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bassmayhem

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Posts posted by bassmayhem

    Okay, so who here has twins?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    Well, I had three, but now they're just two...
    [IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd169/bassmayhem/3-Thethreemusketeers_zps7efab81d.jpg[/IMG]
    The fretted Skyline Standard is nowe gone in favour of a Fender Precision 2012 [i]Jade pearl metallic...[/i]

    DI Boxes and Playing Through the PA

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    [quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1381247840' post='2236415']
    Is this right? I never knew that. So I can run my MB800 without speakers?
    [/quote]
    I cannot say ALL S.S. amps can be run without a load, but most of them. Check the manual or contact their support. When I use my QSC power amp with just one cab connected to one of the power amp modules, the other one "goes empty" without problems.

    TKS Engineering cabs - new to the UK

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by bassmayhem

    Here is the new TKS-cab among its new friends...



    This setup sounds very good. Eden WP100 Navigator into a QSC PLX-3402 and then to the new TKS-cab, with the new model name 2126; without an initial letter. The 1100 Watts RMS at 4 ohms per side works well with the specification of the cab, giving each cab some real 1100 Watts of power to push a heavy load...

    It is a bit annoying having two 2U SKB-rack of different models and then realize they are not stackable. Really stupid, SKB! That's why there is a cushion from a chair between the racks. Tommy will build me a matching 5U rack to accomodate the power amp, the preamp and a rack tuner. It will have the same visual appearance as the cabs, ie. black box and crème coloured lids. It should look ravishing...

    Well, now just wait for the twin cab...

    Mid scoop

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted · Edited by bassmayhem

    It is no wonder a Fender Precision Bass always sits well in the mix. Its natural tone has a lot of "urrrp" and "cardboard box" qualities. A P-bass may sound dull, or even ugly, by itself but always good in the mix. Well, to the topic...

    Scooping means "disposal of the cardboard box in your tone". The lesser cardboard box, the lesser you'll be heard. The most important thing is to sit down with the band mates and have the discussion: "Are we a bunch of soloists or a band?" In most of the cases the problem is that it gets crowded in the frecquency spectrum where the bass is. More and more drop tuned guitars and sub-woofered kick drums make our life a misery. Share the frequency spectrum! That is the solution in many cases. Anyway, a nice scooped sound is fine in a YouTube clip, but will make it harder to get heard. Like Lozz196 writes: "...[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]but "my" sound is what works in my bands...[/font][/color]" That's the thing. The main thing. Make it work! No primadonnas, but the whole ballet...

    TKS Engineering cabs - new to the UK

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by bassmayhem

    [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1380117870' post='2221053']
    These cabs are seriously sexy!

    anyideas which one would do the 'ampeg b-15' sound most easily when paired with an ashdown lb30 head?
    [/quote]

    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Since the Li'l Bastard is kinda li'l, I'd [size=4]suggest[/size] a smaller cab to match it with, preferably the 112 with measures:[size=4] [color=#000000](WxHxD): ca 52x37x34 cm, and weight: ca 10 kg,[/color][/size][/font]
    [color=#000000][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]or the D112, slightly larger with more low end[/font][/color][color=#000000]: [/color][color=#000000][font=verdana]measures (WxHxD): ca 52x42x44 cm, and weight[/font][/color][color=#000000][font=verdana]: ca 12 kg. Neither of them particularly expensive...[/font][/color]

    [b]Edited 9/27-2013:[/b]
    Here are some fresh updates from TKS Facebook. I mark some nice options for the LB in bold writing.
    [color=#333333]([/color][color=#333333]Preliminary prices in SEK gives prices in £/GBP [b]slightly less than 1/10[/b] compared to the price in SEK.[/color][color=#333333]) [/color]
    [color=#333333]Here's the list:[/color]

