Rocktron Piranha Tube Guitar Preamp

This unit is VERY easy to use. I am, and always have been, a fan of knobs, and this one makes it really simple. And to boot, the settings are storable!! There's nothing more frustrating than trying to get that -just right- tone and end up running back and forth between menus on other units I've tried or owned.

I love the sound quality of the Piranha. I read the other reviews here, and tried one and bought it (used) based on them. Most were on the spot, especially the positive ones. I highly recommend the Piranha.

I am using this unit to do direct recording. For that it is a little much on the high end (what isn't), so I use an amp/speaker simulator (the POD on some sounds, and Korg A1 on others) in addition to the speaker simulator available from the balanced output. Really warm tubey sounds abound then.

The only slight drawback was I couldn't get a really fat sound. Come on, you can't get everything in one box though, now can you??! Medium fat and down is great. All I had to do was put a Marshall Gov'nor + before the Piranha and voila, tone fat enough to drive a car on. This is the only thing preventing me from giving it a 10.

So far so good. At this point in time, I don't gig out, so this shouldn't be a problem

I really like the Piranha. If it were stolen or lost, I would get another in a heartbeat, or faster if possible. I tried a number of other units, such as the ADA MP-1,MP-2, Rocktron Ganiac, Peavy Rockmasters, and Marshall JMP-1. This had them beat, hands down.

What do I like about it? The ease of use (read KNOBS), the EQ is great-you can set the midpoint of the cut/boost between about 500 hz to 4400 hz, which gives you considerable control over the tone, and the warm sounds you can get from this unit. I looked long and hard for a unit such as this.

I am using a few different guitars. Mostly my Ibanex USRG30 with DiMarzio Pickups (tone zone - bridge/paf pro - neck).
The Piranha tends to be noisy and the hush circuitry although a good feature tends to let off with an airy noise which I find to be quite annoying. The Piranha tends to sound it's best on Cleans or Super High Gain. It doesn't cover much of the in between range.

This preamp is what I consider to be a mid level pre. It has 2 12AX7 Pre tubes. It is very easy to use and sounds decent, though I am using it in conjunction with a Mesa 50/50 which provides about 75% of the tone.

The Piranha has never let me down as far as needing maintenance. It's worked well 100% of the time that I have used it, whether it be just practicing or using it for gigs.

I have never had the need to contact Rocktron.

As I said before. This preamp is good, but what I would consider mid level. I have played the Marshall JMP, both ADA pre's, a few Peavey Preamps, and it beats all of them, but the Mesa Boogie TriAxis better suits my needs and discriminating ears.

Like the other reviews here have said over and over again-this unit is a breeze to figure out. Copying presets to other presets is a bit cryptic, but not a big problem once you read the manual. Fiddling with the MIDI setup might get a bit dicey, but there's really no need to do that anyway. Just follow the 'Keep it Simple, Stupid' rule of thumb and you'll have no problems.

Well, make it about an 8.999999..., and the reason for that is that it has just the slightest bit of high-end sizzle with a mildly distorted patch. Keep in mind that a) I'm being VERY nit-picky about the tone, and b) I've only had this thing for a little while and haven't had the time to find the 'secret tweak' yet.
All in all, this thing rules across the board, tone-wise. God knows that it's light-years ahead of the totally worthless MP2 that I was playing (check out my review of THAT particular piece of crap-it'll be the most scathing one).
One thing that I have noticed is that this thing really starts to shine in higher-volume situations, i.e. playing in a band situation, rather than in the 'sitting by yourself at nursing-home volume' situation. I've found that in the band setting, I need less gain for the distortion/lead stuff than when I'm alone. Also, try to tweak this thing on the fly when you are in a band situation in order to get the best live tone. Since tweaking is so easy to do with this thing, it makes doing that easy. I'm currently playing opposite someone with a Boogie Mark III, so I have that tone to compare with. It comes very close, especially on the clean stuff.
Speaking of the clean vs. dirty issue that has been addressed in earlier reviews, I'm actually getting a *better* clean tone than a dirty one right now. Like I said, I haven't had a real chance to fiddle with this thing.
One last bit-DO NOT, under any circumstances, judge this unit by the factory presets. It's way better-sounding than that. I don't know why, but that's almost always true of anything in the preamp world. Death, taxes, and crappy factory presets....

