Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amp - A Tube Amp Purist's Review
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Gear Links:
Universal Audio Dream ‘65 (affiliate link)
sweetwater.sjv.io/c/4024375/9...
It's no secret that I love tube amps. There's something mystical about the way century-old technology still sounds (and feels) the best for guitarists like us. But every year amp modelling technology seems to get better and better, and it's just a matter of time before digital amps become indistinguishable from the real thing.
In this video, I'll be taking the Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amp for a spin. It's not the first amp modeller I've used, but it's the first one I've paid money for. We'll see how it sounds paired up with different pedals as well as different guitars. At the end of the video, we'll even stack it up against my mic'd up Dr. Z EZG-50.
If Blackface Fender amps aren't your thing, Universal Audio has also released the Ruby (Vox AC30) and the Woodrow (Fender Tweed), so they might be worth taking a look at.
#universalaudio #guitareffects #uafx #pedalboard #guitarpedals #guitargear #ampmodeller
Follow me on Instagram: / andrewclarkeguitar
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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:39 - Volume control
2:05 - Comparing all 6 speakers
3:54 - Bypassing the speaker sim
4:34 - Reverb control
5:51 - Bass & treble controls
6:31 - The 3 boosts
10:22 - Remapping the footswitches
11:07 - Vibrato (Tremolo)
12:20 - Plugging in my pedalboard
14:51 - How does it sound with humbuckers?
15:41 - More tones with the Fano SP6
16:23 - Comparing the Dream to a real mic'd amp
18:28 - Final thoughts
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-- Gear I used in this video --
Guitar: Suhr Classic S Antique, Suhr Alt-T Pro, Fano Alt De Facto SP6
Amp: Dr. Z EZG-50, Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amp
Pedals: Origin Effects Cali76 Deluxe, Benson Germanium Fuzz, Analogman King of Tone, Universal Audio Astra, Universal Audio Starlight, Universal Audio Golden Reverberator
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Music Credits:
East Side Manhattan by Popoi | / popoimusic
Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Hands down the best review of this pedal. Thanks so much for taking the time and showing what everything does and how switches interact with knobs. Great player too
Thanks so much, man! I'm a big fan of your stuff by the way. Been subbed on YT and a follower on IG for a while. Cheers!
Buddy's just full of positivity.
@@blueslawyermemes7958 Yeah, I'm genuinely surprised I didn't get roasted lmao
@@andrewclarkeguitar Give me five minutes with him. I'm a bad influence.
@@blueslawyermemes7958 GREAT
I've had some of these come through my studio recently and I freaking love mixing them. They track really well and honestly save a good chunk of time for some groups. I know as a studio nerd I'm supposed to prefer the real amp, but this little box just sits sonically where it needs to really nicely. Most players can't even tell the difference from the real deal through the cans which really sold me personally. Great overview!
Really great walkthrough - best one I've seen. Your videos are really great in general. Keep at it - subscriber base will follow. Good content always wins. Trust the process!
Thank you so much, that really means a lot!
Wow, what a fantastic review. You really have taken the time to fully understand what this pedal does. Thank you.
It's my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Finally a reviewer that goes though all the controls systematically like you would if you were in a store trying one out. Great review, Andrew. I'd be very interested to hear your take on the Ruby
Thanks so much for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I'll try and get my hands on a Ruby at some point. From what I've seen they sound really great.
@@andrewclarkeguitar I ended up buying the Ruby. It really is staggeringly good. Being able to get those classic gritty Vox tones without starting a war with the neighbours is a revelation. Next on my shopping list is the Dream
@@SteveClarkeSongs Awesome! Congrats. I'd still really like to get my hands on one of those. I feel like it'd compliment the Dream really well.
This has been very helpful. A very good player demonstrating the features of the pedal. Other demonstrations suffer from being demonstrated by semi professional players which make me turn off their heartfelt contributions. This is well done. Thank you.
I really appreciate that. Thanks a lot, Bruce!
Thanks for the fantastic walkthrough of all the settings!
Thanks for checking out the video, my friend!
Great clear informative review, and sweet playing, love it, why are there only 1.46k subscribers, you blow the others out of the park!
Wow! Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
Crazy to know he went from 1.5k to almost 30k in a few months! 😮
Bro may the Lord bless you. You and Nate Savage were my teacher’s when I started playing guitar 6 years ago. Is great finding your channel. Great review. Need this pedal for my church because they don’t allow me having amps on the altar.
Hey! It's great to hear from you again. Don't hesitate to reach out if you ever have any questions :)
Excellent review. No showing off, just a nice professional presentation. Vibrato sounds more like tremolo to me but I'm interested in this unit for sure!
