Atma

[dgaemc2]

Okay, so I've had my Atma for a few weeks now and thought I'd provide an update toward how I am liking it so far.
I have to say that the versatility of great sounds that I am achieving from this amp are impressive!
I have only played it at home so far, and mostly in 5w mode. Why some may ask???
Quite frankly, even though I live in a home......I had to watch my volume settings of Ch2 & 3 (especially in 70's mode) while playing through my Avatar Vintage 112 cab with V30 speaker. It is surprisingly loud considering the size of the amp!!
Personally, I know there would not be any lack of volume for me to use this amp unmic'ed with my band for a small venue (75-100 people). That said, I don't play in a super loud band either.
I do prefer the sound of the amp with my Avatar 112 w/ vintage 30 in the open back configuration. In general, it just sounds better to me with my guitars and how I like it to sound.
Also, I have purchased a G12M-25W Greenback speaker that I intent to load into my Avatar Vintage 112 cab, but haven't had the chance to do so yet. It will be an interesting experiment.....

Pros:
1. Clean channel can be set to sound fantastic at various settings even though it only offers a single tone control, but also has a dedicated volume control. Personally, I am very pleasantly surprised at how many great sounds that I am achieving out of this channel alone. That said, I do find the Ch1 tone toggle switch pretty much needs to be set to "bright" for me to achieve the great sounds that I am after. Frankly, I doubt that I would ever find a use for setting that toggle switch to medium or dark.....at least with my guitars, my cabinets and my tonal preferences.
2. I love the versatility in Ch2 & 3 with the 60's, 70's & 80's toggle switch. WOW what a difference they all make!! I do need to set the treble, middle, bass controls differently between these 3 modes, but I find it easy to dial in great sounds in all offerings!
3. While Ch2 & Ch3 share the same EQ knobs, I am very pleased with these two channels always sounding similar for the given mode that you have selected (i.e. 60s, 70s, 80s). While Ch2 and Ch3 share the same treble, middle, bass tone controls they each have an independent volume control which is excellent. More importantly, you can "dial back" the amount of gain in Ch2 compared to Ch3 with a knob located in the back! Some may ask....why in the world would I ever want to "dial back" the gain setting of Ch2 compared to Ch3. Try it....you will like it!!
4. I love that it is a small portable amp with a great big sound (i.e. set to 18w through my 112 cab sounds huge)! I also love the fact that it can be set to 5w and 1w! It even sounds decent in 1w mode and can be set fairly loud. For those that live in an apartment, 1w mode can be set to upset the neighbors if you choose to do so......of course, it can also be set to whisper quite while still feeling decent to play.
5. I love how well the 80's mode "cleans up" with the roll off of my guitar volume knob. This is especially true while playing in Ch2 with the gain setting fairly low....(front panel Ch3 setting of 10 or 11 o'clock with Ch2 gain setting reduced in the back to about 50%). In fact, I like it so much that I even use this feature a lot!! Very fun to play my Suhr guitar in the neck single coil position of "position 4" for some very cool semi clean sounds in this mode with guitar volume rolled back!!
6. The amp also offers a "Vintage/Modern" toggle switch in the back. So far, I prefer the "Modern" setting in general. Surprisingly, the "Vintage" setting seems to be louder than "Modern" with less definition. That said, I haven't been able to really crank this amp up yet.....so.....it could just be that at my preferred volume settings the "Modern" voicing sounds better to me.
7. It weighs 15 pounds and offers some incredible sounds and flexibility (3 footswitchable settings)!

Cons:
1. I wish this amp had a standby switch. Not a big deal, but I really don't like the "pop" that I hear every time I power it off even though it should be expected and don't think it is cause for alarm.
2. I do wish there was a closer range of sounds with the Ch1 Bright, Mid, Dark toggle switch. Personally, I can never see myself setting it to "Dark" and seldom even to "Medium" for that matter.
However, there are times when I feel that setting it to "Bright" might be a bit too bright.....especially when setting the tone knob of Ch1 fairly low while playing a single coil strat type guitar.
3. Minor nitpick, but I wish the footswitch had either 3 independent footswitches "i.e. one for each channel"......or at least gave some sort of indication which of the gain channels (Ch2 or Ch3) were "in standby" while playing in the clean channel. Basically, when you are in the clean channel.....no lights are on with the footswitch which is no problem. But, unless you remember where the last setting was for Ch2 or Ch3, you have no idea which of those two channels you will be switching to from the clean channel. That said, it certainly isn't a big deal to me, but would be a nice to have.

Thanks for reading....overall, I am loving this amp for my needs!!

 

[dgaemc2]

I hope my last post didn't discourage anybody away from the Atma.

