How are the Randall MTS series amps?

[SimonSez]

I have been saving some money for a while and I finally have enough to upgrade to a better amp. I'm looking online at my options before I go out to the stores to start testing things out. I like the idea of the Randall MTS series (the RTM100) because you can switch out the modules and have different amp sounds. Has anyone here played one of these and have any opinions about it? How does the Treadplate module compare to a Dual Rectifier?

 

[iekobrid]

The stock Recto/Rectifier/Treadplate modules ain't so hot, but there's a guy named Pete Turley who can modify them to sound (and in some cases look) pretty close. Or so I hear.

If you haven't already, read the hell out of the MTS Grailtone forum. Good people, good info (if you have the patience to chase it down), and quite often, good deals on used modules in the Classified section. I dropped something like $1500 on secondhand modules in the space of 2-3 months this year almost without realizing it.

Pete Turley's username on the forum is "okstrat" and the "Gigmods" sub-forum is dedicated to his work.

 

[decoys]

I had a RM100 with some modules ... at first I liked it a lot .. same idea as you, changing modules is a great thing.
but now i must say, that the modules dont sound that different ... my favourite is the ultra xl ... but why not buying an 6505 or so then? thats what i did at last ... i mean, i didnt need that much sounds, and they were kinda different that the amps they should module. thats my opinion on it

 

[iekobrid]

Yeah, I use my RM20 combo mostly for low- to mid-gain tones that I don't need often enough to warrant dedicated amps. So instead of having a Vox and a couple Marshalls and a couple Fenders sitting around gathering dust, I have one little combo that satisfies most of those urges when/if they strike.

 

[JeffTD]

I've been really thinking about grabbing one of the RM4 preamps and running it through the poweramp of a 5150 or Recto and having that as my little "guitar tone factory." Still not sure how it'd hold up to having a 5150/Recto/Krank/Orange/Fender on hand, though.

 

[Harry Hughes]

I've only played it once, but I was really impressed with some of the tones on offer, as well as the versatility.

 

[Kazrog]

I had an RM4 for a while. I tried it both direct with Recabinet and with the Randall RT2/50 power amp through a real cabinet (Mesa 4x12 OS), with tons of modules borrowed from friends of mine, and I have to say that I was most impressed with the clean and mid gain modules, particularly the George Lynch SuperV module (amazing clean and mid gain tones from that one.)

I didn't find much in the high gain territory that I liked, even with all the George Lynch, Dan Donegan, and Kirk Hammet modules, as well as the Recto, Ultra, and XTC modules, I really couldn't find even one sound that came close to my ENGL e530 preamp or my 5150 II for metal rhythms. They all have a brittle, fizzy, plastic sound to them that sounds more like a digital modeler to me than tubes, I really couldn't get into it. Also the build quality is VERY cheesy compared to any tube amp I can think of, with things like chicken head knobs that are mounted so close together that they hit each other, knobs that come off easily, thumbscrews that don't thread very positively when mounting modules, etc. (occasionally resulting in interesting errors such as all 4 RM4 modules being "on" simultaneously - that actually sounded interesting but was freaky to behold.)

Versatility with tube amps is a tricky thing, and aside from Mesa's Mark series, I don't know how well it's been pulled off to date. Perhaps Bruce Egnater's original modular amps are cool, but Randall's MTS series didn't impress me enough to keep the RM4. I eBayed it.

 

[dr_pavlic]

I had RM4...
I like 1086 Module, Tweed, Plexi, XTC tones...
Good machine for lives... but i think it very expensive...

 

[Rex Rocker]

I've been reading a lot that the George Lynch Grail module is better at Recto tones than the Treadplate module, supposedly.

Not much to add to this thread, really... except that I kinda want those as well.

 

[TravisW]

The old "Brown" module sounded really good, as did the SL+.

 

[Blacklight_Studio]

I had that randall head with a recto module. Sold it away after comparison to a real 2ch recto )) The difference is like night and day, aspecialy when miced up )) so I've finished buying a mesa on ebay. Haven't heard any other modules though, except kirk's one which was not very good also.

 

[zackpennington]

I've owned almost every incarnation of the modular line and I love it. That said, I'm not generally a high gainer (wrong forum right?) and I loved the SL+ and Blackface modules especially. With my endorsement, I'll probably pick up a newer Egnater M4 once I get some more money, but by then the E2 will be out so who knows...