Atomic Amps Reactor 112 Combo

Brand new. Use it with my PodXT. Features have been described in detail before. One thing that is missing is a headphone-out that you connect to the headphone-out of the XT.
And maybe a standby-switch?

I play in a rather rocky bluesband with my Epi LesPaul Custom with Gibson T-490 and 498.
The sounds themselves are just anbelievable round and warm at any vole from zero to three quarters. For sounds alone I would give a 20 out of 10 if there weren't two negative effects:
- the tubes rattle quite loud whenever I play a note around D, regardless of the amp type and at virtually any volume. That should be fixable with higher quality tubes though.
- the other issue is more complex: I realised that when connected to the Atomic, my Pod gave a horrible feedback-like sound at higher volumes, even if I was just using the XT via headphones. That means when the Atomic is turned off, the XT gets power from the normal XT-power supply, but all the connections are to the Atomic are made, that horrible squeaky-sound is there, even via headphones. When amplified via the Atomic, that sound was also there and made it kind of unusable. I first experimented with the input-cable and then figured that if I use the input of the XT directly (instead of taking the "detour" through the atomic), there is no more squak at all. So I drilled a whole for a socket into the XT template, connected the socket to the inputof the XT and now everything is just so wonderful!!! And I did the same by the way to create a socket for the headphones.

I mainly use the P-Ball model for the rough sounds and the Vox AC-30 model for the clean sounds. And as mentioned before, apart from the rattling tubes it is just heavenly, superb, wonderful!

If you don't mess with the connectors between the XT-holder and the chassis too often there is not much that can break. Changing tubes will be a pain though, because you need to disconnect six electic connections, and take out the chassis, which is a bit fiddly. Build quality seems ok though.

I sent an email to atomic and had the answer one day later - brilliant, I hope it will stay like this as the company grows!

Been playing for 20years. Will use the atomic as stage monitor for me and go from the right channel into the PA for the big noise.
The charming thing of this setup is that it is soooo easy. Gitar, cable, atomic, floorboard. Very quick to set up and tear down.

As somebody wrote earlier: "It just makes your PodXT come alive"

This is a 1x12 Tube combo amp originally made for running a Line6 PODxt, or Vox Tonelab through. Basically it has a docking bay that the modelers just plug into. The nice thing about it though is.. that it not only works as a guitar amp, but it works nicely as a small scale bass amp as well. The Line6 Bass PODxt fits just like the guitar version, just plug it into a separate docking bay and you now have a convertable amp capable of playing out bass lines for days, or swap back and now your playing guitar rifs. :)

The amp itself is 18 watts of tube power, basiclly like having a 50-60 watt amp sound wise. It's closed back, so its very thumpy, and tones come out very clear and crisp.. miles of tone here.

At this juncture, I've only used a custom Carvin LB20 with passive pickups.. but.. whoa..its just so sweet. The PODxt is capable of dialing in pretty much any tone you want, the Atomic Reactor just makes it big and fat and thumpy.. :)

Granted, this is not a big honkin amp stack, so its not going to blow out a huge room, but if your venue is small, like a jazz club, a church, or coffee bar .. or even recording studio where your mic'ing the cab.. this is the amp for you. Also, you don't need a Pod for this to work.. if your using another Pre.. it will work, just stack it on top. A nice tube pre like the Presonus TubePre sounds really nice through this amp.

I've had this amp cab for about 4 months of live shows and dragging it around, it works. The amp cab is a little big for the available tote cases so its gotten a little dinged up but that doesn't affect the sound at all.

Tom King the CEO of Atomic called my house to discuss the migration to the Bass Pod.. how much better can Customer Support be?? The Atomic Reactor is a little hard to find because the big boys out there tend to burry it, but if you search the net you can find a vendor. Let me say that the search will be worth it.

Overall, this is an awesome combo amp. The ability to swap between guitar and bass saves me a tone of space as it gets rid of the need for an amp rig for each instrument. Basically if your a giging or recording musician and you want a reliable rig .. this is the way to go. If you need a big stack.. ?? get more of them as you can gang them.
You simply can't beat the tone and flexability for the price!

