Marshall Code50 1x12 Combo

ToTal GuiTar february 2017
100
Head to Head
Which of our foursome
is the model citizen?
a
ll four combos have excellent
low-noise performance – it’s worth
noting the Blackstar uses an external
power supply, while the other three
use regular 240V kettle leads – and
each also sports an easily navigated control
panel. Vox’s VT100X makes good use of LEDs,
including an eerie nuclear blue glow around the
12AX7 preamp valve, which may not help the
amp sound better, but looks cool. Equally cool is
Marshall’s Bluetooth connectivity – it hooked
up to our iPhone in a few seconds and allows
real-time editing of all the amp’s parameters,
as well as audio streaming. Comparatively, the
Katana is fairly low-key, doing what it’s
supposed to with typical Boss eciency, and
it’s a similar story for the Blackstar.
With a real preamp valve, you’d expect the
Vox VT100X to sound good, and it really does.
Some of the sounds are so inspiring it’s very
easy to just get carried away playing – the
Dumble-inspired Boutique OD and the warmth
of the AC30 are real stand-outs. Speaking of
standing out, the Katana may look plain, but its
tones are truly exceptional. The Crunch voice is
responsive and dynamic, while the Brown solo
sound is as good as many USA valve-powered
competitors. Start using the Tone Studio editor
and the Katana’s edge becomes sharper still,
with dierent eects chain presets and
assignable control parameters.
Marshall’s Code50 is similarly impressive,
despite the understandable limitation that
most of its best sounds all come from the
Marshall back catalogue. Nevertheless, the
Gateway app’s ease of editing makes the Code
great fun to use. Blackstar’s re-voiced ID:Core
works best where it’s intended to be used, in
the home studio/bedroom environment, with
new enhanced voices that sound impressively
big at conversation volumes and PreSonus’s
Studio One software providing a perfect entry
to desktop recording.
The Katana is
simple and
easy to use
The Vox has a real
preamp valve for extra
tonal authenticity
the Katana may
looK plain, but its
tones are truly
exceptional
the tg test
TGR289.gear_test.indd 100 20/12/2016 12:27