Hello everyone at ADA depot

[rabidgerry]

Hi guy's (n galls if there are any)

just thought I'd introduce myself to everyone before I start posting etc.

I got my first ADA MP1 on Friday.  I read a lot about it before and it also kept appearing in things I was reading about sounds of metal during the 80's.  I was searching for something special that would set me apart from my peers here on my local music scene inn Ireland/Northern Ireland.  Something that would allow me a lot of tonal flexibility.

I believed the ADA was may be what I needed.  I began a search about a week or 2 ago and I finally bagged one last saturday.  I coaxed an ebay seller to sell privately and drop the price for me (yep I like a bargain).  So he dropped his listing and we done the deal via paypal.  I arranged my own courier and BAM!  It arrived to my place of work on Friday!

Now I was taking a gamble, the guy could have sold me a dud, it couls have been in crap condition, it may have been packed badly and got broken in transfit, more importantly I may have got the unit and I might not have liked it  :o

well, first of all I couldn't fire the thing up!!!  Why so?  The ADA had a short power lead, attached to this was a socket type device which I would then have to plug a kettle lead into.  Well this little socket had a notch that prevented me from using any old kettle lead!!  Ok first problem!!!  So out of crazy desperation I dismantled this little socket thing and wired a standard UK plug to the end of the power cord (which was very very short.)  I plugged it in, and hey presto it worked!!!!!!!!!  I toyed about for a while and after about an hour I new that this was defo gonna be something I would love.

Now I'm left with decision about lengthening the cord.  I was going to do this internally however I have questions about this which I will post on the correct forum  ^-^ when I get a chance.

Anyways it's good to join you all and despite not being a fan of Skid Row, Nuno or Extreme White Lion (that's all I ever hear about with the ADA MP1)  I think  the ADA is awesome. I am already beginning to treasure it. 

I'm more a NWOBHM traditonal heavy metal sorta guy and I think the MP1 does what I want very well :)

[MarshallJMP]

Hey Rabbitgerry

Welcome to the depot and +1 on the NWOBHM 

[rabidgerry]

hey MarshallJMP

thank you very much!!  It's RabidGerry man  as opposed to rabbit  >:D

can't beat the NWOBHM!  Dunno where I'd be without it 

[rabidgerry]

I just did this because Systematic Choas did it on his introduction thread haha (vein Bastard me  :)))

[rnolan]

Hey RabidGerry (I thought Rabbit was cool though LOL), Hey I'm Australian, mind if we call you Bruce (monty python...).  Glad you like the MP1, no doubt the lead is short to make it tidy in a rack (my guess), I fell in love with my first one 30 years ago (WTF I can have 128 Marshalls at different master vols.... :whoohoo!: ), I moved on to the MP2 when they came out and love them even more.  I've not heard a better guitar preamp ever, I keep an open mind  but nothings got even near the ADA M1/2 IMHO.
My preference for ADA references is probably Trevor Rabin (MP2 I suspect playing with Yes, owner of a only heart etc and Paul Guilbert (MP1), Mr Big).
Anyway welcome to the depot 
Cheers Richard

[rabidgerry]

Hey Bruce  :D  Only messin'  When I think of that name I just think of the Shark in Jaws 

Anyways I do like the mp1, I am a little worried however that it's an old piece of kit and may not stand up on the road anymore.  I normally buy two of everything as I'm a mega hoarder haha and I am actually eyeing up another ada mp1 at the mo for this very purpose.  However I have a few questions to begin with involving my first. Shall I take those into one of the technical forums?  It involves the power cord and the earth wire that is not used.  I have a few other queries as well.

Richard thanks for the welcome.  I have a whole pile of settings I found here

http://www.sound-design-tonstudio-hof.de/ADA%20MP1%20Sound-Settings.pdf

These are great particularly for me a newbie etc

I noticed they all had different master volumes, which kind has began to bug me because every time I switch to a new pre-set I have to adjust the volume else where.  Does the master volume have a significant amount of influence on the tone? It can't be used for level matching then?  If it does than dam!  If it doesn't then I can match all my patch levels which would be handy.

[MarshallJMP]

Sorry Rabidgerry,won't happen again   

[rabidgerry]

I've nothing against rabbits but my band is called "Rabid Bitch of the North" so I couldn't change it now to "rabbit", people would think we were some kind of large rabbit from the northern hemisphere 

It's ok MarshallJMP you like Accept so you must have good taste  :banana-rock:

[rnolan]

Hey rabidgerry, MP1 questions probably best in the MP1 section as more members are likely to see them there and respond etc.
The master vol doesn't change the tone (although at low volumes you'll hear less bass and treb (ala fletcher munchkin loudness curves)).  The idea is you set the master for each patch so when you change from one to another it's set to the overall volume you want e.g. rhythm patch to lead patch.  so yes you can (and should) use it for level matching 
It's best to set/adjust the master levels at stage volume, tweak them at rehearsals until they are what you want.  I find the volume jump/boost needs to be more when playing with another guitarist to get your lead above their rhythm.
I now use MP2 and assign a midi continuous control pedal to the master vol (unfortunately no CC for MP1) so I can adjust as I play but then I've totally changed from when I used MP1 in a band with 2 guitars.  Back then I had all my patches set to the volume change I wanted so changing from rhytm to lead was just select the right patch and I typically worked with 10 patches to cover everything so I didn't need to change banks.  These days I have a clean patch, a much less distorted rhythm patch (which I also use for most solos (just turn up vol with CC pedal) and my old rhythm patch which is more over the top distorted lead sound.
Also each patch can have different (or the same) FX settings so if you have a midi rack FX unit you can change it's patch with the same button press.  I use the same basic slight delay and reverb for rhythm patches and maybe a bigger delay but similar reverb for lead, but sky's the limit, you can concoct many variations  >:D   Remember though different FX patches will influence overall volume to some extent, takes a while to get just right, but then you don't need to touch it.
Like you I'm starting to worry a bit about the age of my MP2, it's still going strong but it's old.  I bought another as a spare (and want to get more) which lives in my recording rack.  But for a gig I feel better if I have another in the live rack just in case.  That said, my live MP2 has never missed a beat (though it's not fond of gereators and sometime craps out, display goes all hieroglyphics and needs a reboot to get going again, very annoying mid song/solo, and sometimes when this happens it looses the CC vol pedal assignment, and I have to remember how to set it again)

