Hi, I'm 33 years old, when had 21 I owned an MP-1 but it died 6 months later. One week ago I bought an mp1 in ebay and now I'm just waiting to pick it up to try it again, after 12 years, I'm so nostalgic.
My actual rig is:
ENGl E530 (at the closet collecting dust)
Marshall JMP-1
Rocktron Velocity 100 :(
Tc Electronic Gmajor II
Cheap Furman
Could somebody suggest the best way to connect the Gmajor with mp1, now I'm running the Gmajor through JMP-1 loop, Could I do the same with mp1 with good results?
I'm looking for a nice 80's rock sound like Def Leppard, Skid Row, Racer X and the Versatility to play heavy stuffs like Metallica, Megadeth etc, I love the way that Marshall sounds, but it sounds just like Marshall (obviously) with a poor gain level.
(my appologies for my bad english, my native language is Spanish)
Hi xdiaba, welcome to the depot.
You can run the G Maj in the MP1 loop (may be a bit tricky getting the levels right) or better between the MP1 and a stereo power amp to keep it stereo (sounds SO much better in stereo).
Eg: guitar > MP1 > MP1 out A > G Maj in L, MP1 out B > G Maj R, G Maj outs L/R to stereo power amp (SS or tube), > 2 x guitar cabs (or stereo guitar cab) (this will sound very good but you need a stereo power amp and some speaker cabs).
BTW there are lots of good MP1 patches in the MP1 patches area (http://adadepot.com/index.php?board=29.0) to try out and plenty of MP1 users to share their experience.
Thanks rnolan,
I'm curious about the loop of mp-1, is it parallel or series?
The MP1 loop is series and the level adjust knob is a dual ganged pot so turning the send up turns the return down at the some time to help keep unity gain. Down side of the MP1 loop with the G Maj is you don't get the benefits of the stereo effects but if you place it between MP1 and power amp you do, either way you adjust wet/dry mix in the G Maj. I never used the MP1 loop when I had one (now have MP2), and some here say it's quite tricky getting the level right with it.
Instead I use a small mixer, mine has 8 channels and 3 Aux (effects) sends so I can send Aux 1 and Aux 2 to L/R inputs of the effect device (I have a Quadverb) and return the effects L/R outs down 2 channels (or a stereo effect return) so:
MP1 A/B outs to mixer chan 1 & 2, Aux 1 & 2 to effect L/R ins, effect L/R outs to mixer chan 3 & 4 (don't turn up the Aux 1 & 2 on the return channels as it will feedback (send back to itself)), mixer outs L/R to power amp L/R ins (adjust effect(s) to be full wet and mix dry/effect levels with the mixer channel volumes). If you had a small mixer with say 8 line inputs and 2 Aux sends you could plug all 3 of your preamps in and compare between them easily. If you had 4 Aux sends you could also include your Rocktron, or with only 2 Aux sends, send Aux 1 to G Maj L in (mono), Aux 2 to Rocktron (mono) but then return both in stereo. This is a bit more elaborate but works very well and makes it easier to get your gain structure right.
Hey Xdiaba
First welcome to the depot.
Rnolan has a point,i would either go for putting the G Maj after the Mp-1 (and avoid using the loop) or the mixer route.
Thank you guys.
No worries, happy to help, let us know how you go when your MP1 arrives. BTW what power amp/speaker cabs are you using ?
Now I'm using a SS rocktron velocity 100 stereo power amp, it's not bad but is SS, I expect buy a Mesa fifty/fifty power soon. My cab is a 2x12 Jetcity with Eminence speakers, It is a small rig for home practice and jam around with friends.
Clean transparent SS amps work well with ADA preamps, not that there's anything wrong with the Mesa 50/50 (although like most tube amps, it's heavy).
Ok, Could you help me with a tip for the valves?, how the unit works?, example: v1 for OD1 and v2 for OD2. What do you think about tube mix?, I mean if the main dist comes from the v1 I prefer choose a Tung Sol tube that has a tons of gain as a chinesse tube but with low noise and v2 usea a JJ for a warm tone, It is just a thought...
Tubes choice is very subjective, personally, I'd put 2 New Sensor Mullard 12AX7s in it. JJs also work very well (like the Ruby tested JJ or Boogie STRs) and are a popular choice for MP1. I haven't played around with different tubes in V1/2 but some other members have and may have some suggestions. The best way is to try different tubes and see (hear) what you think (tube rolling) although you can end up with a drawer full of hardly used tubes :( (http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ax7-ecc83-7025.html) The New Sensor TUNG-SOL reissues look good but I haven't tried them (http://www.dougstubes.com/brands/tung-sol-tubes/tung-sol-12ax7-re-issue.html). Your idea for a TUNG-SOL in V1 and a JJ in V2 is certainly worth a try.
Thanks rnolan :thumb-up:
No worries, let us know how you get on, we're all keen to learn from others experience with various tube choices.
Hi guys, any thoughts about Ruby 12ax7ac5 hg+ tubes?
These are actually chinese 9th gen tubes,not my personal favorite,but if you like the sound of chinese tubes go for it.
I agree with MJMP, they wouldn't be my choice (partly based on this http://www.dougstubes.com/ruby-12ax7-ac5-high-grade-1.html), one guy was playing LPs (so super clean audio is one of his goals) and the other bass, where (for some, not Peter >:D ) clean is king and not necessarily what you want from a MP1. But hey, give em a go and let us know how they sound. (personally, I'd give these a shot http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ax7-ecc83-7025/mullard-cv4004-12ax7.html).
