chopeth85
Well-Known Member
Its going to be a veeery long post but i hope it could help. I´m going to compare VH4 2023, Herbert MK3 , Herbert MK1, D Moll , Einstein , Bogner Uber Ultra KT88 ( which i returned ) and RedSeven Leviathan ( KT88, which i returned too ).
Extra gear i use for the test:
- fryette powerstation 2
- custom cabinet 2x12 with V30 + Electrovoice EV12L classic.
- Mxr eq 10 bands
- overdrives ( not at the same time obviously haha ) maxon st9+ pro / wizard leopard
Spoiler: for me, the new Herbert MK3 it´s the new king of modern metal. Ultra thick, saturated, twested and aggresive sound.
One thing i dont like of Diezel amps; the effects loop: at least, in the last 4 i have tried, when you use or active the loop , the amp becames more bright and "slim down" the sound a bit. Maybe it could be playing with the Fryette but effects loop are the pickiest ones i ever tried.
1st Channel - clean/crunch:
Einstein: for my taste thick and dark. Rounded and organic but more suitable for some pop Styles or jazz. For me not specially inspiring. Barely used when i had the Einstein.
D moll: Great clean. Very Lush and chimey, rich and musical sound. Outstanding for arpeggios or strato. Delicate but not thin. Very inspiring. With gain maxed, a very convincing crunch that works great with a overdrive but better if its a bit dark and thick like the wizard.
Herbert MK1: great clean, Deep, Lush, not as chimey like D Moll but beautiful clean. It never breaks. The mid cut works great to get a more bright and glass like sound but never harsh.
VH4 2023: I think its an underrated Channel. Its very versatile; from the cleanest clean to a soft crunch that works great with a dark overdrive. It could be a bit ice pike but with the correct eq its musical, alive , chimey , less dense than D Moll or MK1 but still a very convincing sound for clean strat or arpeggios. Be careful with the bright toggle!
Herbert MK3: the BEST clean. Deep, Lush, chimey, beautiful and very inspiring sound. For me the BEST clean Channel i have ever had in a multi Channel amp. Works great with any guitar or mudulation / delay / reverb pedal. It never breaks, no Matter how hard you hit the strings.
Redseven: it hasnt clean channel, but with rolling the gain and the guitar volume you can get a nothing special clean sound.
Bogner Uber Ultra: very beautiful clean mode. Chimey, lively, organic and delicate sound.
For me: MK3>D MOLL = Uber >MK1>VH4>EINSTEIN
Channel 2-
Herbert MKI: mid gain very polish and refined, round highs, not very meaty and very for me very stiff and sound for classic rock. Great tone but not for me.
Herbert MK3: for me the weakest point of the amp. Too modern, tight and aggresive as a mid gain Channel. Its more a less gainy modern amp than a crunch / hard rock mid gain Channel. Not bad, but nothing special or convincent for that classic stuff.
VH4 channel 2: WOW. Its unbelieveable. From classic rock, hard rock but in a meaty and thick/tight way. Its like a modern version of a JCM800. with a boost its almost capable of anything.
Uber Ultra crunch : in the first channel, its a classic crunch, not very gainy , classic sound , but nothing special.
RedSeven Leviathan: Very good crunch channel with a wide posibilities. Very open , lively and versatile channel. From a light crunch to a classic high gain sound. Not very thick but more than enough for the target i suppose it has.
Einstein 1 mod 2: outstanding. Very musical , open and beautiful sound. it´s very classic in a good way, not specially thick but more than enough for its proposes. i think its very inspiring. Works great with a classic overdrive.
For me: VH4 = Einstein =RedSeven> Uber>MK1>MK3
Channel 2+ ( Herberts) /Channel 2 ( D Moll ) VH4 ( Channel 3 ) / Channel 1 mod 3 ( Einstein)
Einstein 1 mod 3: open sound, juicy, thumpy channel very inspiring. Thick, classic and very clear but not overly tight sound. Very good for thick heavy metal.
D moll: very versatile Channel. In the low settings it reminds me a bit a less organic einstein., and with high gain settings its thick, aggresive and less open and organic than the Einstein channel 1 mod 3. its a good channel, reminds me a bit to the MK1 ( less thick and saturated and more "cold"). Not my favourite Diezel sound.
VH4: An Incredible Classic. thick but tight a bit dry, open in its way , a bit dark but very juicy and chunky. Incredible silky present mids and incredible for modern saturated sounds. its very versatile. It´s not sharp in any case. Could it be unforgiving in some cases and combines very well with any type of OD ( I use it with a high mid OD and Low /Low mids OD and its incredible ).
Herbert MKI: The thickest rhymth sound i ever heard. Its very very saturated , very polish sound , a bit bright but a bit muffled ( something strange, i know ). Its perfect for tight wall of sound. The mid cut brings some extra aggresiveness but its necesary to take care with this. I use it around 6/7 pm position. it doesnt work with low mid OD.
