Nickthebass

I have an Empress compressor always on and an OC2 if I need the rumble. Can’t see myself ever using the alternatives on the amp. I just want it to be an amp. 😆

Similar story for me. I was looking for a non-class D head and went with Ashdown over other options largely for the good post-sales support. TBH - the ABM600 has a load of stuff that I would remove if I could but the service from Dave and the gang in Essex has been very good.

This is the right answer I think (assuming any price differential isn’t a problem). You kick yourself for having not enough power but you’ll never kick yourself for having too much and having to turn down. (At least in my view!) 😁

I agree - better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it! ABM600 - two nice efficient cabs (I’d go Barefeced but other cabs are available 😁) - and Robert is your father’s brother.

What power amp were you using? Are you still running this rig? If not - why not? I probably would look for a solid state pre-amp but it sounds like you are / we’re doing exactly what I have in mind.

I’m using “rack” as a short hand for a separate pre-amp and power amp driving the backline speakers. I could just use a head and run into the effects return with another EQ after the BassRig but I’m trying to get some ideas and feedback from others who have been down this road. Did you use the Shuttle because that’s just what you had to hand or was it a deliberate decision?

A Midget T and a Compact. I’m playing a mix of places. Some I have to cover the room from the backline, others the backline is for onstage only. Potentially also some in-house backline. It sounds like you’re doing pretty much what I have in mind. Did you ever do it with a power amp and passive speakers? What was the additional EQ stage that you were using?

Yup - that is an option. To be honest it just feels like over kill. Also the both the heads have a distinct sound of their own - especially the GB unit. If I go into the effects return then (from looking at the Ashdown manual) I’d be bypassing the EQ section and going straight which I don’t want to do. I’m looking to go from the pedal board to a “room tuning” EQ section and then to a power amp.

I'm looking for thoughts, recommendations, pros and cons of moving to a pre-amp / power amp rig rather than a head. I have a small pedal board based around an Origin Effects BassRig SV to get "my sound" which is sent to both the front of house and back-line. I'm currently running a pair of Barefaced cabs powered by either an Ashdown ABM600 or a GB Streamliner 900 but I'm considering replacing the head(s) with a power amp and a graphic EQ (or similar). The back-line rack would only need to deal with volume and the oddities of the room. The pedal board deals with tone shaping, compression, drive and all that. I'm giving FOH a "finished" sound for them to balance / tweak to the room and mix and want to do the same with my back line. Someone in BC land has probably been down this (or a similar road) before but it would be totally new to me. Any thoughts on power-amps to check out (or avoid), similarly rack-mount EQs (or similar) as well as any big compromises / issues that people have bumped into?

Like most here - I treat it like an amp and stick it at the end of my signal chain just after a compressor. Effects / whacky noise pedals get patched in ahead of the compressor. Personally I cut the lows a little, boost the mids a bit and run with the gain just on the edge of breakup.

What difference are you hearing? I have the rack mount ABM600 but it is my first Ashdown head since playing some old knackered stuff in a rehearsal room about 15 odd years ago.

I have 40-100 Dunlop flats on a Jazz. They feel pretty much the same as the 40-100 Super Brights (a smidge higher tension but not enough to need a truss Rod tweak).