NAMM 2011 Update

[crankyrayhanky]

First off, thanks for chiming in- it seems like it's been awhile since a Randall rep dared to step into the forums. I think having a presence here with a couple of posts every month would go a long way to mending the advesarial vibe that is sometimes present between fourmites and Randall.

Kudos to the work on the Ian modules! It may not be for everyone and it didn't come out for NAMM, but that's inconsequential compared to the fact that new mods will be released sometime soon.

There hasn't been much released since "New Modules of 2007" sticky (perhaps time to unsticky). It is frustrating, because the technology sort of peaked at the 1086 when it added an extra toggle. Problem is, since 2007, countless individual modders have established extra toggles, as well as endless new clone tones. Randall resources to MTS seemed to be completely abondoned during these last few years.

Currently, the new Plexi Plus hardly counts as new-all reports indicate that it is a 1086 re-labeled. The Judge module is really the first one to come out in YEARS.

I understand it takes time, but it is not like building a module from the ground up- throw a dart on these forums and you can find a guy to upgrade and transform these modules. I'd have to think, even with minimal resources, 2 new modules a year is realistic. There's individuals here cranking them out by the dozen.

At this point, you could revamp almost every module out there- give the xtc a blue channel tone, the Treadplate could have an Orange channel toggle, perhaps bass cap/mid eq switches, and so on....

Perhaps the future is brighter? Hopefully the Ian modules will sound superior, and there will be a more consistant production of new modules. I think the greatest fear is that no new modules may mean the end of MTS, which is distressing because I love the concept!

 

[Mattfig]

Another thanks to Steve for posting...I agree with everything Ray has said and just wanted to add that I'm not disappointed that Randall isn't releasing anything- I see a lot of other products that probably make a lot of people happy...But with MTS you could make a module of each of the channels of those amps too maybe? I think the frustration is that most of us feel MTS line is superior to most other products out there and we'd like to see it get more attention...Seriously, would it be hard to make a V2 module? or modules? Throw us a bone, I think it would serve everyone well! Hell, contract Sacred Groove or Salvation to make it...Pete, Rob, Trace, Hilly, everyone could give you something...

The Ian modules will be in the Rack of Delight as soon as they are released! Thanks again Steve and please come back often...Some great ideas around these parts...I'll bet that if you made a "suggestion box" you would get some valuable and FREE input from people who know...

 

[HughJasol]

it seems like it's been awhile since a Randall rep dared to step into the forums. I think having a presence here with a couple of posts every month would go a long way to mending the advesarial vibe that is sometimes present between fourmites and Randall.

+100

I'm sure most of us here understand that Randall has other products besides MTS to develop and market. But this is the MTS Forum, and so it would stand to reason that what most of us on this forum care about primarily is the MTS line - at least that's why I come here.

I wasn't trying to be a troublemaker or turn this into a flame war, but my statement reflecting the lack of confidence in the MTS line was born out of frustration and the combination of:

• Nothing new MTS-wise being shown or even announced at NAMM.
  (0 modules)
  
  The Lynch Box now being released as a non-MTS amp.
  (-4 modules)
  
  The Judge being the lone new module since 2007.
  (+1 module)
  
  . . . so a net loss of 3 modules in over 3 years!? :?

And then couple that with nothing but silence from Randall (until just now - thank you Steve!) . . . what other conclusion could a reasonable person be expected to arrive at - true or not? So yes - a little communication on a regular basis (maybe every month or two) on Randall's part would go a long way in keeping our frustration level low and our confidence level high. 8)

 

[Mike P]

Eh, who cares. Seriously.

There are so many alternatives with all of the modders out there that I wish that Randall would just dump it and sell all their empty circuit boards at auction for $10 dollars a piece.

They've screwed the pooch, regardless of what Steve said. This system is so old and so out of the limelight that unless it's costing them $5 dollars a module, it'll go away soon enough.

Seriously, who outside of this forum uses Randall MTS gear?

It's extremely sad that so many are missing out but Randall only has themselves to blame.

 

[jitterybit]

Yeah, the unfortunate coming of a huge economic recession just after the launch of the product line had nothing to do with it.
MTS is a niche product. It's for guys who can afford and want more than one amp but can't afford four, five or 50(Matt?). Unfortunately for Randall, that same group are the ones being hurt most in the recession. Not to mention, it's also Randall trying to sell a clean tone capable rig for the first time in, well, ever? I'm happy that they havn't cut their losses. I have some pieces of pro audio gear that were great ideas and great pieces that never took off. See the DBX 900 series stuff.

Awesome system. 9 dbx 160 comps in a 3RU enclosure.
The best hardware de-essers ever produced. Gates that rivaled drawmer. noise redux, and more. It's long gone.
I'm glad to see MTS still around, even if it's not as wide known/loved as it should be. Though I do kinda look forward to the day when all those modules are put on clearance and people forget about mts for a few years before it becomes rare, collectible and sought after.
Randall is weathering the economical winter right now, and their not the only ones. Many of the things we'd love to see would probably hurt them in the end. Let's just be thankful for them and Bruce for ever making this possible and keeping it around. As long as the modders keep it up, Randall will always need to sell something with slots to put them in.