[rabidgerry]

Nice one rnolan, thanks for that info, it answered my qestion perfectly and more.  Perhaps I will only ever keep my MP1 for recording only and find something else for the road??  Hmm  what to do??  Is there anything more modern or road hardy that is similar to an ADA mp1/2?

I heard a Peavey Rockmaster is decent but I aint seen one of them about.  I missed out on an MP1 on ebay yesterday, it had the 3TM mod  >:(  was ragin

[rnolan]

There are other preamps but IMHO none as good as MP1/2, well I've not heard one that comes near them (or any amp), Probably get a couple just in case they die on you at a gig although I don't recall to many posts (if any ??) where that has happened.  If you want to record with it you can put the new ADA GCS3 (http://www.adaamps.com/Products/ada-GCS/GCS.htm) cab sim in the FX loop, this will maintain stereo out but ready to plug into desk/rec input.
As a road hardy preamp, they are great and in my personal experience totally reliable.  An option is to refresh some or all the components, MJMP will know better which the best ones to change are (mostly capacitors I'd proffer).

[rabidgerry]

I actually have a boss gl100 rack unit and I only started using it recently, again only messing around recording and stuff.  It's actually amazing! Well I like it  :)  I might try and implement that perhaps live and just keep the mp1 for home use.  Or do what you said and gradually replace stuff to kinda keep things fresh inside.  That GL100 is from the 80's and it actually has great dynamics and that kinda organic blooming feel to it.  I used a overdrive lightly in front of this also from another effects unit to boost a medium gain setting on the gl100 and I got really nice tones.  It has heavier stuff on it's own but I like experimenting.

here is a pic of my tubes by the way (see attached).  MJMP said he has never saw the brand before.  I think they could be really old.  Defo gonna replace them.

I'm coming from a modeller background but I'm thinking of going pure rack or a mix of both.

[rnolan]

I've not seen those tubes before either, but definitely time for some new ones.  They look like short plates BTW, long plates have some advantages, bit more current IIRC correctly from the article SC posted elsewhere. Chuch in a pair of the Mullard short plates, if you don't like them I'll buy them from you 
In the end it's what gets the tone you want. E.g. you could rack both the MP1 and gl100, and switch between them (use a small mixer and A/B input switch).
I wouldn't get too worried about the MP1 clapping out at a gig, they are very robust units, but maybe have the gl100 as a spare ? I strongly suspect the MP1 with new tubes will sound much better than the gl100 (but each to their own).  I just had a quick look at the gl100 manual, the MP1 should beat it hands down (but again depends on what sound you want).  It will probably sound better than allot of the modeling preamp/amps but the MP1 is what they are (all trying to) modelling (well MP1 is one of the best of them).
Pure rack works for me, with small mixer run it like a PA (see how do you patch your gear together posts) all stereo, FX mixed in not chained through, bliss.

[rabidgerry]

At the moment I run a sorta FRFR live.  May be it's FR for me since I use real guitar cabs but I use amp modelling into a couple of Crate Power Blocks.  I honestly can say this is good.  Well for me.  However I'm moving towards possible rack as I was saying and I know overall it will be better.  But for me and my band and touring etc which is now on our horizon I have to be practical in regards to what I can take.  Building a rack might equate to as much as a bulky Marshall head which I can't take on the plane unless I wanna spend a lot of dough.

Anyways back to the GL100, yes I mean MP1 beats this hands down, of course it does it programmable and midi and has memory.  But I just mean for a nice little simple preamp it sounds nice.  It carry's a lot of overdrive/distortion and clean sounds and very tweakable with the eq.  I just can't really believe it sounded as nice.  I couldn't switch about settings with it all the time like an MP1I'd be turning knobs all night long.  It's a keeper, particularly when I use it as the preamp in a Boss GT5 and just use the effects.  I have also been using the MP1 in the same situation and it works amazing since there is decent speaker sim on that unit and it's half analogue anyways not like the newer models.

If I decide to implement the MP1 live, I most certainly will require two of them (meaning I will need another one).  I buy 2 of everything generally for home studio stuff.  I missed out on one the other day which I was annoyed about, it was coming from Spain which is not far from Ireland.  I am on the hunt for another for sure.

[rabidgerry]

Did you say you'd buy those old tubes of me??  Why lol  :???:  I'll sell them to you if ya want.  I saw a mallard going from a guy in Australia funnily enough

Mullard Reissue CV4004 12AX7 Tube, I did ask him for a shipping price but he never got back to me

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mullard-Reissue-CV4004-12AX7-Tube-/291249115142?pt=AU_Electronics_Vintage_Electronics&hash=item43cfccd006