TONE CONTROL FREQUENCY, Q & DEFAULT DB VALUE REVEALED?

[INRI]

Hi folks,

There is so much knowledge and resources about the A/DA amps on this forum, that at this point probably even A/DA themselves would probably use it for reference - if they ever were to resurrect once more. I do notice that there is one (last?) hole in the knowledge here left to fill, and that is the frequencies, Q's and default dB value on each of the tone controls of the MP-2 s 10 presets (not to be confused with the graphic eq of course).

We already know that the tonal center of each tone control varies with each voicing - the bass frequency of the crystal clean will be different from the spanky clean, and so on. Not to mention the difference between the distorted presets and the clean ones.

It should be fairly easy to find out. All that would be needed is to hook up like this:

MP-2 preamp --> Mic pre --> DAW --> eq plugin w spectrum analyser.

Then one could start with one preset, f.ex Crystal Clean, increase the bass tone control (to max), see in the spectrum analyser what frequency rises, plus approximately what the Q width is. Then move on to the mid control, treble and presence. Then the next preset.

It would also be worth noting down or screenshoting the eq curve of each preset with all controls at zero, for comparison, to see how the tone stack for each preset was shaped, how the spectrum analyser looks on Crystal Clean, compared to how it looks with Spanky clean, and so on.

I know this is really geeky stuff, but I do think it would be very interesting and revealing for all of us ultimately, to see what's going on under the hood of the MP-2 - how they got to each one of the classic presets that we love. This is knowledge we could use even as we move on with different newer gear. I'd love to do this myself, but I don't have the preamp. Not one person alone would have to do all the presets though. Alternatively if someone recorded themselves tweaking and uploaded the file I could do the rest. What say you guys?

Would love to see this happen!

[rnolan]

Hey INRI, good idea, albeit a little laborious.  Like when I went through all the factory presents and made a table of them, took a while...  Sounds like you need a MP-2  lol. 

I'd suggest that you/one use a white noise generator (equal energy per cycle) as the test tone (so what notes/string gets played isn't a factor), then do each voice (1 to 10) starting flat then do each 4 bands individually for each voice.  So you'd end up with 5 screen shots per voice (or more?).  The flat sample would indicated the eq applied in the tube circuit for each voice.  I just found a white noise generator online https://onlinetonegenerator.com/noise.html so if I have some time I'll give it a go.  I've started using PreSonus Studio One a bit lately, IIRC there was a spectrum analyser plug in.  Or I could probably use GoldWave as I know it has a spectrum analyser.

[INRI]

Yes, I didnt mean each PRESET but  each voicing, as there are only 10 voicings. Presets would be too many!

Thats a pity - nowhere within reach :/ I hope the noisegenerator works. Lemme know if you get somewhere with this!

[rnolan]

Hey INRI, I clicked the download for the white noise generator and it didn't do anything :-( but I could play it from the site, which I can redirect to the MP-2 input via my desk.  So it's on my to do list....

[INRI]

Pity! Sounded like a really smart idea with the noise generator for accuracy. Let me know if you figure a different way out