    [color=#333333]Two way high performance cabinets (based on the current 1126 / D2126 cabinets):[/color]
    [color=#333333]1126 - 8 ohm, 450W, 15 kg, 6200 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]1156 - 8 ohm, 450W, 22 kg, 7000 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]2126 - 4 ohm, 900W, 26 kg, 9200 SEK[/color]

    [color=#333333]Standard cabinets, all cabinets except the 112 available both as 61 cm wide and the narrower/taller format (52x74x40 cm WxHxD). All based on the previous 112/212/2128 cabinets:[/color]
    [color=#333333]S112 - 8 ohm, 250W, 10 kg, 2900 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]S/W212 - 4 ohm, 500W, 20 kg, 4900 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]S/W115 - 8 ohm, 450W, 17 kg, 5500 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]S/W2126 - 4 ohm, 500W, 23 kg, 6400 SEK[/color]

    [b][color=#333333]Extra light cabinets - neodymium magnet speakers, the L115/L212 are slightly smaller than the standard S212/S115. Aluminium grilles instead of steel, and different handles, all to keep the weight down.[/color]
    [color=#333333]L112 - 8 ohm, 150W, 8 kg 3300 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]L115 - 8 ohm, 300W, 13 kg, 4900 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]L212 - 4 ohm, 300W, 14 kg, 5200 SEK[/color][/b]

    [color=#333333]One way high performance cabinets - something in between the standard 112/212 cabinets and the 1126/2126 ones. High excursion, high power handling speakers, for bass players wanting to match a single 212/two 112 cabinets to a powerful amplifier, but not are in to the sound of the two way cabinets (1126/1156/2126).[/color]
    [color=#333333]H112 - 8 ohm, 400W, 10 kg, 4500 SEK[/color]
    [color=#333333]H212 - 4 ohm, 800W, 18 kg, 7200 SEK[/color]

    A strange EUB from the old DDR...

    in EUB and Double Bass

    Posted

    A friend has an old EUB he wants to sell, a really weird thing. I have promised him to post pictures of it. He has no price idea so far, so this is more to see as a presentation of a peculiar instrument ...







    Herrnsdorf is the name of the bass; there is not much information about it, though it's rather sweet ...
    Is there anyone who knows anything about these instruments?

    TKS Engineering cabs - new to the UK

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by bassmayhem

    [quote name='Thunderpaws' timestamp='1379081044' post='2208479']
    Hello,

    Is the power rating 250 watts for the 112? And for the 12/6? And is the power handling a conservative estimate or bang on?

    Cheers, g
    [/quote]

    The 112 is 250 W RMS. The 1126 is 450 W RMS, but has a bit lower efficiency, so you need a powerful amp to feed. I will use a 2 x 1100 Watts power amp for my two D2126 at 900 W RMS.

    Here is a Google Translation from TKS' website, with all grammatical errors and such:

