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Post subject: Calling all Satellite SFX owners
Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 10:27 am
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Anybody out there? LOL.

I've had one of these for a couple of years, but it's mostly been sitting after I tried it with my very nice sounding Laney tube amp, which yielded mostly 'ho hum' results and did not work well at all if I brought the mono out from the Satellite back to the efx return on the Laney. Nothing technically wrong, just an unhappy alliance.

I was thinking of selling it, so I took it into my local store to see about consigning it.

Long story short, I looked for an amp to demo it, with an eye toward picking what I thought would be a good match, not necessarily the amp 'to die for'. Specifically, I was looking for a Fender, solid-state combo with a single speaker, 12" preferred. The closest thing that they had was an older, used (and a bit beat up) Frontman 25 that had an efx loop and a 10" speaker. My thinking was that this is exactly the kind of amp that would have been used when the designers were developing the Satellite.

To say that I was stunned in a good way is an understatement. I could not believe how much fun and how well this works, albeit with all of the limitations. You can't use your own efx processor, no midi control, etc. The owner of the store, once he heard it and saw my reaction knew that we weren't going to be consigning the Satellite. The coolest thing about it is that it truly doesn't matter where you stand in the room. You get this big fat spacious sound that you have no business getting of a rig that is fronted by a lowly Frontman 25.

So now I'm thinking of buying a new Frontman 65r. The 'old guy' in me naturally thinks I've got to have a tube amp, but since the older Frontman 25/Satellite SFX is such a happy combination, this just may be the way to go.

So, if you are still reading this and you have experience with a Satellite SFX, I'd like to hear what you've tried, what works well, what doesn't.

Thanks, Slim


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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 12:10 am
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I use it regularly with a Fender Vibro Champ XD. The VCXD does not have an effects loop but does have a line out and still manages to sound surprisingly full (but not lush). I have used this with a Fender Hot Rod Deville 410. This provided the best lush and expansive sound. I haven't had the hum problems others report.


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Post subject: Re: Calling all Satellite SFX owners
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:29 pm
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SebastopolSlim wrote:
Anybody out there? LOL.

I've had one of these for a couple of years, but it's mostly been sitting after I tried it with my very nice sounding Laney tube amp, which yielded mostly 'ho hum' results and did not work well at all if I brought the mono out from the Satellite back to the efx return on the Laney. Nothing technically wrong, just an unhappy alliance.

I was thinking of selling it, so I took it into my local store to see about consigning it.

Long story short, I looked for an amp to demo it, with an eye toward picking what I thought would be a good match, not necessarily the amp 'to die for'. Specifically, I was looking for a Fender, solid-state combo with a single speaker, 12" preferred. The closest thing that they had was an older, used (and a bit beat up) Frontman 25 that had an efx loop and a 10" speaker. My thinking was that this is exactly the kind of amp that would have been used when the designers were developing the Satellite.

To say that I was stunned in a good way is an understatement. I could not believe how much fun and how well this works, albeit with all of the limitations. You can't use your own efx processor, no midi control, etc. The owner of the store, once he heard it and saw my reaction knew that we weren't going to be consigning the Satellite. The coolest thing about it is that it truly doesn't matter where you stand in the room. You get this big fat spacious sound that you have no business getting of a rig that is fronted by a lowly Frontman 25.

So now I'm thinking of buying a new Frontman 65r. The 'old guy' in me naturally thinks I've got to have a tube amp, but since the older Frontman 25/Satellite SFX is such a happy combination, this just may be the way to go.

So, if you are still reading this and you have experience with a Satellite SFX, I'd like to hear what you've tried, what works well, what doesn't.

Thanks, Slim


I own one as well, and use it with my Hot Rod Deluxe rig (all tube, 40 W). I don't have any significant hum, hiss, or noise issues - but, do not follow suggested signal path.

Here's how mine is chained:

1. Guitar through normal effects pedals / board with noise suppression (NS-2).

2. Preamp Out (HRD) --> Satellite SFX Input

By not running the Satellite through the amp efx loop, and just running the pre-out to the input of the SFX, you avoid excess noise, loss of transparency for your amp, and in effect, are using the Satellite as an extension cab with onboard effects.

Personally, I love the tones I'm able to achieve with it, and wouldn't give it up for the world.

Some will say that it's an overweight, obsolete effects unit, but if you know how to use it, the Satellite can be a tone monster in the studio or live at gigs - I use it for both.

Good luck, and whichever amp you choose, don't fear using a tube amp (preferrably Fender), just try it as showen above.

Let me know how it works out.


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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 3:54 am
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Funily enough, i think it was developed to go with a hot rod deluxe/deville since if you have a look on the front of the manual for it, thats whats sat on top it.

However you wana be careful because using a valve amp with it can cause some weird things since the valves can sometimes pickup things from the satellite.