Herbert MK3: an incredible revision. The channel has been updated to create a way more modern channel. It continues being ultra thick tight rythm channel. It has more mids, more control lows, a dryer sound , a bit less thickness but more aggresive , twested sound. it continues being very saturated. It works great with both kind of OD. The midcut works better than the MK1, more sensitive.
Uber channel 2 Uber mode: very refined sound, thick but less than the VH4 or the Herberts. Its sounds organic but for me , lacks of the thickness i expect from it. it has a lot of options but it doesnt work for me. Its saturated but less than the Herbert and in pair of the VH4 but thin. I found more "brutal" the VH4.
for me : Herbert MK3= VH4>Uber=Einstein> D moll.
Channel 3: ( Einstein channel 2 ) / Dmoll channel 3 / VH4 channel 4 / Herberts channel 3 / Leviathan channel 2 / Uber ultra mode
Einstein: very dark, thick, saturated and a bit "flubby" sound. Not so open at all like the channel 1. works badly with the dark OD and better with high mids drive. Not my thing.
Dmoll channel 3: a bit dark, twested and it seems the channel has a noise gate install in it. It´s thick, aggresive, a bit dark, not muddy but it seems like it has some "blanket" in front of the speakers. Sounds great but it seems for my taste the sound its very process and cold. At first i liked the amp but i finally find it a bit unspiring. work horrible with thick OD , and ok with high mids drives.
VH4: for me it´s very great. Darkest than channel 3, more saturated but still tight. For me works really great as a rhythm channel when you are looking for a wall of sound. its less open , but it still retains the great mids and some of the openess. It´s juicy and chunky. Works great with both kind of overdives.
Herbert MK1: ultra big, thick, a bit scoop, dark and an enormus wall of sound. very rounded in the highs, polish in the mids, a bit dry in the lows. its fucking crazy how dense , oversaturated could it be. it works ok as rythm channel but its picky with the overdrives.
Herbert MK3: OMG, how evil and twested it sounds. It´s brighter than MK1 and VH4. It´s less thick, tighter , more aggressive and fast, chunky, and works great as a Rythm channel. At this day, my favorite channel i have tried as a saturated, ultra big tight sound.
Leviathan: a very modern juicy sound channel. it´s tight, a bit more than the MK3 and more or less than the VH4 but for me not enough thick or saturated. it sounds great but not my thing.
Uber Ultra: unplayable. Extremely noisy. Very tight, aggresive but polish. Open and not overly saturated. It´s "smaller" than the Herbert and , for me, for metal, not as good.
for me: Herbert MK3>VH4> Herbert MK1>Leviathan>Uber Ultra>D Moll> Einstein.
Extra gear i use for the test:
- fryette powerstation 2
- custom cabinet 2x12 with V30 + Electrovoice EV12L classic.
- Mxr eq 10 bands
- overdrives ( not at the same time obviously haha ) maxon st9+ pro / wizard leopard
Spoiler: for me, the new Herbert MK3 it´s the new king of modern metal. Ultra thick, saturated, twested and aggresive sound.
One thing i dont like of Diezel amps; the effects loop: at least, in the last 4 i have tried, when you use or active the loop , the amp becames more bright and "slim down" the sound a bit. Maybe it could be playing with the Fryette but effects loop are the pickiest ones i ever tried.
1st Channel - clean/crunch:
Einstein: for my taste thick and dark. Rounded and organic but more suitable for some pop Styles or jazz. For me not specially inspiring. Barely used when i had the Einstein.
D moll: Great clean. Very Lush and chimey, rich and musical sound. Outstanding for arpeggios or strato. Delicate but not thin. Very inspiring. With gain maxed, a very convincing crunch that works great with a overdrive but better if its a bit dark and thick like the wizard.
Herbert MK1: great clean, Deep, Lush, not as chimey like D Moll but beautiful clean. It never breaks. The mid cut works great to get a more bright and glass like sound but never harsh.
VH4 2023: I think its an underrated Channel. Its very versatile; from the cleanest clean to a soft crunch that works great with a dark overdrive. It could be a bit ice pike but with the correct eq its musical, alive , chimey , less dense than D Moll or MK1 but still a very convincing sound for clean strat or arpeggios. Be careful with the bright toggle!
Herbert MK3: the BEST clean. Deep, Lush, chimey, beautiful and very inspiring sound. For me the BEST clean Channel i have ever had in a multi Channel amp. Works great with any guitar or mudulation / delay / reverb pedal. It never breaks, no Matter how hard you hit the strings.
Redseven: it hasnt clean channel, but with rolling the gain and the guitar volume you can get a nothing special clean sound.
Bogner Uber Ultra: very beautiful clean mode. Chimey, lively, organic and delicate sound.
For me: MK3>D MOLL = Uber >MK1>VH4>EINSTEIN
Channel 2-
Herbert MKI: mid gain very polish and refined, round highs, not very meaty and very for me very stiff and sound for classic rock. Great tone but not for me.
