Vox AC30 CC2x clip

[Leonc]

Here's a little ditty I'm working on (http://www.PatchWerkz.com/uploads/AC30_Sample.mp3). Features my Vox CC2x (2x12 combo with Blues). Very happy with the tones. When people call this amp dull, lifeless and lacking harmonic richness...I know they're not talking about the same amp.

[fatback]

Nice chime n' grind Leon.

I was guessing that you were using the Thorn-o-caster, until I heard the trem bar...

[Leonc]

Hey thanks fb!

Ya, good ears. Starts with the Thorn T-caster on the left. The grind is coming from my DeArmond M77-t as is the melody (love the Bigsby-like bridge that accounts for the "t") and the 'screamin leads' are coming from my Driskill. All courtesey of the AC30.

[Sub-D]

I don't think I have ever heard a bad sound from those amps, so
distinctive, yet very versatile...nice playing and tune........
Was that the amps natural compression on the clean sounds, or did you have something in line?

[Leonc]

Sub-D I did in fact have a little bit of add'l compression via a Blackbox Oxygen to get that...well...compressed "country" sound, heheh. But a lot of it comes from the amp. Love it! That was the AC30's "normal" (as opposed to topboost) channel on that melody part.

[dave s]

LeonC:

I'll give a listen at home tonight. I've been thinking about posting a clip of mine as well. It'll probably sound vastly different from yours! Would be interesting to hear the difference.

dave

[hipfan]

Great playing and tones. By the way, I have a DeArmond M77-T also. Got it as an anniversary present from my wife back in '01. Sweet guitar! I like it more with the Dynasonic-like "2000" pickups than with the stock "2K" ones, but it sounds really cool and unique with either.

[Leonc]

Thanks!

Interesting hipfan! I absolutely love the pickups to death. I assume they're stock. I've got a set of three 2000s that have been sitting over at Ron Thorn's for a couple years waiting for an upcoming project. But I've really come to think of this 400 dollar axe as my "secret weapon" :).

[hipfan]

I had a love/hate relationship with the 2K's. Sometimes, I thought they were ultra-cool; other times, not so much. I think it's because I also play a LP Junior with a very warm dogear in it, and the 2K's (a variation on the P90 construction, but with lower output) sound wimpy when played back-to-back with a dogear. The 2000's sound way different than P90's, so it's easier for me to hear their sonic value on their own merits.

Anyway, sorry for the thread hijack! :BEER

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

nice clip.
i love the brian mayish part.
it's funny that U post this now as a few of us were comparing amps recently. all EL84 type amps. there was a CC there w/ the stock warfedales in. we also took the speaker out into a 2-12 cab w/ blues in it. some of us preferred the voicing of the warfedales and some the midrange compression of the blues. not an entirely fair comparison as i suspect the input tubes react slightly different to a combo as opposed to a head. it was revelatory, none the less.
can i ask what Ur recording chain is? SM57 and???

[Leonc]

hipfan - yeah, I understand. That's why it's a good idea to have a great P90 guitar too :). Or maybe two, too. :)

Actually kind of ironic because I had played AndyZ's M77-t a few years ago and loved it so I went about trying to find the pickups and eventually wound up having a guitar built with Hilotron pickups in it...and those sounded utterly cool clean, but would squeal like scalded chimp if you put any gain behind them. I wound up yanking them and having Jason Lollar design some custom P90s to take their place. Then, a few months later, I found someone liquidating DeArmond 2000 pups...

zero - SM57 -> POS(tm) Behringer Eurorack 8 -> MI Audio 4x4 card. Tha's it. I dig the wharfedales too. Would have been happy with them but I ran into an excellent deal on this CC2x and couldn't pass it up.