Killer amp to use with a pod or pod xt or tonelab-if you have the pod or tonelab without the footswitches, you plug it right in to the amp (and it's appropriate template) and you don't need ANY extra cables or power supplies! Who could ask for more? In addition, it has two line outs to feed the PA and a second atomic for stereo routing.

The Amp sounds fabulous with all of the modelers-even the old pod, in my opinion. The best part is that the atomic provides you with that power soak which breaks up your clean channel sound slightly when you push it-just like a vintage tube amp.

Amp looks to be very sturdy, and the tubes are safely positioned so that you cant knock or shake them if you tried!

Here's why im writing this article-TOM KING WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY with his amplifier. When I first inquired about the atomic, I sent an email to the company and received a phone call from him 5 minutes later. We spoke for an hour about the unit, and how it would be used with my assorted preamps. Later, when I realized that I needed a slightly louder amp to fill larger venues, Tom responded immediately and we spoke about several options, INCLUDING ONE IN WHICH HE DROVE TO MY HOUSE TO TRY OUT! Thanks to Tom, we worked out the situation. You couldn't possibly find a company with more devotion to their product.

I've been playing 13 years, and have a ton of gear and amp modellers. No amp makes those units (Pod, etc.) sound as good as this one does. Unless you need one sole amp to play an entire stadium, this amp's your ticket. THANKS TOM!

2005 Atomic Reactor, 112 combo. As you know, a slave amp for an amp modeler. Ergo, not many features... However, dual outs for stereo!

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks! If you are a Podpeople, then you NEED one of these. They are AWESOME. Makes the modeler warm, round, tube-ish.

I love my PODxt and usually played through powered speakers or headphones -- but I have been aching for the POD through an amp, with the round, warm tones of the analog world. The Atomic Reactor achieved the goal, in spades. Brings the modelor to life. Lots of bass. Nice and loud, sounds like a 30 watt tube amp. It is, literally, as versatile as the modeler used.

Build really, really well. Sexy.

This is what I have been wanting from the first day I bought my PODxt. I stumbled onto this amp in a little music store in Oregon and went to this site and started the research. Everything I have read has been positive, and for good reason. This slave tube amp takes your digital sound and gives it the warm, tube sound that you want, while keeping true to the reporduced amp from the modelor. And they make it so that no matter how the modelers evolve, you can upgrade and still use the Reactor with it. Loud, mean, $500. Schweet.

-Basically an 18 watt combo that sounds a heck of a lot more like a 50 beast!
-Closed back cabinet!!!! This is what I wanted most. I hate the mid sound that an open back combo makes.
-tube power amp section. A huge plus when using any modeller.
-cooling fan for tubes - great idea and well placed in the amp itself.
-easy to install your favorite modeller with adapter plates.
-multiple uses and an very unique concept.

Well....it's taken me this long to find my sonic heaven. I've found it. Recently I purchased a Valvetronix AD120 VTX. While an excellent modelling amp in it's own right, I found it to be cheaply built with extraordinarily cheap parts in it. I developed a volume drop problem that wasn't easily duplicated....you know the story, you take it back to the dealer, problem doesn't happen, etc. Well, this time it did and they gave me the option of a refund or credit. I took a look around the store and tried several tube amps. I was previously turned off by the Line 6 stuff due to the awful sound that my HD147 was putting out pre-Vox purchase. I stayed away from anything Line 6. However, my search went on.

I tried one of the new Krank amps. High gain, my arse. No where near the hype created from their advertisement. Triple Recto...very nice....way too many tubes for maintenance and I didn't want the weight of carrying a cabinet around with me. Marshall....nothing even remotely worth considering at this time.

Then...I saw this little Atomic 112. I looked again at it with much curiousity. I didn't realize my dealer was carrying them. I had seen them in various publications but hadn't heard it. So, I took a chance and tried it out with something I was familiar with, a Vox Tonelab. A decent modeller but limited. Still, I was literally blown away by the amount of clarity and bottom end that this amp transmitted from a modelling setup.