    [indent=1][i]Power handling is one of the most requested specifications when it comes to speaker boxes , but actually one of the least interesting . Power rating says nothing about how strong the speaker box play , how strong the amplifier can be used , or how much power you can use before the speaker box can not cope with / starts to sound bad. Power handling capacity is a measure of the average power voice coil in the speaker driver is capable before so much heat that develops risk of harm occurring.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]What is the average power , and how it looks when you play bass? One way to answer that is to look at a clip of bass playing in a regular audio editing :[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i][/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]In this particular piece , you can see that a notice about 1 /3 of the maximum amplitude , ie the strongest and most sound effects needed for amplifying the signal if you play through an amp . The rest of the signal is several dB lower , and it is possible to calculate an average of the signal can be compared with the strongest value. When it comes to bass then appropriations usually much stronger than the average of the signal. To take the five different sound clips that you can listen to here on the website so is it about 12dB between the mean and the maximum value in the audio clip to the left (finger playing, P- bass), and for the following audio clips 10, 15 , 15 and 17 dB.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]How it translates to an amplifier ? 10 dB difference means 10 times the difference in power level , and 20 dB difference means 100 times difference. If you set an amplifier's volume knob so the amplifier just manages to play the strongest allocations without starting distorting use the maximum power ( peak) . An amplifier leaves about twice as much peak power as the RMS label. This means that if you played the audio clip # 2 ( distorted bass, plectrum ) with a 500W amplifier squeezed to the max as above the peak power is about 1000W while the average power is 100W .[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]The sound clip with distorted bass is the clip on the website that provides the maximum average power compared to the maximum effect. In the last clip ( slap ) is the biggest difference, because that type of playing gives very strong attack compared to the average level. Had the volume is set according to the previous example with 1000W peak was 17 dB below the mean level yielded an average power of only 20W.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]By using effects like compressor , distortion and play tightly and faster (eg eighths in higher tempo ) you can get up average power , but it is difficult to get a difference of peak and average that is less than 6 dB, which corresponds to a difference in power by a factor of 4 ( which would mean 250W average power from 500W amplifier in exempelt on previous page). Therefore, one can usually use an amplifier with twice the power of labeling the speaker box .[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]Eminence , the company that makes the speaker drivers used in the full range test their products using a signal having at least 50W higher average power than the label on the speaker driver , and with a peak power of 6 dB (ie, 4 times the power ) above the mean. Loudspeaker element must be able to endure signal for eight hours without in any way damaged. In practice it means that the speaker driver, for example, 112 ( 250W ) is tested with a signal with 300W average power and 1200W peak power . A test signal which differ only a few dB between maximum and average level looks obviously different in a sound editing compared to the bass signal , such as :[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i][/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]Please compare with the sound clip on the previous page .[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]To refer back to the beginning - power label says very little about the speaker box and its performance. When the average power from the amplifier often is between 1-20 % of the amplifier's power rating (and it provided one presses the amplifier hard) is not the output capacity so important, unless it is about 100W speaker cabinets combined with amplifier 1000W or similar, and provided that not abusing the equipment, for example by turning up all the amplifier's controls to max, which can cause harmful distortion.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]When it comes to the parameters that actually plays a larger role in how strong and deep you can play without the speaker box protesters - please read the section on stroke:[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]Stroke is a measure of how far the cone of the speaker driver may move on before a certain distortion. Pressing the speaker elements of the stroke is usually most practical experience as to the speaker box starts to sound bad / lose strength.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]Stroke length is measured in millimeters and differ a lot between different driver. Lower frequencies and more power requires more cone movement, so for deep clean bass at high volume is required excessive travel . Seemingly small differences in stroke can make a big difference - a doubling of stroke means you need four times the power required to reach the same level of distortion.[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]Many simpler speaker driver has a stroke of between 2-3 mm, which often gives the speaker cabinets that are not really good for playing bass guitar on a little higher level. Speaker elements used in tks range has all the stroke that varies between about 5-10 mm, which is above average and provide enclosure, which manages five string bass for powerful sound .[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]As drivers of different sizes move different amounts of air as they move the same distance can be calculated stroke * cone area , getting the stroke volume , which is a measure of how much air the speaker element moves per cycle at a certain distortion. The stroke volume listed is total for all elements of the speaker box that stands for low frequencies, and the stroke used in the calculation is the speaker element comes up in 10% distortion. By comparing the values ​​of the displacement can see which speaker cabinets that are most suitable for reproduction of deep, clean bass at high sound levels. To compare with is that many standard 10 "element has a displacement of 100 cc and the corresponding 15 " element often is about 2-300 cm ³ .[/i][/indent]

    [indent=1][i]It is worth adding that sounds ideal shooting a lot - a midrange focused sound does not set the same requirements for displacement as one where deep clean bass is of paramount importance.[/i][/indent]

    New QSC power amp for my big gig rig...