Cheers Richard
Thanks guys, couple days ago I've wrote an email to Doug (from dougstube.com) asking about a suggestion for replace tubes on mp1, he recommended these Rubys, honestly I don't like Chinese tubes at all, IMHO they are too noisy. Also I asked him about a pair of Tung Sols but his words were "they are great, but don't belong in a ADA preamp". :dunno:
Well that's confusing, I would have thought TUNG-SOLs would be fine (hey not that I've tried them). I can say from personal experience that HG JJs work great in an MP1 (I used Boogie STRs which are often re-badged boogie tested JJs), Moreover, when I was tube rolling (ish), a guy (back on the old depot) was sprucking the New Sensor Mullard reissues for the MP1. Now I haven't tried them in an MP1 yet (won't be long though) he did and loved them. I put them in both my MP2s', best tubes I've ever heard IMHO. (obviously very very subjective, I tried Boogie STRs (usually Boogie tested JJs but not always ?) initially in the MP2 (as I did for my previous MP1, great tubes in a MP1, shit hot!)), loved them in my MP2 also but the bottom E broke up a bit (not nicely) so I tried the Mullard re issues, best tubes I've come across to date for the MP2.
Here's an idea, go out on a limb and put these in (http://www.dougstubes.com/preamp-tubes/12ax7-ecc83-7025/mullard-cv4004-12ax7.html), they certainly won't disappoint you and I strongly suspect they will blow you away!
Cheers Richard
Thanks Richard, these tubes has more sense to me, I will try those and I will let you know the result. :thumb-up:
Cheers.
Xavier
Hi guys, I just bought an ADA Microtube 100 Power Amp, Do you know where I can find the user manual? also I will appreciate some review about this power amp. Thanks. :)
Hey Xavier, manual attached.
MT100 Review: they're great :thumb-up:
I started a new topic for you/this (http://adadepot.com/index.php?topic=309.0) as other members have more direct experience with the MT100. Also, depending on age/use etc the tubes are probably due for replacement. While the same tubes I suggested for your MP1 would work fine, they don't need to be super high gain in a poweramp so other tubes may work better.
Cheers Richard
Thanks for your commnets Richard. :thumb-up:
Guys, after weeks I just test my mp1 with paired Mullards CV4004 tubes (thanks to rnolan suggestion), sounds amazing!!!!, full gain, warm and cristal clear cleans, the unit is still noisy in hi gain but it is something that I could handle using the Gmajor noise gate, thanks Richard :thumb-up:
No worries, happy to help :) , you should be able to improve the hi gain noise situation with the MP1 noise mods (MJMP has done a lot of work on this area) and the MDRT transformer upgrade is a must IMHO.
Hello guys, I've tried use my rack with a midi controller (Midi Buddy), I use my Gmajor knob to switch my presets, in this way I don't use and abuse the mp1 buttons. Now, my problem is when connect the middy buddy to Gmajor and try to switch them from it, just Gmajor switch its chanels but the mp-1 stays in the same bank.
Midi wires are connected as:
Midi buddy midi out -> Gmajor midi in
Gmajor midi out -> mp1 midi in
I will appreciate your help, thanks.PS. Sorry my bad english :facepalm:
Hey xdiaba, don't know much about your midi buddy, tried to look it up and it doesnst want to play easily, so I'd piss it off, WTF is it supposed to do... (sorry, you may like your midi buddy.. seems like crap to me... I can't even google it and get a result that's sensible). I'm struggling to understand why you'd need it ?? whatever it's supposed to do, don't mean to offend BTW.
The Mp1 BTW is old/er school, it doesn't respond to real time midi (pedals, switches, etc, just MIDI program change). the G major however, is happy to go with real time midi and you can control it in lots of ways, to me the most useful is you can control the g-major master vol with a midi cct pedal. BTW the MP1 has midi in, midi through and midi out, so Midi through is what what it gets from your pedal (passes through), midi out is wahtever you program in the MP1 midi table
I've solved my problem, was a wrong connection, everything was right except should be from gmajor midi through to mp1 midi in and that's it.
Hey xdiaba, sorry for my earlier rant about your midi buddy :facepalm: , Glad you got it sorted. The difference between through and out (some rack units only have a through) is that the unit can map different programs (set generally on the program change table page) to different midi numbers which are sent to the midi out. E.g. your unit gets midi prog number 16 on its midi in but translates that to 67 (or whatever you set it to) to the midi out so the next unit which gets its midi in from that midi out sees 67 and changes to that patch. This can be quite handy for more complicated patching or to say put the same effect on a bunch of patches (which is how I use it). Midi through just passes whats coming in. Most gadgets that can do this midi number change default to 1 to 1 mapping (1 = 1, 2 = 2, 50 = 50 etc) until you modify the table. Here's an interesting catch though, the ADA programs are 001 to 128, many other rack gadgets go from 000 to 127, e.g. my Quadverb will change to 000 if I send it 001 from my ADA pedal or 54 if I send it 55, so when I set the program change table I have to take this into account. I use the same basic slight delay + reverb on a number of patches, the way I map it is to tell the Quadverb (via its program change table) to go to that patch when receiving each of the ADA patch numbers (minus 1) I want that effect for (e.g. 111 = 000, 112 = 000, 113 = 000). So 000 is the Quadverb program I want for these 3 patches (which are actually 112, 113 and 114 in the ADA and on the pedal).
My "basic" midi set up is ADA MXC midi pedal (phantom powered from MP2) > MP2 midi in (7pin lead, 2 pins for phantom power) > MP2 midi out to Quadverb midi in. While I do the midi change table shuffle in the Quadverb, I could do it in the MP2 instead (coz the changes are sent to the midi out), the MP2 midi through I can send to say my Midiverb 4's midi in (it will then get what comes from the MXC pedal (minus 1)) which also has a midi change table ... can do your head in this stuff :crazy: