VTypeV4

Many thanks for the above.. My friend Matt is gooing to look a Mesa/ Boogie in Brum next week so I may well jump in with him..

I think the pre-amp might be (carbon copy or indeed re-worked) Trace Elliot V-Type. Or should I say 'borrowed' from Fender.. I'm aware of the links between the the 'old' Trace range and some of the Ashdown gear as such, the V-Type range always sounded great so surely it would be a waste of time for them to re-invent the wheel? This is mere speculation and I could be bang wrong but I'd love to try a CTM to find out.. Or maybe someone more knowledgable could chime in?

I do like these.. It's an itch that hasn't gone away! As a rule I don't particularly get on with the Ashdown but if these are what I think they are under the skin then I'm probably going to love them. Not sure if there's any local tho, Academy of Sound are my dealer and thats nearly all ABM and MAG models.. The 100w model would probably do me nicely..

I've had more Jazz Basses than I can shake a stick at. It was ten at the last count ranging from Squiers through to USA Deluxe models and to be fair, they were all great basses one way or another. I've just re-bought my old Squier VM Jazz as it was such a good example! And there-in lies the rub for me with all Fender instruments: Consistancy. I've played lots of lovely examples as well as some that were only fit for firewood irrespective of what origin or price tag was hung off them. It seems to be a Fender condition as most companies basses seem to be far more consistant -and don't get me wrong I know all of them make the odd dog- for example, I've never played a (what I percieved to be at least) bad Status which are in the same price range as the top line Fenders. Arguably it might be a bad setup or indeed my taste but I think there's more to it than that. I hope Fender don't go down the pan as Leo Fender and his designs are as legendary as the name. We all know the contribution they've to 'modern' music etc..

My TwinValve is the combo version. Compact, heavy but plenty loud enough to stand up to most situations. And it sounds great!

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1415984615' post='2605872'] NOBD! New Old Bass Day [/quote] Indeed!

[URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/JazzBassBitJam_zpsa5c28505.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/JazzBassBitJam_zpsa5c28505.jpg[/IMG][/URL] I sold this a few years back and regretted it but I managed to buy it back. I'll collect Monday fresh for rehearsal! The pic is me using the bass before sale in '09 - ish.. Can't wait!

It sounds like you've got a BLX series model from the '90s. They did a number of models starting in around '89 with the Series 6 seven-band pre-amp and an 80 watt power stage (BLX 80 or 'The BLX') through to the SMC models coupled to the 150 watt board usually badged as BLX SMC. Some came with a high frequency component and some had their XLR DI omitted but the box and speaker were pretty much the same which ever model you have. The enclosure is a band-pass type box for an extended bass response but some criticised it's limited upper midrange and HF response. IMO it's low end isn't bad given the compact design and limited displacement drive unit. More modern drivers are capable of much more than the OE Celestion driver although I always thought it sounded ok and never really complained too much. The location of the driver at the back of the cube made the weight distribution difficult too although once you learn it's going to tip,you'llbe ok. I was lent a BLX130SM with HF unit when my old 712 went for repair many years back. It was a heavy little beast but offered a decent sound with plenty of authority and definition. The problem was it was only just loud enough against a drummer let alone guitars, keys etc. I appreciate 130w (90 - 100w @ 8 ohm internal speaker) will only go so far but it wasn't quite far enough. With an extention speaker it would probably have been much more comfortable without the need to thrash it so much. On reflection, I'm not so sure my 712 ever sounded quite as 'tight' as the BLX although it was perceivably louder.. Hope that helps a little and you're happy with the amp.

When mixing, I often compress the bass. Sometimes I feel the need to squash the bass a bit to help it fit whereas other times it happily sits just snug without. Occasionally it is needed to apply alot of compression if a bass sound lacks context, is borderline incompatible with everything else or is simply badly / sloppily played. At this point mentioning above, it becomes more objective than personal IME.. [quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1415568418' post='2601600'] If you just want to keep the bass in the right place of the mix then it is best done FOH. [/quote] +1

I find compressor pedals a little lacking probably because alot of the settings are 'built in' so to speak.. I like to have control over all aspects of the compressor to best suit my requirements especially on a full range device. Attack and release, knee and make-up are commonly missed off pedals and we're simply left with a 'one knob does it all' or at best a threshold and ratio set. The old Trace SMX compressor pedal and the later Ashdown version work reasonably well to my taste but again, a lack of detailed controls limits fine tuning. Use of compression is very subjecive and somewhat personal. It also depends on what we want to achieve with it too as compression can be used as both a corrective and creative tool. Maybe we just want to smooth out peaks and troughs a little, maybe we're looking to squash the nuts out of some aggressive slap or possibly using it more like a limiter to eek a little more SPL out of and under-powered rig? All situations would require completely different settings and just like EQ, some would love it and others would hate it as a component in their sound. Neither of my amplifiers has compression built in but both being valve (particularly the Ashton) have a degree of natural valve compression. The Trace seems to do the 'transparent' thing whereas the Ashton does the 'squashy' thing. In a live situation both are more than adequate for my tastes but when recording I do prefer to add more by using a comprehensive (hardware or software) full range or multi-band compressor. Multi-band is great (two-band is perfect for me) as I can have completely different settings for each (low / high) frequency band allowing for a borderline invisibly compressed bass sound thats 'always present' in the mix without being squashed to death. I do have an old Boss LMB3 but the compressor on that was inadequate / intrusive and for a time I simply used it's enhance function. It sits largely dormant now although I do drag it out now and then just to remind myself that I don't really need it anymore. To the O/P, if you're happy running without then do so, if you're happy with what you're achieving and how it sits solo and in a mix then it's all good surely?