Thanks! It is Tremolo. On the old Fender amps they labeled it as Vibrato, but the effect was really tremolo. This pedal is just following suit.
Keep up making quality reviews like this and you’ll break 1K subs in no time. Also, subscribed.
Thank you very much!
Very indepth review - thank you!!!!!!
Thanks for watching! :)
Really great review! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
It’s made me mothball all the real amps I have. I would say it’s actually three amps rather than one, just that they are of a similar type. Caesar Diaz and Dumble mods were enough to make me say the amp was not the same anymore. Personal opinion obviously. I have played a LOT of vintage gear and these pedals make my jaw drop at how good they are.
Yeah, three amps in here for sure. Each one sounds and feels quite different. And when you throw the different speakers into the mix there are so many options!
Great review with great tones! I also got the Dream65 right when it came out. A few remarks on some of the topic:
- The reverb is the actual algorithm from the Golden Reverberator
- When you move the boost in the lead setting, the first thing that happens is that the bright cap is removed from the circuit, so it sounds duller, but it brings the mids forward
- A similar thing happens on the D-Tex setting
Interestingly I found the pedal very bright and mid scooped, so I almost only use it with the bright cap off and the bass and treble rolled back a little to get more mids. My favourite Cab is the TwoRock 2x12 for that. Didn't like the other ones except the Greenback for some dirtier tones.
Bright and mid scooped is very true. I wasn't a huge fan of the TwoRock 2x12, but can imagine it would sound good paired with some different gear. :)
helpful vid, sir...kudos...
excellent demo!
Thanks for watching! :)
"We'll keep it pretty clean so that we can hear what the boost is doing". Yes, thank you. Sounds so logical and right, but so many other amps, guitar, etc. demonstrators do not seem to understand this.
Yes, the amp to pedal comparison was not useful. Any good outboard EQ (Tech 21 T-Strip?) would have gotten them much closer if not identical. Anyway, as you said, it's a dedicated Deluxe Reverb pedal so that's the only amp that ought to be used in that kind of demonstration.
Overall, perhaps the most intelligent and useful gear vid I've seen.
Thanks, Andrew. Cheers.
Glad to hear you liked the video! An EQ would get you much more in the ballpark for sure. But they aren't trying to do the same thing. Just wanted to keep it in there as a bit of a palette cleanser.
@@andrewclarkeguitar :D
The Dream 65 sounds great. IMO better than more expensive pedalboards. But I have a feeling that IN THE ROOM a tube amp will always sound warmer and better than an amp in a box plugged in a speaker cabinet
Nothing will beat an amp in a room! The Dream does an excellent job of sounding like a recorded amp though :)
Hugh Grant's son doing CZcams videos. Keep up the good work. Great review !
😂😂 Thanks for watching!
Great overview!
Thanks! :)
Great demo, tasty playing, awesome vid
Much appreciated! :)
Tasteful indeed. I see this obsession with djent and seriously wonder if humans have diverged into at least two different species
Use the effects loop on your guitar amps. Bypassing the preamp so you do get the fender sound. I do that recently, amazing tones. Mic the cabinet and set them to unity with the monitor system. play two amps in stereo and it's a bit like having a pair of deluxe amps.
making me want a dream on top of my Ruby. Sounds great.
Man, I want a Ruby on top of the Dream, haha!
Great job...!!!! Thank you
Thanks for watching :)
Awesome tones
Thanks!
I'm bying this for gigging and recording. Sticking to tube amps for home use and for smaller gigs when i don't have to mic up the amp
Hey loved the video! I liked all the explanations and comparisons.
Was wondering, you ran your pedboard into the pedal? Do you think that is the best route for it, like I was unsure of how delay and reverb sounded cause it seemed like you had the dream reverb on too.
Just want my ambient effects to sound good running into the pedal!
Hey! Thanks for watching. Since I'm using a real amp 99% of the time, I don't want to have to tear apart my pedalboard every time to run the Dream before my time-based effects.
In a perfect world, I would probably go Astra (Modulation) > Dream > Starlight (Delay) > Golden (Reverb).
If you like the sound of delay/reverb before your amp you can run it the way I did in this video. If you typically like delay/reverb being added in your DAW or by the FOH engineer, then you can run the Dream upstream of your time-based stuff.
It sounds great either way. :)
@@andrewclarkeguitar that makes sense! I run direct with my band, and I thought running everything into the dream would get the feel of me running straight into an amp.
But I have enjoyed things being after amps too so I guess I'll just have to get it and see!
