Guitar World Verdict
Power amps are simple things, and the Victory Powervalve 200 is simply good at what it does. For those who want to bring some tube feel, warmth, and the visceral tone of a real guitar cab to their digital rigs, this is the perfect way to do so.
Pros
- +
Real tube feel that adds some warmth to digital modeling.
- +
Compact for a tube-equipped power amp.
- +
An input level meter that makes it easy to work the tube to the sweet spot of compression.
- +
A quality UK build.
Cons
- -
Few will get use from the cab sim or VRC switch.
- -
It's not really very pedalboard-friendly in size.
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What is it?
Victory’s new PowerValve 200 aims to solve this problem. It’s a power amp that allows us to utilize a traditional guitar cab with our digital rigs, whilst making use of a real tube (an EF91) to add potentially some of that tube feel and warmth. Perhaps opening the digital world to the analog inclined.
The PowerValve 200 is a tube/solid state hybrid, designed primarily to work with a digital pre-amp from your modeler of choice. But, if you happen to be using one of Victory’s V4 series of valve-driven preamps, or something like the Tone King Imperial Preamp, this could be the ideal way to get those tones into a real cabinet, too.
Featuring Resonance, Body, and Presence controls for some EQ tweaking, Input Gain, Output Level, and Headphone dials to control levels, an on-board cab sim, and a Valve React Circuit (more on this later), it’s your standard power amp with a couple of extras.
A tube/solid state hybrid power amp, designed to work with a digital pre-amp from your modeler of choice
I/O follows suit, with a ¼” balanced input, ¼” speaker output, ⅛” headphone output, XLR cab sim output, and an IEC socket for power.
Personally, I am frequently switching between modelled tones and real tube amps depending on the requirements of the gig. While I am happy in both worlds, there are differences between the two experiences in terms of feel and sound. If the PowerValve 200 does what it claims to do, it may well narrow that gap.
Specs
- Launch price: $599 | £499 | €579
- Type: Class D power amp
- Origin: UK
- Output: 200W RMS into 4 Ohms, 100W RMS into 8 Ohms, 50W RMS into 16 Ohms
- Channels: 1
- Controls: Resonance, Body, Presence, Input gain, Headphones, Output level, VRC, Cab sim
- Connectivity: ¼” balanced input, ¼” speaker output, ⅛” headphone output, XLR cab sim output
- Weight: 1.9kg
- Dimensions: 191x90x150mm/7.5”x3.5”x5.9”
- Contact: Victory Amplification
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Coming in at 1.9kg, it is a hefty thing, as you would expect a tube-equipped power amp to be. Part of this heft is a metal chassis that gives an impression of industrial-level strength, so there are no worries about dragging it through the ups and downs of a busy gigging life.
The knobs and switches all feel just as solid as the chassis, and so does the I/O on the back of the unit. It's a Neutrik XLR output jack too, which is nice to see given Neutrik’s reputation for quality. It's the kind of high-quality UK we have come to expect from Victory.
Aesthetically, it’s a fairly plain, solid black finish. In my opinion, this brings an element of minimalist cool, as I am not looking for any flamboyance in a power amp. However, I did expect the Victory logo and grilles to light up brightly when powering it up but they don't – it would have been a nice visual touch.
Usability and features
Usability and features rating: ★★★★½
I particularly appreciate that LED input meter
One of the benefits of traditional guitar amplifiers is that they are, generally, quite easy to use, especially when compared to their modern, digital modeling counterparts. So, given the tube-equipped nature of the Victory PowerValve 200, I expect getting to grips with it to be a simple process.
This is indeed the case. Take an output from your modeler/capture device of choice, and run it into the input of the PowerValve 200. Then, take the clearly labeled speaker output and plug that into your cabinet via a speaker cable. Easy. Just remember to turn off the cab sim on your modeler.
To get some volume, dial in the Input Gain control until the Input Level meter is beginning to flash red when you are playing at your hardest, then raise the Output Level until you have the volume needed. I particularly appreciate that LED input meter, as it makes it easy to get the tube working at the sweet spot of compression.
The three EQ controls are fairly self-explanatory and are helpfully notched in the center to indicate when they are flat.
The VRC switch brings in the Valve circuit, and the Cab Sim switch turns the cab sim on or off. The sim is on a separate XLR output, which is also clearly labeled, as is the ⅛” headphone output.
The only slight tripping point is that the cab sim output level is controlled by the Headphones level knob. This isn’t indicated on the front panel, so although I was able to guess that I needed to turn this up to get some volume from the sim, it was not clear.
There's not much here to get to grips with, but what more does a player need from a power amp? Especially considering that the PowerValve 200 is built to run outputs from modellers, which, in a lot of cases, already sport all of the complicated routing and fancy features that one could need.
On Victory’s website, the blurb states that the PowerValve 200 is pedalboard-friendly. I would argue that this may be overstating things somewhat
With that in mind, the cab sim seems a little superfluous, as these can already be found on almost all modellers and can generally run separately from the unemulated output being fed to the PowerValve.
But, in products such as Universal Audio’s amp pedals that don’t have the ability to do this type of routing, I can see where this may be useful.
On Victory’s website, the blurb states that the PowerValve 200 is pedalboard-friendly. I would argue that this may be overstating things somewhat. Don’t get me wrong, in the world of power amps and considering that it boasts a real tube, it is a compact, portable unit, but it'll be interesting to see where this section of the market develops in terms of considering pedalboard-based rigs as it inevitably grows.