So, I ended up taking home the Atomic and a brand new Podxt. I liked many of the heavier tones on the Pod a bit more as well as the cabinet modelling and the USB connection for my computer. It works flawlessly and perfectly.

I hooked everything up and YUCK....sounded like crap. What the? So....this was a case when one should actually READ the modeller manual. I checked the output settings and sure enough I had set it to an improper parameter. I switched it and whamo....back to heaven.

I can't say enough about this little amp. I'm going to be having a lot of fun with it discovering new sounds and enjoying the warmth it produces! I'm still having a hard time believing it is only 18 watts but again, 18 tube watts is a lot more than 18 solid state watts.

I'm very happy with this purchase. While nothing is perfect, it does deserve a full 9!

This is much to early to tell so I'll keep this rating at no opinion. The amp seems to be constructed very well with metal corners and rubber and metal bumps on the bottom and sides of the amp.

Again, no comment here as I haven't had to use it. Warranty is 5 years (less tubes) which seems very solid.

Overall this is a very unique product which will allow you to update or change modellers as technology changes. A great idea, indeed. With the popularity of the POD product, it's doubtful Line 6 would change the overall shape of it. Now, with their updates online, it seems they'll be offering flashes for a fee at some point, which is reasonable.

The main thing about this amp is the sound you get out of your modeller. Warm, clear and very authentic.....I've always had a problem with Line 6 amps due to the fact that on a heavier setting when you crank the bass, the amp farts. With the Atomic into the chain, the problem is gone for good. I'm set for a long time!

Not applicable, since it is an "opinionless" amplifier for digital modelers.

I play a variety of styles (everything from metal, blues, jazz), using a Schecter C1 Classic as the primary guitar and a Schecter PT Custom as a backup. The POD XT really comes to life through this amp. The Atomic gives a richness of tone that I have otherwise only heard through headphones. It gives a touch sensitivity that I have not found available through any other amplifier application (though I have not run through a tube power amp before). My only critique is that the amp seems very directional - tone clarity changes quite markedly when one moves away from the speaker. Not a big concern, but it seems quite pronounced given my other experiences with amps.

Hard to say, given that I have only had the amp for about three weeks. It seems very solidly built. I had one problem with the docking station (see the customer support section below), but it appears to have been fixed. Noticed some "tube rattle" when I had the amp on the floor; this went away with some patch tweaking and the use of an amp stand (which I usually use anyway).

I had emailed Atomic when I wanted to find the product in Canada. I got quick replies and updates. When I got the amp home and found a problem with the docking station cutting out intermittently, I emailed Atomic and Tom King emailed me back within an hour! We had a telephone conversation during which he diagnosed the likely problem. He sent a replacement part immediately and I was able to switch the part myself with ease. It appears to have solved the problem (just did it yesterday, so haven't moved the amp much). YOU CANNOT BEAT SERVICE AND SUPPORT LIKE THIS! FIRST CLASS!

This amp does everything that the company promotes. It requires some significant tweaking of the patches I am using, largely due to the surprising amount of bass response - the ported cabinet really booms! It's plenty loud enough for my uses; if I run into volume issues, I would mic it anyway (direct outs are still possible). If something happened to this amp, I would replace it in a second. The warm, rich tones available from this amp are awesome. I use a lot of crunch and distorted tones, but I am especially pleased with how the clean tones warm up with the Atomic.

Impossible to rate since it only has a power button, input jack, and effects loop. Nice and simple. No volume knob and no EQ.

I am using an Epiphone LP Custom with EMG 81 & 89 pickups and a PodXT Live.

This amp was recommended by Line 6 when I asked them why they do not make a simple amp for someone with an effects modeller. I am incredibly happy with this amplifier. It is 18 watts of tube power and definitely loud enough to be heard over drums and bass.

