After the Pro Co Rat pedal, a friend loaned me the Rockman XP100, which had echo and chorus. After which the ADA gear, which included the Microtube 200. The MT200 RMA'd back to Cali for repair, and ADA sent me two blue ADA shirts, still hanging in the closet. 30 year old shirts. MT200 is down again, and it needs repair, but other stereo power amps work very well, the Mesa Stereo, the Marshall dual monobloc and the Peavey Classic. MP1 +Mesa =crushing early Metallica. MP1 +Marshall =Passion & Warfare. MP1 +Peavey =Ultimate lead tone. Direct to console with effects, every major pop rock tone. The preamp has no bottom, drop tune not a problem. They have the coolest mid scoop, which really seperates the MP1 from everyone else. It's not the bottom, it's not the top, it's not mid forward, it's mid scooped at custom frequencies that goes well with rack power. VHT, in-f'n-credible. ADADepot, ezpert resources for users and techs alike, the internet's most friendly forum. Before the dual rectifier, before the Bogner, there was Marshall. Just like you did, 128 preset front end. I would never sell mine. I would sell every other piece of gear, but will die with my MP1. Bought it when I was 17yo. Steve Vai, Nuno Bettencourt, Vito Brata, Skid Row, Michael Wagener and many more. This preamp screams. Thanks Leon!
I still have my Mp1, love it ! Paired with a Alesis Quadraverb and BBE sonic maximizer really wakes this unit up.However my Microtube 100 watt a side power amp went down because of faulty pots, that's what needs to be replaced. I was told that you can't get these type of pots anymore and you can't upgrade them as it would reverse engineer the power amp. At least that is what I was told.
This thing sounds so good, and I'm honestly surprised how good that chorus sounds. The clean+chorus is just filled with pure nostalgia and just makes me feel like a kid again. Getting one asap but screw it, I need one of these.
The MP-1 Chorus uses a hyper sine wave sweep, unlike the stomp box chorus pedals, which use a lumpy squared up sweep. The difference is a round circular sound which doesn't take over your notes and chords.
@@LeonTodd I have an original blackface Intellifex. I bought it because of Frank Aresti of Fates Warning, I dug the clean 8-voice chorus tone he got on "Parallels".
@@LeonTodd Yeah, that "ping" and "chime" can't be matched by any other processor. Just listen to Fates Warning "Parallels". The Rocktron Intellifex was actually the first guitar-oriented processor that was 24-bit. Even the famous Lexicon PCM 41,42 and T.C. Electronics 2290 were "only" 16-bit.
Will always love my ADA MP-1. The tones of probably the most exciting time musically for me as a young guitar dude (I am not that anymore lol) - and this video helps to remind me of that! Thank you for this great video!
OMG! I remember playing in a cover band in Melbourne 3 nights a week in the 80s and my rig consisted of an ADA MP1, a Mesa Boogie 2:90 Similclass power amp into 2 Boogie 2x12 cabs. I remember my ADA EQ settings were something like: BASS -2 MIDS -8 TREBLE 0 AND PRESENCE ON 4. Absolute killer sound and the sound that I received the most compliments from in all my years of playing different amps. Great vid and memories!
I've had an ADA MP-1 for 7 years now, it was given to me in an incredibly broken state, would not power on, wouldn't do shit, I attempted to repair it once and then put it away for seven years after being unsuccessful, I pulled it out again three days ago, stared at the circuit boards for an hour, went down to a local parts store and bought a bunch of capacitors and diodes and transistors, 4 hours and a literal fuckload of point to point soldering later (the traces were absolutely trashed on this thing), it roared to life for the first time since I've own it, I threw some NOS 70's milspec Sylvania 12ax7s in it and man, this thing sound absolutely incredible by itself, let alone through my Marshall Valvestate 8100 with JCM 800 4 x12 with V30s, I am absolutely stunned by the solid state clean channel paired with the analog chorus, and the EQ is so incredibly useful and effective, crank up the tube channel 1 and 2 and slam the master gain up to 10 and this thing is insane, what an incredible rack, next on the list to to solder a battery holder in and really start building some banks on it (the presets alone sound incredible right out of the box).
Funny ADA MP-1 was my touring rig back in the day... It was MIDI'ed to an Alesis Quadraverb and it worked well in almost every situation. Power amps ranged from tube sections of Marshall heads... To Marshall tube power amps and a Stereo Peavey 60/60 and 50/50.
@@ts31966 They were always pretty noisy and really a lot of noise around old style par 64 dimmer packs. I used to use the gate section of a dbx compressor for a while... then a rack mount hush unit... which helped a whole lot.
ADA MP1 combined with Rocktron's Velocity rack amp gave it a fat, thick sound. Change the tubes to Groove tubes and bam you had a power start to a killer rack system. I loved mine and would love to find another
I had an MP1 in the 90s. This IS the guitar tone of 80s rock. Especially with the reverb and a light bit of chorus which is the magic of these preamps.
The composition at 5:40 is absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of something that would have been in an 80's movie and played by either Steve Lukather, Dan Huff, or Paul Gilbert. You are ultra talented!
I used my ADA MP1 for a long time, retired them due to excessive noise. It took me awhile to find amp like overdrives and a setup that matched it. My Boss MS-3 with the programmable loops kind of gives the instant switching and the clean channel with built in compressor. The analog chorus was really cool! My Bogner Red Ecstacy is my high gain channel, Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret is like the clean tube channel, I also use a Wampler SLOstortion as well. I do miss the ADA.
