The TC Electronic Ampworx DC30 Preamp is a preamp pedal that models a 1965 Top Boost Vox AC30 amplifier. Pedal of the Day described it as "a beast that faithfully recreates the sound of a 1965 Top Boost AC30 amplifier"1. It is part of TC Electronic's Ampworx series of preamp pedals, a line that Delicious Audio notes also covers a Fender Deluxe and a Marshall JTM452, and Guitar World reported the series was designed to emulate vintage '60s tube amps3.
Channels and controls
The pedal gives you two channels, Green and Red, which Pedal of the Day describes as "modeled combinations of the Normal channel and Brilliant" channels of the VOX AC30. The Red channel has a slightly different voicing than the Green channel, so the two give related but distinct takes on the same amp1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Normal | Controls normal gain1 |
| Brilliant | Controls bright gain1 |
| Boost Gain | Sets the amount of gain added when the boost circuit is activated1 |
| Cut | Controls the treble cut (low-pass filter) in the power amp section of the emulated amplifier1 |
The Normal and Brilliant knobs mirror the two channels of the original AC30, letting you blend normal and bright gain the way you would on the amp itself1.
Boost and DI
On top of the amp modeling, the DC30 carries up to +18dB of on-board boost. The boost can be set pre- or post-amp, which Pedal of the Day notes gives "a variety of flavors" depending on whether it pushes the front of the modeled amp or lifts the output after it1.
For recording or going direct, the pedal's DI options integrate the official Celestion Digital impulse response of a 2x12 Celestion Alnico Blue combo, the speaker associated with the AC30. In his Guitar World review of the Ampworx series, Trevor Curwen noted that "the DC30 gets the correct 2x12 Celestion Alnico Blue combo speaker simulation"41.
Where it sits in the Ampworx line
The DC30 is the AC30-flavored entry in a series of vintage amp preamps. Its siblings model other classics: the TC Electronic Ampworx JIMS 45 Preamp covers the Marshall JTM45 territory and the [TC Electronic AmpWorx Combo Deluxe 65']( /pedal/tc-electronic-ampworx-combo-deluxe-65) covers the Fender side, per Delicious Audio's rundown of the line2. If you want the Vox sound in a pedal rather than an amp, this is the one in the series built for it. For more on the category, see Preamp Pedals.
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Questions
What amp does the Ampworx DC30 Preamp model?
It is a preamp pedal built to recreate the sound of a 1965 Top Boost Vox AC30 amplifier. Its Green and Red channels are modeled combinations of the AC30's Normal and Brilliant channels, and the DI output uses the official Celestion Digital impulse response of a 2x12 Celestion Alnico Blue combo speaker.
What is the boost for?
The pedal carries an on-board boost of up to +18dB, with a Boost Gain control that sets how much gain is added when the boost is switched in. The boost can be placed before or after the amp section, which changes the character of the added level.
Sources (4)
- TC Electronic Ampworx DC30 Preamp, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2023-11-04
- TC Electronic Ampworx Combo Deluxe 65, DC 30 And Jims 45, Delicious Audio, 2023-08-07
- TC Electronic's first guitar amp modeler pedals package classic Fender, Marshall and Vox tones with Celestion IRs, Guitar World, 2023-06-29
- TC Electronic AmpWorx Series, Guitar World, 2024-11-18
