thinman

[quote name='barneyg42' post='1031344' date='Nov 21 2010, 12:59 PM']And all is great with the world again! Plugged into my Pandora via the line out and into my stereo and noise remained, took outer cover off and gave it the tap and jiggle test and still the same, plugged bass in and had a widdle and gradually it went away. Now starts and runs without a noise so I'm guessing it got damp and cold in my car, it was left in there last night too. As I said to MB1 in PM I'll sleep with it under my pillow from now on
The spare amp will be with me at all times though![/quote]

I'd be pretty wary about relying on it too - could be a dry joint but other components can exhibit noise problems that fade as the thing warms up.

I wouldn't leave gear in the car at this time of year - cars tend to be very damp. Also, if you take a very cold amp into a warm sweaty pub it will attract a fair bit of condensation.

I think you'll be hard-pushed to get an objective view round here! I think like most manufacturers they have good products and not-so-good products. I've had a few bits of theirs but never a bass amp. Some of them have been very good, some not so.

I'd say go and try one and if you like it have it unless you can find a good secondhand deal somewhere on something previously pricier. Reliability is a concern for some but there seem to be as many people having trouble with boutique brands as budget ones - many here state that their Ashdown gear has been ultra reliable - mine went bang so there's always an exception!

Just a thought but how about the following:

Make up a guitar lead with standard 1/4" jacks at each eand but using twin core and screen cable. Use one core and screen for the guitar signal. At both ends take the other core out of the back of the plug and terminate with something like a 3.5mm plug using just the tip and use this for +9v or whatever.

This leaves the guitar and amp standard with no risk of shoving 9v up the wrong hole. Might look a bit Heath Robinson though.

[quote name='Protium' post='1025289' date='Nov 15 2010, 10:34 PM']+1, the ABM410 I had was the best cab I've owned/played through, the sound I wanted was just there and I got nothing but compliments about how good it sounded. Not a bad result for a cab that is "wrong"... [/quote]

I think the point is that such a cab is not "wrong" if you're happy with the result. The point here is that the same 4 drivers could be better used in a better cabs/configuration. Some great things can happen through a happy accident but consistency is usually achieved through science.

[quote name='Stewart' post='1023875' date='Nov 14 2010, 08:12 PM']These are often recommended (though I haven't heard them personally...):

[url="http://www.studiospares.com/pa-speakers/studiospares-fortissimo-12a-active-single/invt/248250/"]Studiospares 12" Active PA[/url][/quote]


The Studiospares stuff certainly has a lot of support on Sound on Sound's PA forum. I gather they're actually Carlsboro but without the name or price tag.

FWIW I've had some db Technologies actives (250W + 50w biamped) for 3 years. I got them from Thomann when the exchange rate was abit more favourable and they've done a good service.

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='1021863' date='Nov 12 2010, 07:47 PM']I don't think it's a question of 4x10s being wrong, so much as other alternatives being potentially better, if applied correctly. The crucial practical question is: How much better, and in which areas? Enough to matter? Matter to whom?

A vertical array of 2 2x10s would give an more even lateral spread of sound, without interference peaks and troughs as you traverse across the width of the playing area. The audience may be affected, but you might not notice up on stage. The audience may not notice or care though of course, but for certain types of music they may. Your fellow band members may appreciate the better dispersion of sound as well, but if they can already hear you clearly enough - where's the problem?

People keep buying 4x10s because they are a compromise that is probably good enough most of the time. I'd be interested in doing some listening tests with a couple of 2x10s just to see what differences we could be talking about here. Sounds like a job for a future Bass Bash.[/quote]


I think this is an excellent point - I was thinking something similar before I saw this post. There's always the debate here about optimum speaker design, mixing driver sizes etc and a lot of people don't seem to get the point that if they are happy with what they've got then that's fine but it shouldn't be confused with being an optimum design. A 4 x 10" may well perform to someone's liking but as Bill Fitzmaurice points out there's better ways of using 4 10" drivers.

There's others but:

Bruce Thomas - I gather Costello got irritated having a "lead" bassist in the band but to me he was part of Costello's best records.

Barry Adamson - teeth-rattling.

JJ Burnel - more teeth rattling.

[quote name='owen' post='1016813' date='Nov 8 2010, 07:47 PM']Soundcraft Spirit Folio SX.

stereo sub group

3 way EQ - sweepable mid

3 Aux sends

Direct out on first 8 mic channels.

This a lot of desk for the money but has been sitting idle for 8 years so could probably do with a clean. If you have the time and the servisol it is bargainous.

The end cheeks have been taken off and lost. There are holes at the top which need filling or taping over - see first pic. Both sides the same. There are similar holes at the bottom which have been gaffa'd over.

£80 + carriage (£10?)

[attachment=63400:IMG_0606.JPG]

PM'd

[attachment=63399:IMG_0603.jpg]

Sound on sound review [url="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/jul96/spiritfoliosx.html"]http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_artic...ritfoliosx.html[/url][/quote]

[quote name='Big Mick' post='1020404' date='Nov 11 2010, 05:07 PM']I regularly play through a MAG 300 evo2 at our jam night, it always works and the guy who owns it rates it as good value for money. The thing I'm not keen on is that it seems to get a bit growly/clanky if you crank the gain up, which may be ok if you're playing metal, but not if it's blues/classic rock/reggae/dub etc.
Is this a common trait of this model or just this particular example?

Cheers, Mick. (possibly in the market for a cheapish but good sounding head) [/quote]

Mick - probably the combination of the amp and cab - when I had the MAG 300 head (not the Evo) through the Ashdown C115 combo it was a bit woolly as a lot of people have found with SOME (but not all before someone jumps down my throat) Ashdown cabs. However, through the BFM Omnis it sounds more like what you describe - slightly unpleasant to my ears (although I do wonder if it suffered some other damage when the transformer went pop). It's not the cabs - they sound great with other heads.

