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Sansamp Tri-AC: is it supposed to sound like this?


dacaumodo

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Hello

 

I've had a Sansamp Tri-AC a few months now, and I have a nagging doubt that there might be something wrong with the "Brit" position.

 

If you listen to the follwing mp3 (you'll notice my amazing guitar skills...), you'll notice a kind of "shronk!" sound when I play single strings, using the n

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Actually it goes through a mixer and straight to my soundcard, but the "shronk" sound appears in all configurations, including straight to a P.A. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be (maybe that's characteristic of a plexi), but I'd like to be sure...

Thanks!

Guillaume

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Did you try it with different settings on the volume??

Does it have any optional output settings??

Like normal Line output or musiclevel output?

It sounds like a Plexi with too much precense and too much singlecoil bite, also I do not think that you can anything very clean out of the British setting.

It sounds like the GT-2 on British, on highgain and with the mic on center, no gain and some volume.

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The Marshall amp character on the TRI-A.C. has a bright boost capacitor incorporated (to keep it true with the real Marshall design). This means your tone might sound shrill and thin at lower drive settings. You should increase the gain on the TRI-A.C. and then control the amount of grit with your guitar's volume control.

 

Another option would be using an OD/booster in front of it, set cleanish (drive low, volume up). A TS-9 works wonders with the TRI-A.C.

 

Another hint is to avoid overdoing the EQ controls on the TRI-A.C. They are active and any slight change yields significant tonal modification. From my 3 years experience with the TRI-A.C., I suggest you to keep the EQ controls in the second third of the dial range. The Marshall channel is gonna get way middy and trebly if you overdo the controls.

 

For clean stuff you would be better off using the tweed channel, or even the cali channel, set as low gain.

 

However, the last segment of your mp3 sounded pretty fine, was that your neck pick-up? I don't know what your problem is, really...

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Originally posted by danut


Another option would be using an OD/booster in front of it, set cleanish (drive low, volume up). A TS-9 works wonders with the TRI-A.C.

 

 

Exactly. I have a TS9DX, and in front of the TRI-AC, it does take away that shrillness.

 

Originally posted by danut



However, the last segment of your mp3 sounded pretty fine, was that your neck pick-up? I don't know what your problem is, really...

 

 

Yes, that last part is my neck pickup, with the tone pot set on 5, that is, treble rolled off. Here also, it solves the problem, at least partly.

 

So on the whole, my problem was: is this what a Tri-AC is supposed to do, in which case I just have to adapt and find a way to tweak the right sound out of it, or is there a problem with this specific unit. From all you guys' answers, it would appear that this unit is normal.

 

Anyway, much thanks for taking the time to listen and help with my question.

 

All the best

Guillaume

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Originally posted by Rid

Did you try it with different settings on the volume??

Does it have any optional output settings??

Like normal Line output or musiclevel output?

It sounds like a Plexi with too much precense and too much singlecoil bite, also I do not think that you can anything very clean out of the British setting.

It sounds like the GT-2 on British, on highgain and with the mic on center, no gain and some volume.

 

 

No, there's only one output mode with the Tri-ac (not xlr, by the way). I've tried it at different volumes and it doesn't seem to change things much.

Thanks a lot for for the details.

 

Guillaume

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Dude, it sounds perfectly allright.

 

 

The Plexi is supposed to sound like that, listen to Angus Young, Jimi Hendrix and other artists who have used the Plexi.

 

BUT, no matter what, you aint gonna get a scooped mid tone out of plexi.

Plexi was designed to sound honky.

 

Huge presence, high mids and treble. Its a very bright amp. And thats how it is on TRI-AC too.

 

 

 

Rid, thanks for the info. I always used to wonder if we can get similar tones of TRI-AC from GT2, coz the Tech21 guy told me that GT-2 is supposed to be more modern sounding with slightly scooped mid voicing.

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Butt, here is my question:

 

TRI-AC users: have you noticed that palm muting on British sounds good, however on California, it somehow sounds fuzzy.

 

Its very difficult to explain unless you try it out yourself.

Set everything to 12 o clock and increase the gain to max (and plug teh Tri-AC to open sounding non-voiced amp).

 

Now play somethign with complete plam muting.

Compare the British and California sounds.

 

The British sounds very typical of overdrive/distortion plam muting.

However, teh California, somehow sounds more like Fuzz pedal. Yesterday, I tried overdriving the California channel thru an overdrive pedal, and the Palm muted passages sounded good (almost as good as British).

 

 

So my question is: is it ok? Do you get a similar stuff in GT2 too? In GT2 taht would be: Drive maxed out, EQs flat, selector swith on clean: no hotrodding or higaining.

 

I will put up some clip that should illustrate it better.

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Originally posted by dacaumodo



Exactly. I have a TS9DX, and in front of the TRI-AC, it does take away that shrillness.



Yes, that last part is my neck pickup, with the tone pot set on 5, that is, treble rolled off. Here also, it solves the problem, at least partly.


So on the whole, my problem was: is this what a Tri-AC is supposed to do, in which case I just have to adapt and find a way to tweak the right sound out of it, or is there a problem with this specific unit. From all you guys' answers, it would appear that this unit is normal.


Anyway, much thanks for taking the time to listen and help with my question.


All the best

Guillaume

 

Yes, the TRI-A.C. is supposed to work like this, there's no problem with your unit.

 

Another thing you should keep in mind is that the TRI-A.C. comes as a fraction of a cost of the real amps that it's emulating, so a real Plexi will be in a different ballpark, as well as a real Fender Twin or a Boogie Mark series amp. You get what you pay for.

 

I'm very happy with the TRi-A.C., though.

:wave:

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Originally posted by danut



Yes, the TRI-A.C. is supposed to work like this, there's no problem with your unit.


 

OK then, thanks, that's what I wanted to know.

 

Originally posted by danut


Another thing you should keep in mind is that the TRI-A.C. comes as a fraction of a cost of the real amps that it's emulating, so a real Plexi will be in a different ballpark, as well as a real Fender Twin or a Boogie Mark series amp. You get what you pay for.

 

Of course, yes, anyway, the portability of it makes up for a lot of its shortcomings....

 

Originally posted by danut


I'm very happy with the TRi-A.C., though.

:wave:

 

So am I, only it seems I should spend a bit more time getting the right sounds out of it.

 

Thanks!

 

Guillaume

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