Vox AD30VT-XL

The valvetronics amps from Vox are just a complete waste of time. These amps sound so bad that is makes playing the guitar a joke. It also makes Vox look like a joke by putting out amps that sound like trash. Vox is one of my favorite amp builder, at least it was, but have just been so set on putting out cheap amps.

This is an amp modeler that sounds like you would thin an amp modeler to sound....like a process cheap piece of garbage. These amps are such a disgrace to the amp community and the sound of a Vox trying to do a US metal tone is laughable. Vox trying to sound like a Mesa Boogie is just flat out ridiculous. This amp is the same as the other wattage models but with 30 watts of power.

UTILIZATION

Number of amp types: 11

Number of effects: 11

Noise reduction: 1

Number of programs: 11 preset, 2 channel

Input/output jacks:
Top panel: 1 x INPUT
Rear panel: 1 x FOOT SW jack, LOOP SEND jack x1, LOOP RETURN jack x 1

Power amp output: maximum 30W RMS @ 8 ohms

Speaker: AD30VT-XL: 1 x VOX original (12 inch 8 ohm)

Weight AD30VT-XL: 13.5 kg / 29.75 lbs

Options (sold separately): VFS2 dual foot switch

SOUNDS

The sound of this amp is terrible like I mentioned above. The amp has 11 different models and some of them sound decent enough to jam at home on but most just come up very short. Not that it is all Vox's fault because you cannot recreate a real tube amp in some digital casing.

You can try this amp out with any guitar because it really doesn't matter what you use. This amp is a processed box of trash. No way would I ever put out an amp that sounded like this if I owned an amp company. This should be an embarrassment to Vox and friends.

The amp just processes you guitar playing and it doesn't feel like a real amp at all. They just mimic the notes you would hit and leave dynamics completely out of the equation.

OVERALL OPINION

These have been discontinued for newer models so the used market is the only way to go nowadays. These amps can't be much more than a few hundred dollars in today's used market.

I would only recommend this amp to someone testing out whether or not they want to try the electric guitar. This is for a beginner player who needs effects and an amp all in one. But if your are set on a modeling amp then I would go with a Peavey amp. Much better sound overall.

The Vox AD30-XL is Vox's answer to the Line 6 Spider. It's a modeling amp with a single 12AX7 in the preamp. I don't know how much a tube preamp in a solidstate amp actually changes the tone, but for my money, the AD30-XL is one of the better modeling amps out there.

It has a wide selection of built in effects, amp models, some of which sound pretty good, and give a decent representation of the tones that they try to cop.

The Vox is 30 watts, and it can hang with a drummer, but it does have shortcomings in a band situation that I'll elaborate on later.

UTILIZATION

This amp is pretty easy to use, just select your amp model, any effects you want to use, and go. I have a problem with the tap function for effects. If you tap it too fast, it's really hard to get it back to a slower setting for tremolo and such.

My handle snapped off within the first week of owning the amp, but the store ordered it from Vox for me free of charge, as it was still under the warranty so no harm done.

The Manual was pretty useful in explaining the sounds, and it even had some presets to try out.

SOUNDS

I'll go through the sounds on each setting:

Glass- very clean, but a touch dull. you'll need to EQ in lots of high end. Not very loud, or touch responsive

Funked- brighter, snappier, and hairier than glass. Not pristine cleans, but a cool tone.

Buzzsaw- Thin, buzzy, and overdriven. Useful for garage rock or punk, but too buzzy for rock IMO.

Crunched- this model kicks ass! Marshall-esque, with the ability to get to modded plexi levels of gain. This is the setting I use most of the time. The most organic sounding setting on the amp.

Thrashed- sounds like the crunched setting, but buzzier and thinner.

Raged: A modern, more midrangey Crunched setting, pretty cool.

Modern: scooped, scooped, and more scooped. Cool if that's your thing. Not mine.

Fluid: Best high gain setting on this amp! True to it's name, this is a very fluid, singing, sustaining setting. Voiced very dark though, I need to dial in more treble and mids.

Molten: like fluid, but buzzier, and with an Octaver added in. Do the intro to Metal Heart and Princess of the Dawn on this!

Black: Crunchier and less sustaining than the Fluid mode.

Damaged: Buzzy and useless, thin super gained out.


OVERALL OPINION

As the whole package, the Vox AD30-XL underperforms, however, the Crunched and Fluid settings were miles ahead of other amps in this pricepoint when I bought this amp, for those settings alone, the amp is worth it for a rocker on a budget. Now that little amps are in vogue, and cheaper than ever, I'd probably choose something different for a band practice amp.

Hi
I have this amp for several months, and it is rare because it comes out in November in France!
it is even I who put the picture!

So this amp: the test!
This is an amp with a lamp and is the only preamp with Marshall avt 50.
I mean it's the only amp house with a lamp in preamp, and volume can be managed.

30watts max
no send-return
Many effects: chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, chorus + reverb, and even comp etc, octave, etc. and high quality

Settings: gain, volume, treble, bass, middle, master, bypass effects, amp simulation,

+ Power behind! to play on a 15 watts or 30watts or else!

UTILIZATION

Config simple.

This gives the sound of the presets but you can make your own sounds and save them as two programs.

The middle may be too extensive.

English manual!

SOUNDS

To play the blues are 2 Fender amp simulation I think
So clean and blues
Otherwise the rest is metal, hard, rock-edged but less than a marshall or else be good to see another hp ...

I play with an epiphone G400
I loved the modern with the old marshall vox hp: notes on gary moore
There's some cool sounds pitcher, vox, Bertignac style, telephone

OVERALL OPINION

1 month or a little +

I like the power of the lamp.

It's not a marshall amp so the sound is less sharp and less pedal go over like my pedals for that matter.
I thought I had some great bass in palm mute but even with a celestion vintage 30, it's not that the bass is even better.
Power is a bit lost in favor of a more clean
I would have preferred a more middle dug for a sound to Megadeth, Slayer palm-mute

Otherwise, I would have bought the peavey enjoy 110, 40w that makes the metal but the bass is excellent! and there was not this sound.

My pedals and pedals sound ... how to say poop! on my vox ... must get a clean sound or of the Marshall gain 1 or 2 pedals to sound like a Marshall.

I bought the lamp for the vox amp makes a better sound and more power than another in the "low" but at the moment.

So I have yet to change hp: see the celestial, it's complicated ....

I would have preferred a more digging as well as big bass that + fart and not a sound but was edged + qd even his vox, marshall, fender
After that, you just have a good HP (hp the vox is better than the bcp hp 10 "AD30VT) but I had changed for even more bass and power.