I just got a MKII Kraken for review and it's outstanding for literally everything. Gorgeous big headroom cleans that you can dial up just a bit of grit and bite, a crunch channel that can go from a dirty clean sound to high gain modern rock and a gain II channel with a really clean and percussive low end and crazy saturation.

Clarity on the Marshall is awesome

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

It's such a great amp!

Great video man. Nice job!

Nice one mate. 🤘😝

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man, and thanks for watching. Cheers!

Great demo, great tones with either amp. I personally prefer the meatyness of the Marshall. I think with a good boost it would kill. BTW what are those monitors you're using? I'm looking to upgrade my KRKs in my studio, something that works well for metal, mixing, mastering.

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

Hi man, thanks for watching! That Plexi is a monster for sure. The monitors are Focal Shape Twins, quite affordable for what they are, super high quality reference speakers. I'd absolutely recommend them. Great low-end extension thanks to the side porting system.

I kinda wanted to hear how the Plexi sounded with an overdrive and maybe an eq to tighten the low end. Too bad you didn't. On it's own it was a cool sound anyway reminded by of Sepultura Roots Bloody Roots as they used old Marhalls for that LP.

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

That's probably its own video. I explained in this one why I haven't used anything beyond the amp's own sound to demonstrate its suitability for that kind of metal - You could put a drive and an EQ in front of a Fender Twin and get it close enough. I agree that it was a cool sound on its own though. I've used in in the past for layering guitar parts in the studio and it fattens up low-end really well.

Both good, but Marshall is better here. Modern metal sounds have that “grey color” to them which I don’t like.

I accidentally played the Marshall section at 1.8x speed as I didn't turn it down quick enough. It actually sounds pretty sweet and I preferred it at that temp! Strangely, I prefer the Marshall over the Kraken when sped up, but vice-versa when played at normal speed. Is that a property of the exact way you played each one, or of the amps? (or just of me? :)) Though at both speeds the bends sound much cooler on the Kraken.

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

I tried to play the riff basically the same on both amps, although the way the amp sounds inevitably affects how you play. Definitely taste is a huge factor here, I think it's 50/50 in terms of who prefers what sound. Like I said in the video, if I'd put a TS in front of the Marshall it would have HUGE metal tone and I think would smoke the Kraken. The Kraken sounds more "produced", and has a much tighter gain structure which makes it easier to record and it sounds better at lower volumes, but in my opinion the Marshall has way more natural grit and character. All this being said I wouldn't kick either of them out of bed!

Wish the Marshall had a lil more gain man !! Great video anyways 🤘🏻

@mountainpeakcloud8442

3 ай бұрын

Stick a Boss sd-1 in front will get you there.

This was helpful. With the Victory, would you say the 50 watt is enough for headrooms and live gigs or the 100 is the clear way to go? I want the most clarity / tight tones I can get, like you said for control, so Im guessing the extra headroom in the 100 is worth it?

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

That's a great question. I would say that the Kraken and the Super Kraken are different amps so although they are going to sound very similar I would absolutely recommend trying them out if you can. In answer to your question, the VX Kraken is plenty loud enough for live - 50 valve watts should be more than enough for a guitar amp in basically any situation. I run the master volumes around 50% and it's perfect right next to my drummer. In terms of the headroom though what you need to consider is that this isn't a clean amp at all, in that channel one is based on a driven "British" sound, so like a JCM800. You can clean it up by turning down the gain and rolling off your volume but the cleanest you'll get is a "pushed clean" sound. It's an absolute fantastic sound and I love it, but if you need pristine Fendery cleans, this isn't the amp. In terms of tightness and clarity though it's awesome, because it can get very aggressive and "big" sounding even at lower gain settings, meaning it's very defined and articulate, but it also stays nice and clear when you drive it hard. The bass control switch at the back can tighten things up even more (I leave it out because I like my cab to really thump when I palm mute). Thanks for watching and commenting!

@blindianajones

Жыл бұрын

@@MaxRossellMusic Thanks for that info and reply. Im trying to find an amp that would let me do pushed cleans, slight breakup and then full on tight metal riffs. Its an odd mix of wanting Slipknot, Nirvana and Radiohead in an amp. Im considering a Mesa with 3 channels because then I switch easily from pushed clean to breakup to full on high gain. Ever tried a Mesa? Like the dual rectifier? Or Mark V? Or know of whole other amp I could consider?

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

That's a big ask for one amp, as you probably know Radiohead tend to use clean blackface style combos and chain pedals for any gains, Kurt used a weird assemblage of gear but again got most of his gain from a Boss Turbo Distortion, and Jim Root famously uses his Orange signature line. If what you're really looking for is versatility, have you considered modelling? For less than the cost of a Mesa Dual Rec you could easily get yourself an AxeFX or a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, then all you need is a decent power amp. Not long ago I was using a Helix with an ADA Microtube100, that was pretty good. If you really want a "normal" amp, for the stuff you're talking about I might consider looking at a Peavey Invective. Incredibly versatile but will go to full-on tight metal all day long.

@blindianajones

Жыл бұрын

@@MaxRossellMusic Yeah, Im trying to cram a lot into a box. Ive tried to just stick with one tone but I love exploring and playing a variety. Ive considered a Kemper. I know Architects use that live and many others use Kemper live too. My hesitation is not based on logic at all, haha. Its like I have an opportunity to buy a car. There's a muscle car or a Prius. Both will get you where you need to go, but the muscle car is just badass. I dont normally go this route with anything, but aside from tone, I am really trying to tap into a rig that mirrors me and my attitude. A 2 or 3 channel amp like a Dual Rectifier, Mark V or maybe a BE100 might be my way. I dont need the tones to be exact, but I want the channels to offer me a foundation for my creations inspired by those 3 bands.

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

Honestly dude, I know it's harder these days that not a lot of stores carry a decent variety of good stuff, but it sounds to me like you need to try out a bunch of amps and see which one you like playing the most. Feature sets are one thing but if you find an amp with a core sound that you really love, the rest will follow. Most modern amps do some form of switchable clean and crunch, and the rest you can do with pedals. If you think you're going on a journey where you might need to live with a few amps to find one that really works for you, just buy used wherever possible, that way you at least won't lose any money. Best of luck!

I want to add that Fender amps aren't the best amps for Metal because they're built more for Surf Music, Blues, Jazz, and what I call Booz Tunes which everyone else calls "Modern Country Music" as well as some styles of Hard Rock because and they tend to be too noisy for Metal because they squeal, feedback, and honk too much even though you get a good sound out of them they're not good for Metal I know this because I have two Fender amps, and a Maestro M-15 amp

Not if you have a pre amp pedal from KSR

If you’re not interested in hearing at least some guitar tone then why play it?

@MaxRossellMusic

Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure I understand your question.