Need help optimizing E530 Velocity 300 rig

[Konstantine]

Sorry for the long post but I'm trying to be thorough and give as much detail as possible for the best advice.

I'm trying to get a good death metal/ melodic death metal tone. I play things ranging from Death, to COB, old in flames to downtuned stuff like carcass. Tunings like drop C, two steps down, b standard. I've had this new setup for about a month now and I just can't seem to get the right sound I was hoping for out of it. The rig I had before was a marshall tsl100 running through a 1960a 4x12 cab with a boost in front with guitars all loaded with the emg81 and 85 pups. I had the tone I wanted but it was just way too loud (had to be cranked to at least noon to sound right) and the reliability was just awful with the tsl100, it sounded slightly different every day I fired it up.

When I first got the engl e530 I played it through the built in poweramp into a 2x12 vintage 30 cab and the tone was great, nice articulation, every single note rang out nicely when playing chords with gain. Really all it was missing was bass. So I bought the velocity 300 hearing about how it boosts bass very nicely. It worked, the bass problem was completely solved but now my sound is missing something else in exchange, the mid range just does not sounds right at all, it sounds completely different compared to the built in amp in the e530. It just sounds weak and lacks balls, and doesnt have the roaring mids with the great definition like it did with the built in poweramp, and this is without even touching the eq to how it was before which is frustrating.

My current eq settings as of now are:

v300: reactance 2 o clock
definition slightly pass noon
e530: lead gain 11 o clock, bass 3, low mid 11, high mid 1, treble turned down to 9 o clock and lead volume maxed out.

 

[iron blast]

have you tried it with a tube poweramp?

 

[Joe Harvatt]

It's going to sound different with different power amps. I use mine with a Marshall EL34 100/100. Sounds killer.

 

[Konstantine]

No, I have not tried it through a tube power amp, I was hoping the V300 would do the job because of all the great reviews and be bedroom volume friendly. I guess my years of playing through the marshall have trained my ears to what they like to hear, which is tube power amp tone. Does the e530 still sound good at low volume levels with a tube power amp? I would most likely get something second hand like a peavey classic 50/50 since my budget is 500 dollars tops. The velocity doesn't sound all that great no matter what the volume is set at honestly, which sucks because I figured since its solid state it would have a good tone at relatively low volumes while boosting the bass which is what sold me on it in the first place.

 

[NinjaRaf]

Did you check your connections and make sure its hooked up right? The obvious option for low volume stuff would be to use the built in power amp, I think.

 

[Konstantine]

I think I have it hooked up right, the e530 instrument output going into the channel 1 mono input on the velocity with the the velocity bridged at 8ohms running into an 8ohm 2x12 mono cab. Yeah the built in one is good but it does not have enough juice for the low tunings, completely lacking any bass at all even with the bass knob dimed so the low b string and A tunings cannot even be heard when playing string skipping riffs etc.

 

[Konstantine]

OK I think I have it figured out. Because the e530 is so dry and tight it can sound weak in a way, not as balls out crushing like a mesa maybe. So I decided to crank the reactance knob on the v300 all the way to almost 3 o clock and I was pleasantly surprised to find the mids roar much more, it seems the reactance knob not only boosts the bass but also gives the mids a lot more punch that was missing. When I switch over to the seven stringers I just dial back the reactance slightly and that seems to do the trick. Still lacking that warmth but I feel that's due to my setup of using emg equipped guitars combined with an e530 being powered by solid state v300. When I use my fender stratocaster there is much more warmth, so it must just be the EMG's behavior with this e530 unit.

I'm open to any other advice or suggestions, another thing worth noting is that these vintage 30 speakers in the cab are fairly new and this is my first time ever playing through vin30 speakers coming from playing the 75watters for years before.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

Have you looked at a small tube power amp like the Mesa 20/20?

Also, going from 75's to the V30's you'll definitely notice a drop in the amount of low end/bass

 

[Konstantine]

I've considered small tube power amps but I feel that I would be back at square one dealing with the problem the e530 has with lacking bass. Is there anyone with personal experience running the smaller tube power amps like the mesa 20/20 with the e530? I suppose I could add a rackmount eq to eq in the bass as needed but I would rather not have to spend money for a tube power amp AND an eq. I had no idea that the vin30 speakers lacked bass compared to the 75's, interesting.