This amp was designed to work with a modeller and it does so very well. There is no noise from the amp, which is basically at full volume all the time, and the PodXT Live works very well. I can get a very nice clean sound with the single coil and an insane distortion with the humbuckers. It will deal with anything the POD dishes out.

I have only owned the amp for a month so I can not rate this area. I can not see much going wrong with it though, especially being a closed back.

I emailed Atomic from their website and Tom King (President) called me back the next day! I live in Canada and wanted to know where I could try one out.

I have also emailed Tom and he replies every time.

I have been playing for about 11 years total and this is the first tube amp I have owned. I would definitely replace it if lost or stolen and I am considering purchasing another one for stereo sound, or maybe the Reactor 212.

It would be nice if the amp had a standby switch.

I have tried other tube amps while jamming and I do not hear a difference between mine and other, more expensive, amps. I chose this amp for two reasons; it is designed to work with my PodXT Live but still give the tube amp "feel", and I did not have to repurchase all the effects that most other amps seem to have now.

The Docking system lets you hot-swap modelers. No need to power-off the amp. Very "gig-friendly" and gives you a stunning aray of tone options. Left and Right send jacks allow stereo operation. Feet on bottom as well as side so it can stand vertically when necessary, a very handy feature when floor space gets tight.

The stellar feature of this amp is how wonderful it sounds with digital modelers.

I am using a Variax 300 and a PODxt Live with my reactor 112. THe sound is nothing short of fantastic. The day I got it I played a dozen notes and was stunned at how good it sounds. I had never heard my Variax/POD sound so incredibly real and open. It is very quiet and has the feel or a boutique amp.
The Atomic has loads and loads of bottom end. With a high quality 12" speaker and a well designed ported cabinet (it is not a passive radiator design as reported on some web reviews) one would expect the good bass performance. What the Atomic Reactor delivers somewhat unexpectedly is superh hi frequency response. The Variax acoustic models don't sound good on a typical electric guitar amp. Like the guitars they are based on, they need the hi end of an acoustic amp. But the Atomic Reactor makes them sound great. Plenty of air and hi end shimmer on the acoustic models. I was quite happily surprised at this acoutic amp sort of performance. It makes the Reactor extremely versatile.

And the specs are not a good guide to judge this amp. It plays very very loud and retains it's openness and air when played at very high volume. Just ask my neighbors if you don't believe me. ;-)

Had it a few weeks. So good so far. Construction quality is great. it is rugged and looks to be quite relaible.

I have had no need to contact support

I have played 38 years. I have 2 electrics, 1 hybrid. and 2 acoustic guitars as well as several other instruments.

The on/off switch serves as the pilot light. It is recessed into the cabinet so unless the amp is sitting below your line of sight, then you won't be able to see it at a glance. Not a big problem, really, but the only one I can think of. The Tolex covering is a very attractive leather grain.

If stolen, I'd certainly buy it again. I don't know of another amp with this performance for $499. It's a great value. This amp produces amazing sound first and last. That is the reason for it's existence. I guess my old amp is going to be retired now. After listening to the Atomic Reactor a while, I can't bear the sound of my old one. The Reactor has spoiled me that much.

The new Atomic Reactor valve amp 1 x 12" amp for digital modelers. I use it the reactor with a Boss GT6 for live performance. This Reactor holds is own live and you would never know it's only a 1x12.

I use the Reactor with several guitars and styles of music. I really draw all my tones from my GT6, but the reactor colors the tones and brings them to life. It's perfect fit for processor sound enhancement.

So far it has been as solid as a rock. I gig with it and lug it all over the place and have had no issues. It weighs as much as most 2 x 12's, so it's built solid.

Customer support is AWESOME!!!! I e-mailed Atomic and asked how to hook up my GT6 to the amp and asked for a copy of the owners manual. The same night I sent my email I received a reply from the president of the company. He gave me a manual and told me how to hook up my GT6. Now that's AWESOME!!!

