AC15 Heritage Has Arrived

[asimmd]

Hi All

Well,it arrived at 12.00 and I have only had time to have a quick play with it due to other commitments but what I have heard,I like.
Not been able to replicate any of the early sounds like Roberto gets but it's early days yet,can't have it too loud.

I am also going to change the pickups back to the custom 50's and hopefully they will produce better results.

Another problem is that my mixer has tone controls on the channel,so trying to balance those with what comes out of the amp,wow,there are so many options.

The microphone I was using was not the best for the job and when I swopped to an AKG,things got better.

Don't get me wrong,the difference in sound after the Tonelab is amazing,everything is just so much clearer.

Enough of this waffle.

Any pointers to how to set it greatly appreciated.

Alan

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Alan,
There is a triode pentode switch that controls the power amp. Set it to pentode for the original Vox sound. Triode mode gives less power and a warmer sound.
The main channel is like a usual AC30 top boost. Keep the treble and bass around halfway or less. Then adjust the bass according to the tune, less bass for older Shadows tunes, more bass for modern Hank sounds.
The cut control is common to both channels. Use it to smooth the high end. Its setting depends on where you have the treble control to some extent.
The EF86 channel has several options. Set the triode pentode switch to pentode for the original EF86 Vox sound. Set the brilliance switch to 2. Set the bass shift switch to 1. The cut control is the only tone control other than these settings.
Get the amp sounding how you want first. Then you can try to duplicate that sound by miking up. It is best to point the mic closer to the edge of the speaker cone rather than in the middle of it. Try several positions until you hear the closest sound to the amp on a recording with the recording tone controls flat. Then you can alter then for more fine control if necessary.
Regards,
Charlie

[Tone]

Hi Alan and Charlie

Charlie - you beat me to it and I agree entirely with your suggested settings. The only thing I'd add as regards the EF86 channel is that the position of the cut control depends on what tune you're playing and also on your personal hearing. I was demo'ing the amp to a friend last week and I had the cut control at about 8 o'clock (looking from the front) which is a bit more than halfway yet he said it sounded far too trebly. For my hearing I normally find that anything from 5 o'clock to 9 o'clock is suitable.

The Top Boost channel has lots of scope for experiment but it can be very bright indeed and it's unlikely that you will need the treble control anything more than halfway. In fact on some tunes I find it doesn't need any treble at all. You should find that the bass control seems to become more sensitive in the last third of its travel. For the 'Burns Sound' try bass at just short of maximum and then gradually bring in the treble until it begins to 'bite' (credit to David Martin for this recommendation).

As ever, you need to keep experimenting. Good luck!

Cheers.

Tony

[asimmd]

Thanks Guys,very useful comments.

I have changed my pickups back to the original Custom Shop 50's, as supplied and put new strings on.Just waiting for the Wife to get up (She works Nights - really),then the fun can begin.
It's difficult experimenting,I just want to turn it on and the sound I want is there,but I know doesn't work like that.

Alan

[asimmd]

Well,I have had a play with the Amp and I have a problem.

The Amp on it's own is OK,but when I plug my guitar into the Zoom 2200,all I get is a woolly muffled sound,regardless of settings.

I have tried both the Front and Rear inputs of the Zoom,both give the muffled sound.

Guitar direct into the Amp,OK but I still can't get it to sound anything like Roberto or Tony.

Any ideas please?

Alan

[erikMAMS]

Alan - congrats on the AC15 Heritage

I don't have an AC15 these days - I keep to the my AC30 modded with a EF86 channel, but on both I believe on of the secrets to getting a good (Hank) sound is in the CUT control.

This may sound obvious to most - but IMO one thing often overlooked is the nature of the CUT control. You'll discover that the function is not very smooth - the first 3/4 of the rotation yields only subtle high freq roll off and after that the cut set in very suddenly. This means that the useful and interesting range of the CUT is to be found within in very short range. Concentrate on that range.

Within that 1/8 to 1/10 of the total rotation you can get from brilliant to bright to mellow to full.

The useful range seems to be app. between 9-10 o'clock standing in front of the amp.

Erik

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Alan,
I think I explained the reason for the treble loss earlier, or if not on this thread then definitely elsewhere.
The input impedances of the RFX are too low for a guitar. The mic input is a bit better but still too low.
The cure is to use another active device between the guitar and the RFX, maybe a Boss or similar pedal with the effect switched off unless required.
Regards,
Charlie

[asimmd]

Thanks Charlie,must be having a senior moment as I don't recall reading that.

I suppose a D.I box would be OK,I only have a Behringer and the connectors are mic connectors but it is active.

Wrong again, the output is XLR,the input is Jack so I will try that.

Thanks

Alan

[betowelch]

Hi Alan:

My big congratulations....One more member with this great amp....
When you fix that problem with Zoom 2200 let me know what do you think all about and if I could help you in anything just let me know...

Again....my congratulations!

Cheers from Brazil
Roberto

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Alan,
I think the DI box should have a high impedance at the jack input. If you have the specs it should tell you.
Regards,
Charlie

[asimmd]

Thanks Charlie,

I await the arrival of the Weber Mini-Mass before continuing my experiments.

Roberto,

Many thanks for the kind offer which I am sure I will need once I get going again.

Alan