The Astro is such a wonderful amp that Mike surprised us with. I love its versatility and design theme, and at the price point, semi affordable to get the Soldano name into the collection. The SLO needs no introduction, it is a legend for good reason. The very reason in-fact that the boutique amp market is around today. Man, It's a great time to be a guitar player.
As an owner of a couple of OG Soldanos, I hear the same thing here, as I first heard, when I switched from being a life long Marshall guy, and made the switch. Even the BAD 30 has that rich harmonic content that, to me, makes the traditional Soldanos something special. Every note, and chord, has something I've never experienced in an amp capable of higher gain. When I originally checked one out, the Normal channel was the one that surprised me most, in a good way actually. I think the Astro, is a nice, new, versatile addition to the line which many players will rightfully love. That said, it's missing that something extra, the older amps uniquely possessed imho.
As someone that already bought the Astro 20, this video makes me feel even better about my purchase. The lesser apparent low end works really well with extended range or down-tuned guitars. While the Astro doesn't need a boost to tighten it up, it really adds the punch that I look for in a strong palm mute tone. I've just been incredibly happy with the Astro, it covers my high gain stuff and also pulls off good cleans and mid-gain tones. Besides my 7 and 8 string guitars, I also have my tele and LP with vintage/low output pickups so I have some semblance of what actual good clean tones are 😂
SL30 for all tones 4 me. I guess I hear & feel the headroom difference, even though it's only a 10 watt difference. Thanks for the comparison video 📹 👍🏻
I'd personally go for the Astro given it has more 'options' for tweaking and I prefer the scoop of the clean and depth. From Mike himself he said the primary design of the Astro Pre is more or less identical to the Slo. I think both sound good, but Astro for me. Also, the crunch Jam sounds killer. Sounds so full with out a lot of gain, nice composing.
Ok I'm at the high gain compare in the vid -- The differences, IMO, are not huge. You can definitely hear em (especially in the clean and crunch demos) but in the mix with drums and bass they both sound great. Astro always sounds a bit more forward (clear?) in the upper-mids and topend and not quite as full on the bottom. The difference between 6L6 and 6V6 shows there. Ok, I'll finish watching now -- Great demo as usual!
Definitely agree with clean vs crunch vs high gain. I’m not a high gain player, but if I were, the SLO 30 would be the clear choice. The crunch sounds were almost indistinguishable.
Very interesting comparison! The differences seem really in the subtleties which become even less different in a mix. What's clear is they both do that Soldano thing. Great video!
Have you considered making profile packs with the raw amps and studio recording ready tones? A win for those of us that have a hard time dialing in a good sound and also another revenue source to help grow your studio more as well. Just an idea
Man for a while I’ve never been convinced of wanting a Soldano, especially due to their price point. After your Astro demo I’m pretty convinced on this thing, the price point is still up there but it seems a lot more justified given the amount of features and utility that thing has (more features than most amps at its price point) I’m a 7 string guy so soldano’s weren’t generally on my radar until now 👍
I own both, love both. The difference is more noticeable through a cab. The Astro 20 is very loud into a 4x12, surprisingly so. Both sound killer, even better run together!
Those Two Sitting On Top of Each Other Is........PERFECT... You did an AMAZING job on this video, maybe the best amp comparison vid 2 date .. Just showing the heads; going back and forth matching the sounds is killer. Well done Sir, Well Done!
Both awesome. They did such a great job with the Astro. Honestly, the sound difference is so small between the two that I find myself using the Astro more frequently because of the added features of the IRs and the improved clean channel. The SLO definitely has a little more headroom in the power amp section, but the Astro can get so loud that I don’t even notice the difference very often. It’s hard to believe the Astro is $800 cheaper than the SLO 30 with those added features.
I have played both, I own the Astro. It gets in the ballpark and the versatility is killer. They both sounded great here, the differences weren't massive. I dug it! Thanks for doing this man!
Yes there are differences, but so subtle that only us fellow gear nerds are really going to notice. As guitar players, we are too nit-picky over this sh*t 🤣They both sound killer. Great demo! 🤘
I went amp shopping yesterday fully expecting to come home with an SLO-30, but I picked the Astro-20 instead because of the very reasons you mentioned - the clean channel is better and it's more versatile overall. Thanks for confirmation my choice!
I own the Astro, you should’ve used channel 2 for the high gain. Both channels sound different. Also, the different power tubes do make a difference in sound, I use the line out on the Astro to a 6l6 power amp. Love this amp
Right now I’m only using it for home recording, so I use the line out without the onboard cab sims to a two notes cab m+, using the 6l6 power amp mod and my cab sim of choice. When live I’ve been plugging the line out into the power section of my 100 watt Marshall type head with el34s which I like better with the current speakers of my 4x12(gt75)
Price point. ASTRO wins. It gets in the range of the slo 30 and that's impressive. In a mix with all the post effects, tweaks,etc etc, you can .ake the asrto sound like your own tone. Definitely a great 20 watt option. Is it the best lower watt amp on the market? I think it might be. Great demo.
great video. for my peresonal purposes, both would be overkill, and I can't afford either one. with that said...SLO-30 all day. They sound pretty different to me
Hell, I liked the Astro better for every instance. I've gigged it 3x so far and the versatility to have 4 voicings at your feet... direct to FOH signal... And I can get the channel volumes up over half as well as the master to about 1 o'clock, so the tubes are working pretty well, but the Amp is in the sweetspot. It just sings
Very simplified it sounds like the SLO has a bit more low mids while the Astro has a bit more high mids. No night and day differences, but subtle. Maybe some more lows also from the SLO, but it's hard to know through RU-vid :)
Can barely tell in a mix with other instruments. I'd get the Astro for the features and throw the saved money at something else. Speaking strictly from a home recording standpoint, considering you'd also need to spend further on a reactive load if this was your only amp. One thing that would be interesting would be to compare it to the SLO-30 with the same IRs but using the Astro's silent recording and it's embedded IR loader. I believe when the Astro is in silent mode the tube power section is disabled and there's a power section emulation via embeded two notes dsp at play. Does the real power section even matter if you still are using the same IR? Be interesting..
