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ThorGniolh
Published on 09/19/10 at 13:18
I) For specifications:
The AC15C1 has 2 different channels with two separate entrances, respectively, in the manner of old multichannel amplifiers. Certainly it is not possible to change channels without AB or ABY box but this arrangement allows however ABY box to use a driver for the 2 channels simultaneously (in theory) which should increase the possibilities of sonic texture compared to a 2-channel amplifier 1 input.
Regarding the preamp, it has 3 12AX7, 1 more than its little brother the AC15CC1, the addition of the lamp due to the change from 1 to 2 channels between AC15CC1 and AC15C1.
It has a Normal channel with the only adjustment volume (gain) and a channel "Top Boost" with a volume (gain) of a treble knob and a bass.
On the part of power amplifiers, Vox has 2 EL84 and develops 15w. The power section features a "Tone Cut" to smooth out spikes in the treble, I will return
The bowl is a Celestion G12M "Greenback", a good choice among the industrial canteens, it develops an output of 98dB, which seems balanced with respect to the power amp. The AC15C1 can easily cover a battery (mine is not yet fully run in and work with the master volume by volume at 10 again, I transplanted in concert does not exceed 9).
Note that it is rarely useful to exceed 15W for the purpose of the amp is the battery cover, just because you play on a big stage that it will push the amp harder, to otherwise, moreover, is transplanted as soon as it tends to lower the volume of the amp does not turn up the sound engineers ... I consider 15W repeats and small concerts are enough, even when transplanted in concert 5W will do.
The party effects is enhanced by a spring reverb controlled by a potentiometer mix, it is much too long and unusable without tape to shorten the springs, you can not change the tone. The tremolo is controlled by a potentiometer and a mix of speed.
The amp has no effects loop and it is a lesser evil, the buffers of most effects loops amps in this price range is an execrable quality, we Vox hello to his absence initiative
The amp has 2 outputs for external speaker.
II) For the aesthetic characteristics:
The aesthetics of AC15C1 is very close to that of AC15CC1, ugly plastic buttons of CC1 (power and standby) are replaced by metal switches and the back of the amp is now 3 / 4 closed you can not put his hands into the amp. The choice of Vox is rather strange, the AC15 is historically a combo type "open back", this configuration can certainly safer.
Regarding the rest is exactly the same as CC1, the Tolex is very average quality, the handle is always nice plastic can, the decorations of the amps are cheap but are of near coherent far. The finish is very average.
Rating: 7 / 10 (-1 to finish, -1 for the reverb, -2 for industrial wiring, one for the "Greenback")
UTILIZATION
The advantage of an amp with little adjustments and we often have a good sound, and Vox confirms this idea, the controls are numerous but can be very reactive. It should run in the lamps and the bowl to enjoy it like any tube amp.
The main problem for its use is its weight of 23kg for a 15w combo with a handle very unpleasant. If you move your amp often expect a devil to help you move.
Rating: 8 / 10 (-2 for weight and handle)
SOUNDS
I play Rock N 'Roll
Before buying this amp I had used repeatedly TT50H Laney, Mesa Boogie Rectifier, Fender Deville, Fender Blues Deluxe Fender Hot Rod Orange Tiny Terror, Fender Twin Reverb, Blackheart BH5, Blackstar HT5 ...
First I want to say that amps to 2000 € is not necessarily best suited to your music a amp to 200 € (as Blackheart). I have owned amps heads a higher price to 1000 € and even if objectively they had a good sound, they were not consistent with my style of music.
The peculiarity of the Vox is that it is an amp that stands out by its sound real difference, to image a little, spend a Laney amp to a Vox, it's like when you change a humbucker with a P90 on a guitar, the sound is not necessarily better but it has nothing to do, it may be more suitable or not your music.
I've never been satisfied with my sound because of a very common problem for low sensitivity and game pick.
I play a lot with my guitar pickups (Les Paul 3 pickups in Seymour Duncan SH4 + sh1 sh1 +) during the concerts, but I could never change the microphone during a set without upsetting the harmony of sound coming out the amplifiers. Often when playing low saturation and we pass the bridge pickup to the handle, you get overwhelmed by the bass, and that all the amps I tried, it is obliged to keep the same microphone for such adjustment or else go through a stomp to saturate the sound (but it hurts in the ass to have a brand lamp for use in power amp) ...
I thought changing the pickups to take more balanced, but I fell on the vox ...
The big difference with all these amps the equalization of the channel "Top Boost".
I feel with hindsight that the controls "treble" and "bass" boost consisting of placed before the saturation stage of the game Vox preamp, their use clearly modifies the type and level of saturation. These controls are used on all their race.