 

[Hamner1]

Eh, who cares. Seriously.

There are so many alternatives with all of the modders out there that I wish that Randall would just dump it and sell all their empty circuit boards at auction for $10 dollars a piece.

They've screwed the pooch, regardless of what Steve said. This system is so old and so out of the limelight that unless it's costing them $5 dollars a module, it'll go away soon enough.

Seriously, who outside of this forum uses Randall MTS gear?

It's extremely sad that so many are missing out but Randall only has themselves to blame.

:roll:
Wow that is some pent up agression. I think it is misplaced.

Most of us seasoned players want or require multiple tones, that you just don't get from 1 amp. The MTS provides a platform to get those tones in 1 amp instead of doing the Lynch thing and having 3 seperate amps. Or getting an amp having the various channels modded. O **** my tastes (or band) changed now I have to get a new amp and have that modded to some degree. It is so much easier to swap a module (or get a module modded) than an entire amp. In my opinion the modelers don't get it done unless at low volumes (only becasue tube amps at low volume suck regardless of amp). If you are all about the modders buy used modules & have them modded. Problem solved.

Why wouldn't there be people out there that use the MTS stuff but are not on this forum. I use EMGs and I am not on any EMG forums. I love the music of Social Distortion and Megadeth and I'm not on any of those forums either. In truth I wouldn't get **** done if I was on every forum for every interest I have.

Yeah the MTS is not in the limelight right now. The future also doesn't look bright, but maybe the MTS is just taking a back seat for the time being. At least that is what I am going to hang my hat on for now. If a tone is out there that I need and isn't covered by Randall or Egnator, then I will look to the modders. Right now I'm still jonesing for a Jose UG mod on a switch to go between SL+ & the Jose. :lol:

By the way cudos to the Randall rep coming in here knowing there is some pent up frustration amongst members. I also appreciate not "sugar coating" the response.

 

[m0jo]

I also appreciate not "sugar coating" the response.

Definitly, a slick, corperate responce would make things a **** lot worse.

Also Mike P, I'm afriad I also disagree.
Without Randall no MTS and that stock of empty boards.. it won't be very big (boutique product and recession and all that).

Steve, thanks for coming out here with all the flack flying all over the place.
But I have to say Crankyray really says it best.

I'm sure development is hard at the moment.
I have the same problem atm, programming stuff that should be done by a whole team.
But it doesn't have to be an entirely new module that keeps the interest and the product in the customer's view.
See Rays suggestion on extending functionality. The tech is there in the 1086/Plexi+, use it for other modules!
Look at earlyer suggestions by yours truly (switchable loop, adding the RM20 boost to other amps in the range).

They are very, very minor things to develop and implement.
But they make a big impact in the public view of being a company that keeps their stuff fresh and up to date.

Also, please, please make use of this community!!
We'll tell you what you need to know, what will we like, and more importantly will buy, what won't we buy.
It's never the final decision, but customer input is so valuable, you guys are sitting on a mountain of gold here.

 

[Shinozoku]

M0jo has a point. Back in teh day, the guitar companies looked at what musicians loved, and took the advice of the musicians to make their product better (Jackson, Charvel, ESP). Amp companies can do the same

Make it a whole study: See what the general public wants (if 51% of the public want switchable loops, which I must throw in my vote for), then see how feasible it is, how easy it would be to do. If it's possible, implement it. Market the alteration with advertisement, and get a whole new slew of folks buying in.

I'd love the idea of the RM20 boosts on the other models too. It would essentially make the amps upwards to 6 channels each!

 

[Mike P]

:roll:
Wow that is some pent up agression. I think it is misplaced.

Aggression? What are you talking about? It's called APATHY. I'm hardly angry about Randall's decision making.

First off, nothing of what I stated was false. The MTS line debuted in 2004 and they've released exactly ONE module since 2007. One.

Apathy.

Secondly, NONE of their modules, whether it's a Plexi, SL+, Treadplate, etc. sound even CLOSE to what they proclaim they're emulating. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Bruce designed an amazing amp and modular system but Randall hasn't done much to make it special. And quite frankly, I don't care. What I DO care about is that there are modders out there like Salvation, Voodoo, Sacred Groove, etc. that can strip the board, follow a schematic and make the modules sound exactly like the amp they're emulating, whether it be a Bogner, Diezel, Orange, Engl, Marshall, etc. That's the REAL value in this system and that value lies outside of Randall's stock modules.

Furthermore, this amp system is cheap. You can buy a brand new 100 watt head for $1199 and fill it with three modules for $189 each or less. The grand total is about $1,750 dollars, which is less than a 5150 MKIII, Soldano SLO, Engl Powerball, Diezel Herbert, Bogner Ecstasy, etc. The problem is that the Randall with stock modules doesn't a hold a candle to any of those above mentioned heads, so the MTS line never really had a chance to make itself a huge seller in the market place.

