Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series?

Anyone try or use these? Experiences, thoughts, opinions? Have you used it with the built-in cabinet emulation?

http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/characterseries.html


Thanks.

Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?

I use to use a PSA-1 and really liked it, but had reliability issues with 2 separate units. Was running direct live and it was great. Haven't heard the Character series though.

This is the first time I'm seeing these. They look interesting.

I saw the official demos on the Tech21 site, and there's a guy on youtube demo'ing them. Very nice. It seems you can get the EQ, level and drive dialed in for your guitar, then use the character to move through a range of tones. Very simple. Wondering if these sound as good in person as they did on the clips. Thinking of getting the Liverpool or the British to see how they work, but thought I'd ask...

I have heard good things about the pedals in general. Especially the liverpool. I think it would be cool to get a 4 of the pedals and a VHT power amp and build a rig off that. I would use a looper to footswitch between the different pedals.....

blackba":3so7klqa said:

I have heard good things about the pedals in general. Especially the liverpool. I think it would be cool to get a 4 of the pedals and a VHT power amp and build a rig off that. I would use a looper to footswitch between the different pedals.....

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I've got one of those Bose L1 Model II systems, which I use for bass, guitar and keyboards. It has a "preamp" of sorts, dialed in for your instrument, mic, some modelers, and a FRFR. I tried using a Randall RM4 with it, but it didn't work as it needs cab emulation (at least) to sound like an amp. I've used an Axe-Fx Ultra, Vox ToneLab LE and Zoom G2 which all sound good and have simulation or emulators (sold the Ultra, plan to get another). These Character Series have the cab emulation, and from what I've read should work well with a FRFR. If these work as advertised, and the Guitar Player review said they work best in the loop, and tough to dial in in front of the amp, then its a good sign these would work with my set-up. If they do, I'd go with a small board, Voodoo Lab Pedal Switcher, etc. and sell the ToneLab if they sound better, and are even easier to use

I'm going to snag the VT Bass version when I can finally find one in stock. Can act as both a dirt pedal and can also cop a convincing SVT stack, which would be a cool tone to have with my gear. They are quite interesting and do sound good from what I've heard.

Haven't heard those yet, but I'm pushing an SWR with a Bass Driver DI, which works really well. They make some good stuff.

Hmmm...the G.A.S is building.

I've played them, and they are cool. None of them are really high gain like the GT2 - but they do a good job of doing what they're supposed to. I really liked the Liverpool - it's got a nice smooth gain happening. I haven't tried to use them for recording.

dstroud":3h0hvbc3 said:

I've played them, and they are cool. None of them are really high gain like the GT2 - but they do a good job of doing what they're supposed to. I really liked the Liverpool - it's got a nice smooth gain happening. I haven't tried to use them for recording.

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I'm trying to simply my recording tech by going direct. I'd like to get a box that could get close to an XTC tone.

dstroud":1vjv23oc said:

I've played them, and they are cool. None of them are really high gain like the GT2 - but they do a good job of doing what they're supposed to. I really liked the Liverpool - it's got a nice smooth gain happening. I haven't tried to use them for recording.

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Have you tried them direct to a FOH or FRFR system liver or in the room as opposed to recording? What has me interested in the cab emulator, without it they're just another overdrive / preamp pedal that needs amp / guitar cab to sound good, i.e., they wouldn't work direct. How well (recorded or in the room) does the cab emulation work? Was something missing in the recording, was it average, good, excellent?

I'm fighting the GAS for the Liverpool - just to see how well it works with my atypical set-up. May not be enough to kill my Axe-Fx GAS, but maybe enough to slow it down!

What about the Tech 21 SansAmp PSA 1.1?
http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/psa1_1.html

Anyone have any experience with these? I'd really like an Axe-Fx with only the amp/cab/mike sims in a 1U unit, but that isn't likely to happen. I started considering the Tech 21 Character series, but I'm more of a rack than pedal person.