I had one totally modded with Groove tubes and it had that warm but power metal sound....kicking myself for ever selling it. Where were these videos 15 years ago! It was great for making Dream Theater-Images and Words tones.
I had an ADA for a while, I used with a BBE sonic maximizer and it really brought out the tone. I also used my Boss DS-1 into the clean tone for a really thick classic rock sound.
@@AndGuitarskid row not so much because you hear Slave to the grind and go holy shit!.. that album didn’t use mp1 and was way heavier than the first album.
Great Review!! I love ADA ... back in the 90's the best combo on the market IMO was the 1x12 viper, just plug in a 4x12 for the gig. Early 2000's I found something I never knew existed, the ADA Quad tube 150m. Which is a MP1 2x12 stereo combo. 2, 75 watt amps for a stereo 150 watts into 2, 75 watt celestions. Add a MC-1 midi controller and you have 3 banks of 10 presets and 9 banks open. More than enough to dazzle any audience! Pro tip> have a groupie with a strong back the thing weighs a ton.. haha
@@LeonTodd They did.. my guess is to why they were short lived is the 1x12 viper had a price of $1199.00. And it sat at the music store for years until I talked the owner out of it for less than 1/2 .. probably was the stores best sales pitch to me when looking at guitars for all those years..haha If I'm remembering correctly I bought at least 6 more guitars in that time, probably because they all sounded so good through the ADA Viper! I'm pretty sure that is the amp ADA debut their "Vari-Cab" in, which I think you could also get in a rack mount. Before there were modeling amps there was the Viper.
@@ralpherl5657 "What did you do? I said, “You’ve been trying. I don’t know if I’m gonna do any good.” I went over and I just did what I did. I split John’s sound with a delay and a little modulation, which I had been doing and I split his sound. I think it was a Mark IV Mesa Boogie head and the EV Celestion cabs. What I did is he had his sound through one and then I split it with a DDL and made the other cab using that as a slave with a slight modulation. I just put up flat mics in the balance and miked it and he went, “Oh, my god. That’s it.”..." -Bob Rock
I used to have one, it was probably the best amp I ever had, beat my Marshall JCM all to hell. The best tone I ever had. I used it for Thrash Metal. The clean with chorus had the best glassy sound ever.
Still playing my MP-1 I bought brand new. Just sounds better than anything else.....super versatile. Have it paired with the B200s power amp....no other pair can sound as good!
I still have 2 MP-1s and a ADA Microtube 100 Amp. I sold many of these rigs with the Alesis Quadraverb midi for total channel effects switching fun! It was the Bradshaw capability on the cheap at the time. List price was $799 in 1990.
Final Resonance TV I had the MP1 plus that bullet proof midi foot controller...along with an Alesia midi verb all hooked up together in. A rack....with a Carvin stereo power amp.....also had the Lee Jackson GP 1500 perfect connection pre amp.....sorry I sold all that stuff now
I bought one used 10 years ago and recently rediscovered it. I now run a rack rig alongside a Marshall Jubilee stack. I have the 2555x running the top cab and the ADA and Rocktron power amp running the bottom cab. They sound great by themselves but with a splitter from the Tube screamer into each one simultaneously the tone is unbelievable
I remember having one of these in the early 2000 lol. I used to power it with a carvin 50w tube power amp. I remember the previous owner moded it somehow and it had a lot less gain than what your unit has, I still loved mine, teached me to play with less gain. Eventually the carvin power amp blew up and decided to sell the whole thing after several failed attempts to fix the power amp.
Thanks for doing this video. You don't hear much about ADA any more, but their gear was hot stuff back in the day. I drooled over Les Claypool's ADA bass rig for years. It sounded so good!!!!!!
It was kinda fun to be into rack gear during the grunge era. I bought a MP-2 new along with the matching single space power amp and that was my live rig for the final year or so of my band days. I still have it.
Great video. In about 1989 or 90 I played a gig at a nice outdoor pool party of about 500 people and I used one my friend had along with my trusty Charvel model 2. The gain and lead sound is amazing on these if you adjust everything correctly and the midi thing was so cool coming from a time when I usually just plugged a cord into a big 50 watt tube amp and cranked the volume up until I got the sustain and crunch and harmonics I wanted. These are very cool and ahead of their time.
Great vid. I bought an MP1 when they first came to the UK and stupidly sold it but picked up another one a few years back. It's sat behind me in my rack with my Alesis quadraverb and solid state power amp thru Marshall 4x12. The tones this thing kicks out never ceases to amaze me. I have a few amps but this is my go to but I pray it never breaks as parts are getting hard to find.
As I commented on one of your other MP-1 videos some time ago: you are guilty of making me buy on! :D I still love it! It is such a great a preamp especially for all kinds of 80's guitar tones.
He could pull tone and attack out of that amp like no one else. He was probably one of the most unrecognized and under rated artist of that era. Truly a virtuoso.
Loved my ADA, had a BBE sonic maximizer and an original tube screamer in front ... for effects i used an ART SGE. Had a Peavy 2x50 stereo amp going to my butcher cab i wired in stereo, on stage ran two mics..... miss that rig.... thanks for the time warp!!!
Cool review! This was my first real proper amp/tone and first rack mount processor to kick off my hunt for the best gear/tone. I used the mp1 for several years with a Rocktron intelifex and ADA 200 power amp, then got the updated more refined mp2 which I think took everything great about the mp1 and made it even better and shortly after moved to the Roland Dimensional space reverb for FX which just took my sound to a whole new level. Still have this gear to this day running through my Marshall dual mono block 100 power amp! Maybe do a tutorial on the mp2?
