UK-based leaders in bass guitar amplification, Ashdown, also offer acoustic
amplification with the Radiator series. Mark Tucker reports...

Overview
Due to customer demand, Ashdown have recently upgraded their existing Radiator acoustic amp. For me, this says a lot about Ashdown’s quest to please their customers and desire to make good products.
   
The Radiator 1 is a very neat and compact, dedicated acoustic amp specifically designed for players who are on the move and don’t need a mega-watt of amplification. Weighing in at 11kg, this little beauty is small enough and not too heavy to throw over your shoulder, while still being able to carry a guitar in the other hand. This I know because I was greeted with the Radiator 1 in the middle of a busy high street and had to carry it for some 300 yards to my car, which wasn’t unbearable.
   
Ashdown have also certainly honoured their word when claiming “The Acoustic Radiator amps have been designed with three key factors in mind: quality of sound, portability and style”. At first glance there is certainly ‘style’ incorporated in the Radiator’s design. It looks and feels solid with its chunky wood cabinet and cool cream control panel adorned with suitably large chunky knobs. The Radiator 1 is the little brother to the Acoustic Radiator 2, which offers more comprehensive equalisation control and more power and available effects. Ashdown also produce the Resonator 1 which is identical to the Radiator 1 with the exception of it having a very unique shiny steel cabinet adorned with images of palm trees, echoing those featured on resonator guitars.

Specification & Function
The Radiator 1 is a twin channel, 100-watt RMS combo amplifier, fitted with a premium quality PA speaker, including dual concentric high frequency tweeters that are designed for optimum high-frequency distribution.
   
Channel 1 is designed to accommodate piezo or active signals on a ¼ inch jack socket, while Channel 2 is fitted with both XLR and ¼ inch jack inputs to be used with low-Z signals, or microphones. This means that it’s possible to independently amplify both voice and guitar using this amplifier.
   
The Radiator 1 features an Active/Piezo switch which allows Channel One to be used with active instruments, or those with a lower output level and higher impedance. The obligatory 48-volt phantom power switch is available on Channel 2, where it is needed to power condenser type microphones etc.

Signal gain is controllable via input and output controls and is complemented with a twin colour LED indicating ‘green’ for normal signal level and constant ‘red’ peaks when driving the amp too hard.

The equalisation available on the amp includes basic Treble and Bass operating on a cut or boost basis.
   
A switchable Shape function adds a smiling Loudness type EQ, booting bass and treble, while cutting mid frequencies. This is often a favourable function, and one that I found very useful in sweetening the tone of the instrument.
   
The Radiator 1’s Phase switch is useful in reducing the possibility of feedback in cancelling very low frequencies - very handy if you are performing through large PA systems. With the addition of a notch filter operating between 70 and 350 Hertz, it allows pretty comprehensive tonal variations without being too complicated. A very simple, yet effective reverb is fitted onboard with options of Hall or Plate, with only long or short reverb times being available. To the rear panel of the Radiator 1 there are the obligatory DI and line/link outputs, together with a Send & Return function for additional FX to be patched.

Sound
On plugging in, the first thing that struck me was how good and deep the reverb sounded, but without wishing to get too excited about reverb, I’ll focus my attentions on the basic amp sound. The twin high-frequency tweeters certainly provide a sweet and clear top end, while the abundant bass produced was surprisingly deep and clear and in most situations the bass setting was at a minimum, while still managing to sound deep and rich.
   
The Shape button added further sweetness to the sound and, combined with the notch filter, managed to produce some very usable and desirable tones, particularly when using acoustic guitar. On plugging in a microphone, the amp again performed with supreme ease delivering some very good sonic results, again with a solidity, punch and clarity not often associated with ‘weenie’ amps of this ilk.

Conclusion
On the whole this amp performed excellently doing exactly what it claimed it could. The leather shoulder strap, despite its dashing appearance, I felt was slightly too long to carry by hand, yet very awkward and too short to lift and throw over your shoulder. I would suggest that Ashdown add a buckle to this design to allow the user the possibility of one or the other carrying options. My other and slightly fickle gripe is: on just about every other piece of equipment known to mankind, the control panel operates and reads from left to right. i.e. Channel 1 being on the left hand side. The Radiator 1 has the reverse of this, together with the slightly misleading absence of control legends on Channel 1. While this is easy to figure out, it could throw a flustered musician in the heat of his/her stage performance.
   
Other than these minor issues, I feel the Radiator 1 glows with possibilities and is a welcome addition to the world of acoustic amplification, suitable for the busker through to consummate professional. If this is what is possible from Ashdown’s entry-level product, I can’t wait to hear their larger and more comprehensive models.