Dsl40cr Vs. Dsl20cr ....

[Springfield Scooter]

The new DSL40CR has 4 different "voicings"....

1. Classic Clean
2. Classic Crunch
3. Ultra OD1
4. Ultra OD2


The new DSL20CR only has 2 different "voicings".....

Which 2 voicings does the DSL20CR utilize, and which 2 are deleted?

 

[Springfield Scooter]

I own a DSL40CR and spend most my time on voicings #2 (classic crunch) and #3 (ultra OD1).

I dont own a DSL20CR and the more demos I listen to, the less sure I am about which 2 voicings it actually utilizes.

Is it safe to say that the 20 has its own and slightly different sound ?

Anyone own both?

 

[KraftyBob]

Unless your really jonesing for a head, or budget is a concern, get the 40. There is no difference in volume and you get two more voicings was well as more clean headroom.

Edited to add: Maybe I should pay more attention to the posts as I now see you already have the 40. Sorry brother I don’t know about the voicings on the 20.

You should completely ignore my post

 

[paul-e-mann]

I own a DSL40CR and spend most my time on voicings #2 (classic crunch) and #3 (ultra OD1).

I dont own a DSL20CR and the more demos I listen to, the less sure I am about which 2 voicings it actually utilizes.

Is it safe to say that the 20 has its own and slightly different sound ?

Anyone own both?

I've played both, I believe the 20CR to have crunch and OD1 (crunch can be dialed clean). If choosing between 20 and 40 in a combo always go 40 it sounds so much better it isn't even funny. The 20 in a head on the other hand is equally as good if not better than the 40 combo short of a couple features.

 

[deanproxy]

I have the DSL20HR and have tried it into 3 different 2x12's. One with V30s, one with G12H30s and one with G12Ms. Yesterday I tried the DSL40CR at the store and felt like the DSL20HR overdrive sounded more like OD2 to me. OD1 sounded more classic Marshall to me, while OD2 sounded a lot more agressive and modern with the mids revoiced similar to OD2 on the JVM in the 500hz spectrum. I personally liked OD1 better. Maybe the Overdrive on the DSL20HR is somewhere between OD1 and OD2 of the 40, but I'm almost certain it's not OD1 unless my ears were off yesterday.

Also, the DSL20 definitely does not have the crunch mode of the DSL40CR. It is definitely more like the clean mode of the classic channel. I cannot get anywhere near the level of gain of the crunch mode of the DSL40 without a push from a pedal, but that's true as well of the clean mode of the DSL40 as well.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I have the DSL20HR and have tried it into 3 different 2x12's. One with V30s, one with G12H30s and one with G12Ms. Yesterday I tried the DSL40CR at the store and felt like the DSL20HR overdrive sounded more like OD2 to me. OD1 sounded more classic Marshall to me, while OD2 sounded a lot more agressive and modern with the mids revoiced similar to OD2 on the JVM in the 500hz spectrum. I personally liked OD1 better. Maybe the Overdrive on the DSL20HR is somewhere between OD1 and OD2 of the 40, but I'm almost certain it's not OD1 unless my ears were off yesterday.

Also, the DSL20 definitely does not have the crunch mode of the DSL40CR. It is definitely more like the clean mode of the classic channel. I cannot get anywhere near the level of gain of the crunch mode of the DSL40 without a push from a pedal, but that's true as well of the clean mode of the DSL40 as well.

Youre right, the 20 since it has only 2 modes its got its own approximation on each channel in comparison to the 4 modes on the 40, kind of split in the middle.

 

[Gene Ballzz]

If Marshall wasn't so secretive and protective of their schematics, I'm guessing it would be fairly simple to turn the Classic Channel to the "Crunch" mode of the DSL40CR and the Ultra Channel to OD1. That would make the DSL20 "SUPREMELY", useable/useful to many folks!
Just My $.02 & Likely Worth Even Less!
Gene

 

[Springfield Scooter]

I think the moral of the story is to get the DSL40CR with 4 different options , unless your content with the 20HR and its 2 different options!

They are similar, but definately different tools.

Either sounds great, but they are indeed different.

 

[Springfield Scooter]

The more I play throgh the DSL40CR, the more I like it !

Its heavy to move around, but once planted on earth, it really sounds great!

 

[Pat6969]

The more I play throgh the DSL40CR, the more I like it !

Its heavy to move around, but once planted on earth, it really sounds great!

I thought the opposite. I've had 100 watt heads that were heavier than the 40CR (Mesa). I was pleasantly surprised with the weight.

