Which "Lunchbox" Amp Sounds More CRUNCHY?

Thanks for watching my comparison or the Victory Kraken MKII VX MKII vs the PRS MT15 Mark Tremonti head! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Cheers!
My review of the Kraken MKII: • Victory "FIXED" The KR...
Gear used in this video:
- Schecter E1 SLS Elite
- Schecter E1 Apocalypse Red Reign
- Victory Kraken MKII tube amp
- PRS MT15 tube amp
- ML Drums by ML Sound Lab
- Cubase 13 Pro
- OwnHammer Impulse Responses
- RedSeven Amplification Amp Central reactive load
- Klotz Cables & DI Box
This channel is sponsored by:
OwnHammer: www.ownhammer.com/
ML Sound Lab (ML Drums): ml-sound-lab.com/pages/ml-drums
An original song of mine with me on vocals: • My First Song w/Vocals...
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/ sonicdrivestudio
/ sonicdrivestudio_official
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#victorykrakenmkii #prsmt15 #comparison
Disclaimer: The Kraken MKII was given to me in exchange for videos but as always all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own!
Keywords: metallica, sonic drive studio, james hetfield, meshuggah, deftones, rhythm, guitar, amp, tube, modeler, line 6, helix, fractal audio, axe fx, fm3, fm9, hx stomp, tonex, neural dsp, quad cortex, gibson, les paul, custom, standard, esp ltd, phoenix, black metal, deluxe, 1000, ec1000, ec1000t, baritone, prs, mushok, 9-string, 8-string, ibanez, meshuggah m80m, fishman, fluence, seymour duncan, nw44, schecter, hellraiser, e1, apocalypse, ml drums, ml sound lab, grit, meld, cubase, slate digital, steven slate audio, phoenix-7 sc607b, sc608b, adam jones, will adler, tutorial, lesson, tones, settings, new, firmware, free, mesa boogie, marshall, orange, soldano, friedman, peavey, evh, laney, redseven, victory, wangs, lichtlaerm audio, walrus audio, engl, bluguitar, driftwood, hughes kettner, pedal, djent, death, rock, crunch, classic, ola, fluff, blackstar, randall, dsl50, jcm 2000, ds20hr, dsl1000hr, 6505, 6505mh, 1992 original, xxx, satriani, astro 20, slo100, diezel, vh4, vh2, ksr, revv, generator, jvm410h, jvm210h, jvm205, boss, tube screa,er v30, ownhammer, rock-box, essentials, low-tuned, bogren, sc20, sv20, plexi, jubilee, 2525, invective, mini, leviathan, iridium, mercury, preamp, jmp1, dual, triple, mini, rectifier, mk iic+, mkv, kraken, mkii, fireball, 25, 100, powerball ii, savage, special edition, founders edition, slash, 5150, iii, el34, 6l6, single, or15, tiny terror, dual terror, or30, ad30, rockerverb, 50, mkiii, purple, nightmare, archon, mt100, mark tremonti, tubemeister, black spirit, grandmeister, deluxe, toontrack, superior, ez, drummer, ironball, ironheart, ht, clob, venue, jj jr, emg, jb comparison, rig, capture, kemper, profile, free, preset, headrush, amped, digital, analog, hotone, ampero, roland, me90, leptop, daw, kreative devices, desktop, music production, mixing

[@gabrielstevens41]

The MT15 punches so far above its price point it's ridiculous.

[@Oilersordie]

I was stoked with the MT15 price point. I wouldn't say it punches above its price point, but the Kraken is over priced. Let's try and keep the prices down!

[@x-Gingerbeard-x]

As a massive fan of the PRS MT-15, the Kraken takes the cake for me surprisingly! It sounds more open, less compressed, more defined in the mids/top-end and less splatty/sizzly in the top-end. The MT-15 has that low-end punch, fat mids and smooth top end that I love, though it sounds considerably darker and more compressed than the Kraken for sure. Which isn't bad at all, just a different flavor. Both are great amps!

[@youwould2779]

Expected to prefer the victory, but preferred the PRS. Thanks for the comparison.

[@208414]

It seems like a dual amp mix of these two high gain tones would work really well. The Kraken is more mid range focused and raw sounding and the MT15 has a lot of top and bottom end.

