|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on Apr 19, 2013 6:44:39 GMT -7
Well I've just dropped the Remedy off at the UK Authorised Tech Shop (with English John's blessing) to get both mods done Between 10-14 days to wait now............... that'll mean 1 gig with the Z28 again, which will be GREAT fun! Man, I am SPOILT ROTTEN!
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on Apr 19, 2013 6:54:33 GMT -7
Nice, Pete. Looking forward to a full report when the Rem returns.
|
|
|
Post by 6strang (aka Paul) on Apr 19, 2013 7:45:37 GMT -7
It is worth the wait!
|
|
|
Post by Andy 67 on Apr 19, 2013 11:25:39 GMT -7
I'm GREEN!!!!! I'm looking forward to your report, Pete. In the meantime, enjoy your Z28. Tons of tone!!
|
|
|
Post by nigel (Rick) on Apr 21, 2013 8:28:35 GMT -7
You will not be disappointed! Check this out. I had gig last night. Duo with my keyboard player from full band. We use some tracks so I'm playing electric. Small place / dinner set and all. So I bring what is really my favorite little amp, the old Princeton Reverb. Now, I had been practicing a lot this week for the duo using the Remedy quiet in my bedroom studio, no pedals. REALLY nice and quiet. So I get to the gig fire up the Princeton & my 1st thought is, "wow, this seems to be lacking". A little thin. :-) The contrast was an eye opener and makes me realize what a tone machine the remedy is. Next time I can take the Remedy because of the MV. The Princeton isn't going anywhere but this was an eye opener for me. For 12 years nothing has dethroned the Princeton for small venues. The MV/EQ mods are fantastic, EOS!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2013 18:57:58 GMT -7
You wont regret it Pete. Even the guys at Humbucker are raving about the new mod. You still have the original Remedy Mojo. Plus that MV and the tone bypass. Its really a no brainer. I mainly used my older remedy with pedals. I would set mine up clean and use my dirt pedals for gain. I like the option of not having to always rely on my pedals. I am looking forward to getting my new remedy this week. UPS is tracking Wednesday!
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on Apr 23, 2013 4:21:58 GMT -7
Based on what I hear the Antidote's bypass doing, I think you guys will really enjoy this enhancement to the Remedy.
|
|
|
Post by buckeyebob on Apr 23, 2013 6:18:39 GMT -7
I have always played the Remedy pretty clean and used pedals for dirt and overdrive. I started using the air brake, in anticipation of the mods, so I could crank it a bit more. Basically it eliminates the need for my OCD which I use for crunch. The bypass may eliminate my overdrive for leads. I guess we'll see. I will be dropping mine off the middle of next month for the mods. Yes, I'm that close. Based on the responses so far, I think it will be awesome. Can't wait.
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on Apr 23, 2013 8:17:58 GMT -7
One thought, again based on limited Antidote time: you may end up setting the V Hi and V Normal differently for your base tone (without the bypass engaged) than you do presently as it will be the only tone shaping (from the amp) you have once you kick the bypass on.
|
|
|
Post by buckeyebob on Apr 23, 2013 11:17:20 GMT -7
That's a good point Mike, and one of the great things about the Remedy and the Antidote, is you can shape the tone with the volume controls. I'm guessing it won't be all that drastic since I have the tone controls close to noon anyway.
|
|
|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on Apr 30, 2013 14:51:03 GMT -7
Got the call today from the mod team - collecting tomorrow morning
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on Apr 30, 2013 15:12:07 GMT -7
Nice, Pete!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 16:30:57 GMT -7
Mine arrived today--got ti out of the box and plugged in, but no chance to try it right now. Maybe later tonight, or tomorrow a.m. Burning!