The funny thing is, i used my satellite with my deville and got lots of hiss and buzzes, then i used it with a marshall jcm and mesa single rectifier combos both sat ontop and i got NO hiss or buzz.

But yeah, these satellites are gorgeous, especially when they're in a wide open space. Shame fender didnt refine it a little bit with maybe midi controls and the ability to just use the satellite with no effects on.

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Post subject: Re: Calling all Satellite SFX owners
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:06 pm
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I run my 67' Gibson es-330 through a fender 4x10 blues Deville with the satellite and I do get slight buzzing sound when I try using the deville's reverb. To be honest the satellite is a hidden gem that you will never achieve its sound using any pedal. the speaker in the satellite faces sideways and give you a surround sound effect. its truly amazing!Image


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Post subject: Re: Calling all Satellite SFX owners
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:55 pm
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I know these posts are several years old, but since I ran across them, I thought I'd add some info that may be of value to future SFX users....

A few years ago, I purchased a used Satellite SFX for a steal! ( ... the previous owner had it for years but really didn't know how to use it properly! ) It was not something I really needed but was more because I couldn't resist for the price and had been curious, but felt they were not affordable when they were new. I was pleasantly surprised as to the sound this wonderful piece of equipment was capable of producing! It really met all the expectations and promises as advertised for the price of a few stompboxes! It's a keeper!!!!

First off, to get great performance as intended, you really must have an amp with an effects loop! Regardless of other users that only use the preamp output of their amp to the input of the SFX, that does NOT perform complete results. You really need the full loop connection. Otherwise, it does not give you that lush richness of sound and the ease of overall volume control with the different effects provides by the DSP circuitry.

Of the few amps I played around with, the Fender Frontman 65R was my original intended choice to mate up with the SFX. As it turns out (perhaps because it is an amp designed of the same "generation" as the SFX), it was a perfect match both in looks and performance.

The following was my settings with my Frontman 65R. Other amps will require you follow the manuals directions and find what works best.

First off, keep the reverb setting turned all the way down on the 65R.
You will not need it since the SFX will now be providing your choice of DSP effects. I also found that if you have the 65R setting on top of the Satellite, the reverb springs will pick up noise generated from the Satellite's power supply circuits. I imagine this will happen with any amp that has the reverb springs mounted inside the bottom of the cabinet.

Following the instructions as defined in the owners manual, you first need to set the "DSP SEND" control high enough to get the yellow signal light to regularly come on.
This is important because too low an input signal will not be enough to drive the expected DSP effects, and too much will distort the sound. As it turns out, if you typically use your 65R at a volume around 2-3, then setting the "DSP SEND" level to 10 is the perfect drive level from the 65R into the Satellite and it would not clip or overdrive the input!
(NOTE: if you're rockin' out at a much louder volume, then you will have to reduce the "DSP SEND" level accordingly. But the 65R cranks out alot of sound so I've never had to set it above 3. YMMV!)

Next, set the "OUTPUT LEVEL" around 2. That will closely match the output return to the 65R so when you switch the bypass switch on & off, the sound level coming out of the 65R will be about the same (as instructed in the manual).

Now, just think of the "DSP RETURN" control as the "intensity" of the selected DSP effects, and the "SFX" control as the volume of the spacial effect produced by the Satallite amp.
I've found that these two controls varied to your taste and somewhat depending on which DSP effect is selected.

When you change the volume of the Frontman 65R, the Satellite should faithfully follow correctly (within reason) without having to reset the OUTPUT control.
Once you get use to the Satellite, you may find yourself tweaking it to fine tune your taste, (i did) but at least now you know what to expect out of it!

As an added note, the SFX advertises an approximate 300 degree sound coverage. Because the 65R is an open back cabinet design, I felt it contributed to expand the sound coverage to a full 360 degree coverage! Of course, the room you are in affects the resulting acoustics somewhat, but be prepared to be immersed in the surrounding sound! Absolutely heavenly!!!

Also, I felt the 65R distortion channel ( nothing to write home about!) was a little more useable when using the SFX Satellite with it (although I rarely use it). Don't get me wrong, those of you that are "Tube Loyalists" will probably not praise this Solid State setup by comparison. But overall, I loved the sound it was capable of producing. And I doubt seriously that most, if not all of your audience, will even notice the difference!

As for practicality, I agree with many that it's not necessarily convenient to haul another 50+ pounds of amplifier around to gigs (I'm getting too old to carry extra weight around!), and the DSP settings are somewhat restrictive by it's choice of fixed selections. But at the low used prices these things can be had, it's well worth the consideration to add to your equipment !!!!!

Anyone else care to share any experiences??????? I am so surprised that there is so little info to be found on the internet about these gems!

Play on!


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