 

[Springfield Scooter]

I thought the opposite. I've had 100 watt heads that were heavier than the 40CR (Mesa). I was pleasantly surprised with the weight.

Maybe Im getting old!

 

[Hudman_1]

I’m happy with the two channels on my DSL 20CR. I have pedals to add as much crunch as I need.

 

[Avenger]

Unless your really jonesing for a head, or budget is a concern, get the 40. There is no difference in volume and you get two more voicings was well as more clean headroom.

Edited to add: Maybe I should pay more attention to the posts as I now see you already have the 40. Sorry brother I don’t know about the voicings on the 20.

You should completely ignore my post

I am in the exact dillema you answered and the title of the thread led me to read thru it. So I must take your advice to the letter (meaning your answer was really useful to somebody in the end, thanks for not totally "editing it out").

What you mean with "clean headroom"? I am afraid the 20CR will start "crunching" too early in the clean setting and ruin my fun. I'm willing to play it not louder than I can sing without microphones -- and I am neither a good singer, guitar player, and loud-voiced-throat.

Given that, am I safe to assume the clean headroom in DSL20CR is enough for me? I will probably have trouble getting a good distortion at around the same volume (I may not be singing but I don't need it louder anyway) as there's no MVC (master volume control), and I will then need to add some sort of attenuator to the the speaker (not pedals, right, as I can only control volume after preamp and will lose what I could call distortion from power amp at real real loud volume).

 

[KraftyBob]

The DSL's get their OD from the preamp. From what I understand is that with the DSL's you don't want power amp distortion as it doesn't sound good (when compared to a non-master volume amp that needs to push the power tubes).

Each channel in the DSL20CR has a volume control so you can turn the volume up in the Classic Gain channel and keep it lower in the Ultra Gain channel. I do this with my DSL40C to level the volume across both channels. I've not played a DSL20 so you'd have to get feedback from someone here whom has played both (20 & 40) to get specifics on the difference in clean headroom between the two. You will get more with the 40, but how much? I don't know where the 20w starts to break up compared to the 40w

As far as loudness between the two, and you may already know this, but there is little difference in overall volume between a 20w and a 40w amp. Watts = power - which is linear. So a 40w amp has twice the power of a 20w amp and half the power of an 80w amp. But volume is measured in dB - which is log based. Everything else being equal you need 10x's the power to double the volume. That means if you want an amp that's twice as loud as a 20w amp you need a 200w amp, not a 40w.

Bottom line is I would expect that the DSL20CR would be fine to sing with. Some guys use these in band settings with drums (albeit not someone beating the crap of the drums) and they keep up fine. What it seems to come down to is how loud can you get the clean channel before it breaks up.

If you're buying new, buy the amp from a dealer that you can return (Sweetwater, Guitar Center/MF) and if the DSL20CR breaks up too soon you can return it.

 

[candou2]

I’m happy with the two channels on my DSL 20CR. I have pedals to add as much crunch as I need.

New to guitar tube amps. Built KT88 audio, guitar different animal. Anyway, just ordered a new DSL20HR. What pedal do you recommend for the CRUNCH and amp setting?

 

[IOSEPHVS]

Measuring SPL, a 40W amp is 1.41 times as loud as a 20W amp.

 

[Avenger]

Measuring SPL, a 40W amp is 1.41 times as loud as a 20W amp.

What's that SPL thing you measure? I wish there were an acronyms page in marshall forums! haha I can't find the acronyms you guys use here on google!

Or... maybe google nailed it? Sound pressure level?

 

[SkyMonkey]

Or... maybe google nailed it? Sound pressure level?

That's the one.

When I first joined up I had to look up NAD.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Measuring SPL, a 40W amp is 1.41 times as loud as a 20W amp.

No it is not. It is 3 dB louder all other things being equal. So if the 20 pegged out runs 114 db at 1 M then the 40 will be 117 db. Certainly not 1.4 x louder as the db go. What you listed doesn't really relate to listenjng to the amp.
An amp needs 10x the power to sound twice as loud. 3dB is a very small difference in voljme. A term like 1.4 times as loud is deceptive.

 

[IOSEPHVS]

2 times the power = +3 dB = 1.41 times the sound pressure (what our ears hear or a microphone senses). 4 times the power = +6 dB = 2 times the sound pressure. 10 times the power = +10 dB = 3.16 the sound pressure. So on, and so forth.

https://geoffthegreygeek.com/amplifier-power/