Bram576
Well-known member
Yeah, I mean the bright switch cranked up gets insane on my MC. There’s a limited amount of videos out there on wizards available. Need more… I really should make a proper one micd up. But been too lazy to do so.
D
Deleted member 16554
Guest
Dude please do one, it would be awesome to have a reference point!
Bram576
Well-known member
I think the other odd thing is people saying the modern classic and other wizards can’t be used for metal, and are rock and hard rock amps… I was skeptical before buying Matt’s because of some YouTubers with this statement.
Yep, just wrong. With an od808 in front it gets nuts, some boosts are right for some amps and not right for others. If I want tighter especially on the low end I reach for a dirty tree esque pedal (marries up real well with rectos, Ubers, etc). If I want that low end retained but just more gain and slightly tighter overall I reach for an 808 like pedal. Granted I use some drive on the 808. The 808 has been used in front of an insane amount of records for a reason, and still is today.
RedB4Black
Well-known member
It's not a mic'd clip, but here's Bram576's MC1 6L 50w compared to a MTL Mk2 6L 100w. I sold him the MC1. That amp rips. One of the few amps I kind of wish I held on to. lol
The MTL mk2 6L is still for sale right now only because I've gravitated more to the 50w amps so I have a 50w MTL mk2 KT66 which also runs 6L6s.
Anyhow... in this video..
Same riff 4 times 1 - MC with mids set high 2 - MC with mids cut 3 - MTL with mids set high 4 - MTL with mids cut
Suhr Koko boost on the whole time.
MC also has amps boost on while MTL boost is off. Gain on 6 for each amp Wizard cab with v30/Redbacks
VHTStark
Well-known member
Totally. The MCII I played, with the contour all the way to 10 and the bright up had PLENTY of top end! The w800 is similar, just a bit less gain and bit more upper midrange. There is certainly crossover though and I would be more than happy with either, as it is the feel/response/punch that both have that I love.
Ya....I am getting in to the recording thing, but have been lazy as well. Lol! I have everything; I just need to actually record something!
RaceU4her
Well-known member
i know wizard owners always say this, ive never played one so i can only go by clips i hear but i just never hear it, watching this zen demo again i hear the same thing, it sounds like theres a lpf just below that marshall spot cutting off the chime kind of like i hear in the op clip. i love this clip but i hear the same thing as well, it just needs a little more sparkle on top
RedB4Black
Well-known member
The newer mk2 MCIIs and the more recent W800s have a pull on the treble knob that does that. Kind of extends the highs a little.
VHTStark
Well-known member
No, I totally get what you are saying. I will have to get my ass in gear and try and get a good recording. As has been said, not tons and tons of Wizard recordings in general, plus the fact you can't just go to a music store and play one.
I would actually like to shoot the w800 out with my father's Plexi. Alot of things I love about that old beast, the w800 has in common.
VHTStark
Well-known member
Man....for relatively simple amps, I am blown away by how truly versatile they are. That tone stack push/pull being one of them. Between that and the contour, you can make it "Marshally", "Hi-watty", dark, bright, super aggressive....whatever suits you. And it all sounds and feels great!
eddyrox
Active member
Bram576
Well-known member
I’ll make something here soon. That sounds like the bright knob on the back is down a fair bit. At 3 o clock it really opens up.
P
pipboy90
Well-known member
Personally, I’m blown away by the price.
MetalHeadMike
Well-known member
It's a combo of the way people are eqing and the fact it's a clip. I thrive on upper mid grind and treble/presence bite/attack/clarity/cut and the way I eq/boost my Wizards would offend most people's ears I think. I can't stand an amp that's dull, dark, reserved, laid back in the upper mids and presence/treble...they don't last a week.
Granted I am boosting with an 805 and and that pedal can add a lot of treble/presence attack/bite, and then I use an MXR 10 band in the loop and between that and the contour/ presence/ mids/treble and bright knob (depending whether were talking MCII or W800) there is more top end then anyone could ever want.
Am I biased towards Wizards, yep, does that have any bearing on the facts mentioned above, nope. I get people won't like Wizards due to personal preferences which is totally understandable, and the price, we need not even go there...LOL! But I can say with complete confidence that if your sitting in front of and playing an MCII or W800, or MC25 and you feel that it's too flat in the mids or treble/presence, you have one of three things going on:
A. You're eqing with your eyes
B. You have earwax plugging your ear holes
C. Both A&B
I've owned a few Marshalls side by side with a few MCIIs and a current KT66 W800 and they are every bit as detailed and present/cutting in the upper mids and top end as any 2204, 2203, 2555x I've owned. Are the mids the same, not really, but they bite/cut every bit as much as any Marshall I've had next to them.
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MetalHeadMike
Well-known member
OP...try a Duncan 805 in front of the W800, takes it to another level. An eq in the loop and a boost out front and it as nasty an amp as I've played. Then if you really want something sonic, throw an active sub in the line out.
P
Panhead5
Well-known member
I don't get how you can get 4 pages out of this and I own a Wizhead !!!
Techdeth
RESIDENT ROCK PROFESSOR
The top end sparkle of wizard is my favorite thing . It’s super strong. These clips must not grab that . My el34 wizard has top end of an amazing Marshall.
RaceU4her
Well-known member
well this is why im confused, what wizard owners say and what i hear just dont line up, im listening to these clips from the two best amp demo'ers out there and im hearing the same things ive been describing and like i hear in the OP and other clips, they just sound a little dry and flat and dont have the sparkle and depth i like. if i heard in clips what owners describe id be busting out the debit card, i just havent heard it. i know all you wizard owners can afford $200 for a 57 and 2i2 or whatever loadbox/ir loader, get to it with the proper clips lol
Smash
Hack
I felt similar to you. I was like, Why does my wizard not sound like a marshall? I had @nzsteve over and he played through it, and he was using c and d chords on my les paul studio, and i would have sworn i was listening to a jcm 800. But there is a classifeds thread right now where a guy has a rock standard that sounds pretty marshally with maybe more low end or maybe that is how he has it dialed. Take a listen and let me know if you still feel the same. https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/threads/wizard-rock-standard-w-clips.269656/
B
braintheory
Well-known member
Wizard's IME are dry and also flat/bland in the midrange vs Marshall's. Not their forte. They excel in other areas. I think the qualities that give them such wow factor in person (the hard hitting punch, crisp definition, clarity, openness) maybe just don't translate as much in a recording context, but the less good qualities about it do (like what you described). It didn't make the cut either when I brought it along with my other amps for my friend's re-amp, but in person I and everyone I showed it too so far found it very impressive (one of my friend's bought one shortly after trying mine lol). If you're only into recording, maybe it might not be needed, but I don't know enough about recording to really say. I haven't heard any Wizard clips that blew me away either, but still kept my MTL for 6 years now. It's a monster in person
Smash
Hack
There are a lot of great sounding amps that will sound small when played back to back with one. I cant speak to recording. I am amateur at best and dont think i showcase the best of the amp. But in person, they are quite impressive.