This thing seems really sturdy. I have no reason to think it unreliable. Lots of metal and not so much plastic on the thing, too. Gotta love that. So, I'll give it a 9 until it proves otherwise.

Well, I can't really speak for their customer support, as I've not had to deal with them personally, but I can recommend the support that is provided on the website, www.rocktron.com. I bought this thing used, and it came with no manual. I was fully prepared to buy one from Rocktron, so I checked the website looking for the email address. Ten minutes later, I had a .pdf printout of a full manual in my hands. None too shabby. They also have HTML and rich-text formats, if I remember correctly.

The rating choice box calls '10' a fantastic value, and the Pirahna certainly is that. I've been playing for over 15 years, and have had all kinds of gear. This preamp is about as good as it gets, and even at list, price, it's a bargain. I'd buy another one if it got stolen, but I have to admit that it'd be a lot more fun to hunt down and kill the bastard that stole it. Just kidding. I think. LOL.
My one nagging question is, why the hell did they discontinue this thing? It's too good....

This is a one space high voltage midi tube (2-12ax7) preamp. This is only a preamp, no built in effects. The unit is very easy to use. There are three modes; clean, distortion 1 (classic) and distortion 2(modern). Unlike many midi rack units, this one actually has knobs for bass, mid, mid freq, treb, level and gain. All you need to do is pick a mode, turn the appropriate knobs and hit store twice. Doesn't get much easier for rack gear. In addition the unit has a global EQ and Hush (although I don't use the Hush because I generally don't like noise gates because they cut off trailing notes). The global EQ is great for quick changes across all your presets when performing in different sounding rooms. All in all a very easy unit to use.

This unit sounds great. I play Carvin, Ibanez and Peavey Wolfgang guitars and run the Piranha through a Mesa 2:90 power amp and a Digitech 2120 (Through the loop of the Piranha, used for effects only) and out to 2 4x12 cabs. I had used a Marshall JMP1 for the past 6 years and still own that unit also. I really liked the JMP1 for the Marshall gain sound, but found the unit to be weak for clean and mild distortion tones. I've tried various other preamps over the past few years looking for a more versatile unit to replace the JMP1 with (including the Triaxis), but did not find another preamp that gave me a high gain sound I liked better than the JMP1 and was more versatile (I didn't like the gain sounds on the Triaxis as much as the Marshall). I picked up the Piranha used based on the reviews here and I'm glad I did. The Piranha is very versatile and sounds particularly good on mild distortion tones (a weak point on the JMP1). Another thing that I love about the Piranha is the dynamics of the unit. You can roll back the volume knob of the guitar and the unit cleans up very nicely (the JMP1 just became dark and muddy). The clean sounds aren't as good as a Fender or Roland JC120, but are significantly better than the JMP1. The cleans especially sound good when running single coils through it and sounds very Stratty when doing so. What surpised me the most is the gain sounds on the unit. They are superb. The unit has significantly more gain than the JMP1, and none of my presets have the gain level cranked all the way up, and it still has sustain for days. While the JMP1 had basically that one great high gain Marshall sound, the Piranha seems much more versatile even in the high gain sounds. You can get a good Marshall type tone, or a very convincing Soldano type tone or Rectifier type tone, etc. The EQ is extremely powerful, and the Mid Frequency control (allows you to chose the mid frequency to boost or cut) gives you much more flexibility and enables you to customize you sounds more than other preamps I have used. I've been using the preamp live now for about 3 months. The EQ is so powerful that it took me a number of shows before I was able to tweak all the sounds to exactly where I want them. One thing I do miss about the JMP1 is the effects loop level. The JMP1 allowed you to change the effects level for each preset. The Piranha allows you to change the effects loop level, but only for all presets. I compensate for this using dry/wet levels in my effects unit, but this is one feature I wish the Piranha had, hence a 9.

