# List of 1U rackmount power amps



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 5, 2014)

These are the ones I'm familiar with:

ART SLA
Behringer Europower
Sampson Servo
Matrix GT-FX Series
Rocktron Velocity
ISP Stealth (Supposed to be a 1U rackmounted version coming eventually)
Carvin DCM200

Am I forgetting any? Trying to compile a list of 1U power amps. Quite interested in grabbing one eventually. 
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/DCM200L


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## sylcfh (Nov 5, 2014)




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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 5, 2014)

Shit, forgot about that. 

And the Mesa 20/20, and the Marshall EL84.


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## JD27 (Nov 5, 2014)

These looked cool, not sure of their availability though. 

ATR-4502 - Koch Guitar Amplification


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

I'm actually kinda interested in the Behringer Europower...

$150 for a 300W (bridged mono) 1U power amp. I've ever heard decent things about the build quality of their PA stuff.


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## Elric (Nov 6, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Shit, forgot about that.
> 
> And the Mesa 20/20, and the Marshall EL84.


I don't think the EL84 is made any more. If you are considering used stuff too there are a lot more, I am sure. 

The 1U Valvestates (4004,8008)
The 1U Mosvalve (MV-982)
The ADA Microtube Series
The ADA Mcrofet Series

all come to mind immediately.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Nov 6, 2014)

Im interested in these as well. Im building an entire new rig and need a new power amp to go with my Laney IRT Studio. I was planning on just getting a Crown since they are cheap and powerful and everywhere. But if there is a reliable 1u for a good price then id love to find one. So long as its capable of massive volume. You sir, just gave me a great list of research to do

EDIT: found a review for the Matrix as far as sound and a bit of info. really helpful. 
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/amps-cabs/50474-matrix-gt800fx-v-gt1000fx-review-vids.html


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

It's funny, that's exactly why I was looking at 1U power amps! Was looking into a Laney IRTStudio and wanted something small to amplify it.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Nov 6, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's funny, that's exactly why I was looking at 1U power amps! Was looking into a Laney IRTStudio and wanted something small to amplify it.



that is awesome hahaha! thats good because i was curious about how the power was going to work. the IRT has only one output (XLR), and i was wondering if i was going to have to run it bridged for stereo into one 4x12, and what to do when i run into a 4x12 (A), and a 2x12(B) simultaneously....

the Matrix has the bridged/stereo, and the Crown (X2000) i was looking at has stereo/bridged/paralell. its confusing the hell out of me right meow....


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## ambler3 (Nov 6, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's funny, that's exactly why I was looking at 1U power amps! Was looking into a Laney IRTStudio and wanted something small to amplify it.



Something to amplify it? What for, extra wattage?


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## WarMachine (Nov 6, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm actually kinda interested in the Behringer Europower...
> 
> $150 for a 300W (bridged mono) 1U power amp. I've ever heard decent things about the build quality of their PA stuff.


Depending on what you are putting in front of it you'd be surprised at how some of the el cheapo poweramps sound. I bought a GemSound 350XP from a good friend for 50 bucks, can be had new for around 100 or so haha and when paired with my 1101 it sounds just as legit as using it with the V300. I've tried a few QSC's as well and they all sounded the same; transparent and LOUD. I think you'll be surprised at how _*little*_ difference there is between the SS PA's. Now tubes on the other and is a different story. Sigh....it'd be nice to live near a REAL music store with all this shit and just walk in "dude, i need to test drive some PA's, hook me up with a guitar and cab"  If you're thinking about the Behringer, i'd say go for it mayne, just make sure not to forget to mail in the warranty just in case lol.


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## JD27 (Nov 6, 2014)

This guy runs his through a poweramp. DI out with cab emulation off into a balanced input on the Power amp. I have the IRT-Studio and an SLA-1, but I have never thought about connecting them.


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## WarMachine (Nov 6, 2014)

If i can get a chance later this evening i'll do a shootout with the V300 and el cheapo GemSound for you guys lol. YMMV but from my experience the preamp you're pairing with makes all the difference in the world vs the poweramp. I had a Rocktron Chameleon (friggin LOVED that thing, regret giving to my best friend ) and while it was killer by itself it was greatly dependent on what type of power amp you ran with it. The GSP i have really isn't picky at all, it can be made to sound great or like a turd depending on how its setup, not what it's paired with.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

JD27 said:


> This guy runs his through a poweramp. DI out with cab emulation off into a balanced input on the Power amp. I have the IRT-Studio and an SLA-1, but I have never thought about connecting them.




This video pretty much answered all my questions. - I was curious if the DI out still used the power tubes or if it was just the preamp with the power section "disabled." 

Guess I'll definitely go ahead with the power amp plan then.  I was hoping I could go with something like a PA power amp, since the amp's power section would already be cooking and all I'd need is a volume boost. The Behringer is looking miiiiiighty fine now.


