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MIDI magic

The big deal about the SE is that all this switching complexity is tamed by the magic of MIDI so you can punch in any combination of channel voicing, effects loop, power amp and speaker cab you like, store it and recall everything from one tap on a footswitch. The rotary controls are still manually operated, but there’s so much flexibility from the switch combinations that you’re never going to run out of ideas here.

Using just one MIDI effects processor, you can set up a clean channel with a touch of stereo chorus, a crunch channel with a small room reverb, preset both for 100-watt power and a closed back cab, then switch to either a vintage or modern lead sound using the SE’s spring reverb, 50-watt power and an open back cab.

You can vary any sound to your heart’s content, then copy it and store it up to the capacity of whatever MIDI controller you use. Engl’s own controllers simplify the process even further as they’re phantom powered down the MIDI lead, and for the non-MIDI user there’s the Z-9 footswitch which still lets you access most functions.

In use

When we reviewed Engl’s Powerball, we felt it had a good range of highly useable sounds but lacked a little character compared to some of the competition. By comparison the SE packs deadly serious tonal power: cleans can go from crystalline clarity to fat and edgy, crunch can go from vintage Brit aggression to the bass-heavy designer tones that are so in vogue today, and the lead channels cover everything from raunchy down-home Texas blues to searing, almost infinite ballad sustain.

The classic/ modern power amp option makes such a big change that you’ve effectively got eight different sounds on tap, covering everything from tweed to ultra-modern thrash with an almost unnerving authenticity that defies you to find something the Engl can’t do. Well, we tried hard and couldn’t find a single weak link.

There are many key tones that you’ll recognise when you hear them. However, despite this the SE isn’t a ‘who do you do’ amp – it has a definite character of its own that’s generally bright and punchy.

There’s a highly dynamic response that could only come from valves and, despite the SE’s complexity, it’s also possible to dial in one good sound that you could use for everything if you wanted to go down that route. Single-coils worked well but the SE really came alive with an old Les Paul providing the signal. This guitar’s PAF pickups needed less work with the Engl’s tone controls and the amp instantly felt like it belonged at the other end of the guitar lead.

Aimed directly at professionals who need cutting-edge control in a simple (and well-priced by these standards) package, or well-heeled weekend warriors who want to experience the kind of performance normally reserved for high-end touring rigs, the Engl SE is a true tour-de-force.

Yes, it’s mega-expensive and we’ve thought long and hard about what you get for your cash. The SE’s electronics are well-sorted and, while it sounds utterly superb, there are other amps that sound as good for a grand less. However, none rival the Engl’s flexibility. In that area, it’s simply in a class of its own. To buy this kind of MIDI capability separately you would be talking big money, so on balance we’d say that it’s very good value, even at this price.