I think it is a great sounding amp, and very capable of covering a wide range of great sounds!
In fact, I am really loving the sounds that I am achieving using my Suhr guitars directly into the head and with an Avatar 112 Vintage cab (open back configuration) loaded with a V30 more and more, day by day! Recently, I have played my PRS 408 and it sounds fantastic through this amp/cab as well.....especially in the bridge HB position and in "80's" mode of Ch2 & 3!

I haven't had a chance to install my new G12M-25W (greenback) speaker in my Avatar cab yet, but that will happen soon.
I also ordered the Atma 112 cab, but it isn't available yet. I may not go through with that purchase (expensive) depending upon how I like the sound of my Avatar 112 with the greenback speaker.

Regarding my "cons" about this amp in my previous post.......they are all really minor to me and not really an issue.

Overall, I am loving this amp!

 

[roccster]

Regarding your earlier post I think its pretty much spot on. And even though it had some cons in it I believe that they are minor, just as you said. I to run the clean channel with the bright switch on bright, and can´t really see the use for it with the other settings (neutral and dark). Having that said, I really like the clean tone and don´t need to fiddle more with it then that.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the 1x12 cab. Im gonna try to get hold of a 1x12 (not sure It would be the Atma though since it seems impossible to get hold of), especially for having at home since I think the 2x12 needs to be pushed a bit harder to really shine.
The other day I did som tone testing at the reharsal where I played with the back switch set to Vintage (usually run it in modern), it is really fascinating how much that switch changes the amp, both in tone and volume. Really gives you that fat vintage Jimmy Page tone, with sharp cutting mids

Keep on posting m8!

 

[dgaemc2]

Hi roccster, its great to hear from you!
Yes, I definitely agree that my "cons" are minor......so much so, I probably shouldn't even have mentioned them, but hey.....no amp is perfect, right?
I am glad to hear that you also find the best clean sounds with the "treble" toggle engaged, and YES, I am loving the variety of great clean tone offerings in that configuration!
I am also loving the amount of volume that I can get out of the clean channel with its dedicated volume control! I can easily set my clean channel sound loud enough to compete with Ch2 & Ch3.
Oh yes....I definitely agree with the big voicing and feel difference between the "vintage and modern" setting toggle located on the back of the amp!
I have spent most of my time playing in the "Modern" mode just as you. This is mainly because the "vintage" mode is significantly louder.....which I really don't need mostly playing at home.
That said, I do plan to really experiment with both modes when I have a chance to really open up the Atma......just for kicks!
As mentioned, I do have the "Atma 112 cab" on order which I might purchase whenever it may become available, but honestly, I am really enjoying the sound of my Atma through my Avatar Vintage 112 cab with celestion V30 speaker. I purchased the cab as a closed back with the optional slates to convert it to open back, and prefer the open back configuration sound with my Atma.
I plan to replace the V30 speaker with a new G12M-25W greenback speaker this weekend to see how it sounds. Of course, the new speaker will require some break-in, but am curious to hear if there is a significant difference. I expect there will be, but not necessarily for the better.
I have also played my Atma through my Mesa Boogie 112 closed back, front ported cab, and it sounds very nice through that as well. That said, I find my MB 112 extension cab to sound good with pretty much all of the various amps that I own. It is an awesome extension cab for my Mark V combo amp!
I haven't yet tried my Atma through my 212 Mesa Rectifier cab, but that will also happen soon.
Anyway, enough of my rambling for now....

 

[roccster]

Ramble away m8!

When you get the time, I would love to hear your thoughts on playing it on the 2x12 vs 1x12. I had some issues with my Zilla-cab that sounded a bit "woofy" so I have tamed it a bit by putting isolation foam in it, but Im still not 100% satisfied. Today I run the cab with 1 G12-H30 and 1 Greenback. Before buying that cab I had borrowed an old Echolette 2x12 from a friend which sounded absolutely awsome, that cab had a Cannabis Rex speaker and an old Alnico something. Im planning on exchanging the speakers in my 2x12 and is leaning towards at least 1 Vintage 30, I also have a Cannabis Rex in my closet so that might see some action, but im also leaning towards getting a 1x12. At the moment I have my eyes on the Suhr 1x12. All these options

/ Peace!

 

[Raymond Lin]

I managed to get my dirty mitts on one last weekend and agree with everything said here. Absolutely love this little thing !

Small in size but HUGE in sound.

 

[roccster]

I managed to get my dirty mitts on one last weekend and agree with everything said here. Absolutely love this little thing !

Small in size but HUGE in sound.

Gratz and welcome to the pack

Sweet rig you got there, is that the Bogner 112CP Cube V30? Would love to hear your thoughts on that cab (or if it is another Bogner). As you probably read I am looking for a 1x12 and have my eyes on the Suhr atm. but I have read that Bogner makes great cabs as well.

Cheers!

