ADA MP-1

Sound quality is great, especially for how cheap they go for now. I play tool/deftones style and it sounds pretty good. It is a very quiet amp also. The distortion can get pretty heavy, but not as heavy as some newer amps.

Good -the overdrive sounds great, plus the chorus is pretty damn good too. There are 2 overdrive (clean tube, and tube).

It has broken on me a coulpe times, because it's old. It is hard to find parts for it because ADA is out of business - so any one you get is going to be old.

N/A - ADA is out of business.

An overall great preamp!

I used an Ibanez, one of those 80s jobs. Never knew the number. It was fitted with an EMG-81 at the bridge and an EMG-85 at the neck. The last few years I downtuned to B flat. My setup as described above gave me such a great sound for the style of music I was playing. I'd be making stages shake with my palm mutes. Of course, once I swiched to clean, things were going to suffer due to being at B-flat tuning. But the clean tones of the MP-1 were acceptable enough.

I got it in 1990 (because I read about people like Kirk Hammett using these), I was playing in a hardcore/thrash crossover band at the time, then I used it exclusively for my subsequent grindcore band. I toured several times with it and recorded three CDs as well. I quit playing in bands in 1997.

I used the MP-1 first with a Carvin 100W and then with a Marshall power amp (one of those big brown stereo rackmount ones that were 50W per channel, 9000 maybe?). I used a Marshall 4 x 12 cab. The MP-1 always delivered the bone-crunching power I needed. I was a bit of a sick player: early on, I would turn both distortions up to 10 and not worry about extraneous noises. Later on, I turned one of the distortions way down and had little problems with noise when doing start/stop riffs. I would use two patches with the master volume at different levels to get louder when I would do leads. In my leads, I used to want to be able to sustain a very high note for a LONG time (think Hendrix doing Machine Gun). I was always after that. Sometimes I'd overload things by putting a Rat pedal in front of the ADA. Later, to boost the signal, I got my DSP-128 effects unit (which was on one setting only using the EQ section)AND a Real Tube preamp patched into the ADA's loop. I activated the loop only for my lead patches.
I had an Aphex Aural Exciter at the end. It helped, too.
Oh, and I also had the little switch on top on "line" instead of "instrument". The signal was a million times hotter and nothing broke because of it...

It did break once, the distortion stopped working (about 1995). Took it to local guitar shop and they got it fixed in about a month (they had to send it somewhere). Toward the end of my "career" the front jack was failing (cutting in and out), which was a pain when you're on a stage that's vibrating like mad. I did my best to try to duct-tape my cable to the side of my rack. Most of the time it worked.

Never had a problem until five years of abuse had gone by. Never dealt with ADA.

I'm hoping to be able to record at home soon. I'll continue to use the MP-1. I'll probably get one of the newer boxes as well, so I can do all the Korn/Limp Bizkit/RATM pitch-shifting stuff.

This box was the cornerstone of my crunch. If anybody's curious about how I abused or misused this bit of technology, come to my website (where I try to bring back the old days) and check out the MP3s I've got up at http://www.notsilent.net

I've used this pre amp with everything strats(a personel fav),P.R.S., Parker, Charvel, and Pauls it takes tham all with a little tweking to compensate for pickups. The best is probubly a mid to hi gain pickup like the duncan J.B. or 59.

The ADA MP-1 Igot this pre amp from George Lynch of dokken+Lynch Mob. I was useing a Marshell J.C.M.800 but this thing is more versitile be carfull of the jacks thay can't take alot of abuse but if you keep it in the same setup and in a rack case you'll be fine

other then the jack I had them replaced w/metal jack costed about $50.00 I haven't had problum no. 1

can't find any haven't needed any

The only thing I'd like is the origanel books that com with this thing if you have it E-mail me

Great!!!!

If you have problems to get information on this or any ADA product, you should check ut www.ultimatetone.com. It's the unofficial ADA website. It has manuals, schematics, information for replacements and more.

I had lots of preamps, incluiding Triaxis. Ada is the only one that gave me the sound I wanted.

Groovy sounds,set up by someone else...editing seems easy enough,
but no presets left....I need a manual!Found a schematic source,though
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/daltay/hitw.html

Chorous is great,makes my nylon acoustic/electric sound huge...
Nice overtones w/any electric......

N/A Never used it live....need the manual!!

ADA is toast---look for schematic here....
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/daltay/hitw.html

I play lots of different venues,so lots of styles...
always with stompboxes.I think this would be a good tool,
if I could get it initialized,and start fresh---
did I mention a MANUAL?!??

I have been working with digitech stuff for 10 years. Compared to digitech, the ADA was much easier to program. I had to download the manuel, since ADA is out of business.

I use the ADA for recording. I bi-amped it sending it through my Crate stealth combo for a distorted or clean dry sound, then through the second output,I linked it a Digitech 2112, for delays, detuner, chorus, ect. through a Hafler S.S. power amp. The ADA worked really well with that setup and the distortion had balls! Through bi-a,PING IT (DRY ONE SIDE, WET THE OTHER) I got a huge sound! The ADA by itself sounds very impressive, although if not gated can be really noisy. I can get a Van halen tone, Whitesnake (John Sykes)tone, mettalica, but to get their sounds, you need more than the ADA. IT sounds best (for metal anyway) running through a tube power amp and a goos efeects processor. It's true, it's true!!

