Dood

you have a mid control onboard your SC.. I cannae remember , it was the Shuker circuit right? - The plans for my headless SC are coming on nicely.. I'm still in the process of sorting bits and bobs out.. Jon has come up with a few wicked ideas too.. I think he is getting used to my tastes in instruments and is testing designs on me! Bring it on I say!

[quote name='RichBowman' post='15909' date='Jun 11 2007, 09:25 PM']Looking GOOD!

Just popped an EMG P5 in my Shuker - It thunders! Really, really growls. The 6'er equivalent and the switching on the TW should give a nice range of sounds.

Can't be too long now?

Rich[/quote]


Is that instead of the neck DC coil?

[quote name='Rich' post='15529' date='Jun 11 2007, 12:36 PM']Ohhh yes... properly cooked (or indeed raw) it's a thing of beauty. But there are few things worse than an [i]over[/i]cooked one...[/quote]


I really hated Tuna for years.. until I realised I had only ever had tinned Tuna!!! The shock came when I once had Tinned Salmon.. Euchhh.. talk about ruin a nice food!!!

New rig.. ok so I posted it in bass porn too..



Powersoft 2004
TC GForce
Trace V-Type with Harma Diamond STR premium drive tested matched [size=1][i]and generally fornicated with [/i][/size]valves.

The cab is just the website pic.. I'll get some more pics done soon!

After a bit of a mammoth search looking at endless piles of amps and cabinets I have found something that will do me just fine. I fell upon this set up by accident! I had been playing my Hifi through the bass cab (and I gotta say, it does an incredible job of sounding good in that manner!) and then switching back to playing my bass into the rig with no EQ. Gotta say, without any preamp, the 'hifi-ish' cab linked to the very hifi amp and my zingy sounding hifi pickups, with no preamp.. sounded a bit bland and uninspiring!!

I think (as I'd said elsewhere) you can have too much of what would appear to be a *good* thing. So, out came the ole V-Type, which to be honest I hadn't used for months now. Rejigged my signal path and I am truely astounded at the difference it has made. I don't often say that you know. I have owned a great deal of rigs in the past, but what ever is going on here seems to work really well. Funny, as I couldn't get it to sound nice at all with my last set up!!

Signal path is now Bass>Vtype input> loop> TC effects > VType EQ section > DI > Output> Powersoft 2004 2kw poweramp.

The effects unit runs a compressor and a smidge of chorus by default.

The bits I am suitably chuffed about at the moment include the FX loop of the pre being before the EQ section, not after like pretty much all other preamps on the market. So I can send an effected but not EQ'd signal to the desk if I want.. and really just EQ for the gig environment. Also means the EQ doesnt interfere with compression etc.

That would hold true with my most recent findings about trying too many items in the signal chain with a flat (flatter) response. Gawd, it does sound lifeless and boring!! Lacking in zing and balls!! Engineering a curve into preamps aint such a bad idea after all!

I have had a bit of an aural epiphany this weekend and have had a great idea that I'm gonna stick on another thread in one mo.

[quote name='PaulMartin' post='14971' date='Jun 10 2007, 10:41 AM']Very interesting. So that's why they sound louder than other amps?[/quote]


However, something I found interesting too, is that I found (on two different occasions) markbass heads 'missing' top end clarity. a sort of roll off from just under1 Khz up toward what would be around 10K.

To explain what I mean.. I plugged the head into different cabs and could clearly hear the hiss coming from the tweeter, so I definitely know top end was coming from the poweramp. The top end zing of the head just didnt appaear to be in the same ball park. I changed over to another head, a warwick something or other.. and although the amp had a different character, the top end 'zing' if we can call it that, was defintely there in comparison.

Mebbe it was a particular model of MB.. but that was one reason why I chose not to go with them. I should just add, that it isnt a bad trait, most bass players dont want top end zing and indeed make a point of turning off their tweeters for example. I do like a bit of top end that can slice your head off, like a 16" power crash with loose rivets bashed in! - ok.. not really that.. but I like the extra bite! ;o)

He's a nice approachable chap too! After reading his 'mini cabs shoot out, I droppped him a line to ask about them. I figure one person who has tried practically every cab on the market would have something to say about each! I think his reviews were similar to my own findings.

