Koch Studiotone

The Koch studiotone is an interesting piece of equpiment. All tube amp with a clean and dirty channel, shared EQs. One of if not the only little combo amps out there that can ACTUALLY go from a fender clean to balls out death metal distortion sounds. REALLY.

2x EL84s in class A
20 Watts
3 Channels:
Clean
Overdrive
Overdrive-Boost
Passive Bass-Mid-Treble tone controls
Two Voicing switches:
Mid shift (2-way)
Bright (3-way)
Single 12", newly designed VG12-60 Koch speaker
4, 8 and 16 ohm speaker outputs
Speaker on/off switch
Power Soak
The next 4 outputs take the signal from the Studiotone's speaker output:
Direct Line Out
Guitar Amp Clean Input (to drive another amp)
Recording Output (with mic placement voicing switches)
Headphone Out
Effects loop
Accutronics spring reverb
Footswitch input jack (footswitch included!)
Size: 17"W x 9"D x16.5"H (44W x 23D x 42H cm)
Weight: 33lbs (15 kg)



UTILIZATION

Quite easy to use just like every other amp you got your bass middle and treble knobs, the usual. There's a mid shift voicing switch that GREATLY affects how things sound and you'd have to re-EQ your knobs after switching it so be warned.

SOUNDS

I am still, to this day very surprised by the sounds of this thing. The cleans are GREAT. They can get very bright and have that chime that everybody loves in a clean channel and still not break up, unless you want it to depending on how you set the gain and what you set the channel at (clean, od, od+)

The distortion is amazing. I still can't really believe that I'm hearing this when I play through this amp, it just looks like a little combo amp for blues/jazz clean and light rock but the truth is the gain can go ALL the way to death metal territory depending on how you set it and you can go nuts on this thing!! I know this amp has gotten popular for blues and rock but it can do death metal very well. The gain is thick and raunchy and VERY VERY tight. Crank the mids and you get a sweet raunchy, saturated 80s-like EVH tone. Very cool, no need for overdrive pedals to boost this baby. It's definitely got enough on it's own and sounds great on it's own. Did I mention you can get this much gain and still sound great at LOW volume levels? Amazing...


OVERALL OPINION

Great amp. One of the only amps that offer a spectacular clean and spectacular dirty channel. The most versatile combo amp I've seen to this date! Sounds GREAT at low volumes too! How is this all possible in one amp? The only set back is of course the price, you gotta convince yourself that it's worth the $$$. I think it is, after playing through it all the time!

Koch is a company based out of the Netherlands and has been building great quality amps for musicians around the world. They have a good reputation as a simple guitar amps that are full of tone. These are high gain monster and they aren't sweet innocent clean amps. Koch is somewhere in between with their gain style and voicing structure.

This is one of the most impressive amps that I have come across in some time. Just by the look of it you wouldn't think it has all the features is does but once you get a chance to dig in you find out how much this amp can do. This is one fantastic sounding and performing studio amplifier.

UTILIZATION

Specifications
Koch Studiotone Amplifier

* two EL84 power tubes
* 20 watts
* Clean, Overdrive & Overdrive Boost channels
* passive Bass, Mid, Treble controls
* mid shift (2-way) and bright (3-way) controls
* new single 12" VG12-60 Koch speaker
* 4, 8 & 10 ohm speaker outputs
* speaker on/off switch
* built in power soak
* line output
* recording output with speaker simulation
* headphone output
* effects loop
* Accutronics spring reverb
* 2-button footswitch
* 17" wide x 9"deep x 16 1/2" high
* 33 pounds

SOUNDS

One thing that I really like on this amp is the the id shift controls. This allows you to dial in the right amount of midrage that fits your playing style and guitars. This is very important features because the mids a lot of times can either make or break an amp. You wouldn't be able to jive with an amp that has crazy weird mids or none at all. Since the mids might be the most important frequencies for recording this is a solid option to have in a studio amplifier.

Another great feature is the power soak. This allows you to get a good distortion tone and gets that wattage down to a tolerable level for recording or just being in the same room together. Along it the ability of the line out put for direct recording into the session or even going right into the house PA system. This is a fantastic amp and great for the studio.

OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in right at around $1750. not a bad price for a high quality studio and recording amp. This amp has is all when needing to record with it. I highly recommend this amp to someone who needs good recording amp that has three channels and a great clean tone. This amp has it all for recording and studio use.

The Koch Studiotone is an all-tube amp 20 watts Class A dveloppant. The prampli has two 12AX7 and 12AX7lm (low Microphonics). The power amp has two EL34. There are three channels: clear (volume), overdrive (volume and grain) and overdrive more (three position switch for the level of distortion). There is also a three-band equalizer common to all three channels. It also possde two switches to raise mdiums, rduire or increase the treble. Finally, one can potentiomtre rgler the rverb, a button for selecting the channel, and a standby switch on. The rear face is the most accounts. We meet an effects loop, headphone jack (with a switch to turn off the hp), three output hp (4, 8 and 16 ohms), two outputs, one with emulator hp and two switches (voicing) to configure the formulation. The first selects the microphone position (right or diagonally) which changes the treble, the other the number of hp (1 times 4 times 12 or 12) playing on the compression. Finally, we find the decision for the commander pdalier channel selection. The hp is a Jensen 60 VG12 Obviously conceding 60 watts. Trs weight is correct, just 15 kilos and finish outstanding. All that's missing a button to hide one of the lamps and switch to ten watts, (how the Boogie Lonestar special) but hey, we always want more ...

UTILIZATION

Operation is simple and intuitive enough not DPIT of many possibilities. However, to understand the use of rear facing outlets, read the manual which is pretty complte, but not in French. Too bad! To get a bad sound, you must get up early, even low volume. The potentiomtres are legible and progressive. on the other hand, when you go from light distortion to the sound with pedals means a crack in the hp. Think down the volume on the guitar. This may be my main regret. We can connect another amplifier to the output without formulation for a richer sound.

SOUNDS

The sound is the highlight of this amp. Clearly, we get a sound fabulous, probably the best I've heard. It looks like is between Fender and Vox. It's hot compress trs dense, while slamming just right. By adjusting the treble via small switches (voicing), we can get his brilliant trs trs jazzy or otherwise (I understand that Jimmy Bruno and Al di Meola use Koch). A rgal. In overdrive, as nivau gain is obtained is close to the channel sounds clear but lgrement boosts or trs bluesy crunch sounds with a beautiful sustain (it looks like the clear sound with a tube screamer ). Playing on the voicing, the sound is colored Manir trs effective. Finally, the overdrive provides more sound pretty close between crunch and ditto. If you put the gain level bottom, and go up the treble by voicing are produced sonoritsmtal 70-80 beginners. In the latter case, there is a little breath (more than my Fender Cyber ​​Deluxe). I use this amp with a Start Plus, a Variax, a Les Paul Standard and Roxanne. It is perfect for blues, jazz or rock. For the most violent music, there are probably better, but same happens when. Using the emulator hp output, I think that was a trslgre dgradation sound. But this is correct and trs for better with a microphone in front of the membrane will require investment.

OVERALL OPINION

I possde for two weeks. It is by far the best amp I had (Fender Cyber ​​Deluxe (slightly cold), Vox AC30 (too heavy, no distortion), Crate V1512 (few connections, a single channel), Marshall JCM900 (too JCM900 ). It is both portable, practical (a cable and presto! it is transplanted into the sound system), easy to use, versatile, as the sound ... I think the quality price ratio excellent, just under a thousand euros, I do not see what that can compete (That said, if Koch wants to sell three hundred euros, I have nothing against ...). To have such a beautiful sound and connections also complte, go home Mesa / Boogie, Diezel and Bogner, but the price is tripled or more.

Update. In concert, when playing in saturation, the sound is excellent with a guitar like strat because it gives the body. But with a guitar in his dj rich (like LP) must be more carefully rgler the amp because the sound gets a little too busy. The solution: rduire a little gain and the bass. It also requires that I test with hp and more ...