Ok, I bought this thing used a few months back, and the thing blinks out on me from time to time. Sometimes I have to lightly tap it to get it started, so for a live gig, I can't chance using it. Since ADA is not in business anymore, I have to find a place that can repair the thing. It's to bad since I prefer the distortions way more than my Digitech.

N/A

I play in a pop alternative band, but I also play and record hard rock. I've been playing for sixteen years. I really am into Digitech effects, and been using them since 1990. I never really liked Digitech's distortions to much and before I have used a Peavy rockmaster with the Digitech Legend and got a great sound. The rockmaster was great but had no Midi. Now I use use a Digitech 2112 with a Hafler stereo power amp and live it's good... but not grrrrreat. The ADA sounds awesome through the 2112 and works well, but mine isn't reliable. If it was more reliable, I'd use it live in a second. I've already had great results recording with it. I wish I knew someone that could look at it. If it were lost or stolen I would probably look for another,you can't beat the sound for the price, and I think I just got a bum unit...a chance you do take when you buy used.

I'm a bit of a computer nut as well as musician so working my way around this unit has always been easy.But anyone could work it out without a manual.

I use a custom Kramer with gotoh hardware(EVH trem)& Dimarzio H'bucker & 2 x single coils(neck & middle). My amp is a marshall 100W JMP model with JCM 800 Quad. Effects are just one Roland MC50 in rack with the MP-1. I've used the MP-1 for nearly Ten years and found mine to be very quiet even on extremely high gain settings(just lucky I guess).My gain settings vary by Three with a Rhythm & Solo patch for each:
1.Tube Clean
2.Tube Distortion Mild
3.Tube Distortion High gain
Solid state settings where crap so I never used them.Solid state mode was like playing through a Roland JC120 Combo I once used -CRAP-
I get all the In-between clarities by backing off the guitar. This way I've managed shimmery clean picking to Stevie Ray Boogie To Wild Vai sounds with little stomping of the Foot(leaves more time for enjoying the moment)A very warm sound with all the grunt you'll ever need.I never used more than eight presets. None of which were factory settings so be prepared to tinker.

This unit is reliable as long as it is'nt abused. A strong well ventilated roadcase goes a long way to ensuring a longer life.
I've only needed to replace the valves 3 times in ten years and I work my unit hard. Mesa boogie valves make good high gain replacements
I hade some trouble early with my patches wiping clean on powerup, which can be extremely frustrating when the shows about to start.
Turned out to be a faulty battery but have had no trouble since.

Never dealt with ADA. My tech. did all the early warranty work and valve replacements.

I play in a pub/Club rock band which has it's restrictions, but sometimes break away with some country or jazz. The MP-1 doesn't restrict if you set it up right. I've been a lead/rhythm guitarist for 17 years and have had plenty of time to experiment. The ADA suited my needs fine. Unfortunately all my gear has become a memory thanks to thieves so I shall be hunting a replacement ADA MP-1 or even MP-2 if I can find one to test drive (Pardon the pun)

I use an Ibanez JEM7VWH with DiMarzio evolution pickups, I run the MP-1 into an ADA Microtube 200 poweramp, I also use an Alesis Quadraverb, Boss Stereo Panning Delay, Furman Parametric EQ, BBE Sonic Maximizer, Rocktron Hush Super C noise reduction, and a Nady UHF wireless, into either a Peavey 5150 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s, or stereo into two Carvin Steve Vai Legacy 2x12s with Celestion Vintage 30s. I play hard rock, fusion, and metal (mainly older metal like Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, early Metallica, Slayer). Into the MP1 I've got an Ibanez tubescreamer, Digitech Whammy, and a Dunlop 535Q Crybaby Wah. The tones in this thing are GREAT, if you take the time to edit and program. I've got these tones setup, controlled by a Rolls MIDI Wizard controller: Real clean, Chorused Clean, Thrash Rhythm, Metal Rhythm, Rock Rhythm, Shred Lead, Thrash Lead, Blues lead. Good stuff, just play with it.. also, I replaced the preamp tubes with JJ 12AX7s, amazing tone.

No idea the year, 128 presets, MIDI, 2 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, there's voicings for Tube Distortion, Tube Clean, Solid State, Clean, 4-band eq (bass, mid, treble, presence), 3 gain stages (od1, od2, master gain),1 space rackmount, input jacks on back and front. Effects loop. No reverb or any effects except chorus.

I've had it for 4 years with no problems.

Outta business.

Love it, I also have used a Marshall JMP-1, also a great preamp. But I like this better, it's got more shred-ness going on.

It is incredibly easy to use. You don't even need the instructions. It's all pretty self explanatory.

