# 1 channel vs 2 channel amp.



## noname222 (Nov 24, 2011)

So,I was at my builder yesterday and I tested few amps.
He had 2 similar amps,only difference is: one is one channel (clean only),and second is two channel amp. Amps have same tubes,both were 30W,through same cabinet.

Difference in clean was HUGE. Two channel was "compressed" and fatter a little bit. One channel was so smooth,clean.. I don't know how to describe it.

My question: does anyone have same expirience? How can overdrive channel effect on clean channel sound?

Tnx.


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## Deliverowned (Nov 24, 2011)

It depends on how many pre amp there are actually in the amp.

1 channel = 1 pre amp so perfect clean or perfect distortion depending on designer
2 channel in 1 pre amp, both clean and distortion run through the same pre amp so it needs to be good both for cleans and distortions
2 channel in 2 pre amps = no compromises in tone, best clean, best distortion, think Hugues and Ketner Tri amp with 3 channels a 6 modes

I had a VHT/Fryette deliverance that was one channel and its does really great cleans while its specialty is high gain/agressive stuff. I miss that one 

So if you have to pick one, it depends on your needs and tates but now you udnerstand why both clean channels arent the same.


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## noname222 (Nov 24, 2011)

Tnx for explanation.


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## Ishan (Nov 24, 2011)

Many 2 channel or more amps use cascading channels, so you have the tubes from the clean used by both clean and drive. So I my guess is his 1 channel preamp is certainly totally different from his 2 channels, hence the difference in tone.
Some preamp have totally separate channels, using their own tubes but as a consequence you need more tubes than a cascading one. If he's a custom builder he certainly can do whatever you want for a price 

Edit: Ninja'd awww


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## BabUShka (Nov 24, 2011)

Depends on the amp.. Laneys, Marshalls and some Orange-amps are 1 channel amps. I've tried soem of them, and they are in general great amps. Whats good about those amps, is that they often react pretty good to your uitars volume knob. Especially Marshalls..
I've played some JCM800's and set at crunch with an od in front. Always used the neck pickup for cleans, lowering the pickup volum and turning off the boost = great cleans that are more than good enought.. 
Many two channel amps has the same two channels, only biased a little bit differently. Still the same poweramp and characteristics when it comes to tube amps.


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## noname222 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ishan said:


> If he's a custom builder he certainly can do whatever you want for a price



Yap,Guy is kick ass. I never saw amp with great jazz clean and high gain overdrive. Man.. awesome.

And a price. Price is 1200$ for head. That is less then Egnater Armageddon which I was planing to buy.


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## noname222 (Nov 24, 2011)

Deliverowned said:


> *1 channel = 1 pre amp* so perfect clean or perfect distortion depending on designer
> 
> *2 channel in 2 pre amps* = no compromises in tone, best clean, best distortion, think Hugues and Ketner Tri amp with 3 channels a 6 modes



So,this amps would sound the same in clean?


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## TubeTone (Nov 25, 2011)

Deliverowned said:


> 2 channel in 2 pre amps = no compromises in tone, best clean, best distortion, think Hugues and Ketner Tri amp with 3 channels a 6 modes


I'm sorry, but this is just plain wrong. Any serious amp builder/manufacturer will tell you that all other things being equal, a single channel amp will outshine the "same" multi channel amp by far. It's a general rule of thumb that the less channels and tone controls the amp has, the better it sounds. There are very few exceptions to this.

Hughes & Kettner TriAmp is a joke compared to the cleans of a single channel Hiwatt DR103 or the distortion of Mako Makoplex.


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## Ishan (Nov 25, 2011)

False assumption, if the channels are separate preamps, it being single or multi channel doesn't means shit. It has no influence on the sound, if a preamp is badly designed it'll sound bad, that's all.


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## TubeTone (Nov 25, 2011)

Ishan said:


> False assumption, if the channels are separate preamps, it being single or multi channel doesn't means shit. It has no influence on the sound, if a preamp is badly designed it'll sound bad, that's all.



There are still switching systems involved.

Regardless, I still rest my case on the triamp.


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## Sephael (Nov 25, 2011)

TubeTone said:


> There are still switching systems involved.


...so it's the switching systems that you say are causing the problems in other amps?


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## Deliverowned (Nov 25, 2011)

The guy was meant, the shortest signal path = best tone. So less pre amps, less switching, less controls less EQ = better. explicating that 1 channel amp with very few controls sounds so good and i'm tottaly agreeing with what I just wrote.


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## Sephael (Nov 25, 2011)

Must be why the Dark Terror sounds so good then


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## TubeTone (Nov 26, 2011)

Deliverowned said:


> The guy was meant, the shortest signal path = best tone. So less pre amps, less switching, less controls less EQ = better. explicating that 1 channel amp with very few controls sounds so good and i'm tottaly agreeing with what I just wrote.



You sir understand things


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## noname222 (Dec 10, 2011)

Finally at home.


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## Albionic (Dec 10, 2011)

gotta say a huge amount of rubbish being spouted here

i got a 70's single channel marshall but i'd not say it sounded better than a mesa mark 5 which has 3 channels or even my 333xl which also has 3.

such sweeping generalizations cant be true
a soldano slo has 2 channels 

theres no such thing as good or bad tone imo just tone you like and tone you don't


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## getaway_fromme (Dec 10, 2011)

Albionic said:


> theres no such thing as good or bad tone imo just tone you like and tone you don't



People just don't get this.


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