[@brycedunn8059]

Nice timing i was recently looking at these two. Great vid as always dude ❤

[@MotoRiff77]

It's voxy/marshall vs fender/mesa sounding amps. You can get an Mt100 for the price of the Kraken...good video!

[@markoRE]

Great stuff! Thanks for this! 🤘

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Cheers!

[@enuxs]

The Kraken sounds just like more of everything - I never regret the "extra money", because of the extra joy I always got.

[@27retrodaze]

Great work, Jon... I have a 6L6 PRS MT-15 and have always had my eye on getting a Kraken MkII... I think they both sound killer...

[@luisguimaraes2176]

John, try these magic settings on the MT15. Master: between 9 and 10 o'clock (you'll hear the sweet spot). Presence: 0 / Bass/Mid/Treble: MAX. That will balance the EQ of the amp and turn it into a different monster.

[@IamMusicNerd]

Of these two, I preferred the sound of the MT15. But I think my favorite lunchbox sized amp is still the EVH. But for just a few inches wider (and heavier) I would still pick the Soldano Astro for my favorite smaller sized head.

[@buckcrum9237]

I bet these would sound great blended together.

[@DaltPlaysGuitar]

Ohhhhhh I’ve been wanting someone to do this comparison

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Hope you dug it!

[@DaltPlaysGuitar]

@@SonicDriveStudio for sure!! Kept going back and forth of which I prefer!

[@gr070491]

Have them both cause they are simply sooo good🚀🚀🚀

[@EricSabag12]

I had the mt15 and sold it a couple of months ago to get the Super Kraken. It's such an amazing amp. it's ridiculously good for its price. I may get another one as a second amp in the future.

[@unstable.musician]

It is currently 4:31 AM, and I finally decided to pull the trigger on getting myself a OWNHAMMER IR, specifically the Lynchbacks, it just sounds SO DAMN GOOD

[@qead1zc]

Best demos on YT!!! I liked the PRS

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Cheers!

[@davidfalconer3521]

The MT15 sounds like what I think a Dual Rectifier should sound like, after you’ve sorted the flub out. I have an original VX Kraken but I really really want an MT15 too just because it sounds so different. I’d love to see a comparison between the MT15 and a boosted Dual Rec. Love the channel!

[@redkurn]

Would love to see your entire wall on the headrush cloud and tonenet. 🤩 love both of those amps, I think the kraken is just more forward.

[@camreese1444]

Super happy w my mk2

[@chrisnicolaides7834]

John, great video as always. I know that in the past few years PRS have changed the power tubes supplied in the MT15 from 6L6 to 5881s. As Mark Tremonti explained in an interview, this was due to supply issues but he ended up really liking them (but oddly he want back to 6L6 for the MT100....). Have you tried a 'new' MT15 from the past few years with 5881 power tubes at all? I'm not aware of many tone test comparissons between the two versions, I wonder how different they could actually be.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I have not but I doubt the difference would be very noticeable

[@StompboxMods]