I still have my MP-1, which is an original 1987 model. I bought from a friend in 1991 and the two original 12AX7 tubes have never been replaced. I do need to replace the internal battery, which I hear is a very tricky process to complete. I've always loved the sound of it.
Back in the early 90's my local GC had a stack of dusty MP-1's for about $100 each. I should have bought more than one. Thanks for guitar video awesomeness, Leon!!
I know you've seen me around talking about Deftones. Stephen Carpenter used to use an ADA MP1 for his earlier tones. I honestly think that was the missing ingredient I couldn't ever replicate with the gear I've had. The closest I've come is with the AxeFx 3 and finally buying his signature guitar, a reproduction of his first guitar. I've come damn close with this setup. It's super frustrating when you just can't nail someone's tone! I spent countless hours tweaking, trying different things, but now I'm throwing in the towel, I've come close enough. Been thinking about making a RUclips video myself but we'll see. I love those old metal tones with high reverb. There's just something about it that makes it feel almost mystical. Anyways, thanks for the video Leon! Awesome as always.
Thanks for making this, I’ve been looking for some good tone samples from this unit. This was made before my time, but used on a lot of records I love. Particularly Smashing Pumpkins Gish record and Skid Row’s debut.
The ADA MP-1 sold for a whopping $799 when it first came out. Every handbanger wanted one but couldn't afford it.I bought mine used in '90 as a trade in, all beat up, knobs missing, tubes blackened, noisy as hell...then I swapped the tubes 2x12x7a's and played the shit out of it for at least 10 yrs. I still have mine in the closet wrapped in bubble wrap and duct tape. \m/
I played an MP-1 in Sam Ash a year or so ago. It was on sale for $250. Needed a little TLC but sounded good. I almost got it but decided not to since I'm already happy with my Carvin100B 50w Combo. And ultimately aside from the built in chorus setting it doesn't do anything the Carvin can't do. The Carvin already has that sound thats in between a Marshall&Mesa and the Fender-ish clean sound.
I've owned 3 MP-1s at one time or another. Right now I have a stock MP-1 and an MP-1 Classic, both have JJ tubes. My 2nd MP-1 I put the 3.666 mod in it. I like them stock now. Love the chorus, always have. Used to run it into a Microtube100 but was not too happy with the thin sound. A Boogie or Marshall really brings out the sound (6L6 or EL34 preference). You can run a tubescreamer in front of it along with a Parametric EQ and it sounds really modern in a hurry. A lot of folks ran the BBE Sonic Maximizer in the FX loop also. Its a great Preamp, definitely not a Triaxis, CAE, Soldano, or Bogner Fish preamp, but it will hang with a Marshall JMP1 any ole day of the week.
Love me some ADA tone. They're pretty reasonably priced on the second hand market too. If I were a gigging musician I reckon I could put together a pretty sweet rack with one of these, a Crown power amp and a couple of nice Lexicon rack effects, like the LXP series and it would be portable, cheapish and sound rad.
#3 preset is called Liquid Grind. It sounds excellent through a Sunn 100S and cab with the crossover and a 400 watt 15 inch EVM Black Shadow. Don't forget the SG.
I had one back in the day. Bought it and a peavey power amp used from my local music shop for 200 bucks.It had been sitting in a corner for years.Sold it a couple years later and bought a rectifier.Now I'm waiting on my new Revv Generator 120mk2 to get here.Just 4 more months to go!
I know it is rather "old" video, but I like to mention that all of your MP-1 videos remind me of a couple of guitar preamps with just killer tone (to me) of that era, like the Kitty Hawk Quattro and also the Rocktron mAXE. I think a lot of recordings of the late 80ies and early 90ies have been done with all those preamps (Peavey one which is close to 5150 circuit which came out later on e.g.). I owned some of them and sold them ... now it is time to go for a MP-1 ;-)
I just took delivery of an MP1 Classic yesterday... Have not had the chance to try it out yet as was worn out from work last night... But should this weekend... Picked up on Reverb, one owner for $240 US $ !!
Adrian Smith apparently used it on Brave New World. One of my favorite Maiden tones for sure. Although nothing will beat the Powerslave tone, in my opinion.
I personally didn’t care for the mid-scooped drop-tuned tone. I think something like that with more mids would be KILLER. Every other tone was spot-on - it helps that your playing is right in the niche for these sounds haha!
@@LeonTodd I have unusual ways of hooking up gear (as long as I get the sound that I want) - my preamps go into a solid state Kustom 100HGFX half stack. I compared between going straight into the power amp via the efx loop and to the front through the clean channel - and actually like the flexibility of the latter better (which includes the ability to get the efx return into power amp tone as well from dialing the tone controls). This amp character falls into the Plexi/JCM800 category www.thomann.de/gb/kustom_kg100hfx_head_bk.htm
Had to watch again kind sir. Killed! Hey, I hope I didn’t sound self rightious the other night on your live feed about drugs and drinking. It just works for me that way too. I apologize if I was out of place my friend! 👍❤️👍. Man, I can’t play fusion either! It hurts orconfuses my ear or something! 😂
A really great preamp and combined with the Marshall EL34 100/100, you have THE setup! But don´t kill the mids all the time because the mid snarl in the MP-1 is really cutting and we use it solely to do some modern metal, which it can also do. But great video Leon, the MP-1 is really underrated.
