Re: ART SGX (was: Why lay out?)

[Craig.Smoot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

On Wed, 7 Sep 1994, Rick Barker wrote:
> > I use an ART SGX-2000 effects processor. Amongst it's 70
> >> effects(16 per patch) is a tube pre-amp, compressor, EQ, noise gate(and
> >> other analog effects) and all the digital effects you can imagine. The
> >> blues purists might not agree with my choice but I can get an excellent
> >> sounding, very flexible over-driven sound...

Then Barry S. wrote:
> >I use an Alesis Midiverb III digital effects processor...

Then Rick posted:
> The SGX-2000 pre-amp is sounds amazingly good. I think I could fool a
> blind-folded purist into thinking it was a vintage Fender amp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Sorry, no harp content here]

Well Rick, *I* for one would be suprised if the ART you describe gives
the tone that could fool someone into thinking it was a vintage Fender.
I have once used and still own an ART Mach II SGE multi-effect processor
and well, right now the damn thing doesn't work at all, but even when it
DID work, it sounded like CRAP!  Let me give you a little background:
For my guitar rig, I use an ADA MP-1 preamp and a ADA BS200s power amp
into two ADA 2x12 cabs.  The tone I get is *WONDERFUL* (now that is, w/o
the ART in my rack), granted it's not as good as SRV's tone (I wish), but 
it works for me and I get a lot of compliments from fellow musicians.  
But it wasn't always that way (the compliments I mean).

I was in a band that had another guitar play with THE SAME EXACT rig
as mine that I described above, only he used an Alesis Quadraverb for
his effects, and I used the ART.  His tone was *ALWAYS* much more 
cleaner and had much more "presence" than mine, even AT THE SAME VOLUME!
I couldn't figure it.  I just chalked it up to being my guitar, pickups
or the fact that he was wireless and I used a straight cord.  Then one day,
by the grace of God my ART crapped out on me and I was forced go play
DRY.  Well, to my suprise, my ADA's pure tone sounded GREAT, and it was
because of the ART that I had never noticed it before.  The ART was
literally "robbing" me of my tone! :-(

Well, to make a long story a little shorter, I bought a Rocktron INTELLIFEX, 
now I have GREAT effects *and* my preamp's "pure" and full tone comes through!

I haven't heard or played through the ART you speak of (in where they have
copied ADA's MIDI Tube Preamp design and added ART effects), but if INDEED
it can successfully emulate a vintage Fender, then I will eat my words. :-)
But I honestly don't think that's gonna happen - give me a '64 Blackface
Twin *ANYDAY*! :-)

Just throwing in *my* two,
Craig S.

p.s.  Sorry again for posting this to the WHOLE list, but there were
      no return email addresses that I could have posted this privately
      to or I definitely would have.  Maybe the list admin should set
      the R)eply to go to the original sender of the message instead
      of the whole list.  Just a thought. :-)