This thing kicks ass

[Chris5150]

Alright, so I've got 3 rack MP1's and I love them dearly. My favorite one has such a particularly killer tone that I fear ever losing and it would probably sacrifice the other 2 just to keep it running. Realizing how old these things are and how much I don't particularly enjoy ripping them apart to fix, I bought the MP1 channel to see if it had any of the same mojo.

Good news, it does! It is pretty fantastic, and does such a great job that I don't feel the need to lug the rack around anymore. I have a GCS 5 I plugged it into, and set that box to full range mode, then plugged it in place of my MP1. It's all there, the only thing that is a little different is the EQ since it isn't stepped and has little wider range. Yeah it sucks it isn't midi and doesn't have the SS mode, and of course the stereo chorus, but I just need the base tone anyways in the set up I am using. I'm smitten hard on this thing, give it a shot if you want a MP1 tone in a different form factor.

I opened it up to throw some NOS tubes I had laying around in it, and it all looks very familiar. I noticed a lot of the same capacitors, the chip for the EQ, it all looks like it should. Had two HG Ruby tubes in it, real high quality stuff. I will be playing with it throughout the week and will do some A/B tests with my favorite MP1 so I can really hear the differences.

All in all, I'm very impressed, and I'm glad I have a MP1 I can tape to my pedal board. Certainly wouldn't call it a replacement, but every proud MP1 owner would do well to have one just to mess with.

[rnolan]

Good to hear  .  and thanks for the heads up.  Looking forward to hearing some more from your testing  :wave:

[Iperfungus]

Hey Chris!

Where did you find it?
These little bombs are not easy to find, even on Reverb...

It looks like an interesting item to have in a serious pedalboard...
I trust my Blue and Red Bogner Ecstasy preamp/pedals, but it wouldn't be bad to have a MP1 there...because I love my rackmount 2.01 MP1 preamp, but it's nailed to a GMajor and a Valvestate 8008 power amp into a 3U flight case and that's not my idea of "light and easy to transport"... 

Furthermore, this little bastard runs tubes at 270V, while MP1 with original transformer runs tubes at 190V if I remember right (and this makes the MDRT mod something with lot of sense).

[Chris5150]

You know, if the voltage is correct in the marketing I imagine this thing would sound like an MP1 with a MDRT and the SS gain mod. It's character is very, very in your face MP1, and it seems like it has some more gain. I wouldn't replace my MP1 with it, but it is certainly a healthy counterpart to have on your pedal board. I got it off reverb for $300 bucks and feel like I stole it. I anticipated this being more of a gimmick but it's totally what I needed in my life. It's 80's MP1 tone goodness, but there is a modern flavor in there that I think will work excellent with the death core band I am in. I bought the ADA definition pedal too, to run in front of it because I think it will act like the fet stage before the tubes like inside the real deal. I can't wait to give it a shot, I think their definition peal + MP1 channel + GCS 5 is cool little set up.

Of course, it doesn't beat the real deal. There is a certain grind and liquidness of the rack unit, that I believe is influenced by the various op amp stages doing their thing compressing the signal or what have you. But it's 99%, and I think it has it's own thing going for it that will lend it to more modern metal, it won't be leaving my pedal board for sure. The way you switch between tube clean and dist is lame, but the cab sim acts like a DI and if you kick the pedal off it's like a nice clean SS tone from the rack unit. I never use tube clean anyways, so this works for me. I'll get back to you all when I can record some clips and get that definition pedal.

[Iperfungus]

I share your point of view: I love the rack MP1 since I was a kid and I wouldn't replace it. Never.
But this MP1 pedal version is a good companion for the bigger brother.
And then..that's a pedal, less space in it...one has to accept some obvious limitations and have clear in mind what a correct application field can be.

MDRT runs tubes at 240V, so 270V is even more...and that's it: I've a modded MP1 with MDRT and that's a "in your face" MP1.
There's no more gain than before mods...maybe just a little...but there's less compression and this makes the MP1 a punch in your nose.
Dynamic, open and killer sounding.
It's more like a wild mustang now, since MJMP modded it (there are also SS mod, noise mod, battery mod...)...you've to reshape the eq....but the tone is awesome.
You loose a little of that compressed creaminess of original MP1, but you gain more presence and dynamics.
And then you can have creaminess back by reshaping the eq.

