on: Time Format »

Hey MJMP, given the classic was a transition to the MP2 you could try my MP2 clean patches as a start point.  But I also used PU selection to get the glassy tone with those (which is something you may want to consider trying ?).  Do you have any series/parallel or split coil switching on your guits ? I've found this helps allot getting interesting clean tones. E.g. I use the neck Ultrasonic PU switched series combined with middle Ultrasonic switched parallel (they are both dual coil PUs) and the middle PU as low (as far from the strings) as it can be which gives a great glassy clean tone.  It needs a bit of compression (see my MP2 clean patch) and careful, it bights big time when you whack it hard.  If you liked the clean tone in the Anchors Away sound clip, that's how I got it (add mild delay/reverb). No idea how this will go with the classic but the fundamentals are sound and make sense. I've found using high gain humbuckers (which we all know and love) to make clean patches is hard (i.e. not what they were designed to do), you need to tame/change the PUs a bit to suit (well that's what has worked for me  :wave: ).  Also having your neck PU out of phase with the bridge gives good results (this is how my JPLP is wired), so I use the bridge PU switched parallel combined with the neck 59 PAF (which is series and out of phase with bridge PU), works well, lots of character (and part of how to get a Led Zep tone).  A point here though, I don't run anything in front of my ADA preamps, I want them to get pure analog guitar.  Hey each to their own here, but I don't want any stomp box device or otherwise changing (screwing with) the input signal (wah pedals excluded as it's the best place for them in the gain chain).  But hey, that's how I approach it, whatever get your tone and floats you boat, all power to you. But I spose you could say changing PU coil switching and combinations is screwing with the signal, I proffer this is a little different to feeding it through a bunch of eeek transistors (never/not nice for audio), A/D D/A stages (mostly crap), generally bad gain structure (sorry for the rant, I'm not a fan of stomp boxes (obviously  ::) ))
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #7 on: Time Format »

Richard,


    While the PC boards in the Classic and the MP-2 resemble each other, that's where the similarity ends. The Classic doesn't sound like the MP-2 and it doesn't respond like it. The Classic is more toned down, so hitting it with high output pickups will drive it harder, but it really sweetens up when you roll off the volume knob on the guitar.
   Remember, at the time I was shopping for a new preamp back then, I had narrowed the choices down to the Classic and the Groove Tubes Trio. The Trio was an all tube 3 channel preamp, and the Classic won out. Sometimes I kind of wished I had bought both, but I'm not unhappy with my choice. The classic just had more great tones built in to it.

      Harley 8)
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rnolan

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #8 on: Time Format »

Hey Harley, interesting point re rolling down guitar pots.  It's only been in more recent times I've done that with my MP2, started when I got the JPLP.  Also coincided with me going to a warm vintage voice (MP2 voice 5) which I'd never used before (prior to that I used high gain voice 9 or 10).  It's a perfect voice for rolling and responds very well particularly with 57 and 59 Gibson PAFs.  I ran the vols at 2.5 to 3 and it's just milky and creamy mmmm.  Prior to this I was a vol = max, tone = max and MP2 high gain and 99% bridge PU.  I hardly ever use the bridge PU these days.

Actually, from what you are saying re GT 3 tube and classic, what would be nice in a MP3 is (say) 4tubes, dial up anything you like i.e. profile any preamp but with the real thing  >:D .

And hey if anyone has a spare classic, I'd like to acquire it.
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #9 on: Time Format »

Hey Richard,
    The Trio was actually three preamps in one chassis. The preamps were named "Clean, Mean, and Scream"
 Clean was the Fender Blackface Twin preamp, Mean was a Fender Tweed Preamp, and Mean was the early Mesa preamp.
   I thought that was kind of limiting, so I opted for the Classic since the dynamic response was the same as the Trio, but it works like that on all the Classic voices.

   Yes, rolling back the guitar volume in the Classic I've been able to just go through whole songs on a single preset. I can do that on the MP-1 as well in certain presets, but not all. This is why I've always raved about the Classic being more like a vintage amp rather than a MIDI programmable preamp. Coupled with a good quality tube poweramp, you'd probably never be able to tell it was a rack system from a killer sounding vintage amp. (Of course this would depend on the choice of poweramp too).
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Dante

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #10 on: Time Format »

The great thing about the MP-1 and the Classic is the clean tones in there are much more dynamic so you can push the clean tones harder with humbuckers and the amp will respond more like a vintage tube amp in that respect. That's something I have always felt was a downside of the MP-2.
:thumb-up: +1


MJMP: Here are some patches

MarshallJMP

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #11 on: Time Format »

@Dante,they seems to be all dirty patches? Got any cleans to share?

@R, I think the classic came after the MP-2? It was supposed to be a hybrid of the MP-1 and the MP-2 but with a lot less features. As for PU's most of my guitars have EMG 81's which is great for distortion, but not so good for cleans.I do have my MSG flying V and a jackson kelly that have a split coil option with Duncans and what you say is absolutely true,if I use both PU's with the split engaged the clean are a lot better then the humbucker sound, problem is it takes to much switching around.

@Harley, well if you compare the pcb's of the classic and MP-2 is see a fully stuffed pcb with the MP-2 and classic has a lot less parts.Now I did notice that the classic sounds more open even on cleans, I always have the feeling with the MP-2 it sounds compressed, not very dynamic.

I have always struggled to get a great clean sound, so I wanted to work on it a bit to get it better. I also found some EQ settings to mimic the sound of a single coil with a humbucker, must try that out to.

I really love the clean sound on this song of Great White,I would be a very happy man if could get close to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKy3hgGS-6w&list=RDGMEM_v2KDBP3d4f8uT-ilrs8fQVMzKy3hgGS-6w
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #12 on: Time Format »

MJMP,
   That is correct, the Classic came after the MP-2, and was intended to be an upgraded version of the MP-1 with a stereo effects loop, built-in noise reduction, and dedicated recording outputs. It was never intended to be anything close to the MP-2 since that was very unpopular with guitar players, it was too program intensive.
    I never used EMG active pickups, so I'm not familiar with them. They don't clean up? Have you ever tried getting a good clean tone just plugging into your Marshall? If so, what happens?
   I used to play that song. Mark Kendall was playing through Randall amps back then. I nailed that tone with my G-K when I was playing it, (didn't have the MP-1 yet). I will get down to my studio this weekend and try to work that tone out on my Classic this weekend, but I don't have any humbuckers that hit the amp as hard as those EMG's. May I suggest lowering the OD1 and adjusting the OD2 to try to clean it up a bit? When I played that song, I used my Jem guitars and those had DiMarzio Pro 151 PAF's in them, so the Flying V might be your best bet.
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Kim

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #13 on: Time Format »

An idea that seems to help me (EMG user) with Clean stuff......(despite the EMG directions telling you to adjust those pups as close to the strings as you can), I have mine backed way down farther away from the strings.  They seem to open up a bit more and then they won't drive so much either.

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Harley Hexxe

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Re: cleans MP-1 classic vs MP-2
« Reply #14 on: Time Format »

An idea that seems to help me (EMG user) with Clean stuff......(despite the EMG directions telling you to adjust those pups as close to the strings as you can), I have mine backed way down farther away from the strings.  They seem to open up a bit more and then they won't drive so much either.

    That's helpful :thumb-up: I always adjust my pickup height to suit my ears no matter what pickups I'm using.
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