“Bridging the gap between digital rigs and real valve amps”: Victory says its new PowerValve 2000 is a better companion for your amp modeler than any FRFR cab could ever be

Victory Amplification has unleashed the PowerValve 200, a 200-watt solution for those wanting to enjoy an even more authentic tube-like feel and response from their amp modelers.

Modelers such as the Neural DSP Quad Cortex have huge pulling power for their versatility and transportability, but making the switch from tube amps comes at a cost: you miss out on the 'pushing air' feeling, and the tangible response of playing through a physical amp.

FRFR (full-range, flat-response) cabinets are often seen as the solution, projecting your digital tones through a neutral-sounding speaker that lets cab sims and impulse responses shine without unnecessary coloration.

British amp-builder, Victory, however, argues the PowerValve 2000 is a better route, because FRFR speakers don’t push air quite like a traditional cab due to the lack of any actual tube stages. The PowerValve 2000, by comparison, lets you tap into that phenomenon by making your modeler compatible with regular guitar cabs thanks, in part, to its added tube stage.

See this little box, then, as the connector between digital and analog worlds. As Victory puts it, it is “bridging the gap between digital rigs and real valve amps”.

Essentially, it looks to give any rig that’s sans an actual amp the same feel and performance as... well, an actual amp. Only it promises to do that better than any alternative out there.

“Extensive testing with leading modellers confirmed that running digital rigs through the PowerValve 200 into a traditional guitar cabinet restores the harmonic richness, feedback, and dynamic response that players expect from a real amplifier,” Victory says.

The PowerValve 2000’s diminutive form – its zinc-plated steel chassis measures 130mm x 300mm x 295mm and weighs 2.4kg – also aims to keep live rigs as slim as possible.

And for one extra box to lug about, Victory promises plenty of benefits, including richer harmonics, an improved touch sensitivity, and more dynamic range under the fingers.

Its front panel is kept simple, with Resonance, Body, and Presence controls, and parameters for Input Gain, Output Level, and Headphones. Finally, there's a switchable Cab Sim on/off, and the valve stage of the box can also be bypassed for a completely transparent signal path.

All New PowerValve 200 | Bridging the Gap Between Digital Rigs and Real Valve Amps - YouTube

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Output options include 200W into 4Ω, 100W into 8Ω, and 50W into 16Ω, which, along with headphone compatibility, makes for a healthy stack of variety.

“Players told us they still wanted to feel a guitar speaker cabinet moving air on stage — something that doesn’t quite happen with FRFR cabinets,” says Victory’s Chief Designer, Martin Kidd. “The subtle harmonic content generated by a valve stage creates slight asymmetry in the waveform – and that’s where the feel comes from.”

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“The PowerValve 200 genuinely exceeded our expectations,” beams Neural DSP's Head of Global Sales, Ryan Morgan, who was on hand to test the PowerValve 2000. “The response, feel, and tone – especially when paired with the Quad Cortex – were outstanding. With the flip of a switch, the added tube stage delivers an immediate improvement to the signal. This is a seriously impressive piece of kit.”

The Victory Amplification PowerValve 2000 is available now for $599. There is also a companion Victory LB Cab available for $499, but it is pairable with any cabinet.

See Victory Amps for more.