Nice! Very 80s indeed. Kirk Hammett used this on the Damaged Justice Tour (88-90) and on the Black Album Tour Tour (91-94?) as well, so it´s a fairly versatile piece of kit indeed. 👍🏿
Still have my MP1 and the MicroTube 200 watt with the digitech TSR 24 (upgraded) in my original (back in the 80's) gig rig. I still power it up from time to time, but that power amp is just loud, no tubular balls. It was/is great through my Laney Stack (Celestion 65w) in stereo, still have that also lol, I keep everything.
I use to use the ADA MP-1 and the Marshall JMP-1 in tandem, in stereo to get a HUGE sound, blending their tones and using a Rocktron Pro Q stereo EQ into a Peavey 50/50 stereo power amp. I regret selling all that stuff. 😩
How’d you have all of that setup? Were you running an A/B box to plug your guitar into both amps? Or did you have them both running into the EQ? I wanna learn how to do this.
Guitar into mono in of fx unit, left out to MP1 mono input, right out to JMP1 mono input, mono outs to stereo EQ left right ins, EQ left right outs to left right ins of stereo power amp. Left right outs of power amp to dual 4x12 cabs. Everything linked midi. (2 boss AB pedals to switch between a synth guitar and two other guitars.) 👍
Hi Leon. a long time follower from South France here... could you please give some insights how do you connect the stereo out of the ADA into your poweramp ? I mean, since the poweramp is in mono and you can have lovely stereo effects out from the ADA, I'm trying to figure out how these translates in mono once you feed a mono poweramp, or a send return for instance (as you do in this video)... or do you suggest to feed an stereo poweramp from the ADA ? Thanks so much for your content, keep up the good work man !
After the Pro Co Rat pedal, a friend loaned me the Rockman XP100, which had echo and chorus. After which the ADA gear, which included the Microtube 200. The MT200 RMA'd back to Cali for repair, and ADA sent me two blue ADA shirts, still hanging in the closet. 30 year old shirts. MT200 is down again, and it needs repair, but other stereo power amps work very well, the Mesa Stereo, the Marshall dual monobloc and the Peavey Classic. MP1 +Mesa =crushing early Metallica. MP1 +Marshall =Passion & Warfare. MP1 +Peavey =Ultimate lead tone. Direct to console with effects, every major pop rock tone. The preamp has no bottom, drop tune not a problem. They have the coolest mid scoop, which really seperates the MP1 from everyone else. It's not the bottom, it's not the top, it's not mid forward, it's mid scooped at custom frequencies that goes well with rack power. VHT, in-f'n-credible. ADADepot, ezpert resources for users and techs alike, the internet's most friendly forum. Before the dual rectifier, before the Bogner, there was Marshall. Just like you did, 128 preset front end. I would never sell mine. I would sell every other piece of gear, but will die with my MP1. Bought it when I was 17yo. Steve Vai, Nuno Bettencourt, Vito Brata, Skid Row, Michael Wagener and many more. This preamp screams. Thanks Leon!
Couldn't have said it better!
I still have my Mp1, love it ! Paired with a Alesis Quadraverb and BBE sonic maximizer really wakes this unit up.However my Microtube 100 watt a side power amp went down because of faulty pots, that's what needs to be replaced. I was told that you can't get these type of pots anymore and you can't upgrade them as it would reverse engineer the power amp. At least that is what I was told.
@@waynecomeau5977Nah, Im sure there's a workaround.
It can't be THAT difficult.
This thing sounds so good, and I'm honestly surprised how good that chorus sounds. The clean+chorus is just filled with pure nostalgia and just makes me feel like a kid again. Getting one asap but screw it, I need one of these.
Truly a classic!
The power of ANALOG!
The MP-1 Chorus uses a hyper sine wave sweep, unlike the stomp box chorus pedals, which use a lumpy squared up sweep. The difference is a round circular sound which doesn't take over your notes and chords.
I had a ADA MP-1 and a Rocktron intellifex and a Peavey 60/60 tube power amp back in the day man life was good!
MP-1 and intellifex were my first rack units!
@@LeonTodd I have an original blackface Intellifex. I bought it because of Frank Aresti of Fates Warning, I dug the clean 8-voice chorus tone he got on "Parallels".
@@scottdunn2178 That 8 voice chorus is insanely good!
@@LeonTodd Yeah, that "ping" and "chime" can't be matched by any other processor. Just listen to Fates Warning "Parallels". The Rocktron Intellifex was actually the first guitar-oriented processor that was 24-bit. Even the famous Lexicon PCM 41,42 and T.C. Electronics 2290 were "only" 16-bit.
@@scottdunn2178 Plus it has analog dry through, which pedal-heads have only recently started frothing over. Pretty great device!
Will always love my ADA MP-1. The tones of probably the most exciting time musically for me as a young guitar dude (I am not that anymore lol) - and this video helps to remind me of that! Thank you for this great video!
OMG! I remember playing in a cover band in Melbourne 3 nights a week in the 80s and my rig consisted of an ADA MP1, a Mesa Boogie 2:90 Similclass power amp into 2 Boogie 2x12 cabs. I remember my ADA EQ settings were something like: BASS -2 MIDS -8 TREBLE 0 AND PRESENCE ON 4. Absolute killer sound and the sound that I received the most compliments from in all my years of playing different amps. Great vid and memories!