 

[godgrinder]

Try engage the contour knob on the E530, it does a slight boost at 300-500Hz and 1-2kHz which should solve some of your problem.

 

[rebornself27]

Having owned the engl e530 i did not like it with the rocktron power amps had the 100 came in broken then got the velocity 300 and just like you it lacked warmth traded the engl away overall it lacked in low end.I would sell it and just buy a tube amp with a half power switch

 

[godgrinder]

traded the engl away overall it lacked in low end.

Really? I got plenty of low end on tap with mine, although might have something to do with the power amp I use...

 

[TheDepthsWillRise]

If you happen to have another G12T75 laying around, you might be able to pair it with one of the Vintage 30s, depending on the load of the speakers. It's a killer combo, I used it in an Orange 412 with an e530 running into the 50w 6v6 power section of a Rockerverb and it slayed. A good tube power section really makes that 530 come alive, a decent boost helps a bit too.

 

[casketshrine]

My E530 sounds superb with Mesa 50/50. I think 6L6's seem to make up for the lack of bottom end in E530 but again, that's not an issue if you use a good EQ. I usually run a Boss GE7 and boost the bottom end. Plus the Low Pwr switch on 50/50 drops it down to 15 watts and it sounds delicious!

 

[Joe Harvatt]

Also, if you want bedroom levels, you can use the e530's built in power amp, just make sure to use a balanced jack (TRS). I think it's 1.5W.

 

[rebornself27]

Really? I got plenty of low end on tap with mine, although might have something to do with the power amp I use...

Yes sir it was the power amp issue i like the engl e530 just finding the right power amp just didnt want to deal with it went the simple route.The guy i sold it to still has it and uses a peavey classic 50 50 and it sounds pretty sweet

 

[greglecompte]

I run a velocity 300 with a kemper and noticed the same thing. I found the best thing for me to do is turn the output of the kemper almost off and max the volume on the velocity, then adjust the kemper volume to where I want it. it sounds much better this way as you don't have to add as much bass with the reactance knob.

 

[Konstantine]

Ok so I tinkered around with the e530 and v300 while I had a chance today. I'm finding that it definitely seems having the contour button engaged is causing the e530 to sound muddy with the seven string git, even though its got an 81-7 which is what surprises me. I tried dialing back the low-mid knob but it does not help at all with getting that roaring mid sound, maxing out the high-mid almost got it sort of close to where I wanted it.

If I disengage the contour button I get rid of the mud completely and there is much more clarity but then I lose a noticeable amount of volume as well as a huge chunk of my mids regardless of how I dial up the low-mid and high-mid knobs.

Can anyone else with experience of having the e530 and V300 chime in? I researched this combo thoroughly and nobody ever complained about this problem which leads me to believe I am doing something wrong.

 

[Konstantine]

Made a break through, its not the rig, its the damn guitar. I got my new beater jackson js22-7 DKA (basswood body passive ceramic pups 26.5" scale) in the mail today, tuned it hooked it up and did a side by side comparison with my LTD ZH7 (maple thru neck, 25.5" scale, mahogany wings, ebony fretboard, active emg pups 81-7 bridge 707 neck) and I am about to lose my wit. The LTD sounds muddy with the same eq settings and same tuning the jackson is using but the jackson does not sound muddy, it sounds tight and actually roars?! I'm in disbelief. This cannot be right that a 200 dollar guitar with factory strings is getting me the sound I want and cant get out of my 1000 dollar LTD. I have circle K strings on the LTD after hearing good things about them on here and went with relatively thick gauges to avoid string flop, perhaps this is the culprit? I'm using their 9-45 set and a 61 for the low b tuned to B standard

 

[iron blast]

I don't think its the strings on either guitar. The scale length cant hurt on the new Jackson tho. Try 18 volt modding the Emg's in the ltd and replace your batteries. Also try to upgrade the tube in the engl if you haven't. Swap one of them v30's for a 75. emg aren't known for being really bass heavy pups tho either. Most passives have better bass response in my experience. if all of this fails try it thru the power section of a tube amp to see if the tube power sounds better.