Tsakalis AudioWorks unleashes Mothership Quad Channel Tube Preamp with Cabinet Simulation and MIDI Control
There’s been quite the trend for Tube Preamp pedals of late - what with Friedman’s IR-D and IR-X, ThorpyFX Electric Lighting, Tubsesteader Lightkeeper and Magnesium, obviously some fairly large format solid-state types too like Thermion’s Freeway. And longer-term players too like Kingsley and Victory Amps. There’s never been more choice! And so much of what is now available is fantastic.
This new Tsakalis Mothership is another really smart take on floor-based tube amp / preamp with 2 channels - where you can A/B the Volume and Gain on each - making for a 4 Channel Amp essentially.
And this twin ECC83 / 12AX7 tube preamp has some really elegant added smarts. Moreover everything is on the surface - there aren’t really any hidden or secondary settings - it’s pretty much a WYSIWYG situation. And what you get here is 128 MIDI Presets and 3 x Cab Sims per Channel 1-2 with output latency below 1.2ms. Channel 1 + Channel 2, have A/B Modes on each and 3 Gain Mode per side - Low, Medium, High.
We don’t get any specificity or proper references for the 3 Cab Sims - as to what exactly they cover - but I would imagine it’s the usual combination of largely Celestion Speaker Type IR’s with different Cabinet arrangements - 1 x 12, 2 x 12 etc.
This is very much the essence of a 4-channel amp / preamp, but one for the floor!
Controls - CH1 } Volume B, Volume A, Presence, Treble, Mid, Bass, Gain B, Gain A, Cab : 1/2/3, Gain Mode : Low / Medium / High; CH2 } Volume B, Volume A, Presence, Treble, Mid, Bass, Gain B, Gain A, Cab : 1/2/3, Gain Mode : Low / Medium / High, Footswitches } A-B, CH 1/2, On.
Rear Ports / Controls - In, Send, Return, Amp Out [PWR/PRE], Cab Out [LIFT/GND], MIDI In, 12V DC [-] 700mA, USB Type-B.
There really is much to like here, with the only real challenges being in the footprint go the pedal and the high power / current draw requirement - which happens to be the same as the recent ThorpyFX one - even though that one can work @ 500mA on 12V.
In any case great to have another option here - Christos has properly thought this one out really well!
Available right now from the Tsakalis AudioWorks Webstore for €549.99 / $499.99 / £479.99, and of course imminently at International Dealers.
Ket Features
- Dual Channel Tube Preamp with Overdrive
- 2 ECC83s (12AX7) preamp tubes run at 240 V internally - for incredible headroom and genuine tube-amp feel and dynamics
- 2 independent channels capable of producing everything from sparkling cleans to tight heavy distorted tones
- 2 individual Gain/Volume sections for each channel selectable via a dedicated footswitch - 4 tones on tap at any time
- Individual 4-band EQ per channel (Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence)
- 3 gain stages per channel selectable via the MODE toggle switch
- 3 user-selectable cabinet simulations per channel selectable via the CAB toggle switch
- Serial effects loop - active even when in bypass mode - for looping in e.g. time-based effects between preamp and Cab Sim
- Dedicated TRS cabinet simulation output with ground lift - active even when in bypass mode
- Dedicated output for connecting to the front of an amp or a power amp, selectable by toggle switch
- Full MIDI compatibility - 128 user-customizable and programmable MIDI presets
- USB port for uploading Cab Sims to the six slots (three per channel) - choose from the free Tsakalis Audioworks online library of 70+ selected high-quality cab simulations
- Multifunction Latching or Momentary function footswitches
- Integrated input buffer - only active when in bypass mode
- Handmade in Athens, Greece
- Powered by (included) 12 V DC power adapter (2,1 mm, center -, 700 mA current draw)
- RRP : €549.99 / $499.99 / £479.99
Demos