Looking for a preamp with amp/cab/mike simulations/emulations that I can use direct to FRFRs and record. The PSA 1.1 does this. I still have an ADA MP-2 (keeper; sounds great IMO) that has cab sims too but it is a PITA to program given its age. The PSA 1.1 looks good, and is about the same cost as the entire Character series (not counting the stuff I'd need to make a pedal board, which sends it closer to Axe-Fx price territory).

Last ( ) detour before going back to the Axe-Fx Ultra...maybe

edit: response from Tech 21, ", the PSA has a pronounced mid-scoop, with more "sizzle" on top (making for a "modern" amp tone), as compared to the midrangey personality of the Character Series pedals (which sound more "vintage")."

So I may grab a Liverpool pedal to see how it works. If all goes well, I'll get the British too. I wish they'd put these Character series pedals into a 1U rack unit with firmware upgrading, MIDI and preset storage!!!!

I ordered the Liverpool should be here in the next few days. Someone was selling a used PSA 1.1 on evilbay, I put the opening bid in, no one else bid so that will be here within the week. Probably paid too much, but way less than new, the seller "said" mint condition, about 2 years old, used it in his smoke free, home studio (yada yada yada...) for bass, he's selling other Tech 21 bass rack units too. Hmmm, Tech 21 purge? He's probably getting an Axe-Fx! Ultra is still on my re-acquisition list, regardless of how the Tech 21 experiment goes...

I wonder what the British pedal would sound like with a boost?

D-Rock":8n4h4tdr said:

I wonder what the British pedal would sound like with a boost?

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Dunno. But these SansAmps are supposed to take a drive/boost/distortion up front. It could sound great,...or? I'm hoping it works with my Bose L1 system for the rhythm tones I'm looking for.

This Liverpool clip was what made me give it a go:





Here's the British vid by the same guy:



Not much more info, other than he is going direct.

Liverpool and New Guitar are "Out for Delivery"

rsm":3e10gp0a said:

Liverpool and New Guitar are "Out for Delivery"

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I'm looking forward to your review.

amiller":1z273z7c said:

rsm":1z273z7c said:

Liverpool and New Guitar are "Out for Delivery"

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I'm looking forward to your review.

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TC Electronics Character Series Liverpool Pedal - does a great Brian May impression if that's your thing. But, using the new Iceman http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45736, I was able to nail a very satisfactory vintage Vox twang, in a matter of minutes (like 2 or less). Took me much longer on the Axe-Fx, and ToneLab FWIW. I'm going to go back and work with it a bit more tonight, plan to use it with my Ric 330 tomorrow which will be the true test to determine if its a keeper.

I was able to get a few other usable tones as I adjusted the Character control. The controls seem very connected, so setting the Character control, and adjusting the Level and Drive (increase level decrease drive and vice versa) gave some real dramatic changes. The controls are very sensitive as well, so small adjustments (if you do it slowly) provide nuances to dial in what you want. With the Character near cranked and cranked 4 o'clock to Max (Brian May distortion land) really added what sounded (to me) very much like power tube compression!

The EQ controls are also sensitive, got a sense that they interacted actively, and minor adjustments of the controls had a noticeable impact to the tone. I think these provide very good overall tone control to dial in what you want for your specific guitar. I used the Iceman that has the stock DiMarzio D Activator pickups and got close to vintage Vox jangle, chime and twang. Very surprising!

PSA 1.1 is on the way, should be here next week; and if things go well the next few days with the Liverpool, I'll be ordering the British pedal from the Character Series.

I'm impressed with the sound quality of this pedal. It gets me very close to what I want tonewise for vintage Vox jangle and chime, the Ric should get this even better than the Iceman. A little compression, some reverb, should be quite good. Still in disbelief that it worked so well, with so little effort to dial in. YMMV

I'll give it a few more days, once I get over the first impressions, but so far, so very good! I'd still prefer the Character series in a 1U MIDI controlled rack unit though!