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## Elric (Nov 6, 2014)

WarMachine said:


> Depending on what you are putting in front of it you'd be surprised at how some of the el cheapo poweramps sound. I bought a GemSound 350XP from a good friend for 50 bucks, can be had new for around 100 or so haha and when paired with my 1101 it sounds just as legit as using it with the V300. I've tried a few QSC's as well and they all sounded the same; transparent and LOUD. I think you'll be surprised at how _*little*_ difference there is between the SS PA's. Now tubes on the other and is a different story. Sigh....it'd be nice to live near a REAL music store with all this shit and just walk in "dude, i need to test drive some PA's, hook me up with a guitar and cab"  If you're thinking about the Behringer, i'd say go for it mayne, just make sure not to forget to mail in the warranty just in case lol.



I bought a 1u power amp last year and did this same search. I looked at those cheap non-name PA power amps (including the GemSound).... but, FWIW, deep diving into a lot reviews forums etc, I concluded the failure rate is WAY higher, the life span is way shorter, support is non-existent, and the power ratings are wildly misrepresented. Sometimes it sounds like these things are even shipped broken straight from the factory. Like 0 QA. Sure you might get lucky but I generally don't make "getting lucky" plan A. 

Glad yours works well for you WarMachine, sounds like you got a good one.

You can find things like that Carvin and the Art used for just a bit more than what those go for and the step up is probably worth it if you value your time. IMHO. 

I think the only massively cheap one I gave consideration to is that Behringer. It is made cheaply in China, like some of those unknowns I am sure, but Behringer at least minimally QAs their stuff. 

I ended up spending like $229 on my power amp.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

That's why I was checking out Behringer. I have a feeling it would last me long enough up until I could get a 'real' power amp. $150 is like... nothing. 

EDIT: At least when it comes to power amps.


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## axionjax (Nov 6, 2014)

thanks for this thread! i was looking for power amps a few weeks ago to run a Pod PRO signal and into a Mesa Boogie cab. i ended up buying a Crown xls1000(?). one source of confusion for me (and still hazy on the details) was matching the Watts and Ohms on the power amp and cab. I think I have a general idea on the subject but if someone can give a different explanation on it, I'd appreciate it =)


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## WarMachine (Nov 6, 2014)

Elric said:


> I bought a 1u power amp last year and did this same search. I looked at those cheap non-name PA power amps (including the GemSound).... but, FWIW, deep diving into a lot reviews forums etc, I concluded the failure rate is WAY higher, the life span is way shorter, support is non-existent, and the power ratings are wildly misrepresented. Sometimes it sounds like these things are even shipped broken straight from the factory. Like 0 QA. Sure you might get lucky but I generally don't make "getting lucky" plan A.
> 
> Glad yours works well for you WarMachine, sounds like you got a good one.
> 
> ...


Oh for sure dude, very good points. Honestly i just lucked out in getting it from a friend that had it for a few years and it was collecting dust  TBH i bought it to rig up to my recording setup to crank the watts lol, worth noting though - like you said, sometimes you get lucky on those deals and just because some amps have more than two 0's on the price tag don't necessarily mean you're getting a cut above the rest.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

axionjax said:


> thanks for this thread! i was looking for power amps a few weeks ago to run a Pod PRO signal and into a Mesa Boogie cab. i ended up buying a Crown xls1000(?). one source of confusion for me (and still hazy on the details) was matching the Watts and Ohms on the power amp and cab. I think I have a general idea on the subject but if someone can give a different explanation on it, I'd appreciate it =)



It depends on what ohmage the cab is. The power amp can plug into a cab that has an equal or higher ohamge (IE: Plugging an 8-ohm or 16-ohm amp into an 8-ohm cab) but if the power amp is a lower ohmage than the cab, you risk burning something (IE: Plugging a 2 or 4-ohm amp into an 8-ohm cab)

Also, wattages don't need to match. Just try not to crank the power amp too hard if you're plugging a 1000-watt power amp into a 240-watt cab. If it starts to sound like shit and you smell smoke, then something happened.


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## xCaptainx (Nov 6, 2014)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's funny, that's exactly why I was looking at 1U power amps! Was looking into a Laney IRTStudio and wanted something small to amplify it.



TBH you could save your money and just use the IRT Studio? I have one and gig with it. 15w is great for stage sound and front rows. You don't need anything more if you have even a basic P.A at the show. 

I didn't have to get mine past 6 on volume, and there was a 5150ii on the other side of the stage.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Nov 6, 2014)

Me personally I want a poweram because my band is retardedly loud and ill probably need it. Also because I want to run 2 cabs. I dont want to ever not have enough power. Too much is always better than not enough.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

METAL_WIZARD said:


> Me personally I want a poweram because my band is retardedly loud and ill probably need it. Also because I want to run 2 cabs. I dont want to ever not have enough power. Too much is always better than not enough.