Might do a comparison video myself
thanks for this video.
Thanks for watching!
Sweet sounds.
It's a good sounding pedal for sure!
Great review. I have a Dream 65 and agree with everything you found but I also learned more about the boost settings. It was obvious that you'd spent plenty of time learning it before doing the demo (most people run the gain too high). In the final amp comparison, I actually preferred the Dream.... so why can't I gig with it?
Fantastic vid! Can I use the emulated out from another amp as the mono input of the Dream '65?
Great demo, been following your videos and they are all very good!
Quick question, how do you set your KOT? OD right BOOST left? Both OD? Both Boost? Any of those distortion?
In many of your videos I realized you use only one side at a time… and if I recall correctly, while using the Dream, you go for the Rockaway because of the mids and how the dream reacts to it, right?
In which case, have you tried the KOT stacked (both sides)? That would significantly bring the mids forward… how about tweaking the internal presence/treble dip switches? To fine tune (if necessary)
I have a pretty similar board, and was just wondering while listening to you!
Cheers mate, keep up the great content
Hey! Thanks so much. I have the boost on the left and the OD on the right. I slightly prefer the archer just because of the way my overdrive section is set up currently. I could easily get more mids out of the KOT by stacking L and R, but a lot of the time that's more gain than I want. I could back the drive down on both sides so it sounds cleaner stacked, but then I lose the drive I want when they're engaged independently.
I could easily just use the KOT with the Dream and be very happy, would just tweak a few things. Currently the board is optimized for use with an amp. If I was solely using the Dream, things would be a little different. :)
I've played around with the dip switches and trim pots on the KOT a ton over the years and even very recently. I mostly use single coils, so I don't like turning up the trim pots at all and the dipswitches are just in the most convenient positions for how I currently use the pedal. Hope that helps!
Hey man, great video on this amazing pedal. Quick question; is your rig set up for mono or stereo and are you going out stereo out of the Dream?
Hey! Thanks man. In this video, I had the Dream set up fully stereo. Both the delay and the reverb were stereo and both sides were panned left and right. However, typically I just use the Dream in mono. It's handy to be able to easily do one or the other with just a couple extra cables.
@@andrewclarkeguitar Awesome! Thanks for the reply. I just got mine a couple of weeks ago and I haven't touched my real reverb deluxe since which is saying a lot!
Does it have like an efects loop or how do you set up youre time efects? Thanks for the video, its a really good information.
Great content! Can you please do this review format for the Ruby 63’?
Thank you! If I can get my hands on one I will for sure.
Would love a how to video on seeing presets/ changing button functions!
The benson sounded ✨juicy✨
It’s such a great fuzz
Great video brother.. it's a great pedal. I liked this video..
I have a question..
I am a lead singer and do some chords and lead too. My use is the fender vox and marshall sim , good quality reverb ,crunch and overdrive..
Based on that
Which is the best option for me..
Nux mg 30 , hotone ampero one or line 6 pod go( I can manage without the many footswitches that come with it)
If only the tonal quality and depth is the concern ??
Hey! Thanks for watching. Man, that's tough. Unfortunately, I haven't used any of the three you mentioned. If it were me, I'd probably go with the Line 6 simply because they have great brand recognition. You're more likely to get regular updates, and I'd assume it will hold its resale value better.
However, I could totally be wrong. I might not be the best person to ask at the end of the day. I've heard good things about all three options you mentioned. Wish I could be more help, my friend!
@@andrewclarkeguitar that's soo honest and humble .. thanks brother..
Great review! Do you need a DI or something like the Canvas to go straight into the Apollo?
Thanks! You can go straight into the apollo. You would need a DI or a Line Isolator (Canvas) if you were running long cable lines. So in a live scenario you'd need one, at home you're totally fine without. :)
@@andrewclarkeguitar Many thanks for this fantastic review. One question complementary to that of @TVRBO: which input of your Apollo do you use? Line, mic preamp, hi-z?
Seems like a great option if you want that sound and don't want to lug around an amp, want a consistent tone, and want to save some money
Agreed. If you don't wanna drop the money on an Axe FX, Kemper, or Quad Cortex and only need one amp sound, these guys are gonna be a solid option.
The last one sounds like a killer funk cab
Great video!
Do you think the Cali76 helps make it feel more like a real amp? or not necessarily? I have a Cali76 on my pedalboard and it would be interesting to know if they enhance each other.
It does. Especially with single coil pickups. It creates a more amp-like sag for sure. The Cali76 might be one of the greatest pedals ever made. Every time I try to create a tone without it, I turn it on and everything instantly sounds better, haha.