I bought my unit used several months ago. I've used it for a number of shows and it has performed flawlessly up to this point. I don't believe I've owned it long enough for an accurate rating in this category though.

Never dealt with them.

I play a mixture of modern, classic and hard rock (Creed / VH / Metallica / Rage / Limp / Aerosmith, etc) and this unit covers it all extremely well. I like this unit better than both the JMP1 (owned for 6 years) and the Triaxis (demoed and used live for 30 day trial). One unit that I haven't tried but heard great things about is the Hughes and Kettner Access, however out of all the units I have used, I personally like this the best. I found the Triaxis to be very versatile, but the gain sounds didn't suit my tastes, the JMP1 I find to have that one great Marshall high gain sound, but is not very versatile for clean and mild distortion tones (or even for other high gain sounds). For the cost that these are selling for used, this is a great choice for a dedicated tube preamp based on versatility and most importantly tone.

depends how u define easy. if u mean learning what all the knobs are for & learning midi, it's a peice of cake. but unless you're experienced in the studio, it might take someone (such as me) a long, hard while to get used to the sweepable mids and to get the exact sound u want.

the piranha goes into the effects loop of a solid state peavey (pre-transtube)

sparkly, crystalline, cleans. not a fender (can't even match the hot rod series), but it beats anything else i've tried.

this preamp's overdrives sound like it's coming from an all-tube head. fat, crunchy, full, dynamic distortion w/ complex harmonics. i still use a boss dual overdrive because sometimes u want that solid state sound.

it's great at the in between thing too.

seems like it's a sherman tank. didn't have it too long.

it took them 4 weeks to answer a question about the signal being louder when effects loop is engaged and a question about their website. by e-mail.

but at least they answered.

because tone is everything.

This thing can copy "almost" any sound. I've heard problems with the clean but to be honest you have to follow the advice of the guys below. Basically set up your clean sounds first and then your OD sounds. This is the same principle you need with the Chameleon. The clean tones will give you a close twin/boogie clean but not quite a Hiwatt. But hey what else but a Hiwatt will!! The OD will give you anything, just play with the thing until you are happy.
I've been playing for years (17 or so) and have Marshall Park hiwatt and orange amps in the vintage arena. I also have had boogie carvin fender peavey marshall in newer kit. I'm sure that the valves add that valve tone pretty well and i'm happy to gig with this instead of carrying my heads around.

See below

Never had a problem with any rocktron kit

I've always had swift response to questions though never had to deal with a repair

Like i said set up your cleans first and then you can balance out your switching between each patch.
I use to use the chameleon but got sick of editing my patches in a live situation. This thing is no problem and although it doesn't sound quite as full as the chameleon (which i think is the best processor on the market) it is very close.
I'd buy another if this got stolen.
I'm pretty picky about my sound and as I have a number of vintage amps and have had a number of newer models it has alot to live up to. It eats the digitech stuff, keeps up with the tri axis and at used prices of $300-400 you can't go wrong

Just about as easy as tweaking an amp's settings...
I didn't have the user's manual and, frankly, it isn't necessary for programming that beast.
The only trouble was setting the MIDI channel, since those dip-switches aren't excatly user-friendly.