Actually for me it was a night and day difference!! Just got around to exchanging my JJ 5881s for some JJ 6l6GC tubes 3 weeks ago. Here’s my personal experience using my PRS MT15. I have a modified 50 watt version equipped with with a Heyboer 4k transformer. I played at stage volumes using my stock PRS Custom 24 driving a Mesa 4x12 with vintage 30s date coded 4-18-2000. Testing just using my ears. Running 1/2 power. Presence at 1:00. Clean Volume: 11:00. Dirty volume: little past 9:00 The 5881s across the board have a lot more forward mids a bit less compression. The low end is similar to the 6l6 for the cleans but not for the red channel. I love the 5881s for the clean channel. Most notably, a little louder/headroom, and more mid forward. Stiffer in tone. A little breakup in tone particularly on the treble pickup. The red channel is overly excessive in the mid-mids frequencies with 5881s. I could put the midrange knob at 0-9:00 but the tone becomes more choked back sounding and feel wise it felt like I was trying to bend telephone wire. With the mids at noon-1:00, I had tons of forward mids. Too harsh to the ears for me. Overall, the 5881s are more mid rangy/forward, less bass resonance. Can’t really dial in the low mid guttural rock/metal tones I’m hearing in my head. For the 6L6s: Holy shit what a night & day difference! Instantaneously, the feel totally changed on the amp for the better. Single notes don’t feel overly stiff. A little more compression across the spectrum and tons of low bass resonance! Cleans have airy, deep throaty lows, smoothed out mids, and clear bell like trebles. Think blackface Twin Reverb! Very airy and rich in tone. A little volume drop I noticed-I had to dial up the volume knob to about 1:00 but it’s no big deal still very loud. A little breakup in tone on the treble pickup. For the red channel, you can run everything at noon, gain at 10:00 and have the most heavy, modern Rectifier tone and then some! Massive tight bass response at 2:00. Mids at 1:00 have a perfect balance of scooped compression, but it still has a forward push in the mids without sounding harsh, spikey or overbearing. Trebles have brilliance and a tight sizzle but not harsh or shrill to the ear. It’s the “it”’factor especially for that signature Tremonti tone. Flipping over to full power on the back of the amp. Totally mind blowing HUGE TONE! 🤘🤘 The 6L6 is what this amp needs if you’re chasing that heavy rock, guttural metal tone and everything in between. If you’re looking for the Tremonti tone, this is the tube. The 5881s don’t hold a candle to these. Team 6l6s!! You’ll never go back!! Hope this helps!!

[@ChickenThug55]

I’m a tremonti and Killswitch engage tone fan. The PRS comes through for the sound preferences of those bands. The kraken sounds good though.

[@blickfang3751]

the cleans are indistinguishable!

[@dylanjastle]

I liked the gain on the PRS more surprisingly. They were also pretty close to each other in sound in my opinion

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

I like the way they put "Pre Heat" on the power switch!🤣

[@janosmaiden8219]

This just goes to show that anyone who bought an MT-15 can't be disappointed with their purchase. Me included!

[@KreativeDevices]

🔥

[@DimKAt21]

Haven't watched the video yet, but in my village I can buy an MT, an analog "crunchy" preamp pedal a 2x12 cabinet and a barrel of high quality pale ale for the price of a Kraken. No comparison for me, PRS wins... Fatality!

[@JohnWiku]

Victory is overpriced, but ain't made in china or somewhere else with cheap labour.

[@scottykomer9992]

What ML drums are you using? The ride is particularly nice

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I made a custom kit and I did a video about it recently. It's called something like "Meet my new drummer"

[@michaelsavides8856]

You are completely right. On every single point. I love the mt15 but the kraken is way more articulate

[@thewrit6946]

The heavy demo track somehow sounds like an opeth/static x collaboration and I love it

[@przemowczarski]

Kraken 🤘

[@lowtunedg9211]

Considering the price, the PRS is a no brainer

[@GabrielGomes]

I really wish we could have the tabs to these riffs!

[@garnine999]

Can you do a video of the new revv G50 vs the new kraken??? Thats what im waiting for. As i was waiting for this video cause i own an mt15 and want to buy either the kraken mk2 or revv g50

[@briansubsist]

The Victory sounds better on both channels. It has a little more body to it where the PRS sounds slightly thinner in comparison. That being said I own the MT 15 and use it as my practice amp. I picked a used one up for 450 and think for the sound and value it can’t be beat.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I prefer the Kraken but the PRS wins in the bang for buck category

[@archery171093]

Hi ! I have a very specific question : what shelf do you use for your amp heads ? I'm building my home studio I'm looking for something tough ;) thx !

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Cheap shelves from gamma.nl

[@felipelopes4376]

Being a 15 Watt amp with 6L6s makes the MT15 sort of an unicorn in its own right. That being Said the Kraken is kind of its own thing too. They're both pretty unique in their own way. Ideally, one wouldn't have to choose and have both :P I think the MT15 could be compared to those iconic JDM cars with those engines that were supposed to pump out less HP than they actually would output :P

[@Wyatt.D.Loiselle]

Not really sure if I can tell the difference on the cleans. The MT-15 sounded slightly less trebly... it sounded more alive I guess. Victory takes the cake for cruch/high gain sounds though...

[@Benteparle]

I would be curious to hear the MT15 with a 10 bands eq in the loop.