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

zero - SM57 -> POS(tm) Behringer Eurorack 8 -> MI Audio 4x4 card. Tha's it. I dig the wharfedales too. Would have been happy with them but I ran into an excellent deal on this CC2x and couldn't pass it up.

cool, thanx.
U're getting decent results w/ cheap gear.
i'm tracking right now w/ EL84 amps (that are new to me) and struggling a bit to get the sounds i'm looking for. so far, the royer R122 into the chandler germanium is giving up the goods, but i'd like to use my normal micing technique of stereo micing an array of amps. i am trying the wes dooley stereo mic into a pair of vipre on a 2 different EL84 amps and a 50 watt EL34 amp array 2nite.

[Leonc]

Ah...well in my case...ignorance is bliss, I guess.

[TwinandTwang]

Can't you get the same basic sound from a Tonelab?

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

Can't you get the same basic sound from a Tonelab?

with the operative statement "same basic sound", that allows a LOT of room for interpretation. i can get the "same basic sound" by using a groove tubes or a motherload speaker simulator or the waves/PRS GTR as micing up a real amp or array of amps. the more 'processed' the guitar sound the easier to pull the smoke and mirrors.
but don't get me started going down THAT road.
we use what we feel is right. thank gawd we still got wood 'n wires running thru magic, glowing tubes and actually moving real air by the use of crappy, old paper cones and magnets of various descriptions.

[Leonc]

Can't you get the same basic sound from a Tonelab?
Yes I can. Course this depends on the definition of "basic", as zero was saying.

However, what I can't get from that kind of tool is the right feel and response. Believe me, I've used and enjoyed plenty of digital gear; it can be a blast. But in many situations, I still prefer the real thing and pushing some real air.

[sabbath90]

nice! i agree that these are great amps and i love mine to death. care to divulge the settings you used?

[Leonc]

nice! i agree that these are great amps and i love mine to death. care to divulge the settings you used?
Thanks!

Well, I changed 'em around a bit for the different parts, obviously, heheh, but I'll try to get you in the ball park.

The last thing I did was the melody. So those settings are still in tact:
Used the normal channel.
vol = 1:00
master = 12:00
cut = 9:30
brillance = off
reverb tone = 11:00
reverb mix = 1:00

I used both channels linked with clean settings and the Crunch Box for the harmonized lead. I'm sure the brillance was off. On the tb channel, the bass was about 4:00 or so and the treble was at about 10:00.

I used both channels linked for the crunchy rhythm part, but with much dirtier channel volumes. The master was close to wide open. Futzed around with the tone quite a bit on this one.

[dave s]

Excellent LeonC! It's nice to hear something different coming out of the same gear! For some reason, mine is set to a more 'piano-like' tone and used as a launch pad for the pedals on my board which are used to cover the tones required by my gig.

I have to get away from using amps this way and dig into them more to get different tones. Your amp sounded GREAT on the clip. Nice playing. Nice tone. Interesting 'ditty.'

dave

[Sparky6string]

Good tune and tones. Nice to know that your recording rig isn't uber-expensive too. It's actually very similar to mine, if I ever get around to learning how to use it. The sounds of that amp impress me every time.

[Leonc]

Thanks guys!

Dave - Actually, I've been doing pretty much the same thing in the band context--amp as a more or less clean platform and pedals for OD, distortion and boost. But when recording...the sky's the limit and I can do what I want with the amp as I've got a sound proof room for it.

S6S - yup, just cheapo stuff at this time. If I was actually to go about "doing it right", it would first involve spending more time recording better takes. These demo clips are really just for fun; I just whip 'em together. I'm sure I could do better sounding just by working harder at it, first off. Then, I'd think about working with a human drummer ;). Then, after those two steps, I'd think about upgrading my recording rig.

[Cody McLain]

Sounds great Leon. So I guess that means you finished the add-on with the studio/ iso. room, etc. Agreed, you're really making that new VOX sound great. Makes me want to try one out. Post some more stuff as you go- really enjoying it. You always have some killer tone...