Increase the treble will allow them more saturated, while decreasing the bass. Increase the bass sound thickened and is drooling down the spectrum. To this we added the "Tone Cut the power section to erase the overflow of acute and there was a total control of sound.
Channel "Top Boost", I set the volume (gain) at 10, and treble at 3 o'clock, bass at 3 o'clock, and the power section I put the "Tone Cut" at 3am. When I play with my 3 microphones (wired in parallel, they have a much lower output level at the bridge that I use for solos and when to send the puree) I have a cleaner sound after my game, very spaced , with treble and bass that emerge clearly present but not invasive. When I pass on my bridge pickup, the amp gets more high frequencies, less bass from the microphone and the output level is skyrocketing. Any good amp set (even light) with 3 pickups would have a balanced package of acute mouth with a dry, something that would have torn ears. Vox does not react like that, it will erase the configuration in this acute and saturate, I get sound surly, but with less bass mostly consistent with sound provided by the 3 pickups in parallel, and it's really convenient when it is transplanted. And all guitarists playing with the knobs of their scrapes should know what I mean.
Rating: 9 / 10 (-1 because you can always do better, especially if hand-wired components with better quality)
OVERALL OPINION
To understand what the channel "Top Boost" that he should try it, and it's only now that I realize. I ended my quest for the perfect amp for my style of music.
While tube amps, you will find cheaper, like the Blackheart, which is excellent in sound but the sound is not the same. In its category, it seems to me the best amp "Top Boost".
Recommended for: guitar rock / pop / blues, juggling their guitar pickups, followers of the game live on the amp (if necessary with an overdrive / boost for solos), those wanting an amp with a sound character and rather dirty, the guitarists interested in the retro
Not recommended for: guitar amplifiers using as power amp for their pedalboard, those wanting a clean and smooth grain rather, those who want versatility, the jazzman, metalheads, guitarists are missing penis absolutely wanting to buy a lamp with 100w stack cab 4x12 then they will never exceed the 1 / 10 on the master.
PS: I tested it with a 2x12 cab with Celestion V30 in positioned below, I expected a lack of consistency between the V30 and the amp, I was amazed, they added precision in the low issued by the "Greenback" I expected to sound too modern, I am mistaken, the "Greenback" and the two marry perfectly together V30 (although these bowls are completely anachronistic), it might be interesting home studio, at least in concert anyway because we do dub the "Greenback" for practical concerns.
Rating: 10/10 (no known alternative imaginable in its price range, become my main amp while 2.5 x cheaper than my old head lamps)
The AC15C1 has 2 different channels with two separate entrances, respectively, in the manner of old multichannel amplifiers. Certainly it is not possible to change channels without AB or ABY box but this arrangement allows however ABY box to use a driver for the 2 channels simultaneously (in theory) which should increase the possibilities of sonic texture compared to a 2-channel amplifier 1 input.
Regarding the preamp, it has 3 12AX7, 1 more than its little brother the AC15CC1, the addition of the lamp due to the change from 1 to 2 channels between AC15CC1 and AC15C1.
It has a Normal channel with the only adjustment volume (gain) and a channel "Top Boost" with a volume (gain) of a treble knob and a bass.
On the part of power amplifiers, Vox has 2 EL84 and develops 15w. The power section features a "Tone Cut" to smooth out spikes in the treble, I will return
The bowl is a Celestion G12M "Greenback", a good choice among the industrial canteens, it develops an output of 98dB, which seems balanced with respect to the power amp. The AC15C1 can easily cover a battery (mine is not yet fully run in and work with the master volume by volume at 10 again, I transplanted in concert does not exceed 9).
Note that it is rarely useful to exceed 15W for the purpose of the amp is the battery cover, just because you play on a big stage that it will push the amp harder, to otherwise, moreover, is transplanted as soon as it tends to lower the volume of the amp does not turn up the sound engineers ... I consider 15W repeats and small concerts are enough, even when transplanted in concert 5W will do.
The party effects is enhanced by a spring reverb controlled by a potentiometer mix, it is much too long and unusable without tape to shorten the springs, you can not change the tone. The tremolo is controlled by a potentiometer and a mix of speed.
The amp has no effects loop and it is a lesser evil, the buffers of most effects loops amps in this price range is an execrable quality, we Vox hello to his absence initiative
The amp has 2 outputs for external speaker.
II) For the aesthetic characteristics:
The aesthetics of AC15C1 is very close to that of AC15CC1, ugly plastic buttons of CC1 (power and standby) are replaced by metal switches and the back of the amp is now 3 / 4 closed you can not put his hands into the amp. The choice of Vox is rather strange, the AC15 is historically a combo type "open back", this configuration can certainly safer.
Regarding the rest is exactly the same as CC1, the Tolex is very average quality, the handle is always nice plastic can, the decorations of the amps are cheap but are of near coherent far. The finish is very average.
