NUX Amp Academy Review - short story: Excellent!

[dnf777]

Great review, thanks! Seems like a very versatile amp!

My only experience with Nux is their B-5RC wireless system, which has performed flawlessly for over a year now. In fact, 3 of us use them playing together, and have never had a glitch.

[Rudy4]

Nostatic must have overlooked the "Bypass" plainly marked on the front panel with lines going to the two foot switches. They really should have that in the manual, though. It also would have been better in a larger font, while dumping the branding, model, and worthless graphic of an amp. All that does is make it busy looking and confusing for the user.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Nostatic must have overlooked the "Bypass" plainly marked on the front panel with lines going to the two foot switches. They really should have that in the manual, though. It also would have been better in a larger font, while dumping the branding, model, and worthless graphic of an amp. All that does is make it busy looking and confusing for the user.

Until you pointed out the bypass marking, I hadn't noticed it.

As my amp model, I always planned to run it continuously and didn't check the manual for bypass until I read Nostatic's post.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

Until you pointed out the bypass marking, I hadn't noticed it.

As my amp model, I always planned to run it continuously and didn't check the manual for bypass until I read Nostatic's post.

I also just noticed it last night when revisiting Nux offerings (I ordered an Atlantic and an Edge). I assume that means what it says, but the manual does not mention it at all.

I'm finding the Flamma FS06 to be pretty good though. They are very clever with the footswtich. It will operate either as a bypass or as switching between low and high gain. Just hold down for a second to switch between the operation.

Looks like the Nux operation would be to step on both pedals to bypass, use the single switches as noted in the manual. The Nux does give you a bit more flexibility but for the price the FS06 is pretty cool and some of the amp/cab models sound quite good through the DeCapo.

[jonfields45]

A solution to unintended bypass during performance: a stack of 16mm nylon washers held together with cyanoacrylate and then carpet taped to the pedal. Since I've mastered the Tube Screamer model I only need to toggle scenes between the TS on/off.

[cyclistbrian]

What speaker(s) do you use at home? I assume you're direct to the PA when gigging. I'm very interested in this setup. I've been researching Fractal Audio amps and they are more expensive on an order of magnitude.

[nostatic]

I have an Academy coming, interested to compare to the FS06. Fwiw the Nux Edge delay is a keeper, as is the Ukiyo chorus (if you're into those things).

I'm running into a DeCapo or Evolve 30M, and I have other pedals before (and delay after) the preamp pedal.

Main experimentation will be putting delay in the effects loop of the Academy or running it after the pedal. If it is in the effects loop, I think I'll have to set a scene to have either no amp and/or no IR (rather than hitting bypass). But looks straightforward to try.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by cyclistbrian

What speaker(s) do you use at home? I assume you're direct to the PA when gigging. I'm very interested in this setup. I've been researching Fractal Audio amps and they are more expensive on an order of magnitude.

I have a QSC CP8 I use for gigs and it's also my at home speaker. It sounds great either on the floor on its side in monitor orientation with the backside EQ set to monitor, or on a pole backside EQ set to flat.

With the speaker on a stand, it also sounds good with my partner's bass which does not sound as good in monitor mode.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

I have a QSC CP8 I use for gigs and it's also my at home speaker. It sounds great either on the floor on its side in monitor orientation with the backside EQ set to monitor, or on a pole backside EQ set to flat.

With the speaker on a stand, it also sounds good with my partner's bass which does not sound as good in monitor mode.

Curious if you've run an acoustic through it for grins.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Curious if you've run an acoustic through it for grins.

Oh yeah. Quite a few over the years. My partner has ES-1.3, ES-2, and K&K Minis (I installed his K&Ks). I mostly ran Schatten passive HFN's with one of my IRs. These days I gig with my Ibanez Q52. I can do more with it and the audience, when asked (not that I offered an A-B), prefers it to an acoustic.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

Oh yeah. Quite a few over the years. My partner has ES-1.3, ES-2, and K&K Minis (I installed his K&Ks). I mostly ran Schatten passive HFN's with one of my IRs. These days I gig with my Ibanez Q52. I can do more with it and the audience, when asked (not that I offered an A-B), prefers it to an acoustic.

All those with the Nux Academy?

I'm wondering if I can turn off the amp (and likely IR) modules for one of the scenes on the A side, or alternatively load in a full-range IR for the amp. I like the idea of having eq quick to access, so I think I'd need the amp module active.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by nostatic

All those with the Nux Academy?

I'm wondering if I can turn off the amp (and likely IR) modules for one of the scenes on the A side, or alternatively load in a full-range IR for the amp. I like the idea of having eq quick to access, so I think I'd need the amp module active.

Sorry, I was referring to the CP8. The NUX has only seen my now two electrics.

You could bypass the IR, or load one of my custom IRs (or any third party IR for that matter), but you're stuck with one of the tube amp models, to my understanding. If one of them was close enough to flat response, then it could work.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

Sorry, I was referring to the CP8. The NUX has only seen my now two electrics.

You could bypass the IR, or load one of my custom IRs (or any third party IR for that matter), but you're stuck with one of the tube amp models, to my understanding. If one of them was close enough to flat response, then it could work.

Got it, thanks. If I run the delay after the Nux, then I could just bypass the Academy and still have what I need. Depends on what I'm playing and what I bring. That said I actually might prefer one of the clean tube amp models, and I certainly am looking forward to using the Friedman with the dobro for a tune

[jonfields45]

4 set corporate holiday party gig at a local higher end event center, restaurant, and inn, in a large room last Tuesday night. The Nux Amp Academy sounded great. The spring reverb is outstanding, maybe better than the real thing???.

[nostatic]

Good to hear - 4 sets is a long night.

Mine showed up yesterday and I spent some time tweaking it. You can't disable the amp or IR blocks, but you can load an empty IR slot which essentially is full range. I did that, tweaked the eq and got a usable sound. Next experiment will be to load a bass cab IR as I have run acoustic and dobro through my bass rig (doubling) and it sounds totally usable.

I will say I backed off the bias on everything, and the B side amps are all pretty high gain. In a perfect world I'd be able to load an A side amp on the B side as well, but the scenes are a work around. I have scene one with the Twin set to an empty IR, scene two to a proper cab with a bit of gain, then scene 3 to a bit of overdrive.

I haven't touched the effects pedal blocks yet - trying to nail the basic tones for dobro, acoustic, and electric. But it is a pretty flexible unit and I think a bit more usable for live than the Flamma.