Anyone recorded a H&K Switchblade?

[SickBoy]

It is an interesting design (all-tube + FX onboard with MIDI switching), but how does it act in a real recording and mixing situation, if anyone tried it that way?
I've seen several posts around here with Cobra praising the combo he tried and some others listing it among "the amps to be thrown out the window"

The 100W head isn't too expensive, somewhere in JSX price range, so it really sparked my interested...

Any comments really appreciated!

 

[Razorjack]

I'm sure some nice sounds could be coaxed out of them but I find them to be very thin and nasal (like all H&K stuff really, even the TriAmp has a lack of real bottom end).

If it's in the JSX price range then the JSX is a much better purchase.

 

[Nebulous]

Guitarists in two (decently sized) local bands use them. They seem to sound ok, sometimes nasal, always abit fizzy. They remind me of a 5150, with much less grind or something.
If you'd like to hear them recorded, here are the bands myspaces. The most recent stuff is with the amp:
http://www.myspace.com/eyefear
http://www.myspace.com/vanishingpointofficial

 

[SickBoy]

Razorjack, I appreciate the JSX comment, since it's one of the heads I've set my aim at (other being Engl Blackmore).
I'm not that much into effects and from my experience the on-board stuff can't match outboard gear, be it pedal or rack stuff. Especially with such a price, although it can be considered promotional to the point.

Nebulous, are you certain those bands used Switchblade in studio, was there maybe any reamping with different amps going on?
Didn't listen to it yet, just wondering...

Thanks!

 

[TTOS]

Akercocke used them on Words that go unspoken, sound pretty good to me

 

[vespiz]

We have the head where I work and everytime I've tried it (or rather, heard someone else try it) I've been underwhelmed by it. The concept is great, but the sound is just.. blah. It got a bit better with a different cab (H&K -> Framus Cobra) but still... There's no real meat to it and it's just a bit boring.
It's great if you play in a coverband, but for metal? Nope, not for me.

 

[Nebulous]

Razorjack, I appreciate the JSX comment, since it's one of the heads I've set my aim at (other being Engl Blackmore).
I'm not that much into effects and from my experience the on-board stuff can't match outboard gear, be it pedal or rack stuff. Especially with such a price, although it can be considered promotional to the point.

Nebulous, are you certain those bands used Switchblade in studio, was there maybe any reamping with different amps going on?
Didn't listen to it yet, just wondering...

Thanks!

I'm 99.9% sure that Eyefear used it to record. The guitarist has an endorsement, but further to that, his live tone sounds exactly like the recorded tone. All their Myspace tracks are off the new album.

As for Vanishing Point, the guitarist also has an endorsement, but his live tone is generally quite muddy or buried in the mix, so I can't be sure it's the same tone. Knowing where they recorded though, the other main possibility for his recorded tone would be a Triple recto, so I'm gona go out on a whim and say I'm leaning more towards that being the H&K on their album. Listening to Embodiment on their myspace, the verse riff of Embodiment has a very H&K honk/fuzz to it.

IMO, the switchblade has a very odd sounding gain structure.

 

[KeithRT99]

Akercocke used them on Words that go unspoken, sound pretty good to me

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/neil-kernon-auslander/246708-words-go-unspoken.html

 

[ApolloSpeed]

I recorded an H&K for the band We Walk Like Snails http://www.myspace.com/wewalklikesnails

 

[TTOS]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/neil-kernon-auslander/246708-words-go-unspoken.html

Well,, looks like I was wrong!! On further research they use H&K on Antichrist, which in my opinion sounds very muddy in general and is not a patch on Words and Choronzon