I bet that is a great combination of gear, that amp has great low end for all that gain.
That clean + chorus tone is just classic Mr Big all over!
Vito Bratta used this unit heaps in the studio and he had great recorded tone back then, great vid mate I liked all the tones
Jasen Moyle Vito sweared by this thing
Loved Vito's tone
Man we could listen to you playing RATT riffs all day long. I love the 80’s videos...
I've had an ADA MP-1 for 7 years now, it was given to me in an incredibly broken state, would not power on, wouldn't do shit, I attempted to repair it once and then put it away for seven years after being unsuccessful, I pulled it out again three days ago, stared at the circuit boards for an hour, went down to a local parts store and bought a bunch of capacitors and diodes and transistors, 4 hours and a literal fuckload of point to point soldering later (the traces were absolutely trashed on this thing), it roared to life for the first time since I've own it, I threw some NOS 70's milspec Sylvania 12ax7s in it and man, this thing sound absolutely incredible by itself, let alone through my Marshall Valvestate 8100 with JCM 800 4 x12 with V30s, I am absolutely stunned by the solid state clean channel paired with the analog chorus, and the EQ is so incredibly useful and effective, crank up the tube channel 1 and 2 and slam the master gain up to 10 and this thing is insane, what an incredible rack, next on the list to to solder a battery holder in and really start building some banks on it (the presets alone sound incredible right out of the box).
Does your unit produce a lot of noise? I have 2 of these units and they are noisey.
I am thinking they need to be repaired.
Funny ADA MP-1 was my touring rig back in the day... It was MIDI'ed to an Alesis Quadraverb and it worked well in almost every situation. Power amps ranged from tube sections of Marshall heads... To Marshall tube power amps and a Stereo Peavey 60/60 and 50/50.
@@ts31966 They were always pretty noisy and really a lot of noise around old style par 64 dimmer packs. I used to use the gate section of a dbx compressor for a while... then a rack mount hush unit... which helped a whole lot.
Les Claypool used an MP1 in his rig for quite awhile - he’s the reason why I started using the MP1 and Ground Control unit back in the early 90’s!
ADA MP1 combined with Rocktron's Velocity rack amp gave it a fat, thick sound. Change the tubes to Groove tubes and bam you had a power start to a killer rack system. I loved mine and would love to find another
I had an MP1 when I was a kid. I often wish I still had it. Cool vid as usual.
I miss my MP-1 :-( What a great sound and the chorus is so versatile. Opens up countless tones.. Ugh I miss my MP-1
I had an MP1 in the 90s. This IS the guitar tone of 80s rock. Especially with the reverb and a light bit of chorus which is the magic of these preamps.
Special sauce for your tone
Nice! I just had a MP2 gifted to me today, so I can't wait to dig into it! Loved that chunky dropped-tune tone!
The composition at 5:40 is absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of something that would have been in an 80's movie and played by either Steve Lukather, Dan Huff, or Paul Gilbert. You are ultra talented!
Thanks so much mate! That little piece always reminds me of Mr Big so I'm chuffed you like it.
I used my ADA MP1 for a long time, retired them due to excessive noise. It took me awhile to find amp like overdrives and a setup that matched it. My Boss MS-3 with the programmable loops kind of gives the instant switching and the clean channel with built in compressor. The analog chorus was really cool! My Bogner Red Ecstacy is my high gain channel, Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret is like the clean tube channel, I also use a Wampler SLOstortion as well. I do miss the ADA.
"ADA MP-1" and "Killer Tones" in the same sentence. I never thought I would live to see that.
What a time to be alive
I thought these were hugely popular?
I had an MP 1, AND hair
Still have my MP1... not so much with the hair
Lol love it!
Hair music? Or head hair? Lol
Loving all these tones Leon! Killer tones and killer playing!
I had one totally modded with Groove tubes and it had that warm but power metal sound....kicking myself for ever selling it. Where were these videos 15 years ago! It was great for making Dream Theater-Images and Words tones.
I had an ADA for a while, I used with a BBE sonic maximizer and it really brought out the tone. I also used my Boss DS-1 into the clean tone for a really thick classic rock sound.
I have one myself and absolutely love it. Nuno Bettencourt got some great tones out of that thing too.
That pornograffiti tone is so good
And Skid Row! Michael Wagener loved the MP1!
@@AndGuitarskid row not so much because you hear Slave to the grind and go holy shit!.. that album didn’t use mp1 and was way heavier than the first album.
Great Review!! I love ADA ... back in the 90's the best combo on the market IMO was the 1x12 viper, just plug in a 4x12 for the gig. Early 2000's I found something I never knew existed, the ADA Quad tube 150m. Which is a MP1 2x12 stereo combo. 2, 75 watt amps for a stereo 150 watts into 2, 75 watt celestions. Add a MC-1 midi controller and you have 3 banks of 10 presets and 9 banks open. More than enough to dazzle any audience! Pro tip> have a groupie with a strong back the thing weighs a ton.. haha
Didn't know they made combo's!!!
@@LeonTodd They did.. my guess is to why they were short lived is the 1x12 viper had a price of $1199.00. And it sat at the music store for years until I talked the owner out of it for less than 1/2 .. probably was the stores best sales pitch to me when looking at guitars for all those years..haha If I'm remembering correctly I bought at least 6 more guitars in that time, probably because they all sounded so good through the ADA Viper! I'm pretty sure that is the amp ADA debut their "Vari-Cab" in, which I think you could also get in a rack mount. Before there were modeling amps there was the Viper.