[@RulgertGhostalker]

I would go for the 15 watt for less .... the neat thing about heads is you can swap out speaker cabinets and adapt the power amps sweet spot to different venues. so I guess it would be more into cabinets, ( two of the loudest 15 watt 12s would set me back $640 ); and the other one does sound great too...but I honestly couldn't afford either.

[@rhysbooth4842]

I love the kraken mk2 I really hope to own one someday. My dream rig is an evh 50w stealth into the left input of an engl vertical 212 with a kraken mk2 going into the right input and a 16ms 100% wet delay in the fx loop to emulate the sound of 2 guitars. I have a simular setup in my helix and it sounds phenomenal.

[@Ryan_Q3L]

That one 212 cabinet can run two heads?

[@MetalheadOv666]

@@Ryan_Q3Lyes they make 212 cabs that are stereo. It’d be 16ohms mono or 8ohms stereo with a switch on the back

[@Ryan_Q3L]

@@MetalheadOv666 That's really cool. I don't think I can do that with my Orange V212.

[@joeywilder9708]

You thought about trying the MT100?

[@XiyuYang]

Wow! Both sound gorgeous but the Kraken sound fuller to me. Then again it's your demo, you can plug into a potato and crank out amazing tunes.

[@s.r.b.4582]

I think the Victory is better in a band situation, and maybe easier to mix : less boomy bass frequencies

[@jorgepoti1718]

Exactly

[@sheriewart8100]

Bang for the buck MT15 all the way

[@NickySayahSina]

How dare you not prefer my MT 15?!? In all seriousness, I really like the MT15 as a pedal platform through the clean channel. The lead channel varies from day to day; some days I really enough it, some days not, but it's kind of it's own thing, which is cool. I am currently playing through an NRG Nuclide right now and exploring it's 6 modes; it's been interesting to say the least.

[@pb25193]

Damn bro i need the tabs for that riff. Is that a famous song?

[@hughwphamill]

Whenever we've got you laying down epic riffage who wins? We all do!

[@johndesrosier1672]

I prefer the Victory tones over the PRS, however I noticed you used 2 different guitars.the have different pickups, 1 being passive and 1 being active. How are we supposed to know if it's the guitar or the amp?

[@alexwood8555]

The guitars were only switched during clean/crunch. Its the amp.

[@ponsiopilatos5179]

I own a Kraken mk1 and it is an amplifier that sounds very good (I love its dynamics), but I think it's very dark and misses a presence control or a greater treble range. I solve it with a graphic EQ for the loop, but it's a hassle. Is it very complicated to make a mod and install a switch (I don't even ask for a potentiometer)? 🤔

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Good question! I wouldn't know...

[@d3adlym3rcy25]

The MT15 was tighter, or from what i was hearing with those settings, not as mid present still good mid range

[@ttopper1222]

Kraken clean sounds much fuller. Might be worth the extra cash

[@KaiDown]

Generally I preferred the Kraken, but once it got to the faster single note riffs, the MT15 had a little more articulation about it

[@jamesquinn9971]

Ive got the mt15 yeah there is no marshall crunch tones its either good clean or heavy distortion

[@benbrandt3]

Maybe it was just mine, but my MT15's gain control was insanely touchy and the feedback was completely unmanageable. I ditched it for an ENGL Ironball SE and never looked back.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

The Ironball is great!

[@coreyclark6505]

MT15 is a helluva amp... but it sounds more boomy and hollow here. Kraken is just a special amp IMO. Even V1 was crazy good.

[@Fishtank186k]

Kraken… now can you do Kraken vs SLO 30 🙏 pretty please?

[@Sugman123]

The Kraken seems to have more of a "Marshall" mid grainy character whereas the PRS one seems to sound kind of a 5150 scooped style amp aside from its own thing. The more I listen to these kind of comparisons, also noodling with plugins with both styles, the more I see the first ones tend to sit better on mixes. The latter doesn't that much unless you mix amps or really like that scooped sound, but they sound better when playing alone in front of them without that harsh amount of mids. I own the first version of the Kraken and the amp sounds "harsh/raw" (I'd say, it's an acquired taste) unless you scoop its mids, but I'm pretty sure it would sit amazing on a mix without scooping them.