I would happily have this sitting atop the cab at the back of the stage
But pedalboards are for, well, pedals. At 191x90x150mm and 1.9kg, the PowerValve 200 is obviously multitudes bigger and heftier than your average pedal, so most will be doing some significant reshuffling to accommodate it on their 'board.
Personally, I don't see this as an issue. With a modeller doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to tone, I’m not going to be tweaking the Powervalve much during a gig, so I would happily have this sitting atop the cab at the back of the stage.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
A real cab is a visceral guitar sound, whereas the modeled version can have a more produced, studio-like sheen
Before we get into sounds, it is important to note the difference between a real cab and an IR/Cab emulation. As I’ve already mentioned, the latter always necessitates the use of a microphone to create the emulation or to capture the IR. As a result, what is being simulated is a mic on a cab, rather than the cab itself.
These are fundamentally different things. Therefore, playing in a room with a real cabinet is a different experience from playing through an emulation monitored by something like an FRFR speaker.
It’s not necessarily better or worse. A real cab is a visceral guitar sound, whereas the modeled version can have a more produced, studio-like sheen. You may prefer one over the other, but this difference, arguably, is part of the reason many don’t get on with digital rigs. The PowerValve aims to solve this issue by allowing the player to run into a traditional guitar cabinet while adding the benefits of a real tube.
In Victory’s video, giving an overview of the PowerValve 200, Victory’s Chief Designer and guitar amplification guru, Martin Kidd, states that the EF91 tube was chosen to enable the unit to deliver that tube warmth, without getting in the way of the tone that the user has probably spent hours carefully dialing in on their modeler.
Setting the input gain so that the LED meter starts to flash red (as per the manual) creates a cushiony, compressed feel that is inspirational under the fingers
Testing this with a Fender Telecaster and a Line 6 Helix preset I regularly play live with, I can happily say that, in this regard, the PowerValve 200 is a roaring success. The foundation of my tones remains intact, but with just a little added warmth from the tube and a full, lively sound from the Zilla 1x12 cab I am using.
Setting the input gain so that the LED meter starts to flash red (as per the manual) creates a cushiony, compressed feel that is inspirational under the fingers. The volume can then be adjusted via the Output Level control.
The VRC switch allows us to take the tube out of the circuit, thinning out the tone. Perhaps useful if you find that the PowerValve 200 is making things a little muddy, but in that situation, I would much prefer to retain that tube feel and lose the mud through the EQ.
I can do this because those three onboard EQ controls are powerful. Resonance controls the sort of low-end thump that is felt in the chest, Presence deals with the airy high end, and Body tweaks the mid frequencies.
They each have more than enough sweep to adjust things for the cabinet or room you are using/in. However, be overzealous here, and it is easy to dial yourself out of a good tone, so use them with caution.
The last thing to consider is the cab sim that is featured on a separate XLR output. Whilst it’s not the worst cab sim I've ever used, it’s lacking a little low mid punch and is a bit on the fizzy side. In most cases, you will get better results from the more tweakable cabinet simulations in the majority of digital amp modelers. So if you need a separate output for a direct signal, best to route it from your modeller if you can.
Verdict
In short, the PowerValve 200 does as it promises to do. It lends a digitally modelled or captured preamp some tube warmth and feel, and brings the benefits of running a real cab on stage.
The PowerValve's only real weaknesses are in features that feel a little unnecessary. For example, the cab sim, whilst not useless, is only going to be useful in a few niche cases where you need a separate, emulated output for the desk and you are running a modeler (such as Universal Audio’s amp pedals) that can’t do that routing. And the VRC switch arguably removes the PowerValve 200’s biggest selling point from the circuit - the EF91 tube.
The elephant in the room here is buying a modeler and a power amp to run through a traditional guitar cab in the first place – why not just get a real amp? Two of the biggest advantages of digital rigs are their portability and the ability to run a silent stage. When you start adding cabs and FRFR speakers to your rig, you can lose both of these.
Power amps are simple things, and the Victory PowerValve 200 is simply good at what it does
But the upsides of modeling gear go beyond this. Having a wealth of effects, amplifiers, and presets, all changeable at the press of a footswitch, offers valuable versatility to those who need to cover a lot of sounds over a single gig. Then, there is the consistency and durability of digital preamps to consider, too.
If those benefits sound tempting, but you don't get on with the more produced feel that digital rigs often have (for many of us, this is not a bad thing), I think this might just be the missing analog link to complete your amp modeling rig.
Guitar World verdict: Power amps are simple things, and the Victory PowerValve 200 is simply good at what it does. For those who want to bring some tube feel, warmth, and the visceral tone of a real guitar cab on stage to their digital rigs, this is the perfect way to do so.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | A high quality UK build that will last. | ★★★★★ |
Usability and features | Generally speaking, the PowerValve 200 is straightforward to use. The Headphone output also controlling the cab sim output without being labeled as such, is the only sticking point. | ★★★★½ |
Sounds | Lends tube feel and warmth to a digital rig, plus the benefits of a real cab. In other words, exactly as promised. The cab sim could be better though. | ★★★★½ |
Overall | A great bit of gear that bridges the gap between digital and analog rigs. | ★★★★½ |
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