I've been playing for 28 years and I've been searching for tone since the day I picked up a guitar and I really feel like I finally found the right combination. People looking into this product must remember it will only sound as good as you know how to use your modler. If you don't know the how to use your modler you might as well go buy an all inclusive amplifier that will cost you $1000.00 plus. For the money and the tone the Atomic Reactor will hold it own.

This is an 18Watt Tube amp manufactured in 2005. The Atomic reactor is awesome, great tone and increadible volume. This 18Watt amp is up there with the 300+ watts of my Vetta II. WOW! This amp is just that.. a basic combo amp geared to utilize your own PODxt, POD, V-Amp, Tonelab, or other preamp. I utilize this amp for onstage at church, and coffee bar settings, great for home studio as well.

I really really wish this cab had its own master volume, and it would be really nice to have the outs be isolated DI type XLR connectors instead of the 1/4" jacks, maybe utilize neutrik connectors or something..?? It could be just a wee bit smaller in size as its just 1 1/2" too wide for the padded Gator 1x12 combo tote.

The tone from this cab is awesome. The PODxt I utilize for toting was very thin sounding running though a 150watt PA with 2 1x12" mains. The EL84's really warm up the sound a lot. Granted your limited to the sounds of your modeler .. however this amp brings a lower end PODxt very very close to the same tone/sound quality as a Vetta II, although you only have a single amp model available to you.. where the Vetta II gives you two. Pretty much every person in my band is really impressed by the quality of tone, volume of sound, and the acutal responsiveness of the cab itself. Thumbs up Atomic!!! Way to go!!

I use Godin LG guitars, Gibson Les Paul guitars, and some of my band members utilize Fender Tele guitars.. ALL of these sound great through this configuration. I did notice some tone quality differience between the POD 2.0 which they had at the store (plugged into my amp), vs the PODxt that I plugged in. The POD 2.0 was not quite as good tone wise.. but after reading reviews on Line 6 site.. its the models, not the amp causeing the differience.

Clean tones.. oh yeah.. very clean all the way up the volume knob! I did get some pickup buzz on a single coil guitar.. but only at high pot volume. Lots of Tube saturation .. just like a tube amp is supposed to do!! :) Basically.. I'm selling the Vetta II and keeping the Atomic Reactor!!

So far it seems to be quite durable. I had a little trouble with the docking module as the amp I bought was the demo at the store.. so it had been plugged in a few times. A jiggle here and there and it fit back together ok. However.. they sell these docs separately.. so I'm guessing they figured that they might wear out over time. They are available though.

The 112 is just a slight bit too large to fit in Gators padded/wheeled amp tote, so it will probably get beat up as I gig with the fold up hand truck tote.

I sent an email to the company with lots of questions, however never heard back from them. Then again.. I haven't had any problems with the amp so far, so I suppose it doesn't matter until I really need to contact someone.

I've been playing guitar since the 70's. Currently my favorite guitars are the Godin LG SP90 & Quad Hotrail models, as well as the Gibson Les Paul Standard guitars. Prior to getting the Atomic Reactor I've been using a Line 6 Vetta II combo, but it was just too large to tote to gigs on a regular basis. The Reactor was the perfect solution for recording and live needs.

If my Atomic Reactor were lost/stolen yes, I would definitely purchase one again. I love the responsiveness of this amp, and the warm tone. The only thing that sits funny, not really hate, but is the fact that the cab size is just a bit off from most other 1x12 combo amp sizes.. making it difficult to match up with accessories.

I compared the Reactor with the Line 6 Vetta II, granted the PODxt is using similar models and I only get a single model at a time.. the Atomic reactor vs the Vetta II is a very close compare. However based upon the bulkiness of the Vetta, I'm keeping the reactor and selling the Vetta.

I wish the Reactor had isolated XLR DI jacks on the back with/or instead of its line outs. A master gain pot might be nice as well.

The Atomic Reactor is only 18 watts.. however, its got big sound. Like I've stated above.. it definitely rivals the Vetta II combo. I'll bet the 2x12 cab probably blows the doors off the Vetta for sure. Did I mention the very warm tone!! :)