Getting closer... had a gig with the 'real' xtc saturday, noticed that the blue and red channel IMHO are a lot alike, just red has locomotive gain on tap and the blue is a little less gain than the randall module. Real XTC is a little thinner than the module too, but that's also one reason why it has more clarity - hard to have tons of mids AND a real clear tone.
So, after several days of tinkering, I think I have a blue/red switch working on an XTC that allows for both gain settings, or darned close. Blue is more articulate and less compressed, red is all out shred gain, but still has a lot of articulation. I was running it at noon on the gain and volume barely cranked on an RM20 combo and getting feedback easily.
One thing that is a bummer about this is that high gain on our amps is going to be a little hissy... just the nature of the beast. I've had emails from guys asking about the Ultras and cutting the hiss - even putting low noise resistors doesn't help a whole lot. You want the gain, you get the (noise) pain. ;0
There are too many switches on a 'real' xtc to incorporate in a module too - here's the list from memory:
Excursion - determines how much low end there is, kinda like a depth
Structure - adds a gain stage
Boost - adds gain, not quite a stage though
Plexi - cuts gain dramatically
Pre EQ - same as bright switch
Pre EQ is already on the module. Excursion isn't the same but can be thought of as similar to having a bass switch on the module. Only way to really dupe it would be to go into the power amp section, it's not even a module thing.
Here's what it's looking like right now:
Gain knob pulls out for a different excursion setting
Bright switch is going to be relabled 'pre eq' on faceplate
Master knob pulls out for blue/red channel. I'm going after the tone of the XTC with the 'boost' engaged, as you can always turn the gain down a little to get the 'non boost' tone.
So far, the blue reminds me of a plexi with a little more gain, the red is just tons of gain/sustain. I need to compare it to an ultra, but it's in the same neighborhood gain-wise. I'll have some clips soon, but I think an XTC modded like this would be pretty good for metal and hard rock.
So, after several days of tinkering, I think I have a blue/red switch working on an XTC that allows for both gain settings, or darned close. Blue is more articulate and less compressed, red is all out shred gain, but still has a lot of articulation. I was running it at noon on the gain and volume barely cranked on an RM20 combo and getting feedback easily.
One thing that is a bummer about this is that high gain on our amps is going to be a little hissy... just the nature of the beast. I've had emails from guys asking about the Ultras and cutting the hiss - even putting low noise resistors doesn't help a whole lot. You want the gain, you get the (noise) pain. ;0
There are too many switches on a 'real' xtc to incorporate in a module too - here's the list from memory:
Excursion - determines how much low end there is, kinda like a depth
Structure - adds a gain stage
Boost - adds gain, not quite a stage though
Plexi - cuts gain dramatically
Pre EQ - same as bright switch
Pre EQ is already on the module. Excursion isn't the same but can be thought of as similar to having a bass switch on the module. Only way to really dupe it would be to go into the power amp section, it's not even a module thing.
Here's what it's looking like right now:
Gain knob pulls out for a different excursion setting
Bright switch is going to be relabled 'pre eq' on faceplate
Master knob pulls out for blue/red channel. I'm going after the tone of the XTC with the 'boost' engaged, as you can always turn the gain down a little to get the 'non boost' tone.
So far, the blue reminds me of a plexi with a little more gain, the red is just tons of gain/sustain. I need to compare it to an ultra, but it's in the same neighborhood gain-wise. I'll have some clips soon, but I think an XTC modded like this would be pretty good for metal and hard rock.
