belated NPD - Tech 21 Liverpool V2

[marqueemoon]

I actually picked this up a few weeks ago. I've been casually looking for decent deal on one of these for a while. I specifically wanted the V2 as I wanted the ability to switch the onboard speaker emulation on and off. In my recording setup I have Neunaber Iconoclast speaker emulator, but I also want to be able to use onboard speaker emulation for playing an open mic or whatever, or potentially use it as a conventional dirt pedal with the speaker emulation off from time to time.

What is funny about this is I found it when I went to pick up my vintage Vox Cambridge Reverb from repair. I had just settled up on the repair and decided to take one more lap around the shop and there it was in the case. Naturally I had to demo it through the Vox, and unsurprisingly I loved it. Of course I had to grab a family picture on the way home for yucks.



I've now tried it at home using the Iconoclast as well as at practice as my "amp" on a night when it was just me and the drummer, and long story short I love it. I also have a Tech 21 Blonde I bought from a fellow OSGer a few years ago, and what I really appreciate about these is that while they each have their own signature the controls function similarly, so It's pretty intuitive to dial in sounds. I like the lightly crunchy sounds best on this whereas the Blonde is better at the two extremes.

In the area of speaker emulation I think the Liverpool wins, but this is largely because the AC sound to me is just easier to pull off in the analog domain. I would have zero issue using this live in my 3 piece where I am the only guitar. It's a pretty bright pedal, but not in an icepicky way. It does that lovely upper midrange "splat" thing. 

Something that tends to get repeated a lot is that the Joyo AC Tone and its variants are basically identical to the Liverpool. Having had custody of an AC Tone for few days a while back I diagree. The Liverpool is much more complex and amp-like.

[burpgun]

It's just crazy how good Tech21 stuff is. I'm totally reliant on a Bass VT and a Blonde for my recording setups, so much so that the boxes weaned me off of the sims I'd been using. I also have an ancient GT-2 I should dig out and give another go with, I was less impressed with that thing I got back in the early 90s.

[marqueemoon]

It's just crazy how good Tech21 stuff is. I'm totally reliant on a Bass VT and a Blonde for my recording setups, so much so that the boxes weaned me off of the sims I'd been using. I also have an ancient GT-2 I should dig out and give another go with, I was less impressed with that thing I got back in the early 90s.

Yeah, are pretty good. I still prefer a real miced amp when that’s practical to do, but it often isn’t and I still have music to make.

In my limited experience using attenuators for silent recording it isn’t necessary better.

[cestlamort]

Awesome. I've only had (your!) Blonde and a Leeds one... really impressed with the quality of the sounds and the usability. Only sold them to fund an iridium (which is differently great) but I'd do a Tech 21 again in a heartbeat. Nice to see it with the great-great-uncle by marriage or whatever the relationship is.

[marqueemoon]

Awesome. I've only had (your!) Blonde and a Leeds one... really impressed with the quality of the sounds and the usability. Only sold them to fund an iridium (which is differently great) but I'd do a Tech 21 again in a heartbeat. Nice to see it with the great-great-uncle by marriage or whatever the relationship is.

They nicely done for sure. Your old Blonde is has been the amp sound on almost everything I’ve recorded at home for the past few years.

The Liverpool gets a little spikier, which is a sound I’m into now. It out-Voxes my actual Vox.

[doctor_capleson]

I owned and used the Oxford for a couple of years. Being able to switch cab sim off was super important to me before I bought it, but then I ended up just leaving it on all the time. Like you, I used it both as a DI and as a more traditional dirt box, and the cab sim never prevented it from functioning well in either use case. The only thing that changed was the volume setting, and then a couple of tweaks to eq, depending on whether it was being used as a DI box or standard dirt pedal.

[marqueemoon]

I owned and used the Oxford for a couple of years. Being able to switch cab sim off was super important to me before I bought it, but then I ended up just leaving it on all the time. Like you, I used it both as a DI and as a more traditional dirt box, and the cab sim never prevented it from functioning well in either use case. The only thing that changed was the volume setting, and then a couple of tweaks to eq, depending on whether it was being used as a DI box or standard dirt pedal.

I notice a difference with the Liverpool, and yes you can definitely compensate with the onboard eq and get a usable tone, particularly if using it as a dirt box.

I do like to be able to switch it off using the Iconoclast where I’ve already done my own tweaks though.