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    This may be stupid, but I like stupid sometimes...
    I started to build up a collection of bass preamps, not just to own, but to use when I'm playing live. One thing gives the other, all of a sudden I have a line mixer connecting them all together and send to... wait, I need a power amp. Here is where stupid starts. I got an offer I couldn't refuse and got a QSC PLX 3402 power amp, giving 2 x 1100 W RMS in 4 ohms. That is a perfect match for my new TKS D2126. Bridged it is pure killer: 3400 W RMS in 4 ohms!!!

    [IMG]http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd169/bassmayhem/20130828_192056_zps647fb4db.jpg[/IMG]

    My aim is not to maim but to please...
    This thing can play very very clean. You won't lose your good tone when changing the volume. Still, the rack is a heavy s.o.b. so I will move the power amp to a rack of its own and leave space for an old Trace Elliot Series 6 preamp I got for coffee money yesterday...

    Am I the only stupid person around in this time of light weight amplification...?

    TKS Engineering cabs - new to the UK

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    If you like the 1126, then the D2126 is pure heaven. I've ordered two of them with the same appearance as this one:

    It will have the same black/crème vinyl, but the old brown cloth like on old Fender Tweeds, also two "TV screens" per cabinet front.
    I post pic's when I get them delivered...

    Badly placed bridges on the Gibson Thunderbird basses...

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    Have you played a Gibson Thunderbird recently? Then you'll notice the bridge is placed too near the neck, making it almost impossible to adjust the strings so you only have the clean winding of the singing part of the strings over the bridge saddles. If you want the bass to intonate properly, you'll end up in the double winding for the ball end. Stupid! I've played three or more of the newer T-birds: the same on all of them. Someone hasn't done the thinking properly...

    Check this one out:

    ...or this one:

    This is bad. Really bad.
    It would be so easy to relocate the bridge to solve this. Guess why I didn't buy one...!

    5 string P bass options?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    I'd suggest a Lakland (Skyline). They make five string P-basses with their own "digit-combination-names". They used to be called Bob Glaub and Duck Dunn models before. The thing I like with Lakies is the familiar feel of the Fender string spacing, regardless of number of strings. 19 mm (3/4") at the bridge on the fivers. You don't have to adapt to another spacing and feel, just play...

    DI Boxes and Playing Through the PA

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    [quote name='adamlunt' timestamp='1373037456' post='2133095']
    Just wondering...
    If you have a amp head with a DI out, do you still have to have a speaker cab?
    The reason I ask is because I use a MarkBass LM3 head and I have a cab that I take to gigs which is essentially just used as a monitor, and it tends to cause feedback with my singer's acoustic guitar.
    [/quote]
    A solid state amp can be run without speakers, just as preamp. A tube amp requires a load, or else the output transformer and/or other parts take harm.

    Bridges....Advice Needed

    in Accessories and Misc

    Posted

    I'd switch to a Babicz Full Contact bridge if I were you. I put a Badass II on my J-bass back in '82, but now I'll change.
    [url="http://fullcontacthardware.com/home.htm"]http://fullcontacthardware.com/home.htm[/url]
    [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2lBGAygCAZQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2lBGAygCAZQ[/url]

    Valve amps vs Solid State

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by bassmayhem

    I got myself an old[i][b] Fender Studio Bass[/b][/i] combo a year ago, that sounds fantastic. The problem is when I used it on stage my band mates complained they couldn't hear me. They are used to hear me very distinctly through whatever solid state amp I've ever used. Its "wooliness" can get masked in the overall sound of the band. The single 15" woofer doesn't project that well compared to the 2x112, 4x112, 210, 410 and Bose rigs I use to use. My main amp for the moment is my old [i][b]EBS Gorm[/b][/i] 210 combo that really gets things going...

    This old amp is also a HEAVY s.o.b, with its single handle on top making it impossible to move. Also very top heavy... but sounds sooo good when I'm alone. It lives up to its name: Studio Bass - no hum or buzz at all at any volume, built in line send tapped from the speaker output etc. ..

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