I use a Gibson Les Paul and plug it into the MP-1. Then, bypass the preamp in my Marshall JCM900 SL-X by plugging it into the back. I absolutely love this thing. Before I just used the distortion in my amp or distortion pedals. The pedals were okay but the MP-1 is one of the best preamps I have ever tried. Not only is the distortion superb, but the chorus it has sounds awesome. If you're looking for screaming blues leads to thunderous crunching palm mutes and everything in between, then you really need to buy a MP-1.

Hasn't given out on me once.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I'm into all kinds of music but my favorite has to be heavy metal and hard rock. The MP-1 is perfect for me even if I didn't like heavy metal. If you need distortion, it has any kind you can think of. You just have to take the time to fiddle with it and find the right sound. Tubes in the preamp make a big difference in the sound too. I'm using Groove Tubes ECC83. If you want a heavy crunch on your palm mutes I would recommend those. Some people complain about it being noisy but trust me I've had it cranked before and when I stop playing for a second you wouldn't even think it was turned on. But then again that may all come down to what tubes you're using. So just experiment and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for with it.

The MP-1 is very easy to use. I downloaded a manual from the unofficial ADA website and then it was a breeze.

My main guitar is an old Charvel parts guitar bulit by Image guitars in Hollywood. It has EMG pickups and a Floyd Rose. I use the MP-1 with a Quadraverb and a Boogie 290 Simulclass power amp and 2 Marshall cabs (2x12) and I'm getting some monster tones. I use it with Eddy Malm ( ex. swedish metallurgists Heavy Load), which is kind of late 70's sounding hard rock and with wierdorockband Bosse, where I have to go from bossanova to metal to country in the same song. The MP-1 is perfect for songs with fast sound changes and also for that Marshall crunch. You can kind of simulate a Ronnie Montrose/ Brad Gillis lead tone with infinite sustain although it gets a bit noisy at high gain settings. Here's the remedy for that: Have another beer and you won't notice that hiss. I think the clean sounds in a Boogie Quad preamp (which I used to use) are a bit warmer and Fendersounding. However, it's easy to get a superb Fripp/Belew-clean sound and use it together with a delay and get that odd time signaturething happening.The EQ possibilities are limited and it's a good idea to use another EQ (such as the Quadraverbs) to finetune your frequencies. A noisegate can also come in handy. My Boogie power amp has presence controls for both channels which gives the overall sound extra clarity.

When I bought it there was an unacceptable hum but a local amp guru could fix it by changing something inside it. Since then it has worked fine.

Never dealt with them. Are they still around?

For a little more than a hundred bucks you get a tube preamp with MIDI capabilities and in my opinion it surpasses the shred reputation that has followed it. It is very practical and can be used in a variety of musical contexts. If you have your own guitar roadies or a good deal with your chiropractor you should go for an A/B amp system instead. If you have two separate amps with separate delays that's better because the delay will ring out nicely after a solo as you go back to rythm playing. That's a bit of a drawback with using the MP-1( or any other MIDI tube preamp for that matter)If I lost it I would by a new one, for sure!

I found it very easy to edit patches and get good clean and distorted sounds. Since there are no menus, it's far easier to use than a more modern multi-effects unit - adjusting any parameter is a one-button process. I was getting acceptable clean and overdriven sounds out of the unit within an hour.

I use the MP-1 primarily with a small club rig consisting of a Charvel Soloist, a Vox wah wah, a Digitech RP-1 multieffects unit, and a Fender Pro-185 amp. I experimented with running the RP-1 in the MP-1's effects loop and vice versa, but I couldn't find a setup that I liked, so I simply run direct thru the wah, the MP-1, and the RP-1 in that order. I have not run the MP-1 thru a tube power amp. Other reviews would indicate that this makes a huge positive difference in the sounds.

Regardless, the MP-1's distorted sounds are absolutely killer. You can easily get the whole spectrum of lead and rhythm sounds, from singing Eric Johnson to precise, focused Metallica type rhythm sounds to floppy, crunchy Smashing Pumpkins sounds, if you're into that sort of thing. Less-intense overdriven sounds are also possible, such as a decent SRV Texas rock/blues sound. One great feature is the integral chorus. It's a very high quality effect and adds some great depth and color to distorted sounds.

The clean sounds are also excellent, although not as good as the lead sounds. You can get a pretty nice Fenderish clean sound, although it's not as alive and dynamic as a true Fender or Boogie.

I've had it for a few months and have been gigging regularly with no trouble. I don't trust it enough yet to use it without a backup, but it takes me awhile to get to that point with any piece of gear.

No need to contact them, and hope I never have to since they're OOB.

I've been playing for 15 years, and currently play an eclectic mix of styles including metal, rock, blues, jazz, and alternative. The MP-1 is better suited to the hard stuff, but it's surprisingly versatile. I disagree with other reviews that would classify this unit as a dedicated shred machine. You just have to be creative with modifying the patches and using it with other effects, such as the Vox wah. You can find preamps with more versatility, but for the price at which you can pick up a used MP-1, it's unbeatable.

I love the sound quality and ease of use. I hate the effects loop - my effects sound like crap through it. Maybe it's a defect or a broken component on this particular unit. If this one was lost or stolen, I'd probably buy another one because they're so inexpensive, unless I happened to have the cash on hand for a Boogie Triaxis.

