The Omega Series
Description:
A reimagining of the classic amp design for the modern world: The Omega Series of amplifiers captures the feel and tonal quality of the big tube monsters, with the added reliability and light-weightedness of solid state components. Featuring an all analog JFET Preamp mated with a killer sounding (also all analog) Power Amp simulation, these little monsters will really have you doubting their size.
While the initial scope of this project was to captured those “hot-rodded” tones of the 1980s shredders, the multitude of tweakable parameters included within this platform leaves us with something just a bit more flexible without any significant compromises. From shimmery crystal cleans, to crunchy driving rhythms, to soaring liquid leads, all with the flip of a switch or two, you’ll find yourself satisfied for nearly any tonal need. Additionally, against popular beliefs regarding SS amplifiers, this circuit cleans up beautifully with just a twist of the guitar’s volume knob.
Specifications:
- Full TMB Tonestack with Presence Control
- Individual Gain and Master Volume Controls
- “Gain Shaping” 3-way selector switch to help sculpt distortion characteristics
- “Clipping” 3-way selector switch for 3 different levels of late stage compression/clipping characteristics
- Series Effects Loop
- Power Amp “Gain” Knob to adjust the level of clipping generated within the “Power Amp Simulator”
- Fully adjustable Preamp JFET Biasing (For the more technologically inclined!)
Available in either 1 Watt or 50 Watt variants.
Additional Rantings:
The cultural mindset as to what a guitar amp “should” be has remained largely unchanged for the past millennia: bulky boxes full of tubes and heavy iron. Whilst this is definitely a tried and true technology that has past near every test that time has thrown at it, there comes a point in time when it may be smart to begin to look at more efficient ways to produce the sounds that we lust after without dissipating hundreds of watts worth of heat through glass bottles.
Digital modeling has come a long, long way from its humble beginnings, and great sounds can be had right within the DAW window on your computer! But for some, this isn’t quite the same; the feeling is off, the tone still isn’t just quite there, audible artifacting, etc. While I may find myself falling into that camp at times, I will admit the convenience is a huge bonus. But sometimes, I want to have that convenience AND that tone as well.
While “Solid State” has typically been labeled as ‘lesser’ in terms of tonal quality, this is mostly due to association with the plethora of cheap transistor amplifiers that have been flooding the market since the inception of these silicon wonders. While easy availability of a newer, cheaper, and more efficient products to the masses are typically a good thing that fosters further growth and development, a combination of poorly designed products and cash grab stinkers has lead to a tarnished reputation of a technology that definitely does not deserve the hate.
Furthermore, with the heavy prevalence and emergence of digital technologies over the past 4 decades, many guitarists have further associated “Solid State” with “Digital”, which unfairly labels all solid state devices with the potential shortcomings of digital by virtue of association itself. The truth is, many solid state designs are NOT digital, but fully analog by nature; much like the Omega Series of amplifiers.