ejecta
Roadie
- Messages
- 964
Last edited:
Soldano Astro 20
- Thread starter Elric
- Start date
Elf
Roadie
- Messages
- 298
With these posts this amp just keeps on….
Not today Satan!
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
I caved to the GAS for a solid multi-channel amp - got one on the way.
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
I bought the 'demo' from Sweetwater this week so I may have the exact amp you tried out! It arrived today and I got about 30 minutes with it so very much too early to make sweeping judgments. However, this amp is very user friendly and I love the OD1/OD2 channel cloning and the galaxies. I ran a Friedman IR-X into the effects return just to compare and preferred the Soldano preamp so that is a great sign.
Hope to do some 4CM testing tonight with pedals and see what's up!
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
<returning Clorox wipes to the cabinet>
This amp is pretty intriguing to me and I'm still in discovery mode. With the mids down and the bass up it does a mock Recto scooped sound, particularly on the red galaxy. With the mids up and bass cut a bit on the blue/purple galaxies, my Runt 20 now seems redundant and may be on the chopping block. For most things I want to play, the mids need to be up at about 3 o'clock. What is crazy is that the tone controls sound good all the way up and down as if they connected a minimum resistance or something on the PCB/design to keep tone settings from really being "zero". I skimmed the manual and noticed it points out using the tone controls in that manner. I equate it to something like the tone pot on a guitar stopping at 3 or 4 instead of going all the way to 0, if that makes sense.
It does have the spitty/splatty high end character if the treble and presence are up and if the gain is up (at house tolerable volumes here and I'm also using it with and without a Tone King Ironman II Mini). I read on the Fractal wiki that the SLO and Rectifier preamp are similar circuits and I can definitely hear that when comparing to my Mini Recto. I've never really liked the gain channel on the Mini Recto head but the Astro 20 offers more control to smooth it out and get more Marshall-y.
I had a Suhr PT-15 for a short time and I think the tubes were almost shot, but that amp had way too much gain on the first gain channel for me to find it as flexible as I wanted - it does its thing well though. The Astro 20 absolutely has more range to get light overdrive on the blue channel but still rips on the purple and red.
I haven't connected this to a computer yet (not my main use case) but plan to check out the direct tones and IRs later!
Last edited:
Life Eats Life
Shredder
- Messages
- 1,038
Sounds like a cool amp.<returning Clorox wipes to the cabinet>
This amp is pretty intriguing to me and I'm still in discovery mode. With the mids down and the bass up it does a mock Recto scooped sound, particularly on the red galaxy. With the mids up and bass cut a bit on the blue/purple galaxies, my Runt 20 now seems redundant and may be on the chopping block. For most things I want to play, the mids need to be up at about 3 o'clock. What is crazy is that the tone controls sound good all the way up and down as if they connected a minimum resistance or something on the PCB/design to keep tone settings from really being "zero". I skimmed the manual and noticed it points out using the tone controls in that manner. I equate it to something like the tone pot on a guitar stopping at 3 or 4 instead of going all the way to 0, if that makes sense.
It does have the spitty/splatty high end character if the treble and presence are up and it the gain is up (at house tolerable volumes here and I'm also using it with and without a Tone King Ironman II Mini). I read on the Fractal wiki that the SLO and Rectifier preamp are similar circuits and I can definitely hear that when comparing to my Mini Recto. I've never really liked the gain channel on the Mini Recto head but the Astro 20 offers more control to smooth it out and get more Marshall-y.
I had a Suhr PT-15 for a short time and I think the tubes were almost shot, but that amp had way too much gain on the first gain channel for me to find it as flexible as I wanted - it does its thing well though. The Astro 20 absolutely has more range to get light overdrive on the blue channel but still rips on the purple and red.
I haven't connected this to a computer yet (not my main use case) but plan to check out the direct tones and IRs later!
Congrats!!
