CAE 3+SE?

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the rossness

the rossness

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So, I have a MTS module that's supposed to replicate the 3+SE and I really dig the sound I get from mine. It sounds marshall-esque, but definitely has it's own thing going for it. I've been curious as to how good the real CAE preamp is. Does anyone use one? Can they comment? Good or bad? Yay or nay?
 
I use one with a Soldano SM-100R for a power amp. It's the best rig I've ever used. It's basically the same thing as a Soldano X88, but with DC heaters to tamp the noise down a bit, the clean channel blackfaced, and a switchable 2-band EQ + volume section. It's on the short list of preamps people really like to build around, along with the Fish, Triaxsis, X88/X99 and a few others.

I have only two objections to mine:
1) it seems to eat tubes in the last cathode follower slot. I've had good luck with 80's JAN tubes in this slot.
2) The circuit board could be better supported with a couple more turrets so that it doesn't flex so much when you replace tubes

Neither is a major issue. Overall it's a good sounding, flexible, and reliable preamp.
 
Yup, been playing one for a little over 3 years now and it still puts a HUGE smile on my face when I plug in.
3 extremely useful channels, ch1-2 take pedals very well, they are dynamic, clean up well etc etc.
There are a couple of versions and a bunch of mods. Mine is stock although Peter Van Weelden (supposedly) went over it before I had it and replace a bunch of caps with orange drop caps. All I know is that it sounds fantastic.

3_foto3_1.jpg
 
Have to check out Mark Day's clips!

I haven't had the chance to play through one myself but, Mark Day makes it sound good! Not that he doesn't make everything sound good.
 
I used one extensively with a VHT 2/90/2. Rig was built by Bradshaw in 07. Channel 3 is one of the best high gain channels in the amp world. Clean is right on the mark too. There are two places it fell short for me personally. Channel 2 was not useful to me. It was very tubby and and loose to my ears, maybe one could say warm, more so as I brought the gain up. I prefer a crisp mid-rangy plexi type of crunch. Also, Channel 3 had a similar issue, with the gain pushed passed a certain level, like around 1 o'clock, the low end was not articulate enough for me. I play a lot of palm muted heavy stuff so that was a deal breaker. The growl is amazing though, and yields some smoking lead tones, and is nice because it's actually a unique sound, not Marshall, not SLO. It is sensitive to the power amp you use it with. I tried different power amps to see if that was the issue, but it wasn't. The tone did change with the different power. If I could afford to, I'd probably keep one on the stable for recording purposes. That ch. 3 is in my top ten amp tones. Sounds like a chainsaw through V30's.
 
Every time I hear one on a clip they always sound at least excellent and often great.

No compromise clean channel, great crunch on channel two, then more on channel 3.

Very defined, singing,warm overdrives with a lot of attitude but clear-no fizz, no fuzz-ever, a great preamp .
 
Mark Day did a video of his and IMO it's absolutely killer,i want one as well but another amp buy is stopping me.
 
I had both versions - 3+ and the SE 3+. I liked the non SE version much better. More organic, less stiff, compressed than the SE version. Great preamp. Depending on my application and power amp I would I use either the 3+ or my X88. I kept the x88 because I like the Soldano voicing more. But the older 3+ CAE is great, especially with an EL34 power amp.
 
Does anyone know all mods that are available for it and what they do?
 
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