[Leonc]

Cody thanks a bunch man. I'm not trying to sell AC30s here, heheh. But you know, you get an amp, and you dig it, and then guys get on the boards and piss on it a bit and you can retort and say you disagree...but I figure that actions speak louder than words.

You, sir, have a good memory! Did indeed finish the "man cave" add-on, heheh, and am so diggin it!! I haven't been this excited about going to work every morning (my office is now upstairs, woo hooo). Had a few guys over to jam here a month ago and was just knocked out with how good the room sounds. And it's inspired me to do a lot more recording now that I don't have to go deaf cranking the headphones to 120dB to get above the guitars :dude!

[telecopter]

Very nice! I have an AC30CC head and matching 2-12 cab(Wharfdales). I'm having alot of fun with it.

The Brian May part was cool. Have you tried the new Brian May AC30 yet?

[Leonc]

Hey thanks telecopter.

Yeah, I got to play one over at friend's place in like May/June. That amp was a blast. Great cleans (but seemed like not as much headroom as a stock AC30, at least not with Blues) and absolutely killer OD. At about 8:30 with the boost on, it was louder than sin and rollin into screaming feedback with my P90-equipped guitar. It's closer to being a one-trick pony (at least compared to the CCs) but as they say...oh what a trick!

[cg]

Great clip! My CC2x gets here next week. Can wait to give it a spin. Everytime I've plugged in the CC2x I have been very impressed. I personally liked it better that a bunch of the boutique stuff I've owned over the years.

[Leonc]

Thanks very much cg! I definitely like mine more than plenty of WAY more expensive amps I've owned in the last 6 or 7 years.

[Myron Stratis]

Sounds amazing! Wow, pure Vox tone! The playing is top-notch, another great clip from my friend Leon:dude !

[cg]

Thanks very much cg! I definitely like mine more than plenty of WAY more expensive amps I've owned in the last 6 or 7 years.

:) I won't name the brand, but right after I played the CC2x, I sold my latest 2x12 class A EL84 high-end boutique amp. The Vox is less than half the price and I dig the tone more. It's a beautiful thing!

[Sparky6string]

Yeah I meant to ask how you got those May tones. Did an OD get you there?

[Leonc]

cg - gorgeous gear man! But you haven't updated it fast enough to keep the rest of us from guessing what amp(s?) you're talkin 'bout heheh.

Myron - thanks so much my friend! But you are the king of amazing clips!

S6S - Yes, you need an OD pedal to get there with this kind of amp (as did Brian May himself :) ). I used the MI Audio Crunch Box, my favorite "fire-breathing Marshall in a box" pedal. Another incredible value. Can't say enough good things about that pedal.

[Cody McLain]

Cody thanks a bunch man. I'm not trying to sell AC30s here, heheh. But you know, you get an amp, and you dig it, and then guys get on the boards and piss on it a bit and you can retort and say you disagree...but I figure that actions speak louder than words.

You, sir, have a good memory! Did indeed finish the "man cave" add-on, heheh, and am so diggin it!! I haven't been this excited about going to work every morning (my office is now upstairs, woo hooo). Had a few guys over to jam here a month ago and was just knocked out with how good the room sounds. And it's inspired me to do a lot more recording now that I don't have to go deaf cranking the headphones to 120dB to get above the guitars :dude!

Glad to hear so much enthusiasm Leon. I'm a good while from making it happen, but I intend to put together some sort of iso room for recording once I can buy a house. I'm woking on a large closet in the center of the house, but the house is old peer-and-beem (sp?) so it's not even close to perfect. A cranked 2x12 or Super Rev. etc. is no easy thing to tame. Lots of small amp or acoustic for home playing... glad to hear that you had success with the add-on man. Oh, and keep those "actions" coming... there's a wealth of cheaper gear out there that seems to wrk damn fine for any one who can play. I like it all.. just can't afford it all. Post some more clips as you go, if you will. Cheers..

[lhallam]

Sounds good Leon.