Most of us seasoned players want or require multiple tones, that you just don't get from 1 amp.

Personally, I don't think you get that from the stock modules, either. Sure, the Tweed/Bassman/Clean are different from the SL+, Plexi and Treadplate, but all of those modules are pretty close in tone to each other, hence the constant noting of "module overlap".

I'm extremely thankful that the modders exist because without them, I wouldn't be using the MTS series because the modules sold by Randall are not suitable for critical recordings. They're way too muddy in the 400-800hz region and the distortion is often buzzy and unusable.

If Randall stopped producing the MTS line tomorrow, I doubt anyone outside this forum would notice because Randall has failed to make this series relevant.

 

[schlagdog]

I'm actually starting to think the Scott Ian modules will never come out. Joe told me about the Scott Ian modules at NAMMt. Unfortunately the last 3 times I have seen Scott Ian performing with a The Damned Things he is was playing an EHV amp. Which is where a few of the other artists ran off to with a Randall rep. So I'll be shocked if these even see the light.

 

[JeffHenneman]

I recently got back into MTS, had a rm4 for a while, and one thing I think that hurts popularity for this line is all the options, not the lack there of. I think people who have not tried it yet don't realize about all the things you can do, like mix power tube types. On top of that you have to do some research into it to see all the flexibility it has. On top of that, how comfortable are they with biasing each tube. I think alot of people may see this as alot of extra work that they don't want to invest time into.
Before I jumped into the line again, I read and read on this forum and even then I was close to abandoing ship, but change some power tubes and love my rm100 now.
When you factor in just a couple of things I mentioned, I think it may make some people shy away. Like many people on here I am on the ever changing tone chase, plus I like haveing the option of lots of different tones for recording and such, so it is a good fit for me.
Also, maybe randall thinks that what they have put out covers all the basis, so they look at it like a peavey 3120 or a marshall dsl.
Just my 2 cents

 

[sepherus]

I'm actually starting to think the Scott Ian modules will never come out. Joe told me about the Scott Ian modules at NAMMt. Unfortunately the last 3 times I have seen Scott Ian performing with a The Damned Things he is was playing an EHV amp. Which is where a few of the other artists ran off to with a Randall rep. So I'll be shocked if these even see the light.

That would be very disappointing honestly. Even if they released them as something else. I've always though Scott is an awesome guitarist and has an ear for metal tones. I was quite excited to hear he was finally getting some signature gear out that wasn't a guitar. The 5153 is a nice amp, don't get me wrong I almost got one before I started the MTS thing (till I looked at the price tag, even used. For what is essentially a 5152 with a clean channel added, no thanks.) I just couldn't be bothered with something like that until the resale comes down, a lot. Right now the ONLY thing that could sway me from the MTS line is Peavey releasing a 6505 with a real clean channel and a fully adjustable bias (hell I could do that myself) or a Sig:X for a steal. I absolutely LOVED the Deliverance I used to have, but the lack of loop and second channel made it go away. If I could afford to have a room full of awesome amps, I would. Even so, I can get most of the sounds I need or want here.

 

[Nightdare]

M0jo has a point. Back in teh day, the guitar companies looked at what musicians loved, and took the advice of the musicians to make their product better (Jackson, Charvel, ESP). Amp companies can do the same

Uhm, back in the day endorsements made more profit than innovation
Today, the same still applies

Nobody took the advice of players to make better gear, they took suggestions to sell more gear

Don't believe the legendary tales of manufacturers granting musicians such joy simply out of the kindness of their heart

 

[Shinozoku]

M0jo has a point. Back in teh day, the guitar companies looked at what musicians loved, and took the advice of the musicians to make their product better (Jackson, Charvel, ESP). Amp companies can do the same

Uhm, back in the day endorsements made more profit than innovation
Today, the same still applies

Nobody took the advice of players to make better gear, they took suggestions to sell more gear

Don't believe the legendary tales of manufacturers granting musicians such joy simply out of the kindness of their heart

Of course they did it to sell more gear. But are you gonna sell more guitars to shredders with beefy thick necks, vintage style fretwire, and singlecoils? Or thin necks, wide frets, and buckers?

 

[khingpynn]

Another thanks to Steve for posting and being frank in his discussion.

The modders are doing a great job and Randall needs to be paying more attention to the MTS line... I believe this sums up the general feelings around here.

If the 3 Scott Ian modules are anywhere near the quality of the exsisting and past signatiure modules then I for one will be happy and relieved.

Some points were made earlier in that the exsisting mdules could undergo a revamp and some toggles with more voicing options. I believe this is a good idea and one Randall I'm sure has looked at knowing the sucess od the modders on here. Will Randall take this approach? It's hard to tell they have several people brainstoring what will sell... if they don't one thing is for sure the modders will keep more work.

Cheers