Diamond Spec Op Amp Head
Description
The Spec Op features a clean channel and two distinct high gain settings in Channel 2. The clean channel has the controls you want and need: Volume, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence.
The clean channel has gotten DA rave reviews from the players. It provides you full, round and rich clean tones not customary in high-gain heads with enough headroom to give you vintage/classic rock tones and everything in between.
The crunch channel is voiced for a more modern, organic and open crunch sound than traditional high-gain amps. This channel will provide you all the gain you can want but without the extra saturation traditional in high-gain voicings. The result is an extremely thick, updated gain tone responsive to the direction of newer guitar sounds while also providing rich harmonics and significant clarity in each of the notes.
Channel 2 gives you all the same controls as the clean channel with an added benefit – a second set of volume and gain controls! This feature gives the player the option of having two gain settings (say more gain for chunky heavy gain-style rhythms and less gain for more precision and clarity when playing more staccato style passages) that are accessible to him on the fly.
The corresponding volume controls for Gain A and Gain B allow the player to balance the volumes between the two gain controls so you can ensure that switching between Gain A and Gain B does not increase or decrease your overall volume. Conversely, you can adjust the volumes to do just that – increase or decrease overall volume when switching from Gain A to Gain B or vice versa. Both gain controls sweep the same gain stage so there is none of this less and more gain stuff resulting in a channel you will never use. Simply, you get as much or as little gain as you want or need out of Gain A and Gain B.
The Spec Op features DA’s signature "low focus" switch on the rear panel. The low focus switch provides 3 positions – low, mid, high. Moving from low to high, the player gets to focus the low end, tailored to his/her needs, with low end increasing relative to the highs allowing for more low end with more focus. Dial the knob up or down to the desired low end structure increasing lows relative to highs giving the player the tight/focused low-end response desired, but not customary in today’s market.
To top it off, we do not want you to have to sacrifice one of the two gain controls to a dedicated lead sound. While you certainly can, we have added an adjustable, switchable boost that overrides Channel 1, Channel 2A and Channel 2B. When the boost is on, you can dial in approximately a 0 to 20db boost over all three settings allowing you to choose any of your 3 settings and switch on the boost to give you the extra volume you need for leads or lead passages.
The Spec Op also features a real, correctly-designed effects loop. You do not need a foot switch; you do not have to push a button. Just plug a cable into the effects send and the loop activates. The loop is tube buffered and will not affect your tone.
The front panel features a master volume, which reads E. Return (effects return). When the loop is on, the E. Return knob acts as the amp’s overall master (turn this knob up or down to increase or decrease the amps overall volume) and the volume control for each channel acts as the effects send level control. When the loop is off, each channel’s volume control acts as that channel’s master volume!
Like all current and future Diamond Amplification products, the Spec Op features the highest quality components and construction. Every component was selected and tested for this head. The Spec Op features 7 selected 12AX7 preamp tubes and 4 Winged C EL34’s for its power stage. Each part was personally spec’d and tested by us to ensure maximum performance and reliability, from the transformers to the switches and knobs. The head features a perforated metal grille made in 16-guage stainless steel, and an accompanying black grille on the back of the exact shape and dimension, finished in black powder coating (the black grilles can be added to the front on order or later). Even the knobs are metal for look and feel. LED’s are mounted in the box to give this head its distinctive blue glow. Even the logo is stainless steel. Corner irons are included on every corner to add to the strength and stability of the box.
All channels and the boost can be accessed by the supplied 4-button footswitch. The footswitch is connected via an XLR cable so a single control cable runs from your controller to the amp. Three ¼" jacks are also tied to the footswitch controls on the back panel allowing you to control the Spec Op from any device that provides for ¼" tip to ground switching. For maximum versatility, DA also offers its new MAC-2 (designed in conjunction with RJM Music). The MAC-2 is a half rack space MIDI interface box that allows you to control your head with any standard MIDI pedal. Check it out on its product page! If you really want to open up your options, try a custom designed switching system from Custom Audio Electronic’s proprietor Bob Bradshaw. For more info: For more info:www.customaudioelectronics.com
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