[Leonc]

Cody - Check it out:
http://www.PatchWerkz.com/LeonsGear/Room/Room2.jpg

What I did was I added this room (and one other) above our attached garage (and our family room, which is what the garage is attached too). By sticking the "sound closet" in the room above the garage, it's "less attached" to any living space in the house than anywhere else I could have done this. That's got to REALLY help w/rt keeping the noise down in the rest of the house. Then on top of that, we did all the sound proofing stuff to separate this room, and twice as much on the "sound closet"--which you can look into on the left of the photo. I put in junction boxes that let me get mics in the sound closet. These go into my mixer and from there into the workstation at the desk. I've got cheapo computer monitors on the desk with the workstation and decent monitor speakers mounted out of view to the right (and up towards the ceiling. So I can blast away (AC30 wide open is sho nuff blasting away, heheh) in the closet and sit outside the closet, recording to the rhythm track playing back on headphones or through the monitors. The one thing I can't do, with the amp shut in the closet is get any good feedback...

Hey Lance, thanks man!

[Cody McLain]

Looks great Leon. I intended to ask you to post a pic or two. I remember reading a bit on your thread a while back when you discussed the process while it was being built. The junction boxes are a damn good idea- that's a bit of an issue for me with the closet I'm using in my bedroom, although my computer, monitors, etc. are in the next room over. Doesn't take much of a hole to get a lot of sound leaking, especially with a bigger amp. On the flip side, having all wood floors makes for some great room sounds when using small amps in various rooms. I've just got my recording set-up going so I'm learning a lot right now. Way fun...

Congrats on getting it put together- definately something I've been shooting for for years now.

[TNJ]

Nice work, as usual, Leon.
Man, I probably wouldnt recognize your house anymore!
Great having space to stretch out and play, eh?
:cool:
S>
j

[Leonc]

Hey Steve - thanks man. Not only would you not recognize it, but both Dana Olsen and my wife's folks were down this weekend (separately, heheh) and they both went to the wrong house, hahahha!

[Joe Robinson]

Hey Leon,

Great tune! I really like (let's call it the pre chorus) when the grind kicks in after the initial hook.

Love the Brian May influence at the end of the solo. I was waiting for Freddy's ghost to kick in after the lead.

The room looks great also. It's a rare practice room that has such nice natural light.

Joe

[Leonc]

Hey - nice hearing from you Joe! Thanks for the kind words.

The room's got pretty much a southern exposure and windows on three sides, so there's tons of natural light. Unfortunately, this means it can get really heated up if I leave the shades open in the summer, heh, but I'll probably really appreciate it this winter!

[trisonic]

Very nice clip, Leon! One of my favourites of yours.
Has a kind of "reel" feel to it (or it reminds me of something that I haven't put my finger on).
I'd change the final mix in the last part slightly but that's just me.

You still have your ÷ by 13 collection?

Best, Pete.

[Leonc]

Thanks Pete!

No more /13 amps, just some cabs, which are also really great.

[marinblues]

Leon,

great playing. thanks for reviewing this amp, I was considering it some time ago.

Marin

[Rid]

Great sweet chime!!
And a most nice room too:)
Thanks for the clip!
Niels

[bluesmain]

very hip tone bro!!! Cool Ditty too!

[scottl]

Excellent job Leon. Well conceived and well played! Keep them comin'!

[Leonc]

Niels, Marin, bluesmain, Scott - thanks very much guys. I'll have more coming fo sho!

[jdzialak]

I just found this thread, as I'm on my search for the right AC30CC model to get.
GREAT CLIP Leon! I love the tones and playing, as well as the composition.
I'm really not an open back cab guy, but is it essential for the chime?
I'm considering integrating the AC30CCH into my multi amp rig.

Joe

[Leonc]

Thanks Joe.

I don't think I've ever heard (or tried) an AC30 through a closed back cab. I have no idea how it will work. It probably won't be bad, but it certainly won't be the same. You will not get the same headroom or midrange breakup from other speakers. The Wharfedales sound good...they're just not exactly the same. Personally, I'd wait for the right deal on a CC2X to come along (in fact, that IS what I did when I bought this one).