Wide Lead really reminds me of the Aldrich/Sykes tone from Still Of The Night!
How dare you put Doug Aldrich's name before John Sykes' name especially when it's John Sykes who recorded Whitesnake '87
he undoubtedly means live how Aldrich got it later when he joined. If he he said Vandenberg or Campbell, then I'd worry
Sykes used a Mesa Mark 3
@@ralpherl5657 "What did you do?
I said, “You’ve been trying. I don’t know if I’m gonna do any good.” I went over and I just did what I did. I split John’s sound with a delay and a little modulation, which I had been doing and I split his sound. I think it was a Mark IV Mesa Boogie head and the EV Celestion cabs. What I did is he had his sound through one and then I split it with a DDL and made the other cab using that as a slave with a slight modulation. I just put up flat mics in the balance and miked it and he went, “Oh, my god. That’s it.”..."
-Bob Rock
I used to have one, it was probably the best amp I ever had, beat my Marshall JCM all to hell. The best tone I ever had. I used it for Thrash Metal. The clean with chorus had the best glassy sound ever.
These tones are great! Had one of these a long time ago. Very fun to mess around with! Killer riffs
Still playing my MP-1 I bought brand new. Just sounds better than anything else.....super versatile. Have it paired with the B200s power amp....no other pair can sound as good!
I have not, hard they're great!
I still have 2 MP-1s and a ADA Microtube 100 Amp. I sold many of these rigs with the Alesis Quadraverb midi for total channel effects switching fun! It was the Bradshaw capability on the cheap at the time. List price was $799 in 1990.
Final Resonance TV I had the MP1 plus that bullet proof midi foot controller...along with an Alesia midi verb all hooked up together in. A rack....with a Carvin stereo power amp.....also had the Lee Jackson GP 1500 perfect connection pre amp.....sorry I sold all that stuff now
I still use my Rockman Stereo Chorus/Delay for chorus that I bought in 1985. It's all I've ever used for chorus.
I bought one used 10 years ago and recently rediscovered it. I now run a rack rig alongside a Marshall Jubilee stack. I have the 2555x running the top cab and the ADA and Rocktron power amp running the bottom cab. They sound great by themselves but with a splitter from the Tube screamer into each one simultaneously the tone is unbelievable
I remember having one of these in the early 2000 lol. I used to power it with a carvin 50w tube power amp. I remember the previous owner moded it somehow and it had a lot less gain than what your unit has, I still loved mine, teached me to play with less gain. Eventually the carvin power amp blew up and decided to sell the whole thing after several failed attempts to fix the power amp.
Great video!! I remember my guitar teacher had one of this in the mid-90s.
Tell Cliff from Fractal Audio to model this timeless beauty!!!
yeah I've been requesting it on the forum for years!
Great work sir! These are more than 1 trick ponies!! The clean tube will crunch up very nicely like an old Fender!
Thanks for doing this video. You don't hear much about ADA any more, but their gear was hot stuff back in the day. I drooled over Les Claypool's ADA bass rig for years. It sounded so good!!!!!!
Didn't realise he used an ADA rig, super cool!
It was kinda fun to be into rack gear during the grunge era. I bought a MP-2 new along with the matching single space power amp and that was my live rig for the final year or so of my band days. I still have it.
Sounds fantastic. MP-1 is a legend.
Great video. In about 1989 or 90 I played a gig at a nice outdoor pool party of about 500 people and I used one my friend had along with my trusty Charvel model 2. The gain and lead sound is amazing on these if you adjust everything correctly and the midi thing was so cool coming from a time when I usually just plugged a cord into a big 50 watt tube amp and cranked the volume up until I got the sustain and crunch and harmonics I wanted.
These are very cool and ahead of their time.
That sounds like so much fun
@@LeonTodd It was so much fun. I had so much fun back in the day. 👍
Great vid. I bought an MP1 when they first came to the UK and stupidly sold it but picked up another one a few years back. It's sat behind me in my rack with my Alesis quadraverb and solid state power amp thru Marshall 4x12. The tones this thing kicks out never ceases to amaze me. I have a few amps but this is my go to but I pray it never breaks as parts are getting hard to find.
As I commented on one of your other MP-1 videos some time ago: you are guilty of making me buy on! :D I still love it! It is such a great a preamp especially for all kinds of 80's guitar tones.
These are great pieces of gear, you should also check out the ART Power Plant preamp from back in the day. It is awesome as well!
Yes sir!!! I have 2 SGX-2000s but love that Power Plant!!
Definitely some great sounds from those units
Sick playing as always
Vito Bratta got some damn good guitar tones out of one of these back in the day.
Vito swore by this thing
He could pull tone and attack out of that amp like no one else. He was probably one of the most unrecognized and under rated artist of that era. Truly a virtuoso.
Hell Yeah! I love mine. Bought after i saw your first video about the MP-1. Thank you!
It's so much fun!
Marc Diglio's tone from XYZ- Hungry... 'nuff said. Great vid mate
That dude had to be one of the most underrated players ever.
GIgged an MP1 + Quadraverb II for a decade... killer rig!
Yeah that was THE rig for a lot of people, great combo
Yet again an amazing video.
Fantastic tone and playing. Your left hand is very economical when playing the solo examples, it hardly moves! Your channel is very cool.