My axe is a Fender Classic Floyd Rose Strat loaded with EMG pickups, and I'm using it with a Mashall 8008 power amp (I know it sucks, but I'm willing to replace it soon for a Boogie 50/50) and 1922 cab (sucks too, to be replaced by 2 Boogie 1x12's), plus an Alesis Quadraverb GT (sucks also! to be replaced too...) and it is kickin' ass!
I'm in a cover band playing funk, rock, jazz and soul, so I needed a preamp that is very versatile, offering both hi-gain lead tones and crystal-like clean sounds, and the Piranha has it all! The tubes are especially efficient, offering that touch of dirt that helps make clean sounds sparkle, and that gives those singing lead tones I was looking for (sounds very american, which doesn't bother me)...
Moreover, I have used its direct XLR outputs, and got a monitor sound that was better than the one I had through my power amp and cab. No comment...

I've been gigging quite a couple of times using this unit and never ever had a problem... The Piranha is bullet-proof. Period.

I sent them a mail requiring support on the MIDI programming of my Piranha, and got an answer under 24 hours. It was really nice (especially compared to some other companies) and really helpful. These guys rule !!!

The Piranha preamp is by far the best unit in that range of price. His true competitors (Boogie Triaxis, Soldano X99,...) are by far more expensive (who said unaffordable???!), so I think it's the best bargain possible...
The only drawback is the really weak MIDI part... I need to modify the MIDI mapping and probably will have to start some heavy editing on my foot controller...

Anyway, it has both ease of use, great sounds and instant efficiency.
A must have, definitely !

This is just as easy to use as any amp head. Just tweak eq, gain,
etc. by twisting knobs on front. They're heavy steel and have a great feel to them! In playing situations I often find that I'm looking for a slight (or drastic) modification to my tone. I can
just twist the knobs, save to a new bank, and then A/B. Normal amps cant do this! I've owned a PV Rocktron, ADA MP-1, Rocktron Pro Gap, and a Hafler Triple Giant (which the Piranha replaced) and the interface is better than all of those. The only substantial improvement would be to have separate display windows to simultaneously display all parameters.

My rack is simple with just the Piranha and a Roland GP-100. I use the Piranha in one of FX loop of the GP-100. It is "movable" so I can put any of the effects either before or after the Piranha in the chain, or turn off the Piranha and use one of the built in sounds. The signal is sent directly to a Fender 40 watt Hot Rod Deluxe 1-12 (bypassing the preamp.) My guitar is an Ibanez S540-fm with Dimarzio Tone Zone/Norton pickups.

A couple of things have amazed me about the sounds I can get from the Piranha. First, the sweepable mid eq allows me to achieve an incredible array of tones, more than any other pre-amp I have used. It is almost as if this is "many" preamps. Second, I have been able to achieve and surpass the tones I was getting from the Bogner Triple Giant. They sound just as "big" and "open". (headroom?) Yet can be dialed in more exactly. Third, changes in gain for a particular EQ setting do not change the tone. This was a problem I had with the Triple Giant. I can now back off the gain for a particular patch and have the same vibe. The Piranha is useful across the range of gain from high to low, unlike the MP-1, and Rockmaster whose mid-to-low gain settings sounded weak.

Some reviewers have said that they were unable to get the heaviest most vile distortions like Pantera, etc. Note that the unit has no "prescence" knb. The unit oozes high frequencies which with the right amp/speaker setup will get these styles. I attenuate them with Tube Warmth, open cab, and a prescence cut at the power section which give me a smoother lead voice. Smart design, the Piranha, you'll see.

Personally the sounds I reach for are Progressive, cranked Mid EVH stuff. This unit is right up my alley but I bet any musican could take his favorite guitar/amp and dial in his perfect tone for his style. I'm not kidding. Even country. (For those of you who already own this unit, try wierd experiments like moving the Mid into the treble range and chopping the treble, then subtract like 7 or 10 from eacch band and roll back the guitars tone all the way. It's scary but what you'll get will be another useful sound like from a differnt amp. Putting all bands in the negative range to my ear introduces midrange "honk" and the thinng starts to sound like a PV, as oposed to other setting which are more Marshall, Mesa, etc. Amazing.)


