P
peckhart
Active member
Delayed NAD thread I guess since I have technically had it since Monday.
I don't often get opportunities to crank my tube amps at home, but found myself with some time to let it rip a few times since Monday and also spent a bunch of time with it at low volume.
So far I am really liking this amp. I have only plugged into the low input twice for a very short jam through the channels to see how clean Ch 1 is and how much gain Ch 2 has. I could see using this input for blue type stuff and hitting Ch 2 with a boost to get a screaming lead sound. Sounds good, but its not where I would be with my current band and not what I got the amp for.
High input, Ch 2 is where its at! Still trying to decide between 70s and 80s mode. I like the more open nature of the 70s mode. Comes off as a bit more thick sounding to me too. On its own, 70s mode has enough gain for most of my rhythm work, but I want a bit more at times for leads and also for rhythm on some heavier more modern tunes we do.
80s mode has plenty of gain and its a ton of fun to play with at lower volume. When I get it turned up I think I prefer the 70s mode.
I have been somewhat of a snob about my amps having all the gain they need right on board as well as having amps with built in solo boosts. Jumping the FX loop and setting the volume higher works for providing a solo volume jump, but I will likely need something out front to drive the amp into a bit more saturation. I am not wild about having to make two foot switches as I like it quick and simple when I am playing live, but I am not talking drastic different gain levels so hitting a boost out front first and then the volume boost should be something I can get used to and not have strange noticeable tone/gain changes.
I did grab an MXR 10 band EQ yesterday from GC to try. It was ok in the loop, but since I can just as easily keep the FX loop off for rhythm and kick it on to a higher volume I don't see using it that way as it provides no real advantage for me. I am not looking for any EQ change and it doesn't serve to increase volume and gain in one pedal.
I did like it out front for the desired effect of driving the saturation up though. Eyeing a Cusack Screamer at the moment and may give that a spin.
I traded a 20th XTC for this amp and so far I am glad I did. The XTC is an extremely versatile amp. It can do a lot of things and a lot of things very well and can be set up to provide a lot of switchable options for live playing. What it lacked for me was that raw, aggressive edge that I have been after. As all reports would suggest, the Helios is exactly that. The grind from this thing is really addictive and its the first amp in a while that has been really hard for me to turn off. And its not because I am tweaking and tweaking looking for something else out of it....its because the tone and feel is just a lot of fun. Its got an edgy sound to it, but has a ton of complex harmonic content to it. Its pretty tight and punchy, but with an interest bounce and depth to the notes that feels really cool.
I get to let it rip with the band at rehearsal tonight. Looking forward to seeing how it sits in the mix.
I don't often get opportunities to crank my tube amps at home, but found myself with some time to let it rip a few times since Monday and also spent a bunch of time with it at low volume.
So far I am really liking this amp. I have only plugged into the low input twice for a very short jam through the channels to see how clean Ch 1 is and how much gain Ch 2 has. I could see using this input for blue type stuff and hitting Ch 2 with a boost to get a screaming lead sound. Sounds good, but its not where I would be with my current band and not what I got the amp for.
High input, Ch 2 is where its at! Still trying to decide between 70s and 80s mode. I like the more open nature of the 70s mode. Comes off as a bit more thick sounding to me too. On its own, 70s mode has enough gain for most of my rhythm work, but I want a bit more at times for leads and also for rhythm on some heavier more modern tunes we do.
80s mode has plenty of gain and its a ton of fun to play with at lower volume. When I get it turned up I think I prefer the 70s mode.
I have been somewhat of a snob about my amps having all the gain they need right on board as well as having amps with built in solo boosts. Jumping the FX loop and setting the volume higher works for providing a solo volume jump, but I will likely need something out front to drive the amp into a bit more saturation. I am not wild about having to make two foot switches as I like it quick and simple when I am playing live, but I am not talking drastic different gain levels so hitting a boost out front first and then the volume boost should be something I can get used to and not have strange noticeable tone/gain changes.
I did grab an MXR 10 band EQ yesterday from GC to try. It was ok in the loop, but since I can just as easily keep the FX loop off for rhythm and kick it on to a higher volume I don't see using it that way as it provides no real advantage for me. I am not looking for any EQ change and it doesn't serve to increase volume and gain in one pedal.
I did like it out front for the desired effect of driving the saturation up though. Eyeing a Cusack Screamer at the moment and may give that a spin.
I traded a 20th XTC for this amp and so far I am glad I did. The XTC is an extremely versatile amp. It can do a lot of things and a lot of things very well and can be set up to provide a lot of switchable options for live playing. What it lacked for me was that raw, aggressive edge that I have been after. As all reports would suggest, the Helios is exactly that. The grind from this thing is really addictive and its the first amp in a while that has been really hard for me to turn off. And its not because I am tweaking and tweaking looking for something else out of it....its because the tone and feel is just a lot of fun. Its got an edgy sound to it, but has a ton of complex harmonic content to it. Its pretty tight and punchy, but with an interest bounce and depth to the notes that feels really cool.
I get to let it rip with the band at rehearsal tonight. Looking forward to seeing how it sits in the mix.