 Just incase I need it. Also could probably find other uses for a power amp. I plan on possibly getting a GSP1101 or a Boss GT100 for effects, and if something ever happens to the Laney I could use the Boss or Digitech with the power amp as a backup.

_*EDIT: I also don't want this thread to just focus on what I was looking for. Would be nice for others who were looking at 1U power amps to save space.*_


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## cGoEcYk (Nov 6, 2014)

SWR Amplite might be an option if you are looking for something tiny. Class D, 400w @ 4-ohms (price ~$400), ~3lbs. Dimensions- a little smaller than a sheet of paper (8.5w x 9.5). You can rack mount with a kit. It's a bass power amp. I don't see why it wouldnt work for guitar. 

Amplite Amplifier Specifications : SWR.Sound


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 6, 2014)

Oooh, I never heard of that! It looks spiffy, and I I can see it working for guitars. 

They also seem FAIRLY affordable at around $300 - $400 used. 

I was also looking at the Gallien Krueger MB series heads. They's 200 - 800w bass amps, but they seem small enough to where they won't leave a noticable footprint. The only problem I have with them is that there's no line in or FX loop, so you only have an instrument-level input, and I'm not sure how that would effect things. Plus, preamp coloration and all.

EDIT: Correction, the MB200 lacks a power amp. The MB500 and above have FX loops. Shit, now it looks tempting... I could use it as a bass amp AND a power amp, plus there's a rackmount kit you can get for the MB500.


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## Harry (Nov 6, 2014)

I've used a MarkBass F1 which is indeed a 1RU amp. I don't think Markbass make any 1RU sized bass heads anymore and the F1 is discontinued now, so it might be a little harder to find perhaps.
As an actual bass amp it fairly bland and nothing special. It is definitely loud enough for any gig you're likely to do though.

If it doesn't absolutely have to be rack mounted, look into the Aguilar Tone Hammer 500. Sounds great as a bass amp (rather than merely acceptable in the case of the F1), is a little bit lighter, smaller in depth and has the FX loop on the front. Small enough and has such minimal footprint that you can get around the fact it isn't 1RU

OT, but the Boss GT-100 kicks serious ass.
The cab sims are average admittedly, but I always just used an actual guitar cab anyway so that was never an issue for me. The amp sims themselves are great, the effects are awesome, it's easy to use and it's good value for money.


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## Shask (Nov 7, 2014)

You could always mount an Electro Harmonix Magnum 44 or an ISP Stealth on a 1 space rack tray also.

I have an ART SLA-2, but have thought about moving up to something like the Matrix. Not sure how much of a difference it would make.....


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## desmondtencents (Nov 7, 2014)

A rackmountable ISP Stealth would be awesome. I have one of the current units stuck to a 1 unit rack shelf with velcro right now. I hated how all of the connections and the volume knob were all on one side. Made it a pain in the ass to keep the front of the unit clean while everything was hooked up. So, I took the covers off and drilled a hole in the rear for the volume knob. It's connected to the PCB with fairly long wires instead of a hard connection so it was super easy to move to the back. Now I have the unit turned around so all the connections are in the "back" and all there is up "front" is a single volume knob.
Doing this is working great but one thing I'll mention is this: the unit is a bit taller than 1RU so if I only had one space left in the rack this wouldn't have worked. It's in a 4 space rack case with my Eleven Rack so it's working out fine.


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## Elric (Nov 7, 2014)

Shask said:


> I have an ART SLA-2, but have thought about moving up to something like the Matrix. Not sure how much of a difference it would make.....


I subscribe somewhat to some of things warmachine mentioned earlier with regard to SS power, especially when using a high end modeler (Axe/11R/Kemper).

If your presets are dialed in for the frequency response of the SLA2 and it is a relatively flat response, and you are using the power amp simulation, I don't know what you would gain from a different power amp. The entire paradigm with the really high end modelers is for the power amp to GTFO of the way. 

A lot of the guys Fractal Forum go bananas over stuff like the Matrix because they love buying what ever expensive new solution the other guys on the board are blabbing about that week but even Cliff has expressed the idea power amps should just be transparent for the AF2. Witness all the flavor of the month FRFR monitors. Truth is with all of those filters, EQ, and even stuff like tone matching, you should for the most part, be able to compensate for or warp any output device.

To be fair, the Matrix does sound like it IS a good power amp for a modeler: light, 1U, reliable, high power output, flat response, certainly a good choice. Pretty much all the features one would want but for the most part if you have already accounted for the EQ curve of ART, the matrix is buying you standard connectors, significant weight savings, and forum bragging rights. 