[@LuxTheSlav]

The Kraken's Clean/Gain I are based on a Marshall (JVM410H I believe) and Gain II is based on a 5150 so the Marshally character that comes through in the cleans and crunches makes perfect sense. I do think the MT15 is a lot more Mesa Boogie-ish than 5150ish though. Calling the 5150 scooped is insane to me. It can be scooped I guess. If you turn the mids down to 0... It makes sense to me that the Kraken would sit well in mixes made for reviews, because they're made to emphasise the guitar, but if you bring vocals into the mix (pun intended), the scoop comes in handy to leave some room for them.

[@Sugman123]

@@LuxTheSlav Yeah, just as you said, gain 1 is based on some kind of Marshall amp and gain 2 is based on a 5150 (dunno which channel). I've only played it on low volume in my room, so it may behave differently with it's volume cranked up. So far I like gain 1 (about 4 o'clock) and boosted with a BOSS SD-1. Gain 2 is cool, but BOSS SD-1 makes it so damn fizzy. Since I don't own another overdrive (Maxon, TS, whatever) I haven't had the opportunity to boost it with a classic tubescreamer, it may work better.

[@jackvai2681]

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

[@nick3f]

PRS all the way ❤

[@DerSilvano]

8:00 I was like "Yeah, it'll sound like a tiny Lunchbox amp..." BAMM I was wrong

[@davidelizalde3844]

mt15 ftw

[@OMEGAAMPWORKS]

I think e need to mod an MT15 for you to compare. New output transformer brings power to almost 40w and makes a huge difference in tonality and musicality

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Sounds exciting!

[@StompboxMods]

That’s what I did to mine. It’s a beast!!

[@endtimeguitarist]

Bogner Helios eclipse and bogner atma vs Marshall plexi and kraken mini

[@thewrit6946]

They sound crunchy because that’s where I keep all of my snacks. Chips, carrots, peanuts etc…

[@blackmagic8039]

Kraken more natural organic tone

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

Love the kraken amp tone wise but really dislike that logo badge to the left side! Makes the Amp look goofy!😴

[@rhysbooth4842]

Wooh first comment 🎉

[@peterschaefer1665]

They sound almost identical. Why pay 3 times the money for the Victory?

[@SonicDriveStudio]

They sound quite different in fact

[@Margilio5150]

I don’t need an MT15… I don’t need an MT15 amp 😢

[@jconner3891]

I can’t handle no shell on amps. That’s just me.

[@fastboy_guitars]

The PRS by a mile. The kraken is too nasal. It sounds like a 5150 that’s caught a cold.

[@fgtw4756]

Who write the comment about PRS is better, totally deaf, or absolutely don’t understand what is the structure guitar tube amp sound! For this price range maybe it’s ok, but… you need good tube amp sound and good quality components, or good price? 😂😂😂

[@demonspree]

Thats the people talking that own the MT15 ofcourse.

[@JoelCSabo]

Have you plugged the V4 Kraken Preamp on your shelf into the Kraken MkII head and compared them yet? I'd hate to have missed such a thing. -Joel

[@ChristopherOrz]

Victory doesn't sound 700$ better :D

[@SonicDriveStudio]

It's not just about the sound. It has more features and it's quite a bit louder. Plus it's made in the UK. So those are also things to consider. But sound wise it's highly subjective of course

[@gabrielstevens41]

@SonicDriveStudio how loud did you have them? I don't think I ever got past 9 or 10 o'clock on my MT15 with my full band and we're loud as hell. It easily holds up with my 50 watt JCM clone and Peavey Ultra.

[@ChristopherOrz]

@@gabrielstevens41 in case of MT15 the wattage is cleary misleading because of tubes used and the construction - even tho it's rated as 15W it's more like 30-40 soundwise

[@gabrielstevens41]

@ChristopherOrz yeah I've heard it's under rated and I also have seen guys mod it to a true 50 watter with a new output transformer. It's a beast of a little amp. I've lent mine out at the moment but this video made me either want to get it back or by a second one.

[@kevinc8554]

早期美产的PRS执政官才真是好东西，你真的应该收藏一台。

[@taz7058]

mk2 > mt