As an added benefit, for those of you who know they will never again play a high gain rig without HUSH, the Piranhas got that too. And programmable by patch. Before this, I had a HUSH IICX in the chain and thats a pain in the ass, always having to worry about leveling the patches to work with the threshold. Also, I got to kick that IICX out of my rack along with the(I hear dissention) BBE-362. Less effects loading. My tone is awesome, pristine, incredibly versatile, and the size of a briefcase. Thanks Rocktron!

Rocktron is a thriving company that stands behind their products. This thing (as said) is a tank. I have not had any problems getting the top off to get at teh tubes. You need the right tool tho.

They have a very progressive Web Site.

Kicks ass. Perfect tone. Great interface. Incredibly versatile. I dont think I'll ever need to buy another piece of rack gear. Ever. I laugh at the Mesa Boogie Snobs paying $1200 for a Tri-Axis. Also, even though I swore by the Tone of the Bogner Triple Giant for years, the Piranha has got the same "hugeness/openness/clarity", and is more versatile, programmable, etc. BTW I sold that thing to some guy named Chris. . .

Yikes, almost forgot! When I added the Piranha to the rack, a ground loop was introduced. (Slight low level humming whose volume was independent of the output level) This would not be a problem if you were always playing relatively loud. The loop is between the Fender Hot Rod and the Piranha. An EBTECH "Hum Eliminator" (that I keep in the back cavity of the amp) solved the problem but I do not really understand it. I have not had the time to try the Piranha with other amps although at the Guitar Center Phoenix, AZ (thanks Tim) amp there was no problem.

Dimebag Darrel could figure this out.

I was ready to sell mine because I couldn't get a satifactory clean sound.Then I read the submission on this page dated 6/5/98 and dug it out of the garage,turned the gain down to three on factory setting#3,and maxed the volume.Voila!The sound compares to the clean sound in my Hafler Triple Giant,which is the best I ever heard.A bit less complexity perhaps,but close as dammit.Thanks Chris!The distorted sounds need to be turned down to a comparable volume as pointed out,and you may want to goose the front panel gain to taste.Oh and adjust the global threshold for the Hush (if you use it).

No problems.Toured for two years with it.

The guys at Rocktron are sweethearts.They have always sent me free extra knobs,controls etc whenever I needed them.However,this episode begs the question,who programs their sounds?The presets on the Piranha and my Replifex are universally shite.They are based in Michigan,so sounds travelling from the East coast would take what?15 years?Sack the Big hair guy.

This thing has got you covered for most kinds of music other than Pantera type stuff.I consider the best of the midi preamps other than my Hafler of course ,and that only does channel switching by midi.I wish you could program the Fx mix like on the Marshall,'cause the replifex is not transparent at all!

Dead easy .Loads of knobs.no scrolling.Even a sad of vintage gear fogie could use it.Probably a bit compicated for the brit-poppers though.!

Okay so far ive had ,digitech GSP2101 -broke 3 times,will never touch digitech stuff again,peavey transfex-way too hissy,Marshall "no gaiN" JMP-1 and a peavey rockmaster which is great but not midi.
I use this for dokken/lynch soft/hard rock style stuff and also metallica covers.It is the best sounding preamp on the market without haviong to sell your gran! the parametric mid is a godsend.Try scooping the mids on your JMP-1 hahahah!
The hush is excellant.
I use this with a velocity power amp(transisters) and an fx unit in a 4u rack.I also own JCM900 and 800 and this will do what they can and loads more.This unit is now being replaced with the prophesy so second hand is a giveawaY!

Metal case and its rocktron.Internal power supply as well.Weighs a ton.I cant se any problems.Unlike digitech crap.I cant believ the amount of complaints on here regarding digitech,i hope they read this site and sort there lives out!

never talked to them

for rock and metal this is the best preamp cept maybe a triaxis which i havent tried .forget JMP-1s and digi-junk.