From what I can hear from demos, the MP1 Channel's tone is very close to my MP1's tone with MDRT.

300 dollars?
Look....look what I missed here in Italy...look.... 

https://www.musicash.it/chitarre/effetti-chitarra/1203-ada-mp-1-channel.html

159 euros...that's more than stolen....Jesus my lord and savior...

[rabidgerry]

Am not really interested in the MP1 channel myself but I'm glad it sounds good but I was just wondering is it high voltage?

Like the Ibanez TK999HT or the Blackstar - DistX pedals are high voltage and I can vouch for them and say they feel  like proper amp in boxes, the feel is amazing.  Blackstar is very very dark though.

[Iperfungus]

ADA reports 270V at tubes..

[rabidgerry]

The MP1 channel is 270v?  Are you sure you don't mean the MP1 with MDRT?  I'm very surprised if that is the case.

****edit**** just checked the spec on the ADA Website and I see they say 270v.  Very surprised at that.  Still wouldn't buy one 

When I was looking for something to take with me on the plane for a show in Germany this year I took the TK999HT as it has a great reputation and sound.  I managed to get one last year for a good price.  Same as the Blackstar. 

I have never seen an MP1 channel go for what I would call "a good price"  but now I know it is proper high voltage I might have considered it as a viable flight rig solution.  The prices for them are insane, not available in UK ever and to buy one from overseas just isn't worth it.

[Iperfungus]

Are you sure you don't mean the MP1 with MDRT?

MDRT runs tubes at 240V...but you've found MP1 Channel's specs on ADA site.
270V are true high voltage, indeed... 

I have never seen an MP1 channel go for what I would call "a good price" 

Me too...but sometimes...

https://www.musicash.it/chitarre/effetti-chitarra/1203-ada-mp-1-channel.html

159 euros was a very reasonable price.
But I missed it...

[Chris5150]

Yes, you guys are on the money. It has less compression than the rack MP1 and I believe that is the greatest difference in tone. I know it is super pricey but the thing is a no BS pimped out MP1. I'm going to record with it and play live with it when I can, I suppose if I need to bust out the cabinets I can take the real deal with me, but when they just want me to plug into the PA I can just grab my piece of wood with all my crap on it and throw it in my car. I also don't care as much if this thing gets stolen, if someone stole my holy grail rack MP1 I would be in a real bad place, but this would just be more an inconvenience. The 3 MP1's I have each have their own thing going for them and this guy totally fits in the family, but I imagine just due to the pedal being modern that the tone variance is much less then trying to find another killer MP1 on reverb. If it did get jacked I wouldn't hesitate just buying another one from ADA and I'm pretty sure it would sound exactly the same. Being voiced slightly more modern I think it will allow me to get a real killer, unique high gain deathcore tone too in comparison to the rack.

I'm going to see if the definition pedal can add a little compression for me, if not I know I will at least have a great clean tone to fall back on when I turn off the MP1 channel. I'm just all stoked on ADA right now because most of the pedals I have bought in my life have been absolute garbage, just a complete waste of money, and for the first time I feel like I'm actually getting my moneys worth on this stuff. It's almost too good to be true , haha.

[rabidgerry]

Are you sure you don't mean the MP1 with MDRT?

MDRT runs tubes at 240V...but you've found MP1 Channel's specs on ADA site.
270V are true high voltage, indeed... 

I have never seen an MP1 channel go for what I would call "a good price" 

Me too...but sometimes...

https://www.musicash.it/chitarre/effetti-chitarra/1203-ada-mp-1-channel.html

159 euros was a very reasonable price.
But I missed it...

That's not bad I suppose.  Within my range certainly.  But that would have been a nightmare for shipping for me.  Shipping prices all over have gotten real bad.  Especially from the U.S.  I used to order stuff from there all the time, including an MP1 and one point.  But never again, too much import tax and too much shipping cost to begin with.  Shame.