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on Apr 30, 2013 17:00:12 GMT -7
Mine arrived today--got ti out of the box and plugged in, but no chance to try it right now. Maybe later tonight, or tomorrow a.m. Burning! Congrats, Jon. I'm very much looking forward to comments from you and Pete.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2013 18:23:32 GMT -7
Okay, quick response after about 20 minutes of noodling time: the MV works exactly as everyone's said--basically zero effect on tone, but now the Rem's capable of giving up the goods at full power, but at bedroom-y volumes. John will be happy to hear that I ran it with the High volume at 12:00-3:00, and the Normal at 9:00-12:00. Totally obviates the need for a Brakelite--I'll probably be selling one of mine in short order. The EQ bypass is also just what everyone's said--perfectly tuned with a moderate volume bump and a slight-but-noticeable (in a good way) upper mid boost that makes it perfect for soloing--you might as well go ahead and take the clean boost off your board, Pete, 'cause you're not gonna need it. My impulse for the moment is to run the amp semi-clean with a bit of added crunch from my DLS and a touch of delay, and then to use the bump switch for solos. Done--no need for other pedals unless you want mod effects. So bravo, Doc--a real, stage-worthy improvement to an already awesome amp. Going with the Rem next time we gig. Or maybe the '28. Oh, hell--they're all great!
|
|
|
Post by John on May 1, 2013 4:03:21 GMT -7
John will be happy to hear that I ran it with the High volume at 12:00-3:00, and the Normal at 9:00-12:00. I'm happy for you! There's never been a master volume I could stand on a tube amp. I want to play a MV Remedy before I spend the time and money for the upgrade/mod. I'm still having difficulty understanding why I should give up my old school Remedy with Airbrake in favor of the upgraded Remedy? The Airbrake was the holy grail to me when I got it. I want cranked/burning power tubes. That's where the feel/sensitivity/vibe comes from. I prefer lower 'gain' preamps, but crunchy power amps.
|
|
|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on May 1, 2013 5:16:16 GMT -7
John will be happy to hear that I ran it with the High volume at 12:00-3:00, and the Normal at 9:00-12:00. I'm still having difficulty understanding why I should give up my old school Remedy with Airbrake in favor of the upgraded Remedy? As far as I'm aware, it's not compulsory, so the simple answer to that one is - don't I did it because I don't have an Airbrake, and I still couldn't get the goods out of the Remedy with just a Brake Lite. I also had an independent mod done to my Z28, and that is WAY better than the BL, so it made sense to me to do the official upgrade to the Remedy. I thought of buying an Airbrake, but the mods, including EQ Bypass were cheaper than buying an Airbrake, so for me, it's a no-brainer.
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on May 1, 2013 5:45:38 GMT -7
So how does it sound, Pete?
|
|
|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on May 1, 2013 14:04:39 GMT -7
absolutely no idea Mike - I haven't had one SECOND to even unpack it yet I have rehearsal on Friday, and it looks like that will be the first tome I get to play it, which should be interesting!
|
|
|
Post by vanceen on May 1, 2013 16:47:32 GMT -7
John will be happy to hear that I ran it with the High volume at 12:00-3:00, and the Normal at 9:00-12:00. I'm happy for you! There's never been a master volume I could stand on a tube amp. I want to play a MV Remedy before I spend the time and money for the upgrade/mod. I'm still having difficulty understanding why I should give up my old school Remedy with Airbrake in favor of the upgraded Remedy? The Airbrake was the holy grail to me when I got it. I want cranked/burning power tubes. That's where the feel/sensitivity/vibe comes from. I prefer lower 'gain' preamps, but crunchy power amps. I've read more than once that what we take for cranked power tubes is often just PI distortion. Of course you can read about anything you want to find on this stuff....
