Is there something wrong with my XTC module?

[brandon9271]

I'm getting really bad feedback.. My XTC module squeals like a pig if I give it the slightest bit of gain.. 9' o' clock is about all I dare to give it otherwise its feedback city. Of course, it really has no balls with gain set that low Does this think have THAT much gain? this just doesnt seem normal...

 

[Ugg]

I keep the gain on my XTC around 2 to 3 o'clock with no problems. Have you tried swapping the tubes in your XTC? Maybe one of them has gone microphonic. Do you have feedback problems with any of your other high gain modules?

 

[3 Mile Stone]

Bad preamp tube dude. Replace that sucka!

 

[brandon9271]

its the only high gain module I have.. I just got the amp a few days ago.. Its used and at one point it took a fall hard enough to crack the cabinet and dent the power transformer! but I got a great deal and tubes are expendable

I'll try some more preamp tubes and see what happens. So far I'm loving the Plexi! and this is coming from a semi metal head/former Mesa Dual owner.. :lol:

 

[roodyrocker]

Something is not right with that module. My XTC can easily be run with the gain up to 2-3 o'clock witout much feedback problems.

 

[brandon9271]

well.. I swapped out the tubes in the XTC and even the ones in the main part of the amp V1, V4 and V5 I guess they are called... Maybe its the way I'm setting it up? Bright on, mids at 10 o clock Bass and Treble at about 3 Gain at 2-3 and Presences and Density maxed... I think perhaps I just used to having a Dual Recto and setting it the same... I dunno.. but I can max out the Plexi and it has way more bottom end chug and "balls" and never feeds back. granted the Plexi has much less gain.. but still.. doesnt seem right.. The only way I can get the XTC to not feedback is with very modest settings and then its weak and thin sounding.. I'm not really sure what to do.. Maybe its not meant for metal chugga chugga that I'm trying to get out of it

 

[3 Mile Stone]

You didn't mention where the master volumes are set on the pre or on the amp?

 

[brandon9271]

probably about 12 o clock on the mod and maybe 10-11 on the master. I also didnt mention that there is a slight crackling sound.. sort of sounds like bacon frying or something its not audible on the clean but you can hear it on the plexi and much more so on the XTC... If you look at the pics you can see that the amp was damage when a bought it.. I thought only cosmetically but I'm starting to wonder now... Maybe I should open it and look for bad solder joints on some of the heavy components.. It fell hard enough to dent the transformer so that's a lot of force!

 

[3 Mile Stone]

I don't think you have it set up wrong at all. You might try running the master volume a little higher just to see if it opens up the sound a little. But it sounds like something is wrong and causing some issues. I would follow the adavice of RDRich and RdSteve and get with a service tech of their recommendation. Bummer dude.

 

[brandon9271]

part of my noise problem was from not using a power conditioner.. so I think maybe I just dont like the XTC I owned a 3 channel Recto for years before getting the RM100 and I think maybe that's just what I'm used to. scooped mids, bottom end and lots of presence.. I dont want to make ears bleed but I want a module that has the capability. My red channel I would run with treble and presence maxed Bass at 2 oclock and mids at about 9. I'm thinking that the 1086 is probably the ticket for me. I want something that will do stuff like AIC, Pantera, modern rock/metal etc.. and then something that will do Marshall tones.. AC/DC, GnR, Zep, Hendrix etc.. Plexi just doesnt have enough gain for me