I feel like letting go my Strymon Iridium and get one of these UA Dream 😊 Great demo too!
Thank you! The Dream is REAL good, man. Iridium is still an excellent pedal though. :)
I put a Fairfield circuitry barbershop overdrive on a very clean setting in front of my iridium - the sag feature on that pedal really nails whatever extra tube amp-like sound and feel the dream has going on. I was going to trade the iridium for the dream but I’m beyond satisfied now.
@@pomegranatesour can you post a video I would love to hear what its sounds like. I have Protein OD in front of my iridium sounded great too.
@@enricodedios3702 I’ll see if I can make the time to do that! It’s more of a feel thing than necessarily a sound thing. It does seem to add some extra harmonics but mostly it imparts that spongy feeling while playing. Otherwise I find the iridium to be a tad bit “hard”. With the barbershop I can dig in more and feel a reaction.
@@andrewclarkeguitar do you think the dream and ruby are better than their counterparts on the iridium?
The mix between talk and play in this review are so much in my taste 🤓.
Can't decide!. Dream 65 or Ruby?
Glad you liked it! Man, that's a tough call. If I had the money I'd probably grab the Ruby too. Both equally great, just depends on the tones you're going for!
@@andrewclarkeguitar thanks, please explain a bit (im a noob) - what kind of tones is dream for, and what kind of tones is ruby for? (i know what they emulate, but in terms of tone I mean). which one is more bright? which one is cleaner/warmer?
@@tendingtropic7778 It's such a subjective topic. I haven't tried a Ruby yet. But if you like British tones then you'll prefer the Ruby I assume. It's going to have more brilliance (chime) on the top end. It'll feel more compressed and chewier. Usually the bottom end feels a little bit smaller and there are more mids. The Dream is going to be be bright and clear. Less compression and a more scooped sound. However, I've found the Dream to be VERY versatile with the boost options. It completely transforms the sound and feel of the pedal depending on how that's set.
I just picked up an Iridium to do a shootout, and I'm finding the Dream to have a considerable amount more gain to play with.
I'm hoping to get my hands on a Ruby at some point and do a side-by-side comparison, but I don't know when that'll be. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to help!
I'm getting both
How are you getting the stereo fx into the effect? Are you using the stereo ins?
I’m interested in how that ALT setting works
I’ve been watching so many videos on these trying to figure whether the amp settings stay the same as you placed them before switching to ALT placing the Tremolo effect on top of the amp sound, or if switching to ALT just turns the amp off giving you access to tremolo?
Also is reverb still active in ALT mode?
You just move the switch up to "ALT" to access the Tremolo settings. But you can not bypass the amp and still have access to the tremolo and reverb. The amp has to be active to be able to use those effects. So this wouldn't work as a standalone reverb/tremolo pedal.
@@andrewclarkeguitar okay. Thank you. I want to buy one of these pedals. My confusion came from the ALT mode sharing the treble and boost dials.
Say you have treble and boost dialed to 2 o’clock.
Then you switch to ALT and while dialing in your preferred amount of Tremolo you turn the speed and intensity dials to 11 o’clock.
Does the treble and boost remain at 2 o’clock ? Even though in ALT mode you have now changed the dials to 11 o’clock?
And when you switch out of ALT mode with the dials still tuned to 11 o’clock, will the treble and boost settings now respond as 11 o’clock?
Thanks for showing how it takes pedals. Does it clean up when you roll back the volume on the guitar?
Yes, it does!
Exeptional review
Recently bought the UA Golden Reverberator and it's amazing but noticed it's getting pretty hot underneath just power plugged without even engaging the on switch,I was wondering is this how all UA pedals work?? cause I can't imagine running them in sn already hot temperature room or heated live situation, these things will literally explode., do you think they can handle the hea? whats your experience?? Yhanks in advance
Thanks! I wouldn’t worry too much about them. It’s totally normal for them to get quite warm. I haven’t had any issue playing with them in the heat. Played some outdoor shows this summer and it was around 32 degrees Celsius. No issues whatsoever. Can’t say with absolute certainty if it got any hotter though 😅
@@andrewclarkeguitar
If it got hotter I think they wouldn't survive for sure🤣
They're getting noticeably very hot 🥵 compared to other pedals like Strymon for example, Flint, Deco etc,
UA pedals are build like a tank and full of quality componets just hope they last, don't wanna see em fry 😅
specially for this price range I hope they stand the test of time, these things literally cost a fortune but they worth every single penny soundwise, now saving up for the rest, I might even sell a guitar 😅 in order to get 2-3 more, extremely addictive stuff
Hi Andrew! I'm curious how well Dream 65 is cleaning up when you roll down guitar volume? Any experience with that?