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on May 2, 2013 12:24:14 GMT -7
I have rehearsal on Friday, and it looks like that will be the first tome I get to play it, which should be interesting! I predict things will go very well indeed with the MV installed. But we will expect a report before the weekend is over
|
|
|
Post by aeromonte on May 3, 2013 7:09:40 GMT -7
I had the non-master Remedy with an Air Brake and then sent mine in for the mv/EQ bypass upgrade. The Air Brake was sold fast without any question! The master can get you a LOT quieter (if needed) and has more options than the Air Brake. You can actually enjoy the Marshall growl at lower volumes. With the Air Brake, it was still WAY too loud for me to enjoy at home (apartment). 3 clicks on the Air Brake is still too loud for home when the high/normal volume is turned way up. When you go to 4 clicks, it sounded too squashed for me. When you turn the high/normal volume up and set the master at around 9:00-10:00 and go up slowly - that's where you can really appreciate the master volume on the Remedy. For playing out - just turn the master up higher and it sounds like the Air Brake - or max the master for full stock Remedy power! Plus, with the mv, you don't have a separate box to carry around with you.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2013 8:30:48 GMT -7
Totally agree with those who have expereinced the MV tone bypass on the newer version comparing it to the air brake or brake lite. Having had both the air brake and brake lite and now owning a new Remedy its no comparison. The Master Volume is very smooth and you never get that squashed compressed tone like you do with the attenuator's Its a no brainer when you consider you can sell the air brake for 250.00. You still never loose the vibe of the origional Remedy you are just able to really dial it in with that master volume at respectable levels wheter you are at home or at a gig and still have that Remedy clean crunch and grind. Never compromising any headroom either. The Doc knows what he's doing he took it to another level.
|
|
|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on May 3, 2013 23:46:03 GMT -7
Okay then. Full set list run-through rehearsal last night, which for some reason gets our keyboard/guitarist kinda stressed out. Don't know why, but he's always a grumpy git at these types of rehearsals. PPIMVSo, first time even switching the Remedy on after its mods. First observation - the MV is GREAT! SOOOOO much better than the BL! This mod is just what the Remedy needs IMHO for those of us who need to tame the beast! Everything, except the MV, at noon, 40W setting, MV at 9 o'clock. I have never been able to play the Remedy at these settings before for more than a few seconds, and although it sounds fantastic (lots of grind and zing and drive), I found it just a touch flat, so I switched to 20 W and upped the MV to 10-11 area - WOW! Now THAT made a difference! There seems to be a ramp up in sustain and dynamics at about 10 which is glorious. Now don't get me wrong, below 10 the Remedy still blew the pants off the other guy's Blackstar but above 10 it blew the pants off just about anything! Guideline No.1 - for live playing keep the MV above 10, and if it's a quieter rehearsal, drop the Rem to 20W (assuming you want the H&N Vs above 9) I pushed the Vs to 3 o'clock for a couple of songs, and using the LP S P90s, man that got some serious boogie tones going on I couldn't gig at those settings as I need more variety in tone for the stuff we do, but for those songs they sounded GREAT!! One thing I am going to have to do though, is completely rethink my pedal board and settings. I'll come onto the pedal board itself when I talk about the EQ Bypass Mod, but I found none of my pedal settings worked anymore. This was the only point of concern I had all night, simply because we were doing a run-through so no time for messing around. I wasn't hearing/feeling what I expected a lot of the time, so it was throwing me off my game a bit - too many unforced errors and missed cues. Plus I decided to bring my Strat too, which I haven't played for months, and try it out with the Remedy. Yes, I am an idiot! I did find that my OCD clone was nowhere near as overdriven as I expected! This threw me a bit as it can be quite a saturated and sustainy animal through my Z28, which I love, and I expected more through the Remedy, but it didn't really work out that way. Hmm. Have to work on that as it's my only OD pedal. EQ BypassThis I absolutely LOVED! Hands down WAY better than the Maz mod. As everyone has said, boosts volume and thickness but not too much. In less rocky songs, this is perfect for a solo boost; in some