This unit is very easy to use and very easy to get the best sound that suits you. There are several patches that are both easy to use and quite accessable. The manual is also very easy to follow.

I use this preamp with a Randall stereo amp. It can get noisy at times, but I have learned several tricks and do's and don'ts over the years. The only effect included is chorus, and it sounds awsome! I have been able to get any sound I could ever want or need out of this unit.

Well, just like any other piece of electronic gear, I have had breakdowns and I always have a back-up on gigs.

OK, here's the weak spot - ADA was very bad with support and of course now they are out of business, so getting any kind of support is pretty much a useless fight!

I play all styles of music on a nightly basis and the mp-1 gets every sound I need. I have playing professionally for over 25 years and own so many different rigs, there is way too much to list! I have played several other rigs and always go back to the mp-1. I have compared this unit with every product of it's type, over the last 15 years or so and nothing ever compares ... it has the warmest preamp section, as well as, the strongest preamp output, providing great sustain. It's a real shame this company went out of business, because I have no plans to stop using it.

Nice clean sounds, but the distortion on this unit is the very best! very Marshall sounding (the better Marshalls anyway) but can do a lot more than a Marshall. Sounds good by itself, but sounds really good with a Tube Screamer in front of it...especially if you're going after nice Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Napalm Death sounds.
It can do shred too, if that is what you like; It can do a nice AC/DC sound...almost ANY sound. No wonder most guitarists in the 80's had this thing. Sounds good through almost any amp, but best through a good tube power amp (Mesas are the best in my opinion...or a VHT).
It is a bit noisy, but nothing a good noise gate can't fix.
Although not necessary, a good parametric equalizer can work wonders on this, or any other, amp. The Furman PEQ-3 in between the guitar and the MP-1 is what I recommend for a good death tone.

Two 12AX7 tubes, MIDI controlled (IN/OUT/THRU), Three voicings: solid-state clean, clean tube, distorted tube. Headphone out, mono efects loop with level, overall output control. Chorus on all voicings, and compression on solid state only.
I do not know the software version, but I bought it new back in 1991. Nice features, but lacks a stereo effects loop!!

I bought this unit new, and did not give me any problems whatsoever...until about two years ago. A weird buzzing noise would start to show up out of nowhere, it would go away, but would come back after the unit was on for a few minutes. I thought that it might be a capacitor or something. I was thinking about checking it when one day I turned it on, and the distortion was gone. I was getting sound out of it, but not the regular tone. Only one of the gain stages was working, the other (drive2) was not working at all. I switched tubes in hope of fixing the problem, but nothing happened. ADA had been out of business so I had no idea how to fix it. I looked around the internet to see if I could find some schematics, but nothing. I opened it up to see if I could find the problem with a voltmeter, but without the schematics it was almost impossible...until...I noticed that a small chip was cracked. It was a JRC5532 which is a Low Noise OPAMP. I know a bit about electronics, but not much about tube amps. Anyway, I figured that this thing acts as a buffer, or a driver (I am not sure...no schematics) for the second stage, it goes between stage one and two. I replaced the part (got it from Digi-Key) and solved the problem. I have not had any more problems after that. So if anybody out there has the schematics, and are willing to share them with the community, so some of us could fix these fine units...

They're out of business. Never dealt with them.

I guess a Traxis would be the more mature choice if one is in the market for a good tube preamp, but considering that you can get these things now (if you can actually get your hands on one) for like $100...this is a MUST GET! The control options on this unit might be a bit outdated, but the sounds obtainable out of this preamp are superb. It has no effects, but the tone is there, and that is the only thing that matters. Mate it with a good tube power amp, a few good cabinets, a MIDI footcontroller, and you'll be one very happy guitarist.
I still have the manual, and will be posting it on my website soon. I don't know when that will be...but if you really, really need it, I can email you a scanned copy of it.
If anybody has the same problem I had (see RELIABILITY) with this unit, check that chip. It sits about an inch from the tubes (to the right) on the main board.

Currently I'm running this into a solid state practice amp, and it sounds awesome, probably will sound better with a power-amp and cab though. I'm using a standard fender strat and they work great together, especially for bluesy sound. As I said before, it has tons of gain on the tube distortion voice and the clean sound is either clean or can be pushed so it distorts. The tube distortion is very versitile too, you can get marshall to mesa/boogie almost. The stereo chorus sounds really nice with all the voicings. I think this is great for all styles, I mainly play metal,hard rock, and blues and it's great for all of those. I also have to say that the solid state voicing isn't that bad either.

This is a tube pre-amp that cotains 2 12AX7 preamp tubes, it also uses midi. It has 128 presets available to store your different sounds which makes going to different sounds easy(especially with a mide floorboard controller). There are three voicings avaible for use, tube distortion, tube clean, and solid state. Both tube sounds are great, the tube distortion has tons of gain, and the tube clean can be either crystal clear or pushed for a great blues sound. The solid state circuit is kind of useless because its only a solid state clean sound. The pre-amp also has built in stereo chorus with depth and rate controls. Controls for overdrive 1, overdrive 2, bass, mid, treble and effects loop in/out. other features are a effects loop, headphone jack(w/ level adjustment knob), left/right and line outputs, midi in/out/through and a master output knob. This is a very verstile unit, only thing that is really missing is a solid state distortion.