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
Probably shouldn't be surprised by this, but I'm finding the higher gain tones need a high cut EQ in the loop. I have not tried the typical TS pedal in front to tighten things up but that is for tomorrow...
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
LOL - honeymoon may be over for me. I've got my FM9T sounding almost identical with great feel going into the power amp in on this amp and a few others. The Astro-20 sounds GREAT as a power amp and the presence and depth controls work when only using the effects return which is a bonus.
It's just too dang convenient when a modeler all-in-one device can match up favorably and you can drop the 4CM and other gear/cables required.
It's just too dang convenient when a modeler all-in-one device can match up favorably and you can drop the 4CM and other gear/cables required.
- Messages
- 5,812
I had the same epiphany with a Synergy + QC rig once. (they sound/feel about the same, despite the tubes)
So I did the only logical thing, vow to never cross streams for comparisons again, so I could continue amassing both analog and digital gear while pretending they are massively different.
Southpaw-DD
Groupie
- Messages
- 76
...so I could continue amassing both analog and digital gear while pretending they are massively different.
I've got about 30 more circuit boards for DIY analog pedals to build and have built about 25 for myself so far. I MUST keep at least one or two tube amps for those to matter!
Achilles
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,972
Was taking a really good look at the Astro transformers and they are pretty massive for a 20 watt 6V6 amp. Just based on pictures they look to be at least equal in size to the SLO-30.
I've gone from hating (1st impression), to sort of liking (2nd impression based on overall cosmetics), to LOVING the knobs now that I've been using the amp almost daily. I really like being able to lightly tap the knob's tip for very slight tweaks. Really great design for that - better than the SLO imo.
Achilles
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,972
I've read/seen a number of folks who prefer the Astro to the 30. Partly for the bang for buck aspect but lots of comments about the Astro's red channel tone being a bit better than the SLO OD channel.
GuitarJon
Roadie
- Messages
- 412
I've read/seen a number of folks who prefer the Astro to the 30. Partly for the bang for buck aspect but lots of comments about the Astro's red channel tone being a bit better than the SLO OD channel.
I'll find out soon enough! We all have different tastes/preferences, so who knows?
GTR37
Rock Star
- Messages
- 3,385
I agree I just played one of these locally this weekendI've read/seen a number of folks who prefer the Astro to the 30. Partly for the bang for buck aspect but lots of comments about the Astro's red channel tone being a bit better than the SLO OD channel.
It has a huge range of tones and should make the classic rock guys really happy as well
The blue channel will do that Clapton / Gilmour thing
That channel reminded me a lot of the Decatone orange plexi channel ,
Purple is like the SLO crunch channel
Red starts a the SLO lead channel but you can push it a bit beyond like the Avengers
It’s a really nice package with really the history of Soldano from his more clean /classic tones of the Astroveb/ lucky13. All the way to SLO/avenger
I preferred it to the SLO 30
Achilles
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,972
And at $1,999 he's going to sell a TON of them.
I predict the MSRP on the SLO-30 is going to have to come down or their sales numbers are going to be badly cannibalized by the A20.
- Messages
- 5,812
Achilles
Rock Star
- Messages
- 4,972
@Whizzinby
Scott Stapp always sounds like he graduated from the Kevin Cronin School of Enunciation.
Basically, get weird with any random word you choose and make it sound like you really mean it.
Scott Stapp always sounds like he graduated from the Kevin Cronin School of Enunciation.
Basically, get weird with any random word you choose and make it sound like you really mean it.
- Messages
- 5,812
@Whizzinby
Scott Stapp always sounds like he graduated from the Kevin Cronin School of Enunciation.
Basically, get weird with any random word you choose and make it sound like you really mean it.
I like to annoy my family by walking around the house singing-announcing what I’m doing in the voice of obnoxious singers. My family “loves” Scott Stapp, Aaron Neville and Luke Bryan. (The latter my current favorite, so fun to sing while trying to breathe in through your nose “Luke Bryan said he needs a glass of ice cold water”
)
