XTS preamp

[glogulus]

Does anyone have one of these? Do you like? Do these pedals work best with amps that are already dirty, or do they work just as well with a super clean amp?

 

[Ed Reed]

I have number three.

Yes.

I use mine with a clean fender bassman clone.

 

[jnepo1]

Yes, using it thru a clean amp is great.

 

[kingdavidy2k]

I'm interested in XTS pedals...sounds great from the videos I've seen...surprisingly not many demos out there...and not much discussion about them either?

Do you guys have demos by any chance?

 

[glogulus]

I'd also like to hear some clips if anyone has one, but it seems like its just the 3 pedals in one so if you hear a demo of the individual pedal then its pretty much it?

I emailed Xact about the pedal and found out they will have one ready for me by friday . Guess I'm getting one.

 

[Ed Reed]

I'll try to do some tonight, I just finally got rigged up to record into my PC.

 

[drneely]

XTS pedals sound absolutely killer. I have the Tejas, Precision, Imperial and as soon as Barry gets done with my new board I will have the Pegasus and Atomic on it as well. The best sounding pedals I have played, but to each their own so might want to listen to the demos on the website and any you can find elsewhere. There are a good many clips on youtube. Most all of Rackdoctor's board demos have 1 or 2 of the XTS pedals in them.

 

[Ed Reed]

I'm sure my playing will impress no one but here's a clip of (pretty much) the same simple lick,

1 clean, clean with pegasus boost
2 Multi Drive (gain at 12:00 fat on), same with boost
3 Atomic (gain at 12:00), same with boost

Pegasus is used after the drives. Suhr classic in the 2nd position.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11407082

 

[GtrWiz]

I don't have the preamp, but I have all the pedals. XTS makes the best feeling pedals I've ever played!

 

[glogulus]

Hey! Thanks Ed! This was really helpful.

I really like the quality of the distortion and boost these pedals have. Its different from the other gain/od pedals I've played. The seem to have a little something something in all of the clips I've heard so far. Can't wait to try it out.

Hmm the only downside I can see in having one big pedal is I can't change the order that the pedals are in. I'm hoping that won't be an issue.

I'm sure my playing will impress no one but here's a clip of (pretty much) the same simple lick,

1 clean, clean with pegasus boost
2 Multi Drive (gain at 12:00 fat on), same with boost
3 Atomic (gain at 12:00), same with boost

Pegasus is used after the drives. Suhr classic in the 2nd position.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11407082

 

[KEVORKIAN]

Hmm the only downside I can see in having one big pedal is I can't change the order that the pedals are in. I'm hoping that won't be an issue.

The default way that the preamp pedal works is to A/B between the Precision Multidrive and the Atomic with one switch, Boost on another and Bypass on the remaining switch. The Boost is assignable pre or post.

So you really only have 2 pedals active at a time (Gain and Boost) and the order is actually assignable.

 

[BountyHuntr]

Just got Preamp #19. Unbelieveably great. Most amp-like pedal I've ever heard and frankly I'd rather have the Preamp than most gainy amps I've had. Mine runs thru a Z Stang.

I love my Wampler HW but honestly it sounds like a pedal, a good one at that, to my ears the XTS doesn't sound like a pedal... it's thicker and has more note definition, also very tweakable.

The sound clips were good but don't do it justice imho... and the amount of gain, articulate, clear, sustaining gain, is unreal.

Only had it for 2 days now and I can provide more opinion after the weekend gigs.... if interested.

 

[Ed Reed]

My playing doesn't do the pedal justice for sure but it shows what an average joe can get. You can only expect better results.

About the series of pedals, talk to XACT and I bet they could add switches to allow various other combinations. The Atomic really doesn't need anything in front of it IMO.

 

[GtrWiz]

Hmm the only downside I can see in having one big pedal is I can't change the order that the pedals are in. I'm hoping that won't be an issue.

Like I said earlier, I have the individual pedals. The way they are laid out on the preamp is how I set them, except with the preamp you can change where the boost is. Also, I really see no reason anyone would want to have the Multidrive and the Atomic on at the same time.

 

[BountyHuntr]

Ed ur playin kicked it IMO and it was an excellent sample of the Pre. I meant sound quality didn't do it justice compared to live.

I agree on not needing anything in front of the Atomic, it's brutal. The Peg with both Atomic and Multi does sound great Pre or Post, even by itself. Someone said in another post XTS was Nashville's best kept secret or something to that affect.... i would add....
Email Greg at Xact.... [email protected]
the guy is a player, he's knowledgeable, and he's nice!

 

[glogulus]

Okay. It sounds like there's lots of playing around to be had with the pedal. Now I can't wait to get it in my hands!

 

[Cosmogang]

How much do these beasts cost?

 

[todd richman]

It is an amazing unit as are the individual pedals that I have owned. Greg and Barry know pro tone and these XTS creations are so far above most of the "amateur" boutique stuff out there. Really musical pedals that enhance and work with the guitar tone rather than sit alongside it.

 

[BountyHuntr]

Just wanted to follow up.... USed it now with a Z Stang and a SF Twin. The Peg pushes the Z over the top nicely and one could get by with it and maybe another OD. Both UO and Atomic still sound very musical and organic but the Z doesn't have clean headroom of the Twin, which I prefer. I had to boost mids and highs to get it to cut I assume because it was overdriving the front end so much.

Fortunately the Preamp is very tweakable, which I needed to do more so with the Z... and with the Z the Peg sounds better POST. But with the SF Twin... holy cow. I've never heard anything better. The Peg sounds better PRE, have to dial back the highs and boost the lows/mids a tad on the UO and Atomic.

Bottom line is the XTS sounds awesome with the Z but even better with the Twin.... I like the Twin better than the Z though.... and the Preamp still sounds more amp-like than other gain pedals I've used imho and is sooo flexible!

 

[kstrat62]

How much do these beasts cost?

I've asked this before too! Why the tight lips???