/ Richard

 

[dgaemc2]

Congrats, and welcome to the elite club Raymond Lin!
Personally, I think Atma owners are an elite group.....only because they seem to only trickle out of the Bogner factory.
Also, I agree.....that is a nice looking rig you have there!

roccster,
I tried my Atma through my Mesa Rectifier 212 cab and think it sounds great! Great bass, mid and treble response.....nothing flubby about the sound at all. It sounds a bit bigger than my 112 Avatar, but not by a huge margin. Basically, I prefer using my 112 cab because I find my 212 is becoming a pain to haul around. In fact, that is also why I love the Atma.....sounds great, flexible and easily transportable!

I swapped out my V30 with the G12M-25W greenback in my Avatar 112 vintage cab yesterday, and so far am loving the results!! It has good bass, middle and treble responses, but seems smoother in the highs (not quite as harsh maybe?). Regardless, I will be staying with the greenback for the near foreseeable future. It should just sound better as it gets broken in!

You might want to give the Avatar 112 vintage cab some consideration. Solid build, sounds great to me, and good pricing. I do prefer it in the open back configuration with my Atma. I opted to pay the additional $50 for the slats that allow for easy conversion from closed back to open back configuration.

Good luck to you on your cab / speaker search!

 

[Raymond Lin]

Thanks guys !

It is a lovely little rig indeed, small package but packs a lot of tones under that tiny footprint.

I managed to get my dirty mitts on one last weekend and agree with everything said here. Absolutely love this little thing !

Small in size but HUGE in sound.

Gratz and welcome to the pack

Sweet rig you got there, is that the Bogner 112CP Cube V30? Would love to hear your thoughts on that cab (or if it is another Bogner). As you probably read I am looking for a 1x12 and have my eyes on the Suhr atm. but I have read that Bogner makes great cabs as well.

Cheers!

/ Richard

I was going to get the matching cab that Bogner has for this but as you guys know that isn't out yet, in fact, it hasn't made it through to the production floor as they are (or were?) having problem getting the casing done right. Which is also why the Atma was delay so much. The aluminium casing were giving them problems in production and I also notice they have changed the rear layout as well.

This is from the website.

This is mine

I pre-ordered mine back in March and have been in touch with Jorg at Bogner for regular updates with availability and have been keeping my eyes on the net for any news. I've heard from TGP also that their head solder guy had a terrible car accident so that delayed things, add to the Helios released a few months back. Being a small company that they are Jorg confirmed that the Atma actually stopped production for a while, which explains the total lack of stock everywhere. So basically any stock that stores get now will be fulfilling pre-orders from the past 6 months.

Back to the Cube; I love it, I was going to get the matching cab but they don't make it. I believe that is a G12H30 speaker, Bogner did the 112OL but that is out of production but I can still find them online. I'd like to get a matching cab but deep down I don't think aluminium makes the best cabinet construction. I am sure Reinhold knows what he is doing so I am sure it will sound good but personally I believe wood makes the best cabinets so it was either the 112 Cube the 112OL.

I also emailed Jorg to see what he thinks, and he said what I thought he would, the 112OL as that is basically the new matching cab in a wood cabinet, with the same speaker.

So why I got the Cube? (it is also £50 more). Well, I like midrange, that's basically it. I also think that once the V30 has loosen up a little it is less bright. The closed back helps with the bass response to compensate the less lower end that the G12G30 gives. I love the Cube and it sounds utterly massive for a 1x12. The cab is not totally closed as you guys know, there are 2 ports at the front, the design is actually quite similar to my B&W HiFi speakers that I have.

 

[roccster]

Great info m8!
Did you know what issues they had with the production from start. I got the model in the first image with out the line out (would have been great), and also the speaker connections to the right.
Nice feedback on the cab, I read that the cube is a bit woofy, but thats not the case for you?
Suhr 1x12 with the Vintage 30 is still at the top of my list, mainly because I can order it from Europe and return it if I dont like it.

/ Richard

 

[Raymond Lin]

I am in England too, I guess you can buy it to try it and see.

I like matching things so for me it was either the Cube or the 112OL.

I don't think the Cube is woofy at all, although I haven't compared it to the Suhr cab.

As for the problem, I think it was always from the start, that's why it has been SOOOOO slow. From what I can gather, there was the first batch late last year and then nothing (or may be just 1 more) until production came back around late June.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Oh one thing to add, with regarding to powering the amp on/off, as there is no standby switch. I asked Jorg about this too and this is his reply.

Hi Raymond,

Thanks for your patience.

It is best to put the modern/vintage switch on the back panel to the vintage position before turning the amp on because in modern position the tube rectifier is disengaged. turning the amp off can be done in ether way.

Regards,

j o r g

 

[roccster]

Hmm... What does that mean, that if you turn the amp on in Modern mode the rectifier is off all the time? What effects will that have?