Haven't had it for too long but its beening working great so far. Never broken down.

N/A

Overall I say this is one rockin' pre-amp. It's got every I could ask for in a pre-amp(except maybe solid state distortion, but I probably wouldn't use very often). It sounds great, is versitile, and cheap. What more could you need? If somebody stole I'd definately buy it again.

I use an ESP mirage Delux with ESP pickups as my main guitar, and am able to duplicate or obtain most of the sound I want.
The unit is noisy if the master gain is set past 6-6.5.
The distortion sound is very Marshall orientated and can be driven to levels slightly higher than a SLX Marshall head.
Due to multiple channels, it is possible to switch quickly between Rythme and lead tones. Due to the number of channels available, it is possible to have pre-sets to accomodate a number of guitars without losing 'your' sound.

The features are good, but being the first mp1, the bugs were not ironed out until later versions.
My biggest beef is the mono effects loop!
There are ways around this problem but it's a hassle.
With three voicings (Tube, Dist. Tube and Solid State) I can get sounds appropriate to most musical styles.
The eq is good but the degrees of adjustment make it necesary to use an outboard equaliser.
The compression on the Solid State voice is good, but I would have liked to have seen compression on the Tube voicing too.
I guess ADA figered tube compression was enough!

Tube burn out quickly with a lot of distortion.
The sound looses it's punch when this happens, but this is typical of tube based preamps.
No breakdowns.....touch wood!

Never needed it, so don't know.

I would DEFINATLY replace this unit if need be.
Ideally, I would buy a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp to use with this unit (and switch between the two) as the mp1 is more of a Marshall sound and M/B sounds are hard to reproduce using this unit.
The tone is just what I like for my playing tastes.
I've played for 16 years and am happy to use this preamp as 'my' sound.

Pretty Simple, I gave it a 9 because I had to program my Rocktron "All Access" MIDI controller. Some fools would be stupified by the programming, but I have programmed tougher crap than this preamp (cough-cough T.C. G-Force cough-cough!)

I play a music know to many as Prog/Hard Rock/Metal (you know odd-times, solo's and harmonies.) I write my own music and play lead guitar and sing in a band called "Phase." My guitars are a Gibson '67 Flying V, a Gibson '76 Explorer, a Gibson Les Paul Custom, an ESP Vintage S, a Jackson Rhoads RR1T, and a Jackson Soloist SL2H. My amplification is an '83 Marshall JCM 800 (head) modded all to hell by Soundsmith Inc., a Boogie Mk. IV (head), a Bogner "Fish" preamp, and a Bogner Ecstacy 101 (head.) For effects I use a T.C. G-Force, and a hoarde of new/vintage boxes (like MXR, Roland, Maxon, Menatone, Diaz, Lovetone, E. Harmonix, Roger Mayer, Fulltone and Sobbat.) I use the ADA MP-1 with a VHT 2/50/2 power amp and a whole rack of eq's and other crap. It sounds good with anything. I like all of the modes on the preamp. I owns, Nuff said.

I have never had a problem with this preamp. I gig with a backup, because I have a multi-amp setup. But I would use this alone without worry.

ADA IS NO LONGER WITH US (R.I.P.)

It is a good preamp for most any styles. If it were stolen... I would cry, find out who stole it, pull out a machete' and then hack the jackass up! I enjoy using it, and it is a good practice amp (for headphone jams at 2 A.M.) And I must say...

GODS= Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammet, Paul Gilbert, Jeff Beck, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Adrian Smith, Yngwie Malmsteen, Marty Friedman, John Petrucci & Toni Iommi! (BOYCOTT CRAP MUSIC!!!!!)

I use Seymore Duncan equipped Kramers and go directly into this thing. I come out to an old Peavey Studio Pro 40 power amp input into its speaker. Distortion is noisy when fully cranked. Buy a noise gate, Why?

Well, quite frankly, its tube distortio sounds are better than any amp I have EVER played/owned,Mesa/5150/JCM 2000/Tube Fex,etc. Rich and creamy words can't explain.
Clean tube sounds are superb. Warmth and depth beyond Fender. It maxes out with a stunnind Brown sound that responds to your attack and volume control.
I have even found a use for its pristine Solid state mode. I can get a reasonable acoustic sound out of it. I have never been able to get a super clean sound out of ANY amp, tube or solid, like this. The chorus is the ABSOLUTE BEST SOUNDING CHORUS I HAVE EVER HEARD. It is deep and shimmering, almost ALIVE and in stereo. I know I'm going on about how good it is and you think I am crazy, so be it.