Rating: 7 / 10 (-1 to finish, -1 for the reverb, -2 for industrial wiring, one for the "Greenback")
UTILIZATION
The advantage of an amp with little adjustments and we often have a good sound, and Vox confirms this idea, the controls are numerous but can be very reactive. It should run in the lamps and the bowl to enjoy it like any tube amp.
The main problem for its use is its weight of 23kg for a 15w combo with a handle very unpleasant. If you move your amp often expect a devil to help you move.
Rating: 8 / 10 (-2 for weight and handle)
SOUNDS
I play Rock N 'Roll
Before buying this amp I had used repeatedly TT50H Laney, Mesa Boogie Rectifier, Fender Deville, Fender Blues Deluxe Fender Hot Rod Orange Tiny Terror, Fender Twin Reverb, Blackheart BH5, Blackstar HT5 ...
First I want to say that amps to 2000 € is not necessarily best suited to your music a amp to 200 € (as Blackheart). I have owned amps heads a higher price to 1000 € and even if objectively they had a good sound, they were not consistent with my style of music.
The peculiarity of the Vox is that it is an amp that stands out by its sound real difference, to image a little, spend a Laney amp to a Vox, it's like when you change a humbucker with a P90 on a guitar, the sound is not necessarily better but it has nothing to do, it may be more suitable or not your music.
I've never been satisfied with my sound because of a very common problem for low sensitivity and game pick.
I play a lot with my guitar pickups (Les Paul 3 pickups in Seymour Duncan SH4 + sh1 sh1 +) during the concerts, but I could never change the microphone during a set without upsetting the harmony of sound coming out the amplifiers. Often when playing low saturation and we pass the bridge pickup to the handle, you get overwhelmed by the bass, and that all the amps I tried, it is obliged to keep the same microphone for such adjustment or else go through a stomp to saturate the sound (but it hurts in the ass to have a brand lamp for use in power amp) ...
I thought changing the pickups to take more balanced, but I fell on the vox ...
The big difference with all these amps the equalization of the channel "Top Boost".
I feel with hindsight that the controls "treble" and "bass" boost consisting of placed before the saturation stage of the game Vox preamp, their use clearly modifies the type and level of saturation. These controls are used on all their race.
Increase the treble will allow them more saturated, while decreasing the bass. Increase the bass sound thickened and is drooling down the spectrum. To this we added the "Tone Cut the power section to erase the overflow of acute and there was a total control of sound.
Channel "Top Boost", I set the volume (gain) at 10, and treble at 3 o'clock, bass at 3 o'clock, and the power section I put the "Tone Cut" at 3am. When I play with my 3 microphones (wired in parallel, they have a much lower output level at the bridge that I use for solos and when to send the puree) I have a cleaner sound after my game, very spaced , with treble and bass that emerge clearly present but not invasive. When I pass on my bridge pickup, the amp gets more high frequencies, less bass from the microphone and the output level is skyrocketing. Any good amp set (even light) with 3 pickups would have a balanced package of acute mouth with a dry, something that would have torn ears. Vox does not react like that, it will erase the configuration in this acute and saturate, I get sound surly, but with less bass mostly consistent with sound provided by the 3 pickups in parallel, and it's really convenient when it is transplanted. And all guitarists playing with the knobs of their scrapes should know what I mean.
Rating: 9 / 10 (-1 because you can always do better, especially if hand-wired components with better quality)
OVERALL OPINION
To understand what the channel "Top Boost" that he should try it, and it's only now that I realize. I ended my quest for the perfect amp for my style of music.
While tube amps, you will find cheaper, like the Blackheart, which is excellent in sound but the sound is not the same. In its category, it seems to me the best amp "Top Boost".
Recommended for: guitar rock / pop / blues, juggling their guitar pickups, followers of the game live on the amp (if necessary with an overdrive / boost for solos), those wanting an amp with a sound character and rather dirty, the guitarists interested in the retro
Not recommended for: guitar amplifiers using as power amp for their pedalboard, those wanting a clean and smooth grain rather, those who want versatility, the jazzman, metalheads, guitarists are missing penis absolutely wanting to buy a lamp with 100w stack cab 4x12 then they will never exceed the 1 / 10 on the master.
PS: I tested it with a 2x12 cab with Celestion V30 in positioned below, I expected a lack of consistency between the V30 and the amp, I was amazed, they added precision in the low issued by the "Greenback" I expected to sound too modern, I am mistaken, the "Greenback" and the two marry perfectly together V30 (although these bowls are completely anachronistic), it might be interesting home studio, at least in concert anyway because we do dub the "Greenback" for practical concerns.
Rating: 10/10 (no known alternative imaginable in its price range, become my main amp while 2.5 x cheaper than my old head lamps)