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Ampeg SVT 7 Pro Club

#2,464
The way the compressor works with the single tube is amazing. I'd really like to know exactly how it works. If Ampeg were ever to release a similar circuit in pedal form I think it would sell like hotcakes.

But I'm glad it's in an amp as I'm down to zero pedals with this thing in the rock band.

I'm nearly positive I wasn't able to get this level of tube drive when I first got the amp. Someone else here said something similar and said he hopes it isn't just the tube going bad. I also hope so. This thing is thicc tube gain city.
 
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#2,466
danbones said:
i’m pretty sure it’s the same optical compressor they use for their opto comp pedal, just reduced to a one knob control.

https://ampeg.com/products/pedals/opto_comp/

it does work really nicely though.
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I'm mainly wondering how the compressor interacts with the tube. The block diagram shows the tube section both before and after the compressor somehow. If they could use a transistor that sounds at all like the the 12ax7 and integrate it into an optocomp, people would really dig it I bet.

That compressor isn't putting out any overdrive itself, right?
 
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#2,467
rzero said:
I'm mainly wondering how the compressor interacts with the tube. The block diagram shows the tube section both before and after the compressor somehow. If they could use a transistor that sounds at all like the the 12ax7 and integrate it into an optocomp, people would really dig it I bet.

That compressor isn't putting out any overdrive itself, right?
Click to expand...
It can if you slam it hard enough. I once heard a saying…compression is distortion and distortion is compression. Btw, I have to say that Ampeg’s Opto Comp is IMHO pretty darn awesome although I can only run it barely on, but for me, that’s how I feel about all compressors.
 
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#2,468
Yes the compressor is very nice. One knob, set it where you like it and that's it.
The SVT 7 is a fantastic amp. Almost perfect to me.
I'm after another amp as backup, and I have my eyes on the Mesa Mpulse 600. But the amp is as expensive used as the SVT 7 new. Also I wonder if I'll be able to find my tone with the Mesa.
 
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#2,473
Well I just joined the club. Haven't had a chance to do more than a test for sound, but damn, already this thing sounds amazing. Can't wait to explore some more.

20211021_191752.jpg
 

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#2,475
baxter_x said:
Also I wonder if I'll be able to find my tone with the Mesa.
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I've tried several amps from Mesa - M6, M9, Walkabout - and owned two - Subway D800 and the Prodigy Four:88. To me, just like Ampeg, they all have a typical sound I associate with Mesa in general. I've never found Mesa amps to have the warmth or thickness to the tone that Ampeg does, but that's just my ears. To me, Mesa amps sound more mid forward, with more bite and cut to the tone. Admittedly, I tried to EQ them all like I would an Ampeg amp and that wasn't the answer at all, but I knew that going in.

The D800 was the favorite of all of them and I gigged that one for awhile until I realized that I was constantly tweaking that amp trying to get it to sound like an Ampeg. If I recall correctly, the 7 Pro was the amp right after the D800, and I've had it ever since. Surprisingly, the Prodigy Four:88, while not a bad sounding amp at all, was one of the most non-tubey sounding tube amps I've ever played through. I had high hopes for that amp as it offered a lot of appealing features for a modern tube amp, but it just didn't get the sound I wanted.

So, Mesa amps just didn't check the boxes for me and as I've done plenty of times, I came happily crawling back to Ampeg after falling over Mesa's fence and seeing their grass wasn't any greener.
 
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#2,477
rzero said:
The way the compressor works with the single tube is amazing. I'd really like to know exactly how it works. If Ampeg were ever to release a similar circuit in pedal form I think it would sell like hotcakes.

But I'm glad it's in an amp as I'm down to zero pedals with this thing in the rock band.

I'm nearly positive I wasn't able to get this level of tube drive when I first got the amp. Someone else here said something similar and said he hopes it isn't just the tube going bad. I also hope so. This thing is thicc tube gain city.
Click to expand...

I'm getting more grit now than I did new also. I love it. Sounds awesome! I love the compressor on the amp. Don't use one on the board like many people do because I love the one on the amp. My tone is awesome and after several years, I'm still a very happy customer.
 
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#2,478
KaseOfBass said:
I've tried several amps from Mesa - M6, M9, Walkabout - and owned two - Subway D800 and the Prodigy Four:88. To me, just like Ampeg, they all have a typical sound I associate with Mesa in general. I've never found Mesa amps to have the warmth or thickness to the tone that Ampeg does, but that's just my ears. To me, Mesa amps sound more mid forward, with more bite and cut to the tone. Admittedly, I tried to EQ them all like I would an Ampeg amp and that wasn't the answer at all, but I knew that going in.

The D800 was the favorite of all of them and I gigged that one for awhile until I realized that I was constantly tweaking that amp trying to get it to sound like an Ampeg. If I recall correctly, the 7 Pro was the amp right after the D800, and I've had it ever since. Surprisingly, the Prodigy Four:88, while not a bad sounding amp at all, was one of the most non-tubey sounding tube amps I've ever played through. I had high hopes for that amp as it offered a lot of appealing features for a modern tube amp, but it just didn't get the sound I wanted.

So, Mesa amps just didn't check the boxes for me and as I've done plenty of times, I came happily crawling back to Ampeg after falling over Mesa's fence and seeing their grass wasn't any greener.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this great reply. It seems like we have the same appreciation of Ampeg amps.
Actually, I have also owned a several Mesa amps: MPulse 600, M9 and the Titan.
According to what I remember the MP that a bit too "vintage" for my tastes. But at the time I wasn't really familiar with its EQ, so maybe I missed something. That's the reason why I'm thinking about giving another try.
The M9 was awesome, but too hard to control. That master knob was impossible to use.
The one I kept the most was the Titan. What an amp!! But I wan't using all the features it offered.

Basically, I bought the SVT 7 as backup. But it was so awesome I ended up selling the Titan!
I tried once the prodigy and I agree with you. I felt like I was playing my Carbine M9.

Now the big question for me is to get an M-Pulse 600 or not. The issue is it sells used the price of an SVT7 new....
 

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