Next to a couple of very fine old Jennings-era AC30s, the JMJ is the best, most realistic that I've heard. It has all the right qualities, sound and feel. That being said, I'm sticking with the CC2x. Fantastic sound, half the price, better features.

[johnfindlay]

shi....te--that s THE sound I sometimes need-and can NEVER get-damn!!

i gots to get one day!

grate pikins dude!

[jdzialak]

Thanks Joe.

I don't think I've ever heard (or tried) an AC30 through a closed back cab. I have no idea how it will work. It probably won't be bad, but it certainly won't be the same. You will not get the same headroom or midrange breakup from other speakers. The Wharfedales sound good...they're just not exactly the same. Personally, I'd wait for the right deal on a CC2X to come along (in fact, that IS what I did when I bought this one).

Next to a couple of very fine old Jennings-era AC30s, the JMJ is the best, most realistic that I've heard. It has all the right qualities, sound and feel. That being said, I'm sticking with the CC2x. Fantastic sound, half the price, better features.

I'm gonna try out the head for myself and see.

Joe

[Leonc]

shi....te--that s THE sound I sometimes need-and can NEVER get-damn!!

i gots to get one day!

grate pikins dude!

Thanks so much John. I've really dug the stuff of yours that I've heard as well...in fact, I'm gonna go listen to some right now!

[Paychek]

Leon
Sounds great! I have a Silver Face Super Reverb that I have had for a while and have been pleased with it. Recently I tried a AC30 at a local GC for the first time to see what the new ones sounded like. I was really wowed by it. Now I am thinking of selling the SR and getting a 2X12 ac30 for better tone and more versatility. Is there a big differnce in sound between the Celestion GSH-12's vs. the Alnico Blues?
Once again nice clip and your playing is top notch!

[Leonc]

Paychek and Echoplex - thanks very much, glad you dug it!

Paychek - yes there a difference in sound. There's not really anything that sounds like Blues. One thing to consider is buying a AC30 with cheaper speakers and upgrading to Blues incrementally as decent deals on used ones become pop up. I do think that AC30s and 15s really benefit from blues. Great midrange and extra headroom.

[Notes]

That Driskill sounds: A W E S O M E !!!. I would like to have heard it a little more. Anyway, thanks for the clip Leonc.

J.

[Leonc]

Thanks very much Notes. Here's just what you asked for. (http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=171159)

[Leonc]

I'm running it "Warm" (not hot) and "Vintage" (not modern). On top, I've got the EQ set to "Standard" (not Custom) on the TB channel.

[herby2]

Hi,

How do you get the Brian May lead parts, is it just with the treble booster which comes with the amp?

[telecopter]

Nice! Lovin' my AC30CC1, btw.

[Leonc]

Herbie - sorry for the delayed response. I believe I said elsewhere in the thread that I use a Crunch Box for the BM lead type stuff.

Telecopter - thanks. Great amp. My AC30cc sounds just like it should and works perfectly.

[trisonic]

Leon,
I'm in a time warp.......you mean you still have this Leon?
I need to talk with you or find some sources for American amps from days of yore that begin with "M"! Can you PM me some resources?

Cheers, Pete.

[Tag]

Not sure how I missed this one Leon, as I always love hearing you play.

Well..tonally speaking, I guess its not all that bad for an amp that comes from China and costs under a grand. Of course if you spent way more money, you would REALLY have that VINTAGE HAND WIRED ENGLISH Vox tone! ;)

Seriously, great Beatles like rhythm tones, and Queen tone in the middle! More compression than I hear with my 1/12 CC, but it could be these new computer speakers I just got and dislike. In any case, great playing and tones!
:dude

[Leonc]

Thanks Tag - the Queen-like part was done with a Crunch Box pedal which can get more compressed sounding than the amp itself. It's great for that kind of stuff though.

