Dragged Into Sunlight and Matamp

[Graham]

I've never actually played through a Matamp rig, but this was on Dragged Into Sunlight's Facebook this morning, they do sound like an awesome company to deal with:

[quote]
[b] [color=#333333][size=3]Thanks as always to Andy, Jeff and Liz at [url="http://www.facebook.com/Matamp?group_id=0"]Matamp[/url]

You may have seen the Matamp logo on your copy of Hatred for Mankind and Widowmaker. It is there and will remain there for as long as there are physical copies of Dragged Into Sunlight recordings.

Regardless of the company name, brand and history, people ask about the sound we use and frequently ask why we use Matamp over other amplifier brands such as Orange, Electric, Blackstar, Mesa. Our reasons are as follows:

i) Other amplifiers will never sound as good.

ii) When Dragged Into Sunlight were not breaking even on shows, when we did not have a label and before anyone cared, Matamp did. The following instances come to mind:

10th October 2008 - Jeff at Matamp custom builds an entire backline for Dragged Into Sunlight to use for a single show in Leeds UK without charge or catch. The reason - to see what it would sound like.

18th December 2010 - Andy at Matamp drives 13 hours in the snow to London UK for a single show to set up a circuit of 4 Matamp heads and 8 cabinets, only to realise that the show has been cancelled and that an even longer ride home awaits. The reason - to see what it would sound like.

iii) Matamp are built and manufactured by a small and dedicated team working all hours in Meltham, Huddersfield, UK. They eat circuit boards and know the insides of an amplifier better than anyone else. Fact.

To date, Matamp continue to build, repair and provide amplification for Dragged Into Sunlight at a nominal cost for the work that they do. They are one of few reasons that Dragged Into Sunlight is what it is and we are grateful.

All of that said, the footage below is the NEW Matamp GT2 warming up to f*** your ear holes inside out.[/size][/color][/b]






[color=#333333][url="http://www.facebook.com/"]http://external.ak.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCPaY43S_6XPOA2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fi3.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FftPnml3QV1w%2Fmqdefault.jpg&jq=100[/url]


[color=gray][size=2][color=#3B5998][url="http://youtu.be/ftPnml3QV1w"][b]youtu.be[/b][/url][/color][url="http://youtu.be/ftPnml3QV1w"]www.youtube.com[/url]
[url="http://youtu.be/ftPnml3QV1w"]www.matamp.co.uk[/url][/size][/color][/color]
[/quote]

I remember that London gig in December '10 - I had a ticket but didn't go because the snow was bad and the two bands I wanted to see were the supports - Dragged Into Sunlight and Annal Nathrakh who had both dropped out due to the weather (Nathrakh couldn't find anyone to rent them a van in the snow).

When watching Dragged Into Sunlight, for those who haven't seen them, they play with little to no stage lighting, heavy amounts of smoke and facing away from the audience, with only a goats-skull candleabra and the glowing Matamp logos behind them them for illumination - looks awesome and sounds like armageddon

[Billy Apple]

I've got a GT200 head and 212 cabs, and they are a great company to do business with.

[Lozz196]

That is certainly going the extra mile - especially Andy in all that snow.

[ashevans09]

Matamp are great - visited the factory when I got my 410. Lovely lot, great to deal with, stuff sounds incredible and honestly for what they do they really don't charge that much.

Definitely looking to add another matamp to my collection. Possibly a 2x15, who knows!

[Phil-osopher10]

I'd love them to do a non all tube amp, maybe a valve pre but a different power section with a lot of clean headroom and reasonably light. Do you think they would ever do something like that?

[ashevans09]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1361124686' post='1981429']
I'd love them to do a non all tube amp, maybe a valve pre but a different power section with a lot of clean headroom and reasonably light. Do you think they would ever do something like that?
[/quote]

I thought they were working on a hybrid with a MOSFET power section? I could have completely made that up but for some reason it rings a bell

[Phil-osopher10]

Now that would be very interesting! if it is not much bigger than the walkabout I'd be having one (dependant on sound ovo)

[thodrik]

[quote name='ashevans09' timestamp='1361125385' post='1981450']
I thought they were working on a hybrid with a MOSFET power section? I could have completely made that up but for some reason it rings a bell
[/quote]

I remember a really long thread from someone on here that started with 'OMG, I'm totally getting one really soon!', that went through 'they are working on a prototype' and ended with 'I've decided against it'. Until I see a picture of one I'm treating it as a myth.

[Mr. Foxen]

They were definitely working on a small lighweight amp, it wasn't tube preamp though, too close to the Terror bass, I've spoken to them about it. You can still run a Matamp style preamp on FETs instead of valves.