[Iperfungus]

Well...I think the MP1 Channel has been a very good idea from ADA, in the "full of stuff" pedalboards era.
Rack units were very popular (and expensive) in the '80s and '90s, but Pearl Jam and other (great) bands redefined the whole concept of tone and sound from then on.
I assume guys at ADA asked their self something like "how can we bring MP1's tone back today?" and they found the answer building that pedal.

I would love to have one to nail it in my pedalboard and have my MP1 tone everywhere, since I would not carry a full rack out of home anywhere.
Furthermore, it's not easy today to find a full rack MP1 in good conditions and at a reasonable price...so, if you have one, the best you can do is to preserve it and enjoy it at home.
I've been lucky a lot with mine...but a second one I bought ("as new" said the seller...) was a total mess and full of issues, so I ended up selling it at 50% of what I paid it to a guy who had the project to repair it.
A third one gone lost due to the stupid driver of a very poor courier service, but this is a story I prefer to forget (but it is another risk that must be considered).

As I wrote, it looks the Channel has a tone that's very, very close to the one of a MP1 with MDRT transformer and that's a plus, 'cause you get one of the best mods for free. 
The high voltage increases tubes dynamic range, giving you back a more clear, detailed and defined overall tone.
To me, this is an important plus.

Of course, I would be more than happy to find one of this toys at a low price...but the main problem is that it's very hard to find one used...and, as Jerry stated, today shipping became a real pain in the ass, especially from US (I became crazy to find a particular battery for my Digitech Twin Tube at a good price and someone who would ship it to Italy at a rate lower than the selling price  ).

About pedals, I spent years and years buying, selling, testing, re-buying and re-selling pedals before I found the right ones (TC Electronic...I love you!)
Drive/Distortion pedals made me go crazy...I just found my rest place with Bogners, at the end....but those are preamps, not simply overdrive or distortion pedals.
And that's a big difference...the same difference that I bet applies to ADA MP1 Channel.

About compression...let's scoop mids a little bit and taste it...
When I had my MP1 back after mods, I found that, to have a tone close to the one I had with original transformer, I had to scoop mids a little and reduce a bit highs and presence.

[Iperfungus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92dO-sRnms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-jHBl9qcWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWYKM56dmg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC0viaqP9mY

Sounds awesome!  :banana-rock:
Love Nuno's tone from Pornograffiti!  :headbanger:


That's 100% pure MP1 tone. No doubt.

I would like to pair it with the Mooer Radar I own, a small, incredible IR load/CAB Simulator.

Would I pay 450 euros for a new one? No. At all.
Would I pay 160 euro for a used one? f*ck YES. (that's what I paid for my used Bogners...)

[MarshallJMP]

Am not really interested in the MP1 channel myself but I'm glad it sounds good but I was just wondering is it high voltage?

Like the Ibanez TK999HT or the Blackstar - DistX pedals are high voltage and I can vouch for them and say they feel  like proper amp in boxes, the feel is amazing.  Blackstar is very very dark though.

i had a look at the Ibanez pedal schematic and it seems the high voltage is not so high, about 97V.

[rabidgerry]

Am not really interested in the MP1 channel myself but I'm glad it sounds good but I was just wondering is it high voltage?

Like the Ibanez TK999HT or the Blackstar - DistX pedals are high voltage and I can vouch for them and say they feel  like proper amp in boxes, the feel is amazing.  Blackstar is very very dark though.

i had a look at the Ibanez pedal schematic and it seems the high voltage is not so high, about 97V.

That is a lot higher than normal pedal though and higher than starved plate design though right?

Trust me that is a good sounding pedal, and if the old one (which was starved plate) was good enough to act as a preamp then you bet the newer one definitely can.  It has a built in noise gate also which is a god send and is very effective by itself. 

I still boost it with an EQ because I like that "extra layer" but then had I got a JCM800 head I would need to boost that also so for me it's an amp in a box.  Now I'm not saying this sounds anything like the MP1, but it definitely can produce sounds the the MP1 can.  To me it feels very similar.  Has a nice sticky feel sustain to it and endless amount of "cut" on tap.  Also so much bass I have it one (again remind me off the MP1 where I also have bass at 0 usually).

I hear the blackstar high voltage pedals are higher again according to this guy

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/699758-ibanez-tk999ht-tube-king-distortion-pedal.html