+1 on the above.. John is top drawer to deal with! We recently closed a deal on some vintage JBL speakers that he had knoocking around. Very pleased with all aspects of our deal. Many thanks to Tom (Bradwell) who helped to get them from down there to up here too!

Glad you're happy with it.. I always found with these and the V-Type models that my style of playing suited the input gain / pre-amp level to be around the 12 o'clock position. This will depend on how much EQ you use of course. With regards to the EQ -as you've already found- it's pretty flexible for a passive set. The controls are somewhat interactive and that includes the push buttons too. The deep button accents the lows by actually taking a cut out of the low mids, the mid shift seems to put a bit of a hump in around the 400 Hz mark helping with note definition in a noisy situation and bright does what it says on then tin* * Your mileage and experiences may vary from mine! Glad you're happy with your new amp, like I said, the one my ex had was very good. I think the occasional bad-rap that this type of amp gets is usually from being thrashed in a situation where it's massively out it's depth. When I used to play synth in a band, the bass player used to use the older 100w 12" version although the speaker eventually failed but it was the shoddy green-framed BG12S 100 Celestion. My 712 had one of these too but I spoke to Trace and they changed it under warranty when it started complaining for a 200w Q series unit that was far more robust. The TF / Tru-Vox series 15" unit in yours is a lovely sounding speaker for bass guitar, I never remember it complaining.

I had a similar issue with a 300SMX Trace which turned out to be a dry joint on the power-stage board. Does a short, sharp whack on the top resolve the issue? It did with the Trace, I later soldered it up..

Fascinating, as is the link about Class D operation.. Top thread chaps!

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1414968626' post='2595260'] That looks like a good TE pairing. [/quote] +1

Pics and a review please..

Sounds like a bargain to me! A 3-way box for £100 is a no-brainer as long as it's working right of course..

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1414683652' post='2592227'] Subscribed (as they say). [/quote] +1 I'm reasonably happy understanding valve gear and it's details but Switch-mode supplies, multi-vibrator circuits and Class D amplifier operation is somewhere just beyond me at this time. Loooking forward to some pix too..

New desk day.. [URL=http://s778.photobucket.com/user/VTypeV4/media/DSC_0022_zpsehdswgu_edit_1414871638501_zpsaqg6xkzo.jpg.html][IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/DSC_0022_zpsehdswgu_edit_1414871638501_zpsaqg6xkzo.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

My old Trace V4 and 810 was goodly both asthetically and sonically.. And of course my old 600 SMX, 410 and 115 was pretty devastating too! In reality there's never been a gig that I've done that required more than my old 4808 V-Type combo or current Twin Valve setup..

A horrible ex gf many years ago once owned one of these.. I used it a few times and have to say i thought it was pretty good in terms of tone / flexibility although i never used it in a 'loud' setting..

I'm ashamed to say I've only gigged my full stack a handful of times but on those occasions - as has been said above - just because it [i]will [/i]demolish a wall doesnt mean It [i]has[/i] to. Put simply, I used it as loud as it needed to be albeit nowhere near it's full capability. Never have I needed it flat out.. But it's nice to know it's there a bit like a fast motorbike!

Judging by where you were, you will have been dealt with by one of my colleauges.. Possibly Jack, Daz, Zach, Pete / Lee or Steve? Any of those boys ring a bell? Your band name rings a bell too, I have a feeling you were on Jacks stage.. Hope you had a good week and were well looked after sound-wise.

Still really enjoying the use of my 328XD after all this time, a great console. I have a plan to get myself the recording gear enabling me to do some live recording but before that, I'm pending the arrival of another desk. The original version of my XD, a Spirit 328 which I'm gonna use as a monitor desk for a bit more flex and control. Pix will follow when it lands in the next couple of days.. Next on the list is a MOTU 828 and a half decent computer allowing 16 channels of simultaneous digital recording..

Hi Guy, hope you're well.. Your old Celestion G15C still lives too. My Trace Twin Valve Combo has all of the described above. It sounds stunning and will knock a hole in a wall volume wise but it does weigh 8000 tonnes and as such is a pain to move. I almost took it to rehearsal earlier but used the manky old Peavey thats already there instead. It's my go-to amp for when it counts..