Had an apostrophe w/ my Koch Studiotone (Dr Z content)

[Draelyc]

Okay, so having compared my Koch Studiotone to the Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr NR back when I first acquired the Maz a couple months ago, I had decided back then that the Maz was several orders of magnitude better tone-wise than the Koch.

Of course, that was running the Maz through one cab/speaker combination (Crate Blue Voodoo closed back, ported 1x12 w/ a V30) and the Koch through another (Avatar Vintage 1x12 w/ a CL80). So a couple days ago, I hooked up both amps to the same cab (the V30) so I could a/b them a bit more directly and accurately ... and HOLY CARP!

Through the same cab & speaker, the Koch is about 9/10 of the Dr. Z, in terms of richness & phatness of tone! If I had to describe my reaction in one word, that one single word would be: I COULDN'T FREAKIN' BELIEVE IT!!!

The Z still came out a *little* bit ahead, but only because it had a slightly warmer feel ~ the sound coming about of the speaker was all but the same. The feel was really the only difference. And I would hypothesize that might have had something to do with the fact that the Z has a tube rectifier and the Koch's is solid state...? Also, the Maz is currently outfitted w/ 3 NOS Mullard 12ax7s & a pair of NOS RCA 7129s...

I had previously planned to sell the Koch after picking up the Z ~ didn't think the Koch could hang (natch) ... But now I've really got to reevaluate, especially since the Koch has a gain boost and its effects loop is MUCH more usable.

Still startled by this startling discovery, so I thought I'd share...

Chris

 

[rupe]

... and HOLY CARP!

 

[Draelyc]

I *KNOW*!

 

[skoora]

Lucky Aristotle had an epiphany instead of an apostraphe or we would have had no eureka! I kid I kid.

 

[jcj]

Lucky Aristotle had an epiphany instead of an apostraphe or we would have had no eureka! I kid I kid.

Holy Carp.....an Apostrophe

 

[TeleBlaster]

I was trying to figure out the relationship between punctuation and amplification and figured it was probably over my head.

 

[Draelyc]

Lulz, fellas

But seriously, folks... Does nobody else find it a bit surprising that a modernish, channel-switching amp w/ so many "bells & whistles" features would be able to hang, tone-wise, with such a purist type amp as the Maz?

I sure did. Mayhap that's just my charming, simplistic ignorance, though...

 

[Jordon]

This thread gave me flashbacks to the film Hook.

Smee: I've just had an apostrophe.
Captain Hook: I think you mean an epiphany.
Smee: [gestures his fingers to his head] Lightning has just struck my brain.
Captain Hook: Well, that must hurt.

 

[Draelyc]

Well, that *is* where I picked up the expression...

Glad somebody got it!

 

[Bob Savage]

Seems a little more like a semi-colonoscopy, but cool findings nonetheless.

 

[Draelyc]

Tell you the truth, Bob, with all the Z "mystique" floating around out there, it feels more like an apostasy.

 

[Draelyc]

Played the Z again some tonight. Man, it does have a little "something" my other amps don't. Some kind of magick.

Not sure it's enough to justify keeping it, but it's damn sure got it.

 

[robertkoa]

Questions about the Studiotone.

With the Gain Boost - how high and what kind of gain ? Smooth ,fat,British etc etc and is it STILL nice and warm in high gain?

Also there is some type of direct out on that little amp which MAY have some post power amp or post output trannie signal in it ( I forget what the Koch people told me). How does the direct/silent recording out sound ?

Thanks.

 

[Bob Savage]

Tell you the truth, Bob, with all the Z "mystique" floating around out there, it feels more like an apostasy.

LOL

 

[Sikor]

Also there is some type of direct out on that little amp which MAY have some post power amp or post output trannie signal in it ( I forget what the Koch people told me). How does the direct/silent recording out sound ?

Recording-out is highly usable. I do not mike, I go to PA mixer from this output. Very nice

But Studiotone has 4 outs for different purposes:

• Recording
  Phones
  2 line outs:
  • "direct out (no filter)"
    "to guitar amp clean input"

See manual for explanation:
http://www.koch-amps.com/images/stories ... %202.0.pdf

 

[robertkoa]

Cool - with the built in Load Box, the amp should get really good power tube saturation when you crank the Master up- BUT , you can do this silently at line level, really cool.

Are you getting great line level tones into the PA this way? Is the gain boost useable on the Koch ?

 

[Sikor]

Are you getting great line level tones into the PA this way? Is the gain boost useable on the Koch ?

I am satisfied with the sounds through PA. Ofc it's not the same as miced, but it's ok.
There is a demo video on YT by Nicola Fassi. He demonstrates it.

Gain boost is ok, but I am not using OD/OD+ channel that much.
I use my Studiotone mostly as a clean pedal platform.

 

[Draelyc]

Questions about the Studiotone.

With the Gain Boost - how high and what kind of gain ? Smooth ,fat,British etc etc and is it STILL nice and warm in high gain?

Also there is some type of direct out on that little amp which MAY have some post power amp or post output trannie signal in it ( I forget what the Koch people told me). How does the direct/silent recording out sound ?

Thanks.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread!

About the gain boost ~ I'd call it a "hard rock" type of high gain. I think it's closer to the British than the American tonal camp, but them Dutchmen kinda seem to have their own thing going on, y'know? So, sort of British, but not exactly...? It's not quite edgy enough, even on the highest setting, to do full-blown metal on its own; however, a bit of clean boost from a decent od pedal will take the "gain boost" channel directly into metal territory, imo.

On its own, I think the gain boost channel stays pretty warm. In fact, there's not a lot of difference in the voicing between od1 and od2 (boosted) ~ the boost just gives more gain, and a bit more overall volume on the higher settings. I really do use mine as a third channel.

The direct/silent recording is, actually, pretty good. For me, nothing is gonna compare with a good miked cab (unless perhaps you go the full-on modeler route, which I don't want to do), but for an actual tube head, this silent recording/cab emulation is definitely usable.

 

[Draelyc]

Are you getting great line level tones into the PA this way? Is the gain boost useable on the Koch ?

I am satisfied with the sounds through PA. Ofc it's not the same as miced, but it's ok.
There is a demo video on YT by Nicola Fassi. He demonstrates it.

Gain boost is ok, but I am not using OD/OD+ channel that much.
I use my Studiotone mostly as a clean pedal platform.

I agree that the clean channel is great, but I actually end up keeping mine on the od1 channel almost constantly, and just kicking in od2 either for a solo boost or for tunes that require a higher gain rhythm, and rolling my guitar's volume back on od1 for cleans.