This preamp is very versatile. I has Tube distortion, Tube clean and Solid State clean capabilities. Solid state is limited to clean sounds, if you want Solid state distortion sounds, too bad dont buy this preamp. There are stereo outs but no stereo fx returns, just mono, that sucks. Midi in, out, thru, headphone out w/volume control, fx return control. Internal power, NO WALL WART. Front and rear input jacks, chorus effect, Blah Blah Blah. It is very, very easy to use no manual required. Programming is a joke, No menus just push parameter on front and push up or down button, when done push next parameter button, etc. Then push store, select program number and you're done.

I bought this used. The only problem I have had was a dirty pot. It caused the input to cut out when it was bumped or vibrated. I replaced this dual pot myself and have had NO problems since. I intend to use it live at my next gig. currently I am rebuilding my rig around this piece. I would use no backup. Its a very basic preamp theres not much that can go wrong with it. Even if there was, its in a rack. I have 2 and will buy more because ADA is out of business. I can fix anything accept the programming. If the programming fails then I want to have a spare, just in case. I also want to have a separate recording rig so I need more of them.

ADA went out of business.

I have ben playing for 12 years and teaching for 5.
If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another and pay a lot for it if need be. I will buy another as soon as I can find one. I have 2, and will get more because it just sounds s good. I compared it to JCM 2000, Triaxis, and 5150, it just sounded better. I do wish it had a stereo fx return as is I will go into a line mixer that has one. It can be noisy but so is eveything else at high gain, those that arent, like the MP-2, Digitech 2120, have a noie gate built in, I want tone, I can always buy a noise gate. I didnt know where to put this because it is not a problem if you follow the manual--Follow the manual as for getting a matching volume for clean and distorted channels, otherwise you will hear a pop when changing from dist. to clean.

I play mostly metal and blues.I have a shitty guitar at the moment{Jap charvel with stock pickups}I have the MP1 going through a Peavey ultraverb then to a Alessis RA 100 amp to a Carvin SX200 speaker combo.I can get some awesome sounds on this but I'm sure I can get even more of a killer sound with a better guitar whith I plane on buying soon.I can get everything from Metallica to Jimi Hendrix with this unit.It goes great with the style I play and with some tinkering you can get just about any sound you want.I plan on getting a Marshall 412 cab mabey 2 with a BBE sonic maximizer along with a good tube power amp and more stuff as soon as I get the money.Reading other peoples thoughts on here I can make a great sounding system sound greater.

Preamp with Tube and solid state distortions.

No problems yet but I just got it.

The company went out of buis.

Can't beat the sound for the price.I know of nothig that can come close to this thing for 165$.It sounds better than most preamps coasting 10 times that used.If it was stolen I'd be pissed and would hope the price didn't go up so I could buy another.

This thing was a little odd at first, but after you hit enough buttons, every program's digital knob is at your mercy.

I ran this through an Alesis Midiverb 4 through a Crate SPA-200 power amp and to a Marshall 4x12 1960A cab. It sounded really nice. Really nice distortion, and you can get really clean tube sounds. Try mixing the chorus in the MP-1 with another chorus and other FX. Get some interesting sounds. I could do everything from Megadeth, Metallica, Van Halen, Dream Theater, Cleanliness of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Nice to say the least.

Well, This is the pisser. It worked fine for a long time. Then I noticed the input jack was screwing around on me. BUT! - That was really no problem. What REALLY frustrated me was, one day, I was sitting there, jamming on a clean channel while my drummer was tuning his drums.. I sat there playing clean and calm for a few minutes.. next thing I know, completely out of nowhere, it hit me. BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! Really loud, really annoying, and even with no input device. I was still able to play over this sound, but the second I wanted to mute, it would BUZZZ again. I couldn't stand it. So, I've figured out that it only does this when it's been on for about 10-15 minutes. Then it's time to turn it off. Now, if this is just a capacitor issue, I could understand, because those things can only last so long. Anyone have any ideas?.. Anyone else besides me have this problem? It's a lovely amp, and I'd like to start using it again. Until then, I'm using a trusty Fender M-80 Solid State 90 watt amp head running to half-a-cabinet.

Never had to do this, and looks like I never will either.

I loved it. Really nice "metal" sound, and could also achieve the classic rock sound. Much more, a really nice clean sound. Mixed with FX, you have a great source of sound possibilities. If it comes with Chorus though, I kinda wish it came with at least reverb, too. While I used my Midiverb 4, it didn't matter.. now I need another one. :)

very easy programing but midi prog. could be dificult whitout manual

jackson guitar whit paf pro , and efx loop on digitech 2120 , man .... very cool combination , the ada rocks trougth 2120

6 months until now zero problems

they dont exist no more

mp1 distortions kiks the digitech ones , mp1 chorus litlle retro stile

its been wonder full

after i got new tubes there is no comarison

every show its never let me down

hard to find parts for

The MP-1 is very easy to use. Let me just say, I bought it used, so without a manual, and was playing within 5 minutes.
I find the ease of use, the same as the Marshall JMP-1 and Mesa Boogie triaxis. This is probably true for all non-FX pre-amps.

