ADA B200S vs. Tube Works Mosvalve.

[kawai2g4b]

Okay I just scored an ADA B200S off Guitar Center for $100 including shipping!  :whoohoo!:

Now the next question...what to rig it up to.  Since I recently got into rack gear, I only had one power amp (Tube Works MV-962) to mate up to my preamps.  I wouldn't normally ask about this; however, since I am in an apartment and full volume is out of the question.

So the preamp choices are ADA MP-1, MP-2, and Hafler T3.  Power amp choices are MV-962 and B200S. I would love to hear everyone's opinion on which combinations work better than others.

Note: The MP-1 and Mosvalve are currently hooked up in a setup right now, tried and true.

[Dante]

That's a pretty good deal right there, Congrats!!

As for which combination works best - that's for YOUR ears to decide 

If it were me, I'd have the MP-2 w/the B200s, but I have not tried the Mosvalve, so I cannot comment on that. I think the Mosvalve offers you a presence control, so that would serve the MP-1 better, as the MP-2 already has a 'Room EQ' which works just like a presence knob in many respects.

Be sure to let us all know what you end up with...snap a pic or two if you can

[rnolan]

Lucky score  .  I've used a B200s with both my old MP1 and then MP2.  Great amp very transparent and, for many years very reliable.  Unfortunately my B200s is sick (popping very badly on one channel) so after all these years I now have a Carvin TS100 (all valve).  The TS100 sounds great but is much heavier so it gets its own rack case.  The B200s is lighter and will go in a rack you can still lift without breaking you back  ;) and give you 120w per channel into 4 ohms.
Any combination of your pre-amps and power amps will be fine.  However, to more easily compare them, you could try a small mixer (6 channel or more), plug them all in (eg ch 1/2 MP1, ch 3/4 MP2, ch 5/6 T3), send the main outs to B200s and subgroups 1/2 (if the mixer has subgroups) to the MV-962 (or use record outs or ctr room outs).  Then you can quickly switch between the different setups.  If you can split your guitar output so that it's fed to all 3 pre-amps you can quickly flick between combinations just using channel mutes or even more interesting, turn them all on together for an amazing wall of guitar  :whoohoo!:
Although, in an apartment...  I don't know about the MV-962 as I've not come across one but the B200s works well at any volume, I don't think I ever turned mine up past 3/4.

[kawai2g4b]

Dante, I'm going to take your advice on the MP-2-B200S combination  :whoohoo!:, in part because the presence and room adjustment controls, but also because the MP-1-Mosvalve combination just sounds too good for me to fudge with the formula.  I am going to have to find a tube power amp for the Hafler, it doesn't seem to get along very well with SS power amp based on what I heard yesterday.

Rnolan, I will take up your advice on the mixer if I can wrangle some time on one courtesy of my friends.

Thank you for the advice.  Tomorrow I am going to test out the MP-2-B200S rig and program the MP-2 accordingly.

[MarshallJMP]

Hey Rnolan

I had the same problem with my B200S and had a bad solder joint on the power supply.So check it for bad solder joints.Or just reflow the whole thing.

[Dante]

Dante, I'm going to take your advice on the MP-2-B200S combination  :whoohoo!:, in part because the presence and room adjustment controls, but also because the MP-1-Mosvalve combination just sounds too good for me to fudge with the formula.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with that setup. For your consideration, I will be posting a couple of MP-2 patches that I wrote recently. They are intended to be used w/out FX, so they should translate well to other rigs like yours. Check the MP-2 Patches thread.

[rnolan]

Thanks MJMP, I'll give it a try although I'm getting a bit shaky with a soldering iron these days (apparently I drink too much  ).  I assume by reflow you mean remelt all the solder joins ?

Kawai2g4b, MP2 and B200s is a great combination, served me well for many years.  The room adjustment works quite well to adjust between live (eg wooden stages) and more dead rooms.  There are presence knobs on my TS100 but I don't use them as the MP2 has plenty.  The Carvin TS100 is a good all valve choice and not too expensive.  I'm very happy with mine, the blurb says they are good as a HiFi amp as well.  You can get them with 6L6 or EL34 output tube options.  Mine came with 6L6 groove tubes (nice looking bottles).  Doug's tubes had some advice for the TS100 input tubes (12AX7s, one gain one buffer per channel), again I'm happy with it so haven't experimented as yet.  It's also a very meaty 50w per channel.  However, being all tube it's quite heavy (2 RU).  The MP2 patches I posted just have some mild delay and reverb on them.

[MarshallJMP]

Yep, that's what i mean.

[kawai2g4b]

Alright, ran the MP-2 into B200S setup at a friend's living room and the MP-2 likes it over the Mosvalve.  Thank you guys again for the pointers, now to test and perfect patches and throw them into a rack box.