This is the video I've been waiting for - great job. I think I actually prefer the SLO's clean channel, a tie for crunch, and for high gain, I prefer the tone of the SLO by just a tiny bit because it sounded a little bigger and angrier - more raw. But if I had to choose between the two, then the Astro wins out for the overall package and flexibility. I'm wondering how do they compare under the fingers? Do you find one feels a little better and is more responsive - especially at higher gain settings?
Id be interested in seeing a review where both are mic’d using a speaker and attenuator but where they are set much higher in master volume., use the attenuator to match db. Then using an analyzer to correctly match the frequencies much closer rather then just attempting to match the knobs by ear. Then compare clean and high gain.
I think the Astro is a good bargain. All the features and channels, no need for a load box or cabinet, foot switch included. If you subtract the cost of those items you won’t need to get a great recording, the Astro price is a good deal. I also predict it will be one of those amps that 20-30 years from now people will be paying crazy money for on Reverb. Lol.
Great rundown... very useful and welcomed! I haven't tried the Astro yet but I've watched all the videos on YT. I can't shake the feeling that the Astro seems like it would not hold up in a band setting. Obviously, I'm not talking about front of house, but at loud volumes with a drummer and bass. The 6L6's in the SLO 30 make a huge difference when you're cranked. In the bedroom and for recording or going front of house, the Astro would definitely suffice.
One solution would be to use the "Fryette Power Station", that utilizes a 6L6 S power section, which would help in a band situation. The sound man is going to mic you up, to FOH anyway, so you should be able to gig in any size club or venue. I hope this helps..
@@turbinexman Yeah, I'm not really interested in the Astro, just pointing out the difference between it and the SLO in a live or band rehearsal situation. If someone wants to spend another $1k on a Powerstation on top of the $2k for the Astro, then that's their choice.
@@Darth.Shredder If the owner of the Astro 20 can borrow a "Fryette Power Station", has one on hand already, or if the recording studio, he or she is laying down the tracks, has one on hand, why not utilize the device. The point that I was trying to make, is that as some guitarists already have one, or can borrow one, from the studio, where they're recording.
@@turbinexman Right... that works great if you already own a Powerstation or have access to borrow one, but otherwise it's not much of a solution if you have to buy one. So, yes... I agree with you... "if" you already own a Powerstation or "if" you can borrow one whenever your band rehearses or plays live without going FOH, then your solution works.
I didn't thought that the 20w amp sound this good! It really depends on the kind of music you make and the personal taste, which one you choose. Both amps are very good.
great comparison. the slo 30 is punchier and has more grit. the astro is more updated. my friend has the astro and was a very good amp all rounder. but if you want classic slo then the slo 30.
hello,..is there a way to adjust the volume between the clean and crunch so its more closely matched?...or is this the way it is from the factory and cannot be adjusted..- thanks
I drove out to Sweetwater a couple weeks ago and played both of these. This was the first time ive been able to plug into a Soldano. For my playing and taste i liked the SLO. The Astro was at a disadvantage due to the 1x12 cab it was plugged into vs the SLO plugged into a Mesa oversized 4x12. They are different amps that cross over some of the same ground, but if you are on a budget and can only afford the Astro, its really nice, but obviously it isnt an SLO.
I have the Astro going into a cab! Marshall 212 vertical with Celestions V Types. I am having problems getting it to cut and not enough depth for classic rock on the red channel. I play everything from AC DC to WhiteSnake. What do you recommend? Speaker change/EQ pedal? Or am I using the wrong amp for this? Thanks for any help. Great playing and demo on both amps
@@SonicDriveStudio I am playing fairly loud, but if I turn the presence too much it becomes thin. I am getting quite a bit of bass with the cab just not the depth or cutting. I do really like the chewy feel of this amp if I can get it to pull off my styles it's a keeper.Thanks for the fast reply
Get an MXR 10 band or a Boss GE7 EQ pedal. You can run them straight into the front of the amp, or in the effects loop. It’s the Swiss Army knife of tone. They aren’t exciting, but they work wonders to get the tone dialed.
@@chasingtone5748 The MXR 10 band is good and has two outs. I prefer that one, but it’s physically bigger than the Boss if pedal board space is an issue. The Boss is a standard size pedal. The main difference with putting an EQ in front of the amp versus in the loop is this: in front of the amp you are shaping the guitar tone before it gets to the preamp section. These EQs also have a boost slider you can set as a clean boost going into the amp. With the EQ in the loop you are EQing the sound after the preamp section and before it hits the power amp section. No right or wrong. Try both methods and see which hits the sweet spot for you.
I did too till I heard a slo 100 In the flesh. Dunno about you but I've owned atleast a dozen valve amps (all the major brands) and there's always been that little something I wish was better... The SLO I played couldn't be faulted. Subjective ofcoarse Buy some synergy modules and the search is over
@@damianval4626 I see. I only played my jcm2000 dsl. I think I'd rather grab a jcm 800, 4x12 cab and new guitar instead of an slo still. I just can't imagine it justifying the price.
@@JohnWiku With reactive load boxes, the wattage doesn't really matter that much. Besides, there are 50w 5150 IIIs. Or you could pull 2 tubes on the 100w versions.