I already had a marshall JMP-1, and found it to be more than adequate for my use. However, at 200 DM (about $85) I couldn't resist buying The ADA, thinking I could always use it as a backup. At home I hooked the MP-1 parallel to the Marshall JMP-1 by a nobels switcher (guitar input switchable to two outputs(one to MP-1, one to JMP-1)). One output from the marshall went into the left input of my rocktron replifex, and one output from the MP-1 went into the right input of the replifex. The replifex went into my power-amp and from there on it went into a stereo switched Marshall 1960 with vintage celestions. This way I could compare the JMP-1 directly with the ADA, without other differences in equipment (different locations, speakers, power-amps, guitars etc, as I found all can have a huge effect on your sound). It immediately caught my ear that the MP-1 was much more transparent than the JMP-1 at high gain. Compared to the ADA, the JMP-1 sounded like a blanket covered the speaker. However, I must say that until now I only ran it at low volumes, and with an increase of volume, you can also get an increase of your highs. So at high volumes, where the marshall sounds great, the ada may sound to crispy. However, this is an assumption and is therefore untested. (my neighbours would probably get plenty pissed if I tried high volume levels at home) but I'll get back to this in a later review.
The leads at high gain also sounded better on the ADA. Cleans also contained more 'glass' and transparancy than on the JMP-1.
I was impressed by the ADA, and can't wait to test him at high volume levels.
When I ran only the ADA through the speaker, the sound had more body and definition than the JMP-1, although this may be a disadvantage at high-volume levels, it sounds great at low levels.
The sounds I could achieve approached "and justice.." & "Masters of.." by Metallica who if I'm not mistaken also used the ADA MP-1 in that period. In contrast to that I got a very convincing AC/DC\ZZ-top like sound out of the ADA, but I have to add that those can also be achieved with the JMP-1 as well. I also could mimic nearly any Slayer sound, and also got a near perfect SRV-sound.
In counclusion I have to say that it is a very good pre-amp especially for what they cost nowadays. It's too bad ADA is out of business (atleast that's what I heard) because this amp is a winner. Instead of excelling in one sound, it is a good allrounder with 'winners' in several areas.

One more thing, some people complain that it is very noisy at high gain. I haven't noticed that. I might add that good shielded cables and a powerconditioner do wonders for your rack. It might be an investment at first, but the result is that you no longer need a noise-gate. I never believed it too, until I tested the cables and power conditioners myself.

I only have it for 4 days now, but it's a second hand unit, which probably was made in the early 90-s (2.01 software I don't know when it was released??, but ADA had closed their doors somewhere around 95??). If I can assume that the unit is older than 5 years I can say that all inputs and outputs are 'crackle' free, and so are all potis (1 front, 2 back). But since I only have it for a few days, I can't say anything about it. Maybe in two years I'll write another review.

the factory is shutdown, so I wouldn't now.

I like playing any style of music from SRV to Maiden, Slayer to Dream Theater, Dixie Dregs to Death etc.. I find the ADA MP-1 useful for every occasion, as I also find the JMP-1 useful for these occasions.
So I always have a backup these days. If I had to choose between the JMP-1 and the ADA I'd have a hard time deciding.
If it we're stolen I definately would want a replacement, but here in Holland, ADA MP-1's are hard to find. I had to go to Germany to find this one!! I can only say, if you like working with rack-gear and run into an MP-1. BUY IT!! you won't regret it, atleast I didn't. BTW, for the prices these units go for nowadays, you also haven't risked your pension if the unit turns out not to be in pristine condition.
In what you get for what you pay, I'll give it a 10. Because if you want comparable achievement from a pre-amp you'd atleast have to pay anywhere between six-tenfold than what you pay for an ADA MP-1!!

This unit is pretty much straight forward when it comes to the settings. The front panel has a sub-directory above the buttons so that you know which button does what job. Simply push the "Edit" button and you can access all of the variable parameters like overdrive 1, overdrive 2, 3 band EQ, presence, Main gain, chorus, effects loop, and tube/solid state and then push "store" and a number to save. I didn't get a manual when I bought this unit, becuase I bought it used, so I can not comment on that aspect of it. The Midi controller works really well when on "phantom power" and the cord is long enough so that you can set your rig up anywhere and still change your channels. This makes it even easier to access your sound once you've programmed the settings you desire, because the fact that foot controller is divided up into 0-9 buttons with a "bank access" to reach all 128. A blind monkey can run this unit.

The tonal variations for this unit is excellent when compared to price and what one could spend to get a comparable sound. It has 2 12AX7 preamp tubes which provide a warm tube-tone either on clean or distorted channels. It also has solid-state circuitry which will hold it's own if you so desire. Personally I don't use the solid-state distortion and the solid-state clean very little. Either way though, this preamp at least offers that option which is more than can be said of other systems on the market.

When I first began using this preamp I had a Digitech Mosfet poweramp. While it powered the ADA fine, it didn't provide any tonal clarity to the sound I was getting and so the sound suffered. When I bought an ADA Microtube 100 poweramp to go with the MP-1, the tonal sounds came busting through like a freight train! So the MP-1 has the ability to create a variety of sounds with the right set up. You can dial up a Fender-type clean tone to a Marshall-type distortion on the tube set-up. I use the OD1 at 10 and the OD2 at about 5-8 and the master gain as a level control and I seem to get a great distortion sound whether I use humbuckers or single-coils.

