A History and Overview
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The
Original Valvestate Amplifiers -
Setting New Standards in Solid-State
Technology
In the early 1990s, when
Marshall Amplification introduced their first range of Valvestate amplifiers,
they were met by critical acclaim from players, dealers, recording artists and
journalists worldwide. The goal of the original Valvestate amplifiers was simple
to emulate the unique sound and feel of a Marshall valve (a.k.a. tube) amplifier
by using solid-state technology. In doing this, Marshall made their highly
desirable tones more affordable and, thus, within reach of a greater number of
guitarists. The first two generations of Valvestate both achieved these aims and
have become firm favorites with players and critics the world over.
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Advanced
Valvestate
Technology
(AVT)
Accurately Emulating the Feel and Response of an
All-Valve Amplifier
Deciding to raise the benchmark
for affordable backline amplification, Marshall's R & D department started
designing the AVTX line with a totally clean slate. Since all the designers
at the Marshall factory are guitarists in addition to being exceptional
engineers, achieving more valve-like tone and feel than ever before, via solid-state
technology and know how, was an absolute priority. By successfully combining the
latest innovations in valve, solid-state and DFX (digital effects) technologies
to optimize sonic performance, AVTX has evolved from the original, critically
acclaimed Marshall Valvestate technology, but is vastly improved. It emulates
the tone, feel and response of Marshall's world-renowned, all-valve amplifiers
with unerring accuracy - without using valves in the power stage.
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Marshall's long history
and experience in the field of valve amplification was utilized in the
development of the new AVTX power amp. This extremely responsive and warm
sounding circuitry was then coupled with the specially voiced, valve driven preamp
section, to provide 100% valve/analog warmth from input to output. With the AVTX
line boasting numerous user-friendly features too, Marshall has created its
bestsounding,
best value-for-money range of 100% Marshall amplifiers ever! To be exact, seven
amplifiers (five combos, two heads) and two cabinets make up the AVTX line.
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The
Valve Driven Pre-amp - The Heart of AVTX
From
the compact AVT20X, right up to the thunderous roar of the feature-packed, four
channel AVT275X, each model in the new AVTX line boasts a preamp stage that is
driven by an ECC83 (a.k.a. 12AX7) Dual Triode valve. Unlike other hybrid amps,
this valve isn't merely acting as a pilot light. Instead, it is playing the
central role in the gain, distortion and tone generating circuitry. Marshall has
gone to great lengths to ensure that this valve delivers the maximum sonic
benefit at all settings and volume levels. The resulting clean sounds ring with
the bell-like harmonics that only a valve pre-amp can deliver and the break-up
is never harsh or unnatural sounding. Whenever an AVTX Overdrive channel is
selected, the ECC83 is saturated to its limit, providing extremely wide dynamics
and feel.
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Power
Amp Delivery
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Providing The Marshall Punch
The same, unrivalled design
expertise that went into the pre-amp was also channeled into the design of the
AVTX power stage. Using frequency dependent power amp damping and Marshall's
proprietary, dynamic clip level technology (which emulates the HT supply of a
valve power amp), each AVTX power stage recreates the warm, musical feel and 3-dimensional
sounds that have made Marshall all-valve, power amps worldrenowned.
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Closed-back
Cabinets & Extended Bass Response Speakers by Celestion.
Understanding the vital
importance of the symbiotic relationship that exists between great sounding
guitar amplifier power stages and loudspeakers, Marshall has worked
extremely close with Celestion
to develop a new range of speakers that will re-define the cutting edge in rock
guitar combos. These specially designed speakers allow the compact, closed-back
cabinets used in the Valvestate 2000 AVTX combos to deliver the fat, tight bottom
end delivery normally only associated with a much larger, 4x12" extension
cabinet.
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Digital
Effects (DFX)
Onboard
The
AVT100X, AVT150X, AVT150HX and
AVT275X all have on-board DFX Sections and the greatest care has been taken to
ensure that the highest level of signal integrity is maintained at all times.
Marshall achieved this by successfully integrating DFX into the tonal topology
of AVT without adding any of the harsh-sounding, artificial 'grain' often
associated with DFX. Each DFX section houses 16 high quality effects from which
to choose, including Chorus, Flange, Delay and no fewer than 10 different
Reverbs. Controls for Mix and Adjust allow the selected DFX to be "fine
tuned" to perfection.
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The three channel AVT100X houses
one DFX section while the four channel AVT150X, AVT150HX and AVT275X each boast two
- one for the Clean and Acoustic Simulator channels, and the other for the two
Overdrive channels. The AVT275X is enhanced even further by the fact that both
its DFX sections are stereo. Each DFX loaded AVTX amp (the AVT100X, AVT150X,
AVT150HX and AVT275X) is supplied with a sturdy, LED foot controller which
facilitates switching each DFX Section on and off, as well as changing the amp's
channels.
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Incredibly
Realistic Acoustic Emulation
The AVT150X, AVT150HX and AVT275X
all have four channels - Acoustic Simulator, Clean, Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2.
The Acoustic Simulator channel transforms the sound of an electric guitar into
that of an acoustic with remarkable accuracy. The channel's Body Switch changes
the 'body resonance' simulation from a regular sized acoustic guitar to that of
a 'Jumbo' acoustic while the Top Control takes the sound from mellow to a
bright, piezo like tone, and all points in-between.
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