Loved my ADA, had a BBE sonic maximizer and an original tube screamer in front ... for effects i used an ART SGE. Had a Peavy 2x50 stereo amp going to my butcher cab i wired in stereo, on stage ran two mics..... miss that rig.... thanks for the time warp!!!
It was a fun preamp...when practicing by myself... with my band, I am glad I made the jump to a full 100 watt head.
Cool review! This was my first real proper amp/tone and first rack mount processor to kick off my hunt for the best gear/tone. I used the mp1 for several years with a Rocktron intelifex and ADA 200 power amp, then got the updated more refined mp2 which I think took everything great about the mp1 and made it even better and shortly after moved to the Roland Dimensional space reverb for FX which just took my sound to a whole new level. Still have this gear to this day running through my Marshall dual mono block 100 power amp! Maybe do a tutorial on the mp2?
Love my mp1. It also sounds great going through the power amp and cab sections of the Reaxis plugin when you don’t want to use a real power amp.
Hitting it with a Furman PQ3 in the front end is magical.
I still have my MP-1, which is an original 1987 model. I bought from a friend in 1991 and the two original 12AX7 tubes have never been replaced.
I do need to replace the internal battery, which I hear is a very tricky process to complete. I've always loved the sound of it.
My battery needs replacing too.
Very cool! Thanks for the tone memories.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Back in the early 90's my local GC had a stack of dusty MP-1's for about $100 each. I should have bought more than one. Thanks for guitar video awesomeness, Leon!!
I still need one to go along with my Mesa Studio Preamp and I'll have my favorite gain tones completely covered.
I know you've seen me around talking about Deftones. Stephen Carpenter used to use an ADA MP1 for his earlier tones. I honestly think that was the missing ingredient I couldn't ever replicate with the gear I've had. The closest I've come is with the AxeFx 3 and finally buying his signature guitar, a reproduction of his first guitar. I've come damn close with this setup. It's super frustrating when you just can't nail someone's tone! I spent countless hours tweaking, trying different things, but now I'm throwing in the towel, I've come close enough. Been thinking about making a RUclips video myself but we'll see. I love those old metal tones with high reverb. There's just something about it that makes it feel almost mystical. Anyways, thanks for the video Leon! Awesome as always.
Thanks for making this, I’ve been looking for some good tone samples from this unit.
This was made before my time, but used on a lot of records I love. Particularly Smashing Pumpkins Gish record and Skid Row’s debut.
Lovely tone and playing 👍
The ADA MP-1 sold for a whopping $799 when it first came out. Every handbanger wanted one but couldn't afford it.I bought mine used in '90 as a trade in, all beat up, knobs missing, tubes blackened, noisy as hell...then I swapped the tubes 2x12x7a's and played the shit out of it for at least 10 yrs. I still have mine in the closet wrapped in bubble wrap and duct tape. \m/
Love the tripleplay on the guitar at the end. Mine stopped working. Kinda cool that someone else in Perth has one though.
Kool! Sounds boss Leon!
Had an MP1 when I was young...i remember when i play the first time Anything for you, the Gilbert clean tone, compressed, warm, amazing.
I played an MP-1 in Sam Ash a year or so ago. It was on sale for $250. Needed a little TLC but sounded good. I almost got it but decided not to since I'm already happy with my Carvin100B 50w Combo. And ultimately aside from the built in chorus setting it doesn't do anything the Carvin can't do. The Carvin already has that sound thats in between a Marshall&Mesa and the Fender-ish clean sound.
Great tones man!
Bought mine brand new when I was a teenager in the 90s. Haven't played it in decades, and yet I don't think I'll ever sell it!
I've owned 3 MP-1s at one time or another. Right now I have a stock MP-1 and an MP-1 Classic, both have JJ tubes. My 2nd MP-1 I put the 3.666 mod in it. I like them stock now. Love the chorus, always have. Used to run it into a Microtube100 but was not too happy with the thin sound. A Boogie or Marshall really brings out the sound (6L6 or EL34 preference). You can run a tubescreamer in front of it along with a Parametric EQ and it sounds really modern in a hurry. A lot of folks ran the BBE Sonic Maximizer in the FX loop also. Its a great Preamp, definitely not a Triaxis, CAE, Soldano, or Bogner Fish preamp, but it will hang with a Marshall JMP1 any ole day of the week.
Love me some ADA tone. They're pretty reasonably priced on the second hand market too. If I were a gigging musician I reckon I could put together a pretty sweet rack with one of these, a Crown power amp and a couple of nice Lexicon rack effects, like the LXP series and it would be portable, cheapish and sound rad.
Yum!
Sounds fantastic!
#3 preset is called Liquid Grind. It sounds excellent through a Sunn 100S and cab with the crossover and a 400 watt 15 inch EVM Black Shadow. Don't forget the SG.
What is the name of the first song you play in this video? 1:37? 80's Crunch 1
I had one back in the day. Bought it and a peavey power amp used from my local music shop for 200 bucks.It had been sitting in a corner for years.Sold it a couple years later and bought a rectifier.Now I'm waiting on my new Revv Generator 120mk2 to get here.Just 4 more months to go!
Who else is here because Leon is the coolest cat on RUclips?
Best accent for sure
I know it is rather "old" video, but I like to mention that all of your MP-1 videos remind me of a couple of guitar preamps with just killer tone (to me) of that era, like the Kitty Hawk Quattro and also the Rocktron mAXE. I think a lot of recordings of the late 80ies and early 90ies have been done with all those preamps (Peavey one which is close to 5150 circuit which came out later on e.g.). I owned some of them and sold them ... now it is time to go for a MP-1 ;-)
I had one in the late 80s. My fav pre amp of all time.
