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pdc06 « The best sound in its class, but far from perfect. »
Published on 03/08/12 at 16:39
Best value:
Excellent
As a preamble, I was looking for a versatile and portable amp to go jam with some friends in the evening.
I tried studio and store most of its competitors: 3 Mini Vox, Roland Microcube normal and RX, Vox AC1, a line6 I do not remember which. And I do not even toys such MS2 Marshall, Fender Twin or mini Danelectro Honeytone.
And I turned to the Mini Mustang.
This is a digital amplifier power stage with a transistor 7 Watts, an HP 6 or 6.5 ".
It simulates a sling load of Fender amps, a Vox, a Marshall and a handful of amps including a Mesa High Gain. There are also a myriad of effects pre or post amp.
Almost entirely through software programmable Fender Fuse, rather well done elsewhere if not it is based on Microsoft Silverlight and need to install it too. Ability to import sounds created by other Mustang owners (and not the mini).
Full connectivity: ligne/MP3 input, headphone jack, USB port for programming and output to a PC sequencer, but you can not output audio from the PC to the amp on the other hand.
Simulation HP's headphone and USB.
Built-in tuner.
Tap tempo button.
Comes with power supply but works fine with 6 C batteries
Fairly light and compact.
Optional footswitch.
Made in China but build quality a priori correct.
It is quite full and a priori very versatile and nomadic but no footswitch, so I put 7 here.
UTILIZATION
The factory presets are pretty good overall and there's something for everyone. on the other hand, like the vast majority of factory settings for all types of computer simulation, they are drowned in reverb and delay rather cartoonish (I return below).
A big flaw of this amp from my point of view is the difficulty of access to settings sounds from the amp (this is against simple since the Fender Fuse, but we do not always walk with his laptop in the evening ...):
- The presets have names of amps but they do not always correspond to what is written
- The effects are just called A1, A2, A3, B1 ... Therefore either memorize them or to carry around an index card with the amp as they are written
- There is a knob Treble but also can adjust the bass through pressing the EXIT button at the same time, thus setting NOT Middle (which I find very annoying)
- The USB is misplaced
- You can change the mix / blend / effect level of the effect by pressing EXIT and also the effect knob.
The Vox and Roland are still much simpler: an amp, a / the effect (s), gain, EQ, volume, basta.
And as I wanted to create my sounds myself using the Fuse and change the effects in banks A1-D3, in which case it must absolutely be lugging a notebook with its settings, if not, panic ensured.
Speaking of Fender Fuse, it is very good. Stable, simple and intuitive, it can update the firmware of the amp and above to edit the presets: number and order of effects, effects settings, amp settings and advanced settings of the amp (BIAS , SAG, HP simulation on / off and kind of cab). You can also export its course presets and import of others.
Consider trying different amps with the cab sim on or off, some sound better without, or with another cab as the original.
Honours for Fender Fuse, pass grade for the settings from the amp alone (competition doing much better on this side): I put 4 inadequate.
It will still need to seriously look at using the software to get the max of this amp and be prepared to spend time tweaking the sounds and settings.
SOUNDS
The projection of sound this amp is very good for a 7 W transistor out of a 6 HP. "That is enough to play at home, on the beach or in the evening.
As mentioned previously, the original presets are very good and varied.
The simus are of good quality (better than the competition and I think that's why I chose this amp) and strongly resemble that of Amplitube Fender et al. There would be a little oil in the engine IK Multimedia Fender I would not be surprised.
on the other hand, the string of delays and reverbs are a little tree that hides the forest. I reprogrammed all presets putting only the amps alone in the preset, then adding effects using only the effects knob. So, I can choose an amp and effects that I want (but only one at a time) for greater versatility. But suddenly the amp simus "dry" sound much less well in these conditions, and I repeat it will play with the simulation of HP to get out the best sound possible. It remains correct but less pleasant to the ear than the factory presets. In addition, the effects knob allows you to recreate that effect in post-position amp, so bye bye effects chain or upstream of the amp, not great.
I will return to complete the presets, but in this case, I do not see the interest of the knob effects, except to add reverb or delay.
The dynamics of this amp is huge, grotesque limit. The difference and the subtlety of your game will be transcribed and amplified in most cases. On this side, nothing to say is dynamic in dynamic, as some of the real that I tried.
In short, simus are still quite good, better than the competition, special mention for the Vox (British 60). The effects are also quite successful.
Simulation of the HP headphone and USB is bad, one worse than I had the opportunity to listen.
But even if this is the latest generation of digital technology and this is clearly more and more progress, do not expect miracles: the Twin Reverb does certainly not replace a real, same with the other amps eh!
In short, for the digital good, correct in the absolute zero simu HP, I put 6 Good.
OVERALL OPINION
This amp is clearly not a toy but a real tool.
He enjoys my perspective a very good value for those who want to start with him discovering a multitude of styles of sound, or like me who wants to walk around with something light to go play in the cool of friends with lots of different sounds to play all styles and working all night on batteries (C batteries for me).
Cons, it requires a significant investment in time to take control of the software program and especially its sounds at your convenience if you do not want to keep those factory.
However, even if it is a very good digital, I will not go live with a true (or Mustang with a more powerful anyway because it is not powerful enough to play in groups) and use the home, I kept my Blackstar 1W lamp, which he has only one sound, none the less better than the Mini Mustang.