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

Next to a couple of very fine old Jennings-era AC30s, the JMJ is the best, most realistic that I've heard. It has all the right qualities, sound and feel. That being said, I'm sticking with the CC2x. Fantastic sound, half the price, better features.

Of course if you spent way more money, you would REALLY have that VINTAGE HAND WIRED ENGLISH Vox tone!

what?
Tag, U're slipping.
no personal digs w/ leon, telling him that he likes horrible sounding amps and that he's deaf?:AOK

[Tag]

what?
Tag, U're slipping.
no personal digs w/ leon, telling him that he likes horrible sounding amps and that he's deaf?:AOK


Huh? We went through that in another thread. Leon did not A/B the CC with the other amp. Have you tried comparing amps without them right next to each other? Impossible. In any case, I HAVE A/bd the CC with several vintage Vox amps, and liked the CC more. :AOK Do not want to change the topic of this thread, but Zero, if you have clips of a JMJ sounding better,start a new thread and lets hear them! The ones on the net $ucked.:( I am looking for the new thread with the clips now! :D

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

Have you tried comparing amps without them right next to each other? Impossible.

U are kidding, right?

[Leonc]

If money and space were not things I was concerned with, I'd own both the JMJ and the CC2x :) IMO, the JMJ precisely captures the feel and sound of the better vintage AC30s I've played; particularly the overdriven sound. But played clean, the CC2x or the JMJ are on equal footing IMO. The CC2x has more features that I like and cost me about 1/3 of what I'd spend on an equivalent JMJ type rig so it makes more sense to me.

As for clips of this vs that...I personally just don't give much credence to any of that and don't really want to get into it here. If you guys want to argue about this clip vs that one...please do it somewhere else (preferably not on the Gear Page ;)). Thanks!

[GP_Hawk]

Here's a little ditty I'm working on (http://www.PatchWerkz.com/uploads/AC30_Sample.mp3). Features my Vox CC2x (2x12 combo with Blues). Very happy with the tones. When people call this amp dull, lifeless and lacking harmonic richness...I know they're not talking about the same amp.

After listening I would also agree very nice tones. You have a very addictive sound in your playing style that obviously brings out the best in the cc2x. Nice playing:AOK

p.s. somewhere in the back of my head, I want to check one out again

[µ¿ z3®ø™]

(preferably not on the Gear Page ;))

tired of the same old, same old, are we?:D

i only meant my 'Tag slipping' comment as a bit of satirical irony. anyone dares to make an opinion that they prefer any other '30' than the CC and they become targets of ridicule for either being deaf or liking bad sounding amps.

FWIW, i've always said i like the CC. i think there's certain players who would prefer the CC over other '30s' because of the sound and feature set. i don't think that any of the '30s' are 'one size fits all' amps. a lot of different flavours to choose from amongst all the different variants.

leon, w/o blowing smoke up yer butt, i just wanna say that the kinds of clips that i've heard U do, like the one on this thread and the other tom petty style one U did, go a long way in helping folks makes choices in the amps they should seek out and investigate. i'm amazed at the number of websites from amp builders that are lauded amongst the membership and yet have pretty mediocre sounding clips. everybody that has any experience w/ the carr mercury raves about it and i listen to the clips on the carr website and think they're pretty horrid sounding for the most part. then there's the fender super-sonic clips that sound pretty good and yet the amps themselves are pretty inconsistent.

anywho, it's all grist for the mill.

[Frankenstrat2]

Great tracks, super playing, love the tones.
It needs a bit of slide guitar, no? :)
The pix of the sound room look very inviting.......

[Leonc]

Zero - thanks man.

Barry - Yeah, some slide'd be great! As for the room...well, it sounds better than it looks. But picture it filled with a bunch of boxes, cables, straps, drums, amp covers and miscellany and you'll have a better idea of how it looks today :messedup :o