I had a MAG300 C115 Combo and the mains transformer went pop in it. No abuse or misuse involved - only ever played into its 8 ohm cab.

I'm led to believe there was a dodgy batch of transformers and I got one of them. It also took Ashdown 6 weeks to get a replacement - all stuck on a container ship between here and China apparently. I think that's no longer an issue.

I've since sleeved it and use it as a backup head. Don't rate the sound much compared with my Hughes & Kettner head but then that's got a valve pre-amp.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1003186' date='Oct 27 2010, 10:32 PM']Well the coin landed on the Thumper so its been ordered. Im sure if it doesn't work out i can sell it on her so nothing to loose.[/quote]

I'll be interested in how you find the thumper in that bass - I've got a CV P too and the stock pickups seem to be hotter than the 84s I've got in my Jazz but maybe that's comparing apples and pears.

You obviously find the standard ones wanting - be interested to know why.

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1000422' date='Oct 25 2010, 08:09 PM']The "ON" switch on an Ashdown......[/quote]

LOL In my experience using it makes the mains transformer melt...

The Ashdown VU Meter. And the Octaver.

Excellent BFM Jack 12 build diary [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105476"]here[/url].

There's no certainty that what you're doing will be wothwhile.

It may sound great or it may sound rubbish - it's an unknown.

A "proper" design would probably include a crossover and be on the basis that the 1 x 12 cab was tuned to do the very bottom and the 2 x 8 cab tuned for mids only - what you'll have is two differing designs trying to do the same job.

As Mr Foxen stated, mixing of driver sizes to do the same job (rather than being part of a multiway design) is hit and miss.

There are lots of people out there mixing 15s and 10s and if they're happy that way then fine, but in terms of "correct" design it's a no-no.

Wiring these may also be interesting if they're 8 ohm drivers. If all three are in parallel you'll have a 2.6 ohm load - quite low for a lot of amps. If the 2 x 8s are in series and in parallel with the 12" then they may well get drowned out.

Just read the build thread - fantastic job - well done.

I'm running a pair of Omni 10.5s at present but I'm quite intrigued as to what a Jack 12 is like. I've read reports of the Omnis "chuffing" which is fixed in the Jack design but never had the problem myself.

Just a note on the EQ - we've got a 31 band graphic but it's I never really use it for shaping the sound - its main role in life is killing feedback which a 7-and is far too coarse for. I find we can get the monitors up far louder having "rung it out". Otherwise I tend to leave everything flat.

I've always been a bit wary of boosting stuff in particular - it's probably fine if you have someone out front doing the sound for you - so I tend to stick with flat eq.

[quote name='ironside1966' post='975401' date='Oct 2 2010, 08:44 PM']To reproduce bass you need to sh*t air[/quote]

We've all done that after a few beers...

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='975382' date='Oct 2 2010, 08:19 PM']This is in the context of PA subs, and doesn't apply to bass very much. Vice versa is true. There is no point running a bunch of 10" sub drivers, when the physics and costs benefit large drivers for sub use, because it doesn't cost much more to make a 15 over a 10, and the 15 will move more air within the same suspension limits. Beaming frequencies and such don't apply, because there is no mids or highs going on. It is just not worth making 10" pro audio PA subs, unless they get a bit specialist like really narrow ones or something.[/quote]


Hmmm. I built a pair BFM T39 subs for PA use. Each only has a single 10" driver but then the cabinets are 1m high, 400mm wise and about 500m deep. They also include about 2m of folded horn within the cabinet. I admit that they're not designed to go much below 70Hz but they are very efficient at the frequencies people perceive to be deep bass.

I just suspect that many lower-end manufacturers compromise more on enclosures because more complex designs like a horn-loaded design would be too expensive to mass produce. They also prey on the notion that bigger drivers must mean better output and response.

Is it Hoffman's Iron Law that says you can't have wide frequency response, efficiency and small enclosure size - generally just two of them?

Not suggesting Norman had anything to do with fraud as I understand that he's a top chap.

But they do look quite similar...

Starcaster at Argos.

[quote name='Jesso' post='926174' date='Aug 16 2010, 09:37 AM']I'll try putting both to one side of the stage soon, to see how much of a difference it makes.
Thanks for all the advice so far![/quote]

As Mr Foxen said - both on one side works OK for us. Bass is very strange - ever had that thing where you can't hear yourself standing next to your can but someone 20ft away says you're too loud?

A bit of compression on the bass and kick drum or the whole signal going to the subs can also help.

[quote name='Jesso' post='925311' date='Aug 15 2010, 02:41 AM']Yep we have subs, but they have to go left and right of the stage, cos the tops sit on them for stability.[/quote]


Some decent stands could sort that out. Honest - subs should be placed together. And, proper placement using walls and corners etc for the subs can give you another 3 or 6 dB for no extra power input. It's worth reading up on the theory of this stuff - it can help in practice and avoid the need to chuck power at a problem.

I assume you must be doing quite large halls if a 2k PA is having trouble.

You have to be careful having your bass through the PA and at a reasonable level from your amp as you can get constructive and destructive interference, i.e. loud spots and dead spots, out front. I'd say that for big venues you need to boost your PA and use your cab more quietly for monitoring and for smaller venues use your backline alone.

On another matter, does your PA have subs? If so do you plave them together or apart? Together works far better for the reasons given above.

[quote name='bassicinstinct' post='910269' date='Jul 30 2010, 01:54 PM']This might inspire you:



[/quote]

Hell, yes. And no - too good.


But why do the people editing these videos show almost nothing of the bass playing, prefering to show a a guitar chord being played?