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NAMM 2006 Show NewsAXL ThinAmp
There are thousands of amps available for musicians to choose from, so it takes something unique to make one stand out. The ThinAmp does just that, by combining a powerful set of effects with one of the most portable amps ever designed. Comparing it to other amps is difficult. It doesn't have the body or volume of a full-size amp, or even many portable amps. It's digital effects are useful, but are not state-of-the-art. But try and fit any other amp in a laptop bag, and you'll see that the ThinAmp offers its own unique benefits. DesignThe ThinAmp is remarkably portable. At first glance, it looks a bit like a thick laptop computer. In fact, the ThinAmp comes with a carrying case that's the size of a laptop computer bag. While AXL, the makers of the ThinAmp, is targeting it towards guitarists, its size should make it worth consideration by any musician interested in an extremely portable amp. Laptop DJs and producers could pop the ThinAmp and a laptop in one bag, and have a seriously loud portable studio! The ThinAmp has legs that pop out on the back, so that it can stand up at a convenient angle when in use, and fold down for storage. The case is rugged plastic with a metal front grill and faceplate. It seems rugged enough to stand up to normal abuse.
Controls (left to right):
AXL nicely includes a laptop-style carrying case and a car adapter. This makes the ThinAmp into an all-around solution for players looking for a very portable amp. Power connects on the right-hand side and a wall-wart is provided. Using the ThinAmpThe ThinAmp is fairly easy to use. Just plug in a guitar or other device, adjust the levels and you're ready to rock. The effects provided are basic, but useful, and provide a good variety of sounds. By using the Gain & Tone controls along with the effects, many different sound options are available.
We found the effects controls a little confusing at first, because you use one knob to select the DSP Preset Group (Ambience, Vibrato, Flanger & Chorus), one of four knobs to select the specific effect within the DSP Group, and then two knobs to control the effects mix. This could be made easier if the the DSP Preset Group knob was labelled with the effects group name (ie, Ambience) instead of a letter. It might be easier still to just use a 16-position switch to select from the various options. We tried the ThinAmp with guitar, bassline synth, and laptop. The effects are tailored for guitars, and work well for that. AXL provides suggested settings for various effects in the manual that should help get guitarists off in the right direction. We also tried the ThinAmp with a bassline synth and laptop. For bass synth use, the effects aren't as aggressive as we'd like. It's not surprising, though, since most ThinAmp buyers are likely to be guitarists, playing chords instead of one note. For laptop use, we found it very useful with the ThinAmp internal effects set to dry. Then we could control everything from the laptop itself. The sound levels and quality blew away the tinny laptop speakers! The ThinAmp provides 10 W of power. This is enough to be loud, even painfully loud close up. You shouldn't expect to rock the house with an amp that's 2" thick, though. The sound of the ThinAmp reflects its size, strongest in the midrange, and weaker in the bass. SummaryThe ThinAmp is a unique type of amp, designed to be a complete portable amp solution. It's difficult to compare it do other amps and devices, because design decisions obviously had to be made to make it so portable. Because of this, we recommend that interested buyers look at the ThinAmp as an extremely portable amp, instead of trying to compare it to traditional amps. Considered like this, the ThinAmp has little competition. The Thin amp comes with a nylon carryng case and a car adapter. An optional battery pack is avaiable that lasts up to 3 hours. Features:
Specifications: Power Sources:
Power Indicator: Blue Diffused LED Output Power: 10W Speakers: 2 x 4” Speakers Rated Load Impedance: 8O EQ Section: Bass (100Hz) +/- 3dB Middle (1KHz) -15dB / +3dB Treble (10KHz) -14dB / +5dB Effects Characteristics: Digital Audio Effects (16 Presets separated into 4 groups. Effect Level is variable.):
Digital Surround/Delay:
Frequency Response: 50Hz~22KHz Input Jack: 1/4” Phone Jack REC/Phones: 1/4” Stereo Jack AUX In/Out: Hidden RCA Jacks for input & output signals Reverb: Digital (Reverb Level is variable.) Cabinet Tilt Level: 45º angle with respect to the vertical direction. Dimensions: 13” (330mm) W x 10.5” (267mm) H x 2.2” (54mm) D Weight: 5.35lbs. / 2.43Kg Recent Equipment Reviews
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