of our louder songs, I needed the EP instead (our keyboard/guitarist has the very bad habit of playing louder when I take a solo, especially on livelier songs. I've asked him to stop it, but he won't - he's not nasty about it, he just gets excited and turns up. He's full of smiles and encouragement when I solo, but sort of wants to join in! No matter). What I found the EQ Bypass most useful for, and the footswitch is GREAT for this, is quick on and off boosts for passing solo lines mid song - good crunchy rhythm groove, a quick passing phrase but it get lost in the mix? No sweat, just rest your foot on the footswitch, quick stomp, and the passing phrase soars clearly. Click back off into the rhythm. Wonderful! I have always been put off doing this as it seemed way to complicated with a pedal board, but that footswitch sits neatly under your foot, so you hardly know you're doing it. So good The RC will be coming off my board - not needed now. OCD will get some attention and if I can't get the tones I need, then I'll swap it out and try something else. EP is staying put - so useful! Bit of 'verb, good delay and I'm done! I could easily gig the Nano with this rig no sweat and finally, if anyone has actually gotten this far (sorry for the HUGE post!), my guitars. I actually think that a Strat and Remedy were made for each other. I couldn't get a bad Strat sound if I tried - changing pups at will mid song, mid solo, it didn't matter, it all sounded GREAT! I had to think about the LPS P90 a bit more - not every setting worked, but when it did it was fantastic. I will definitely gig both guitars though - there are some tones through the Remedy that only a Strat can deliver! This is a MONSTER of an amp - and it just got way better! "Enough" I hear you scream!!
|
|
|
Post by djc (Dave) on May 4, 2013 4:54:16 GMT -7
^^^ Nice review Pete
|
|
|
Post by doctorice on May 4, 2013 5:23:59 GMT -7
Excellent run through, Pete. Congrats again on getting the mods done. I'm not surprised about the OD pedals. I've often had to adjust them when changing amps. I think of it as readjusting the mix of the various gain stages that are in use. Btw, a Strat sounds pretty good through an Antidote too
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2013 6:20:54 GMT -7
+1 on Pete's thougts re Rem + Strat, MV at 10:00 or above, and some rethinking of OD pedal settings, especially in concert w/ the bypass function, which is kind of like a "more" switch. Whatever you've got, hit the switch and you get more of it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 9:41:58 GMT -7
Great review Pete love the strat with the remedy and also have had to change my OD setting a bit with the new MV and TB. Heck I gigged this whole weekend without my pedal board! I loved it I actually got a better feel for the Remedy.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 12:32:52 GMT -7
Actually finding it a bit easier to manage the Rem with the EQ bypass/bump either always on or always off. Tricky to get the right rhythm crunch with it off and then a useable lead tone with it on--possible, but tricky. Could just leave it on and use the guitar volume, though--that would work very, very well.
|
|
|
Post by Pete aka shouldb on May 7, 2013 22:02:36 GMT -7
Actually finding it a bit easier to manage the Rem with the EQ bypass/bump either always on or always off. Tricky to get the right rhythm crunch with it off and then a useable lead tone with it on--possible, but tricky. Could just leave it on and use the guitar volume, though--that would work very, very well. Interesting Jon, and having had more time with the Remedy at home last night, I found that it depends on where the Tones are set - the nearer noon they are, the less dramatic the tonal change when the Bypass is kicked in. I still have my EP on the board, set to about the same boost as the Bypass, and use that also for solo boosts depending on the song. In fact, when I need an extra oomph (to get past the keyboard player "giving it some") I kick them both on. The settings I like best are: B-11, M&T 1, both Vs 11, MV to taste, but minimum 10, and then 20W or 40W depending on venue (I really don't hear or feel a dramatic difference between the two beyond the pleasure of playing louder!). Also, I've given up trying to reduce my pedal board to as few as possible, and have out all my key pedals on there (7 plus tuner: EP, 2x OCD clones, RC (but I think I'll remove this one after next gig), AnaEcho, Carbon Copy, MP Electric Blue Chorus, Mooer Reverb) This lot covers the range of tones I need for all our covers songs without me having to keep bending down to change settings between songs. I'd rather enjoy changing guitars instead!
|
|