BE AWARE though that this preamp only has the 2 preamp tubes so if you want monster saturation for heavy sounds a la Death/Doom metal this won't do it. You'd be better off with a Mesa. I wish though that this preamp at least had that option if I wanted it. You can cut the mids out completely and max the overdrives, but you loose some of the sound and it becomes muddy with no tonal clarity what so ever.

Also there's no reverb to it, which kinda hinders the sound making the whole unit sound too "dry" or "flat".

The built-in chorus to this preamp is a sweet thing to have. It has a monster amount of range and can go from very subtle to heavy tremolo-like. This adds more combinations for the user when coupled with both clean and distorted tones. This kinda offsets the lack of reverb to an extent but not completely.

The eq is fair. The bass, mid, and treble range from -12 to +12 to give a good amount of flexibility. The presence also adds to the tone of the system as well, but it can also make it noisy if you have too much of it. An additional parametric eq is the better way to go, but you can get by with the MP-1's eq alone.

This unit is a noisy bugger to boot. It has an uncanny knack for picking up the natural electric cycle hum from wall sockets. But for me, I don't mind it until I get a suppresor.

I play everything from U2, Live, Metallica, Type O Negative, Tool, Sevendust and the MP-1 seems to be capable to generate a similar replica.

So it's not bad. One or two more 12AX7's wouldn't have hurt for more distortion and something for reverb and I'd give it a 10. The options this puppy has alone makes it a great piece of equipment.

I don't know too many people that can say this about this particular unit: I HAVE BEEN GIGGING WITH THIS UNIT FOR 6+ YEARS WITHOUT A BACKUP AND IT HAS FAILED ONLY ONCE. That failure was within a few months after I bought it, so I sent it to Oakland, CA to have it serviced by ADA. They fixed it up and it's run like a champ ever since. I still play exclusively through this preamp and I plan to continue to do so until it completely dies on me (which may never happen).

I've run this preamp very, VERY hot too and it's never given me a problem, although I don't reccommend it and I use a fan to cool my entire rack. It's been in and out of our tour van for years and it's taken the punishment fine.

When ADA existed and I sent my preamp to be serviced by them the transaction went smoothly. They gave me a customer support ID nubmer that I could call and check up on my unit at my leisure. I was able to speak directly to a tech about my unit, which I thought was really good. They gave me a time frame for estimated repair, an estimation of cost and it was done quickly and sent back to me. They gave me an itemized receipt stating what they fixed and how much it cost. Very good support. It's a shame that they don't exist today though.

So I don't know what to rate them here! Yeah I've dealt with the company, but no they don't exist anymore so repairs will have to be done by a second-hand technician. So I gues I'll give 'em a 5...in between great and poor.

I initially bought this preamp because the fact that Kirk Hammett of Metallica spoke so highly of it years ago in a magazine interview.

I can see why he's so pleased with his unit and still uses it today. I feel the same way about mine. It's very versatile. I can get a clean sound for U2's "ONE" to a heavy sound for Sevendust's "Denial". I have been able to come up with a sound that is good for my own material as well, no matter what the mood setting or the feeling, I can generate it on this preamp.

You can pick these up fairly cheap now and they are well worth it, especially if you get one in great condition.

This unit is far out one of the most simple units I have ever seen !!
I think it easy to create your tone and after a little while you know how to work with this thing and this leaves more time to play!

I think its real good for the kind of music I play (I play in a KISS-cover band) I loved my sound. It's a little noisy ( at high volumes and a lot of distortion) but I have a HUSH II-CX to control and remove the noise. Some months ago I added a BBE Sonic Maximizer to my setup and waaw!!! THIS IS A SOUND!! The ADA and BBE are quite a heel of a team. MY sound was really good before but when you plug in the BBE it's like your speaker is under a caerpet which is suddenly removed.

I have it for over a year now and have no problems. I just bought a second one because I love it and to use it as a backup

I never needed them so far

I really like this device (I bought second one) but this little thing really needs a HUSH and a BBE. Then your on the right track.
My amp is screaming and roaring and I still have a really defined sound night after night after nifgt...

Sound good. Like everybody else said, can be noise, so a noise reduction unit can help a lot. For the price and a little work you can get any tone you like. I have to try new tubes in my unit.

I have combine this pre-amp with a efect proc.(Quadra) and BBE max. And I'm happy with what I hear. Also the big diference was my new Marchall 2x12. That really make diference in my tone. For the price, you can't go wrong with this pre-amp. I'm play diferent kind of music, so I need an amp can change tone easy, and midi is the way. I loking for more imputs to impruve my system, If you have any send an EMAIL at "melaopr@aol.com"

So far, I don't mave any complain.

I never contact them, so I have no idea hoe they are.

I've been plaing with this pre-amp for the last 3.5 years and eveyware I go I have a good imputs about my tone.