In short, good amp for travel, parties, or start with the guitar, but no more.
I tried studio and store most of its competitors: 3 Mini Vox, Roland Microcube normal and RX, Vox AC1, a line6 I do not remember which. And I do not even toys such MS2 Marshall, Fender Twin or mini Danelectro Honeytone.
And I turned to the Mini Mustang.
This is a digital amplifier power stage with a transistor 7 Watts, an HP 6 or 6.5 ".
It simulates a sling load of Fender amps, a Vox, a Marshall and a handful of amps including a Mesa High Gain. There are also a myriad of effects pre or post amp.
Almost entirely through software programmable Fender Fuse, rather well done elsewhere if not it is based on Microsoft Silverlight and need to install it too. Ability to import sounds created by other Mustang owners (and not the mini).
Full connectivity: ligne/MP3 input, headphone jack, USB port for programming and output to a PC sequencer, but you can not output audio from the PC to the amp on the other hand.
Simulation HP's headphone and USB.
Built-in tuner.
Tap tempo button.
Comes with power supply but works fine with 6 C batteries
Fairly light and compact.
Optional footswitch.
Made in China but build quality a priori correct.
It is quite full and a priori very versatile and nomadic but no footswitch, so I put 7 here.
UTILIZATION
The factory presets are pretty good overall and there's something for everyone. on the other hand, like the vast majority of factory settings for all types of computer simulation, they are drowned in reverb and delay rather cartoonish (I return below).
A big flaw of this amp from my point of view is the difficulty of access to settings sounds from the amp (this is against simple since the Fender Fuse, but we do not always walk with his laptop in the evening ...):
- The presets have names of amps but they do not always correspond to what is written
- The effects are just called A1, A2, A3, B1 ... Therefore either memorize them or to carry around an index card with the amp as they are written
- There is a knob Treble but also can adjust the bass through pressing the EXIT button at the same time, thus setting NOT Middle (which I find very annoying)
- The USB is misplaced
- You can change the mix / blend / effect level of the effect by pressing EXIT and also the effect knob.
The Vox and Roland are still much simpler: an amp, a / the effect (s), gain, EQ, volume, basta.
And as I wanted to create my sounds myself using the Fuse and change the effects in banks A1-D3, in which case it must absolutely be lugging a notebook with its settings, if not, panic ensured.
Speaking of Fender Fuse, it is very good. Stable, simple and intuitive, it can update the firmware of the amp and above to edit the presets: number and order of effects, effects settings, amp settings and advanced settings of the amp (BIAS , SAG, HP simulation on / off and kind of cab). You can also export its course presets and import of others.
Consider trying different amps with the cab sim on or off, some sound better without, or with another cab as the original.
Honours for Fender Fuse, pass grade for the settings from the amp alone (competition doing much better on this side): I put 4 inadequate.
It will still need to seriously look at using the software to get the max of this amp and be prepared to spend time tweaking the sounds and settings.
SOUNDS
The projection of sound this amp is very good for a 7 W transistor out of a 6 HP. "That is enough to play at home, on the beach or in the evening.
As mentioned previously, the original presets are very good and varied.
The simus are of good quality (better than the competition and I think that's why I chose this amp) and strongly resemble that of Amplitube Fender et al. There would be a little oil in the engine IK Multimedia Fender I would not be surprised.
on the other hand, the string of delays and reverbs are a little tree that hides the forest. I reprogrammed all presets putting only the amps alone in the preset, then adding effects using only the effects knob. So, I can choose an amp and effects that I want (but only one at a time) for greater versatility. But suddenly the amp simus "dry" sound much less well in these conditions, and I repeat it will play with the simulation of HP to get out the best sound possible. It remains correct but less pleasant to the ear than the factory presets. In addition, the effects knob allows you to recreate that effect in post-position amp, so bye bye effects chain or upstream of the amp, not great.
I will return to complete the presets, but in this case, I do not see the interest of the knob effects, except to add reverb or delay.
The dynamics of this amp is huge, grotesque limit. The difference and the subtlety of your game will be transcribed and amplified in most cases. On this side, nothing to say is dynamic in dynamic, as some of the real that I tried.
In short, simus are still quite good, better than the competition, special mention for the Vox (British 60). The effects are also quite successful.
Simulation of the HP headphone and USB is bad, one worse than I had the opportunity to listen.
But even if this is the latest generation of digital technology and this is clearly more and more progress, do not expect miracles: the Twin Reverb does certainly not replace a real, same with the other amps eh!
In short, for the digital good, correct in the absolute zero simu HP, I put 6 Good.
OVERALL OPINION
This amp is clearly not a toy but a real tool.
He enjoys my perspective a very good value for those who want to start with him discovering a multitude of styles of sound, or like me who wants to walk around with something light to go play in the cool of friends with lots of different sounds to play all styles and working all night on batteries (C batteries for me).
Cons, it requires a significant investment in time to take control of the software program and especially its sounds at your convenience if you do not want to keep those factory.
However, even if it is a very good digital, I will not go live with a true (or Mustang with a more powerful anyway because it is not powerful enough to play in groups) and use the home, I kept my Blackstar 1W lamp, which he has only one sound, none the less better than the Mini Mustang.
In short, good amp for travel, parties, or start with the guitar, but no more.