ADA-MP1, putting together a small rack.....

[Anonymous]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

 

[Skirmish]

Not really that cheap, but small and awesome: Mesa 20/20. See if you can find one on ebay and be done with it.

 

[ratter]

Mosvalve.

 

[HMJ]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

what do you got going on Brian?

 

[Anonymous]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

what do you got going on Brian?

Me and the drummer from my old band have been writing a lot lately, we having our old singer do the vocals and then auditioning bassists. I have this Fender Twin head, and it's NOT going to do anything rock wise, I love it for cleans but I am fed up with it... I simply can't find a boost pedal that actually sounds decent enough with it.

I am just thinking about putting together a inexpensive rack, maybe an mp-1 or even a Pod Pro that I can just throw into 1 small rack and not worry about busting up tube heads or anything else.

 

[HMJ]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

what do you got going on Brian?

Me and the drummer from my old band have been writing a lot lately, we having our old singer do the vocals and then auditioning bassists. I have this Fender Twin head, and it's NOT going to do anything rock wise, I love it for cleans but I am fed up with it... I simply can't find a boost pedal that actually sounds decent enough with it.

I am just thinking about putting together a inexpensive rack, maybe an mp-1 or even a Pod Pro that I can just throw into 1 small rack and not worry about busting up tube heads or anything else.

If you go the pod route use the pro and not the xt pro for live performance!

 

[Anonymous]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

what do you got going on Brian?

Me and the drummer from my old band have been writing a lot lately, we having our old singer do the vocals and then auditioning bassists. I have this Fender Twin head, and it's NOT going to do anything rock wise, I love it for cleans but I am fed up with it... I simply can't find a boost pedal that actually sounds decent enough with it.

I am just thinking about putting together a inexpensive rack, maybe an mp-1 or even a Pod Pro that I can just throw into 1 small rack and not worry about busting up tube heads or anything else.

If you go the pod route use the pro and not the xt pro for live performance!

Which are the main differences between them? I know the pro is cheaper, so that's cool with me!

 

[HMJ]

So, I am going to start gigging regularly again and I have decided I want to put together a small, CHEAP rack. I don't use rack FX so it'd be a strictly preamp/poweramp rig. At an ampfest we had a few years ago, I really remember liking the ADA mp1 and was getting some pretty decent tones out of it, and I really think it could work out for me as a cheap solution.

So now, I am looking at power amps. I am figuring i'll need 50/100 watts but I want to stay light and small as possible. Any suggestions on that end?

what do you got going on Brian?

Me and the drummer from my old band have been writing a lot lately, we having our old singer do the vocals and then auditioning bassists. I have this Fender Twin head, and it's NOT going to do anything rock wise, I love it for cleans but I am fed up with it... I simply can't find a boost pedal that actually sounds decent enough with it.

I am just thinking about putting together a inexpensive rack, maybe an mp-1 or even a Pod Pro that I can just throw into 1 small rack and not worry about busting up tube heads or anything else.

If you go the pod route use the pro and not the xt pro for live performance!

Which are the main differences between them? I know the pro is cheaper, so that's cool with me!

Well the xt has more options but to me it seems the pro sounds more organic live.

 

[Szar]

The Carvin T100 poweramp (100w) is like <500 used and I think 600 new, it a 2 space, so I dunno.

 

[SFW]

Check ebay for either a Peavey Classic 60 or Classic 60/60 if you want to do the stereo thing. They are 6L6 powered and sound great. Can usually be had for really good prices.

 

[HMJ]

Check ebay for either a Peavey Classic 60 or Classic 60/60 if you want to do the stereo thing. They are 6L6 powered and sound great. Can usually be had for really good prices.

problem with the peavey is that they are big and heavy!

 

[Anonymous]

Save your money and just run the ADA through the twin head...Makes for an awesome power amp plus...ya got an extra
EQ on the twin for minor tweaks on the fly

 

[daver101]

Brian -

I have a couple of Carvin poweramps for sale, if you want to check them out.....

 

[ke2]

Save your money and just run the ADA through the twin head...Makes for an awesome power amp plus...ya got an extra
EQ on the twin for minor tweaks on the fly

Yupeers, the ADA has a switch for dampening the sinal to instrument level, so it`s very well matched to the input of a head.

 

[MikeT]

Save your money and just run the ADA through the twin head...Makes for an awesome power amp plus...ya got an extra
EQ on the twin for minor tweaks on the fly

Yupeers, the ADA has a switch for dampening the sinal to instrument level, so it`s very well matched to the input of a head.

Only the older MP-1's have the line/instrument level output switch. I would be skeptical of the results running into the front end of a fender amp - especially for highgain. I would say running it line level into the effects return of a regular amp would be best.

I ran my MP-1 with a Marshall 20/20. The Marshall 20/20 is sounds good, is fairly light, has decent power, and matches up well with the MP-1 IMO. On the downside it has been known to have overheating problems (mine doesn't) and can sound wooly at high volume.

Mike

 

[chunktone]

I would go with an MP1 long before I would use ANY model of POD. If you go with the MP1, I would highly recommend using a BBE Sonic Maximizer with it. I would also go with a tube power amp. Someone mentioned the Mesa 20/20. They are a good way to go for a small rack. If you stay all tube, you will be glad you did. I tried going the solid state route. I had a Carver 1000 watt power amp, and sent it into thermal overload doing a show in Seattle. Replaced the Carver with a Mesa Simul-Class 295, and never had another problem.

 

[rupe]

I still use an MP1 in my rack system...the BBE, as mentioned above, is a near "must" to get the most out of this unit. I'll throw another vote out there for the Mesa 20/20...it's a great unit if you're looking go small and light.

 

[rsm]

+1 on the MP-1. Great unit IMO.

Been an ADA user since the early '90s. Sold off everything except an MP-2 with noise mod; and have an ADA bass rig for sale.

I used an ADA B200S power amp, max RMS is about 135W per side; solid state, 2 channel, 2U space. It really let the sound of the MP-1, MP-2 come through; I also used 4 ADA 2x12 splitstacks, two per side. There are several 1U ADA power amps, solid state and tube, there're Microtube poweramps that are either 50 or 100 W per side, Microtube 100 or Microtube 200. These are still pricey. The B200S I just sold (about 2 weeks ago) for $200. For the MP-1 I also used an ADA MQ-1 two channel, 14-band per side graphic EQ it really made the MP-1 shine IMO.

Here is a pic of my old ADA guitar rack, all that remains is the Furman, the SKB and the MP-2. Top to bottom, MP-1, MQ-1, MP-2, B200S:

 

[SeaDog]

I gigged with the original MP-1 for years and tried dozens of power amps. Used the b200 for a few years it was "ok". Once I started using tube power amps or slaving it through the return of my marshall 100 watts the MP-1 really came alive. My best portable rig for the ADA was the mp-1, stereo graphic eq (had several brands aren't that important for this piece), Rocktron Intellefex, and the Mosvalve power amp. The graphic eq helped to tune the room on the fly, and the intellefex was used sparingly. The MosValve was the only ss power amp that came close to a tube poweramp and I mean only close, but I was too lazy to carry around the tube stuff for cover gigs.

Gotta tell you though when I started playing exclusively cover gigs and needed versatility, I dumped the whole rack for a Rocktron Cameleon and the Rocktron power amp in a three space rack bag. I played through a boogie 1x12 with an EV in it and used the sim direct out to the board. This rig sounded much better for covers and was a lot less noisy and much easier to carry (did I mention that I was lazy). I did once blow the power amp, but it didn't matter since I was direct anyway - I just put some guitar through the monitors and my band never even new the difference.