 

[Raymond Lin]

I didn't send a reply but that was his advice regarding powering on/off.

My question to him was

One question if I may have regarding power/shut down, since there is no standby switch, Is there are special care I need to take when turning it on and off? I normally wait 10 mins for it to warm up before playing but what about shut down? Can I just turn it off at the back? Or do I need to put anything to a particular settings first?

 

[dgaemc2]

Thanks for the great information Raymond!
I have the same configuration amp that you do so I presume it is the latest production model.

roccster, I can completely understand your plan to go for the Suhr cab since you have the option to return if not satisfied!
That is certainly not the case for Avatar even living in the states.

I am very pleased with the sound of my Atma through my 112 Avatar with both the V30 and G12M- 25W greenback (especially in open back configuration).
I might also purchase a G12H30 to try in my same cab just for grins, but for now I am very pleased with the sounds I am achieving.
I also like the sounds that I am hearing through my Mesa 112 closed back, front ported and my MB 212 closed back w/ V30's cab.
I no longer plan to purchase the "Atma 112 cab" because I doubt it would sound much different than my Avatar 112 and am very pleased with its sound offerings and projection.

Raymond, I don't want to speculate regarding Bogner's response to your powering up/down question, but I will provide my theory.
Bogner mentioned that the Atma doesn't need a standby switch because when powering up the rectifier tube gradually provides voltage to the power tubes.
My theory is that the only time the Atma even uses the rectifier tube is while in vintage mode, thereby, their recommendation to always power up the amp in "vintage mode" would gradually provide voltage to the power tubes.
That said, I don't think that any damage will occur by powering up in "modern mode", it just might shorten the life of the power tubes a bit.
There again, this is just my theory.....

Truly, my only real con of this amp is that I wish it did have a standby switch. I find them very useful to plug in effects, swap out guitars, during breaks, etc....

Keep the posts coming guys!

 

[roccster]

Ok I couldn´t help my self but emailed Bogner just to sort it out, and as allways Jorg emailed back ASAP!

--------------------
Richard,

The first thing is there is no space to have a standby switch on the amp, we would have been happy to put one on, I think it is certainly an advantage when you take a break and put the amp on standby before dig back in.

The Atma has a tube rectifier which raises the dc voltage for the audio circuit slowly, maybe it's even better for protecting capacitors then a standby switch because turning the amp off standby just floods the circuit right away.
Old AC30 vox does not have a standby switch.

One of the functions the modern/vintage switch does is switching to a diode rectifier (modern setting).
So we recommend to have this switch set to vintage at the time the amp is turned on, it's not a must , but every time anything gets switched on you have peaks in currents and voltages which put strain on parts. The very best and safest would be to use a Variac and turn it up slowly.
Maybe it was a mistake to make the recommendation because it seems people are worried now.
There are plenty of vintage amps with solid state rectifiers which only have an on/off power switch and have been performing well, a stereo gibson rvt comes to mind and I think also my Ampeg reverb rocket has no standby with a solid state rectifier.

Regards,

j o r g
---------------

 

[Raymond Lin]

I guess there is nothing to worry about, rather than it is something that is preferable than necessary.

 

[roccster]

Agree, seems safe but might as well follow the recommendations

Today the GAS became to much of a burden, Suhr 1x12 + Vintage 30 ordered, together with the Mad Professor Simble Overdrive (something I want for the clean channel, but also to get a little more smoth-fizz in 2 and 3 when cranking the volume).
I ran the Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal in the clean channel (worked great by the way), but that pedal is a bit to hot for me atm. since I mostly play blues/rock now.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Agree, seems safe but might as well follow the recommendations

Today the GAS became to much of a burden, Suhr 1x12 + Vintage 30 ordered, together with the Mad Professor Simble Overdrive (something I want for the clean channel, but also to get a little more smoth-fizz in 2 and 3 when cranking the volume).
I ran the Bogner Ecstasy Red pedal in the clean channel (worked great by the way), but that pedal is a bit to hot for me atm. since I mostly play blues/rock now.

Good choice, pretty much the same spec as the Cube with the Suhr badge instead !

I am waiting for my Salvage board to come before wiring up all my pedals, but for light to medium stuff in the clean channel, I am thinking using the Timmy, and also have the JHS Double Barrel. Don't have any Bogner pedals though, their new Neve transformer ones looks interesting.

 

[roccster]

Looks like two really great pedals, the JHS looks/sounds really versatile. I didn´t get all that impressed by the latest OD-pedal from Bogner, at least not from the video. But IRL might be a different ballgame.
I´ll get back with my thoughts on the Simble together with the Atma as soon as I have tried it out, really looking forward to that one after all the praise it´s got. Been a long time since I used a pedal board, but as soon as you start the sound search they start popping up.
If you havent already found it, this is a great little tool: http://pedalboardplanner.com/