[quimbymeat]

pm me your email if you want to see a photo if the matamp mini bass. i seen it the other day. digital power section and handwired preamp.
stage switch to use it as a head and studio switch to bypass the power section and use it in the studio as a tube d.i. i also tried the bass 400

Edited February 22, 2013 by quimbymeat

[quimbymeat]

i will not show the guts as that's cheeky but i can show you the amp

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='quimbymeat' timestamp='1361141112' post='1981889']
pm me if you want to see a photo if the matamp mini bass. i seen it the other day. digital power section and handwired preamp.
stage switch to use it as a head and studio switch to bypass the power section and use it in the studio as a tube d.i. i also tried the bass 400
[/quote]

PM'd [size=4] [/size]

[Mikey R]

Billy, was that your Matamp rig at the Harrogate bash a couple of years back? Playing through that rig has had a lasting impact!

[tayste_2000]

I met some of the guys from Dragged Into Sunlight on Saturday when I was there, real nice band and real Matamp fanatics.

I've tested their prototypes of the new amps using SS power sections, you guys are in for a treat in the next few months, but please don't call them about it, they aren't taking orders for them yet.

The Dragged Into Sunlight GT200 is awesome, chrome front with etched out Matamp logo that glows green.

[tayste_2000]

[quote name='ashevans09' timestamp='1361110627' post='1981139']
Matamp are great - visited the factory when I got my 410. Lovely lot, great to deal with, stuff sounds incredible and honestly for what they do they really don't charge that much.

Definitely looking to add another matamp to my collection. Possibly a 2x15, who knows!
[/quote]

Get the cross overed 1x18, game changer with the 4x10

I'm debating selling my 8x10 to move over to this setup but then I just think, bah I'll have them both

[umph]

Do matamp still have any design engineers working there?

[tayste_2000]

What's a design engineer?

[Phil-osopher10]

I had a gander at those photos and it doesn't look like it is for me, I'm not a massive fan of the 'tube' looking head, I know that is a massively superficial thing to say, but is just not my thing.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='quimbymeat' timestamp='1361141285' post='1981893']
i will not show the guts as that's cheeky but i can show you the amp
[/quote]

Got the pics, thanks. I'm confused tho, it looks like a valve driven power section. I thought they were doing a valve pre and digital power? How many watts is it?

[quimbymeat]

Look behind the faceplate,it's all digital. handwired preamp under the hood.

[Ben Jamin]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1361126641' post='1981484']


I remember a really long thread from someone on here that started with 'OMG, I'm totally getting one really soon!', that went through 'they are working on a prototype' and ended with 'I've decided against it'. Until I see a picture of one I'm treating it as a myth.
[/quote]

That'd be me

They put a basic one together but there were some issues to sort out and due to the queue/getting parts/figuring it all out etc it was going to take longer (waited several months, would've had to wait several more) than I could afford to wait as I had to get gigging with something.

What an amazing company though, they understood and didn't charge me anything. Even pointed me in the direction of some suitable off-the-shelf amps from other companies. Can't get better service than that. Anywhere.

Edited February 24, 2013 by Ben Jamin

[Ant]

the matamp guys seem awesome, every time i've dealt with them they've been extra helpful and without a doubt their stuff is bombproof, i just dont like the way any of it sounds!

[thodrik]

[quote name='Ben Jamin' timestamp='1361749938' post='1990430']
That'd be me

They put a basic one together but there were some issues to sort out and due to the queue/getting parts/figuring it all out etc it was going to take longer (waited several months, would've had to wait several more) than I could afford to wait as I had to get gigging with something.

What an amazing company though, they understood and didn't charge me anything. Even pointed me in the direction of some suitable off-the-shelf amps from other companies. Can't get better service than that. Anywhere.
[/quote]

Cool, glad I wasn't imagining it. I was (and still am) pretty pretty interested in the concept of the amp. For me though, I would probably end up going for the all valve option, complete with added weight!

[quimbymeat]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1361803906' post='1991098']
Cool, glad I wasn't imagining it. I was (and still am) pretty pretty interested in the concept of the amp. For me though, I would probably end up going for the all valve option, complete with added weight!
[/quote]

I have the new gt200 in Glasgow, if you drive you can try it out at a practice space. it's the best amp ever.

[thodrik]

[quote name='quimbymeat' timestamp='1361816034' post='1991373']
I have the new gt200 in Glasgow, if you drive you can try it out at a practice space. it's the best amp ever.
[/quote]

Trying/buying a Matamp is defintely on my 'to-do' list in life

I saw you were selling one in the last month. I was sorely tempted though to end up I've actually decided to buy a Trace Elliot V6. Next up is getting a new car so I can both transport my stuff more easily!