Hey! It cleans up just like a tube amp would. Didn't notice any differences.
Coool
Can you bypass the preamp section and still use the reverb/vibrato in the situation you were using an amp
(E.g. use this with my amp when I can, but gig with this as my amp on the go)
Would be amazing if you could, but no you can’t :(
To me it doesn't have a very warm sound, it's more harsh and brittle than I'd like. Or do you think that's just how it translates from a YT video?
It totally depends on how you set the pedal. To my ears, the 60s Fender sound wouldn't be described as "warm". It's bright and articulate with a round bottom end. This pedal does that near perfectly. If you are looking specifically for warmth, then all you have to do is use the GB25 speaker and select the Lead mod. Bring it up to anywhere shy of noon. Then just adjust treble to taste.
Those settings will be plenty warm for you. :)
I’ve been thinking the same!! In almost every review it sounds too bright for my taste. I think the best way to make sure it’s warm enough is going to a local shop and test it!
@@andrewclarkeguitar
That's helpful, thanks. Because like what Istvan said, in every review I've watched so far, it just sounds brittle and trebly. I'm definitely looking for warm tones.
@@mr.d.572 You should definitely check out the Victory V4 The Duchess 2022 version (two-notes cab sim integrated) and the Milkman the amp 100! A bit pricey though, and not that pedalboard friendly as the UAD Dream 65.
@@mr.d.572 There are definitely other cool options out there! For me, the Dream was what I was looking for. But if you want something different, keep searching. Every year these amp simulators get better and better!
Do you have it running through studio monitors from your Apollo?
Yes! But I mostly play through headphones these days.
For what I have heard it is the same reverb ad the Golden.
What's that thing on the headstock?
It's just a clip-on tuner. An old TC Electronic Polytune clip.
Is the reverb always mono even its going out LR?
It sounds stereo to me!
@@andrewclarkeguitar all good just got confirmed from UA its mono since the real thing is mono..!
@@DanielCstudio I guess that makes sense. There’s your answer!
have u try it on a pa system? how it works?
Yup! Works great. Just need a DI box or Line Isolator box to plug into and you're good to go!
Nothing beats the $30 Joyo American Sound.
I’d be surprised if it’s quite as good as this thing. But maybe!
@@andrewclarkeguitar Well...there is a blind A/B sound comparison on CZcams somewhere. Compared with a real Fender tube amp. Indistinguishable. Actually some people, including me thought one of the sounds sounded just a touch warmer...that turned out to be the Joyo pedal.
@@thesocialartsclub9095 I'm sure it sounds great! I would just be surprised if a $30 pedal truly sounds as good or feels as good as either a real amp or the Dream. But I could absolutely be wrong. I'll try and find one and try it out for myself. If I can get my hands on one I'll totally do a comparison video. :)
@@andrewclarkeguitar Found it: czcams.com/video/UwoTIRPkfhE/video.html
@@andrewclarkeguitar do it!!
But does the pedal itself DJENT
Not exactly.
the squinting.....what's that about?
lmfao it's a habit and I have no idea how to get rid of it 😂
signal chain : guitar --> pedal --> Dream 65 --> audio interface , no eq , no compression , no real amp ?
That’s correct!
@@andrewclarkeguitar really great tone
Digital amps have already surpassed tube amps! I hate them! Why? Because they just don't feel right when playing them! they are too smooth, too modern sounding and feeling and lack the latency and feel of the tubes under the control of your fingers! They do not feel like a tube amp! And they are not as soothing to the ear when played for hours, and they don't react the same to your guitar as a good tube amp does. So if you've never played a tube amp they are great! But to those who grey up playing tube amps they just feel wrong in a live situation at home or at a gig! IMO, use the digital modelers (floor pedals) at gigs where you have a zillion options and sound killer and polished and are super EZ to play on, and leave the tube amps for home and party's and stuff like that! Unless yer rich and can afford to risk losing a few thousand at a gig when sh*t happens! The modeler you can carry around in a gig bag and plug it straight into the PA!
it clips a lot
Interesting. I'm not hearing clipping with my headphones or on my monitors. Unless you're referring to the distortion/clipping the pedal intentionally produces. It's got a surprising amount of gain on tap.
Since you seem to have so much free cash judging by your rig, you'd think you would have sprung for a Black Face Deluxe Reverb because your amp comparison was pointless.
Just as pointless as your comment
Dude, move your hands
Are you hooking it up to your amp?
Nope. It's going directly into an audio interface.