I just took delivery of an MP1 Classic yesterday... Have not had the chance to try it out yet as was worn out from work last night... But should this weekend... Picked up on Reverb, one owner for $240 US $ !!
Adrian Smith apparently used it on Brave New World. One of my favorite Maiden tones for sure. Although nothing will beat the Powerslave tone, in my opinion.
If I remember right, Vito Bratta used one of these. He had a great guitar tone.
Wow! Crunch 2 and Wide Lead were the best tones, not only for '80s stuff but for whenever you need a good heavy tone!
Still relevant and toneful
I personally didn’t care for the mid-scooped drop-tuned tone. I think something like that with more mids would be KILLER. Every other tone was spot-on - it helps that your playing is right in the niche for these sounds haha!
I used to own the ada-mp 1, killer preamp. Your tone is freaking amazing.
Hey Leon,
Great playing and very informative. You rock, thank you! Can I snag those "chunk" settings from you by chance?
Thank you! Time to putz around with my beloved MP-1 again!
What do you run yours with?
@@LeonTodd I have unusual ways of hooking up gear (as long as I get the sound that I want) - my preamps go into a solid state Kustom 100HGFX half stack. I compared between going straight into the power amp via the efx loop and to the front through the clean channel - and actually like the flexibility of the latter better (which includes the ability to get the efx return into power amp tone as well from dialing the tone controls). This amp character falls into the Plexi/JCM800 category www.thomann.de/gb/kustom_kg100hfx_head_bk.htm
Great guitarist!!!Super sound!!!
Many thanks!!
Had to watch again kind sir. Killed! Hey, I hope I didn’t sound self rightious the other night on your live feed about drugs and drinking. It just works for me that way too. I apologize if I was out of place my friend! 👍❤️👍. Man, I can’t play fusion either! It hurts orconfuses my ear or something! 😂
A really great preamp and combined with the Marshall EL34 100/100, you have THE setup! But don´t kill the mids all the time because the mid snarl in the MP-1 is really cutting and we use it solely to do some modern metal, which it can also do. But great video Leon, the MP-1 is really underrated.
That's the Around the Fur sound!
Nice! Very 80s indeed. Kirk Hammett used this on the Damaged Justice Tour (88-90) and on the Black Album Tour Tour (91-94?) as well, so it´s a fairly versatile piece of kit indeed.
👍🏿
Billy Corgan apparently used it for the Gish album as well.
Duuuude ! You HAVE to get a 3tube mod mp1 and make a video , it's a different beast altogether !
Pulled mine out of the closet hooked up to a valvestate 8008 with a tc 350 reverb/delay...this still holds up in 2024!!!
Ps...using an evh 412 stealth cab
Nice rig!
For a change the RUclips algorithm recommended something cool! Liked and subscribed.
A GREAT DEMO AND GOTTA LOVE THIS CLASSIC 80S ADA MP1!!!!! WISH I HAD KEPT MINE!!!
Still a classic.
@@LeonTodd Long live the 80s for sure!!!!!
Whats insane I am listening too Zeppelin Achillies Last Stand!!! 70s was amazing UFO Zeppelin Scorpions!!!!
Awesome Lay it Down! Enjoy your videos.
Still have my MP1 and the MicroTube 200 watt with the digitech TSR 24 (upgraded) in my original (back in the 80's) gig rig. I still power it up from time to time, but that power amp is just loud, no tubular balls. It was/is great through my Laney Stack (Celestion 65w) in stereo, still have that also lol, I keep everything.
Killer review 💥🤘🏼
I use to use the ADA MP-1 and the Marshall JMP-1 in tandem, in stereo to get a HUGE sound, blending their tones and using a Rocktron Pro Q stereo EQ into a Peavey 50/50 stereo power amp. I regret selling all that stuff. 😩
That sounds a lot like what Stephen Carpenter's rig used to be
@@ilikechipsnsalsa9354 explain? Trying to do Stephen’s Rig forever.
How’d you have all of that setup? Were you running an A/B box to plug your guitar into both amps? Or did you have them both running into the EQ? I wanna learn how to do this.
Guitar into mono in of fx unit, left out to MP1 mono input, right out to JMP1 mono input, mono outs to stereo EQ left right ins, EQ left right outs to left right ins of stereo power amp. Left right outs of power amp to dual 4x12 cabs. Everything linked midi. (2 boss AB pedals to switch between a synth guitar and two other guitars.) 👍
@@seandegayner2762 i’m using a rocktron intellifex, I don’t believe it has a mono in for a guitar… :(
Hi Leon. a long time follower from South France here... could you please give some insights how do you connect the stereo out of the ADA into your poweramp ? I mean, since the poweramp is in mono and you can have lovely stereo effects out from the ADA, I'm trying to figure out how these translates in mono once you feed a mono poweramp, or a send return for instance (as you do in this video)... or do you suggest to feed an stereo poweramp from the ADA ? Thanks so much for your content, keep up the good work man !
damn! love this video. any more ADA videos coming soon? also, have you done or considered doing a guitar/studio walk through. love your collection.
What would you like to see/hear with the MP-1? It's in my studio rack so it's easy to fire up now.
@@LeonTodd like a fates warning type sound. pretty sure they used the ADA around the No Exit & Perfect Symmetry era