ners
Well-known member
They sound remarkably similar, maybe the MTL is a little more boomy in the low end but I feel like in a mix no one would ever know.
TheGreatGreen
Well-known member
Both amps sound great. HR sounds more articulate... "sharper" maybe? MTL sounds more neutral. But it sounds mostly like a slight voicing difference pretty early in the chain. Otherwise very similar amps, power tube differences aside.
Also, the HR having the Pull Shift Treble to scoop out some mids and re-center the Treble knob to a slightly higher place goes a long way to making it sound more modern. I wonder what the MTL would sound like with the same control.
Makes me want to hear a Hell Razor KT88 vs Hell Razor EL34.
And also, that is one sharp looking alligator skin headshell. Damn.
Also, the HR having the Pull Shift Treble to scoop out some mids and re-center the Treble knob to a slightly higher place goes a long way to making it sound more modern. I wonder what the MTL would sound like with the same control.
Makes me want to hear a Hell Razor KT88 vs Hell Razor EL34.
And also, that is one sharp looking alligator skin headshell. Damn.
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glpg80
Well-known member
Man I have to admit I don’t like either of them. I believe an MCII eats them both in terms of clarity and aggression. I do know that in other videos people have recorded, the MTL responds amazingly to being boosted and really wakes up. I don’t know about the HR - no one seems to run boosts in front of them
mwc
Well-known member
The MTL has the pull shift as well, when I pulled the shift on the HR I also pulled the shift on the MTL which is on the Lead Gain knob. HR has way more gain on tap and can get way tighter is the big difference. HR also seems to have more low mids while MTL has more Marshall high mids.
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mwc
Well-known member
I compare an HR and MC1 here. HR can get way more aggressive, punchy, and tight. Modern Classic is nice but a lot more bloated in the low end without a boost if you run the gain up. MC does retain more Marshall like tones than the HR, something the MTL seems to be doing as well. MTL is basically in between an HR and Modern Classic.
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mwc
Well-known member
Also in the room comparison of the two amps:
2dor
Well-known member
Man you've got some awesome amps there.
IMHO, they're both solid; leaning slightly towards the MTL here though.
IMHO, they're both solid; leaning slightly towards the MTL here though.
mermer
Active member
They sound more similar than different. I really like how your HR sounds across clips but liked the MTL a bit more here. Especially the upper mid bite. Still, it might not as present in this video but MTL has a huge low mid growl as well, not as much as HR maybe but way more than a regular JCM circuit. One think to consider is, the Rhythm channel of the MTL has a totally different character which is a good addition to the Lead channel.
That's how I felt with my MC as well. By cranking the sweep knob on MTL, you can make it sound vey similar to a MC, preserving all the tonal / gain shaping options (that's why I sold my MC). It was a great amp overall, but too much similarity and less control over the sound when it's compared with MTL. Some may prefer this set and forget type of setting, I enjoy exploring different tonalities with the knobs.
I am very curious about how a HR with EL34s would compare.
N
nightlight
Well-known member
I think they both sound great. I bet if you try to dial them to a certain sound, they would sound remarkably similar.
FourT6and2
Well-known member
They sound pretty much the same to me. I also played a HR and MTLII through an amp switcher, back to back, they indeed sounded nearly indistinguishable to me.
J
Jimty
Well-known member
All three of these amps sound great to me. Love the clank of the MC but I can see what you mean about the low end vs the HR. MTL seems a good halfway house
mctallica1
Well-known member
Pretty much my thoughts.
mermer
Active member
One more remark on the MTL MKII: I’ve noticed that the amp responds better to lower-output pickups - though I don’t actually own many guitars with high-output pickups. It might just be that my ears are accustomed to low-output pickups, but overall, I feel the amp "breathes" a bit more easily and projects its character better this way. At least, that’s how it is with my setup. That’s why I’m really curious to see how it pairs with your DGT and Tremonti.
anomaly
Well-known member
They both sound like they'd benefit from a boost.
Brandonrz
Well-known member
I’ve said it for a while but I lean MTL because I wind up boosting it and shaping it that way.
Tone Monster
Well-known member
That’s nuts to me. Wildly different beasts. I do have the 6L6 MTL and 34s in the Hell Razor, so maybe that’s why I feel that way….but doubt it
peterc52
Well-known member
to me they’re are very different too. Sold the MTL 2. Not for me. the HR is so much cooler for my ears
However. I only go for EL34 version. Not KT88
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mermer
Active member
I am very curious how it handles more classic tones
