Run two amps at once and something happens that no single amp does: one fills in what the other leaves out. That’s the idea behind our Dual Amp Collection for Helix Stadium. Most of the pairings start from the same place, a Vox AC30, and add a second amp from the same family tree. The three most asked about are the AC30 itself, the Matchless DC30 and the Bad Cat. They’re related, and they are not the same.
Vox AC30: the chime
The AC30 is the sound most people mean when they say “chime”. It runs EL84 power tubes, and its Top Boost channel has a bright, glassy top end with a midrange that pushes forward as you dig in. Clean, it sparkles. Pushed, it breaks up early and musically, which is why it has been a worship and indie staple for decades.
Best at: clean and edge-of-breakup rhythm, dotted-eighth delay parts, anything that needs to cut without being loud.
Matchless DC30: the same idea, tightened up
The DC30 was built by people who loved the AC30 and wanted it sturdier and more focused. It also uses EL84s, and it has two channels with different preamp tubes, which gives it two characters in one box. Next to an AC30 it sounds thicker in the low mids and more controlled in the bass, with a top end that’s a little smoother.
Best at: the body under a chimey amp. Pair it with an AC30 and you get the sparkle of one and the weight of the other.
Bad Cat: more push
Bad Cat comes from the same lineage again. Its 30-watt EL84 designs take the two-channel idea and lean it toward more gain and a more aggressive midrange. It stays articulate when it’s driven, so chords don’t turn to mush.
Best at: the drive half of a pair. Next to an AC30 it adds grit and sustain while the AC30 keeps the note definition.
Which pairing for what
- Mostly clean, lots of ambience: two of the same. AC30 + AC30 or AC15 + AC15 gives you a wide stereo version of one voice. The AC15 is the smaller sibling and breaks up sooner.
- One sound for a whole set: AC30 + DC30. Chime on top, body underneath, and it holds together from clean to driven.
- More rock in the mix: AC30 + Bad Cat. The same clean foundation with a harder-edged partner for the drive snapshots.
There are more pairings in the collection too, including the AC30 with a Deluxe Reverb and with a Marshall. See all the Helix Stadium packs.
What comes in each pack
Each pack in the collection is built the same way so you can move between them: dual-amp presets with eight snapshots covering clean, rhythm, lead, drive, swells and ambient sounds, Klon-style and King of Tone-style drives, a choice of drive pedal clones, and the amp and cab clones the presets use.
One thing to check
When you run two amp clones side by side, they have to be in phase or the sound goes thin and harsh. It’s a one-minute fix, and it’s in our guide to loading presets and clones onto Helix Stadium.