Herbert MK3: for me the weakest point of the amp. Too modern, tight and aggresive as a mid gain Channel. Its more a less gainy modern amp than a crunch / hard rock mid gain Channel. Not bad, but nothing special or convincent for that classic stuff.
VH4 channel 2: WOW. Its unbelieveable. From classic rock, hard rock but in a meaty and thick/tight way. Its like a modern version of a JCM800. with a boost its almost capable of anything.
Uber Ultra crunch : in the first channel, its a classic crunch, not very gainy , classic sound , but nothing special.
RedSeven Leviathan: Very good crunch channel with a wide posibilities. Very open , lively and versatile channel. From a light crunch to a classic high gain sound. Not very thick but more than enough for the target i suppose it has.
Einstein 1 mod 2: outstanding. Very musical , open and beautiful sound. it´s very classic in a good way, not specially thick but more than enough for its proposes. i think its very inspiring. Works great with a classic overdrive.
For me: VH4 = Einstein =RedSeven> Uber>MK1>MK3
Channel 2+ ( Herberts) /Channel 2 ( D Moll ) VH4 ( Channel 3 ) / Channel 1 mod 3 ( Einstein)
Einstein 1 mod 3: open sound, juicy, thumpy channel very inspiring. Thick, classic and very clear but not overly tight sound. Very good for thick heavy metal.
D moll: very versatile Channel. In the low settings it reminds me a bit a less organic einstein., and with high gain settings its thick, aggresive and less open and organic than the Einstein channel 1 mod 3. its a good channel, reminds me a bit to the MK1 ( less thick and saturated and more "cold"). Not my favourite Diezel sound.
VH4: An Incredible Classic. thick but tight a bit dry, open in its way , a bit dark but very juicy and chunky. Incredible silky present mids and incredible for modern saturated sounds. its very versatile. It´s not sharp in any case. Could it be unforgiving in some cases and combines very well with any type of OD ( I use it with a high mid OD and Low /Low mids OD and its incredible ).
Herbert MKI: The thickest rhymth sound i ever heard. Its very very saturated , very polish sound , a bit bright but a bit muffled ( something strange, i know ). Its perfect for tight wall of sound. The mid cut brings some extra aggresiveness but its necesary to take care with this. I use it around 6/7 pm position. it doesnt work with low mid OD.
Herbert MK3: an incredible revision. The channel has been updated to create a way more modern channel. It continues being ultra thick tight rythm channel. It has more mids, more control lows, a dryer sound , a bit less thickness but more aggresive , twested sound. it continues being very saturated. It works great with both kind of OD. The midcut works better than the MK1, more sensitive.
Uber channel 2 Uber mode: very refined sound, thick but less than the VH4 or the Herberts. Its sounds organic but for me , lacks of the thickness i expect from it. it has a lot of options but it doesnt work for me. Its saturated but less than the Herbert and in pair of the VH4 but thin. I found more "brutal" the VH4.
for me : Herbert MK3= VH4>Uber=Einstein> D moll.
Channel 3: ( Einstein channel 2 ) / Dmoll channel 3 / VH4 channel 4 / Herberts channel 3 / Leviathan channel 2 / Uber ultra mode
Einstein: very dark, thick, saturated and a bit "flubby" sound. Not so open at all like the channel 1. works badly with the dark OD and better with high mids drive. Not my thing.
Dmoll channel 3: a bit dark, twested and it seems the channel has a noise gate install in it. It´s thick, aggresive, a bit dark, not muddy but it seems like it has some "blanket" in front of the speakers. Sounds great but it seems for my taste the sound its very process and cold. At first i liked the amp but i finally find it a bit unspiring. work horrible with thick OD , and ok with high mids drives.
VH4: for me it´s very great. Darkest than channel 3, more saturated but still tight. For me works really great as a rhythm channel when you are looking for a wall of sound. its less open , but it still retains the great mids and some of the openess. It´s juicy and chunky. Works great with both kind of overdives.
Herbert MK1: ultra big, thick, a bit scoop, dark and an enormus wall of sound. very rounded in the highs, polish in the mids, a bit dry in the lows. its fucking crazy how dense , oversaturated could it be. it works ok as rythm channel but its picky with the overdrives.
Herbert MK3: OMG, how evil and twested it sounds. It´s brighter than MK1 and VH4. It´s less thick, tighter , more aggressive and fast, chunky, and works great as a Rythm channel. At this day, my favorite channel i have tried as a saturated, ultra big tight sound.
Leviathan: a very modern juicy sound channel. it´s tight, a bit more than the MK3 and more or less than the VH4 but for me not enough thick or saturated. it sounds great but not my thing.
Uber Ultra: unplayable. Extremely noisy. Very tight, aggresive but polish. Open and not overly saturated. It´s "smaller" than the Herbert and , for me, for metal, not as good.
for me: Herbert MK3>VH4> Herbert MK1>Leviathan>Uber Ultra>D Moll> Einstein.