Listen to Mark Day using a SLA2, 2x12 and camcorder mic. Jeez luiz. Tone for days and he is using the gen 1 unit before the final firmware was even released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NXunIvK24s



desmondtencents said:


> A rackmountable ISP Stealth would be awesome. I have one of the current units stuck to a 1 unit rack shelf with velcro right now. I hated how all of the connections and the volume knob were all on one side. Made it a pain in the ass to keep the front of the unit clean while everything was hooked up. So, I took the covers off and drilled a hole in the rear for the volume knob. It's connected to the PCB with fairly long wires instead of a hard connection so it was super easy to move to the back. Now I have the unit turned around so all the connections are in the "back" and all there is up "front" is a single volume knob.
> Doing this is working great but one thing I'll mention is this: the unit is a bit taller than 1RU so if I only had one space left in the rack this wouldn't have worked. It's in a 4 space rack case with my Eleven Rack so it's working out fine.



You should be able to just dime the volume knob on it and use the preamp's output control as your master volume. I've been using rack rigs for years like that. Strikes me as pointless and warranty voiding to do all that.


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## desmondtencents (Nov 7, 2014)

I bought it used so wasn't too concerned with warranty issues. I'd prefer not to keep it dimed, I'm sure it would be just fine. Just a personal preference.
Now at least it's easier than reaching behind and under the 11R if I do want to change the volume setting


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## sylcfh (Nov 7, 2014)

desmondtencents said:


> A rackmountable ISP Stealth would be awesome. I have one of the current units stuck to a 1 unit rack shelf with velcro right now. I hated how all of the connections and the volume knob were all on one side. Made it a pain in the ass to keep the front of the unit clean while everything was hooked up. So, I took the covers off and drilled a hole in the rear for the volume knob. It's connected to the PCB with fairly long wires instead of a hard connection so it was super easy to move to the back. Now I have the unit turned around so all the connections are in the "back" and all there is up "front" is a single volume knob.
> Doing this is working great but one thing I'll mention is this: the unit is a bit taller than 1RU so if I only had one space left in the rack this wouldn't have worked. It's in a 4 space rack case with my Eleven Rack so it's working out fine.










e-mail Buck and see if there are any updates. 


ISP had a rackmount Stealth at NAMM.


Go to about 1:08...


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## Elric (Nov 7, 2014)

desmondtencents said:


> I bought it used so wasn't too concerned with warranty issues. I'd prefer not to keep it dimed, I'm sure it would be just fine. Just a personal preference.
> Now at least it's easier than reaching behind and under the 11R if I do want to change the volume setting


No worries brother, I get the preference and it's your rig, mod it as you see fit, sir! 
Mostly just throwing it out there for those who aren't aware that it is okay to run a power amp full bore and avoid trying to control the volume in two places. When I got my first rack, it confused me.


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## op1e (Nov 8, 2014)

Didn't I see something last winter about new Fryette 1u rack power? Checked the site but not out yet.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 8, 2014)

Yeah. 40/40w power amp meant for modeling. But nothing ever came of it.


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## op1e (Nov 8, 2014)

Ah, here we go...

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ge...-2012-fryette-lxii-low-profile-power-amp.html

Fryette Modeling Workshop Volume I: Fryette LXII and Fractal Audio Axe-FX II - YouTube


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## Shask (Nov 8, 2014)

Elric said:


> If your presets are dialed in for the frequency response of the SLA2 and it is a relatively flat response, and you are using the power amp simulation, I don't know what you would gain from a different power amp. The entire paradigm with the really high end modelers is for the power amp to GTFO of the way.
> 
> A lot of the guys Fractal Forum go bananas over stuff like the Matrix because they love buying what ever expensive new solution the other guys on the board are blabbing about that week but even Cliff has expressed the idea power amps should just be transparent for the AF2. Witness all the flavor of the month FRFR monitors. Truth is with all of those filters, EQ, and even stuff like tone matching, you should for the most part, be able to compensate for or warp any output device.
> 
> To be fair, the Matrix does sound like it IS a good power amp for a modeler: light, 1U, reliable, high power output, flat response, certainly a good choice. Pretty much all the features one would want but for the most part if you have already accounted for the EQ curve of ART, the matrix is buying you standard connectors, significant weight savings, and forum bragging rights.


I think what interests me most about the Matrix is how everyone has said it has a little more sag to the feel..... they say it feels a little more tube-like and less stiff than most SS power amps. That sounds really cool! Of course, the weight would be nice as well as the SLA-2 is a brick, but that isnt a big deal as I dont drag it around.

Then again, sometimes I use the power section of my Triple Recto instead. It does sound better with more punch, but it is not a HUGE difference for my needs. Not $800 better......


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## mindwalker (Nov 9, 2014)

The new ENGL e810 is also a 1u power amp


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