TC Electronic DC30 Preamp

The original amp that DC30 built upon is a British amp classic, and among its most notable users you also find a host of the finest British bands in the history of rock ‘n roll. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who and many more brought this amp to the stage as well as in the studio to shape the sound of their music. Now, DC30 gives you the possibility to tap into that classic vintage sound. You’ll love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Our passionate and guitar-playing team of engineers set out to faithfully recreate the original amp with the painstaking accuracy and attention to detail that only guitar players with actual hands-on experience with the original amp can achieve. At the heart of DC30, our AMPWORX modelling technology works its magic, carefully recreating the classic guitar tone that’s the sum of each and every component from the circuit of the original. The result? The best and most precise digital amp modelling of this famous amp you have ever run your guitar through.

TC Electronic kept the control layout true to the original to not only give you authentic tone, but also a familiar look that makes you feel right at home right out of the box. From here you can stay classic, or shape tones that will fit beautifully and seamlessly in modern genres, adding a touch of that delicious vintage vibe. It’s all up to you how you want to tweak DC30, but rest assured that no matter what, you’ll be able to sculpt jaw-dropping guitar tones that are perfect for bending notes as well as minds.

Obviously, the cab speaker is a key component of any combo – DC30 is no exception! With today’s convolution-based IR technology it is possible to sample the past with great accuracy and authenticity. And TC Electronic might have done exactly that, only someone else has specialised in this sonic art form – and who would be better at this than the company that has delivered cab speakers for countless classic guitar combos throughout music history: Celestion. After intensive testing, TC Electronic decided to integrate the official impulse response of the beloved 2x12 Alnico Blue combo speaker cab. It truly is a tone match made in heaven.

When you plug into DC30 for the first time, it is in the always-on Dual Channel mode. This means you toggle between a green and a red channel. Both channels model the Clean channel of the original amp, but the red one gives you a bit more gain and a slightly different voicing. If you press BOOST and CHANNEL at the same time, you will change to Bypass mode. Now, DC30 simply works as a stompbox that you can punch in and out whenever you want. The channel that was selected when in Dual Channel mode is the one to be used if you switch to Bypass mode.

You can use the Boost circuit in two different ways. If you set it in the PRE mode, it will be like having a vintage tubescreamer in front of the amp – the amp will simply be driven even harder when you kick in the Boost. And if you go for the POST mode, the boost circuit is patched in after the amp, which means that the core of your tone remains unchanged – it just gets louder. You can even tailor the amount of boost to be added in the Boost Gain control on the rear panel. Think of this as a set-and-forget parameter that you just leave alone once you have found the perfect amount of extra gain for your music.

Your guitar signal can exit DC30 in three different ways. The DI output includes the cab sim and is ideal if you go directly to a PA system, or if you record through an audio interface. The OUT jack does not include the cab sim, which is useful for when you go to a combo or an amp with a cab, or when inserting the pedal in the FX Loop on an amplifier. Finally, the HEADPHONES jack includes the cab sim to give you the perfect silent rehearsal scenario.