He had a lot of toys to play with!!!

I noticed that too. The bassline he was playing centred around notes on the second fret. Instead of stretching from those notes up to what looked like a minor third, from each chord root he used the Capo to make life easier, only having to fret the higher notes.

Absolutely nothing wrong with using a Capo. Why make life hard eh?

**oohh I've spotted an opening for a quick sunday rant! I use a hair band or sweatband round the nut of my bass that I can pull up the neck to make a handy 'mute' when I am playing up the 'dusty end' sometimes. I'm amazed at how many forum posts (mainly on guitar forums) that have said this is to make up for poor technique and is cheating! guffaw guffaw!! **

oh, I also like the idea of the pre EQ fx loop too. I like to be able to 'EQ for the room' on my 'backline' but not affect the signal going to FOH. This is an excellent way for me to be able to do that, by using a DI that can pick off the signal pre or post EQ.

[quote name='Toasted' post='14884' date='Jun 10 2007, 12:46 AM']In this case you might be better splashing the extra cash and going for an EBS micro bass. Especially if you use two instruments [/quote]


Actually.. that is a much better idea Joe. I haven't heard the MicroBass, but Having tried a whole host of other EBS gear, I just know how good it will sound. I came so very close to using the cash I had to buy a cab, on a TD650!!! (I wouldn't have actually had anything to plug it into, but hey... )

Don't forget to bring a kensington lock as well mate and don't set up near the door!!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='15050' date='Jun 10 2007, 01:49 PM']Well, to give the desk-monkeys some credit, the bass does sound a little cleaner on the whole but lacks the enveloping, immersional experience when I break out the fretless and stereo chorus.[/quote]


Yeh, that Pentabuzz did ooze a certain 3D aural pleasure in stereo!!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='15041' date='Jun 10 2007, 01:37 PM']I think you're preaching to some of the converted on that one, Dave. I usually get an engineer telling me that the lower frequencies are going to sound muddy if the bass is in stereo and there's no way the average desk-monkey would ever take three DI from a bass amp (stereo highs and mono lows).[/quote]


lol lol!! welcome to my world too!! I have been using a stereo DI box. I befriend the PA guy (always a good move) and tell him I'll be supplying him with a stereo signal. The looks I get back speak a thousand words!

(actually - with all this talk of stereo, I'm afraid to say that, temporarily at least I will be going 'mono' in my back line - the FOH will still get stereo where possible)

oh, I'd love to hear that compressor too!

I was reading (i think on this forum) a post a while back where someone asked "why don't manufacturers build custom amps in the same way that luthiers do with Guitars?"

I'll skip the answer, but I just wanted to say that I think you have hit upon an excellent idea, making 'modular' units that can be built to spec. I have a bit of a review to write with respoect to how my rig has changed totally in the last few days and the ability to custom build opens a few doors. Interestingly, There are so many people building basses and cabinets, Amps and "the bits in between" appear not to be 'fussed with' as much. I think this is something I want to investigate further as I have zero woodwork skills but have an unhealthy interest in electronics!

I know there's a minority of stereo users out there, but if there was always one thing that made my choice of preamp even harder, was trying to find one with a stereo FX loop with a DI out (post loop) for each channel. The Warwick Quadruplet has one, as does the EBS classic, I think. but none others come to mind at the moment.

I suspect not many people will want it or need it to warrant the cost addition.. but it'd be nice! (I have actually half decided to start building a preamp myself, including all the things I like - I have the rack case and most of the components too - but I'm lazy.. and it has always just been 'half' a thought! lol lol)

[quote name='PaulMartin' post='14643' date='Jun 9 2007, 03:15 PM']I've been wondering the same thing myself.

I'd like to see Markbass stick a couple of their power amps in a chassis for a twin channel 1000w power amp that only weighs 5kg[/quote]


I sent an email to MarkBass a while back (month or so ago), suggesting that they make the F1 a full 1 u rack and stick 2 poweramps in it, to make a full stereo rig.. maybe with a stereo effects loop (YES!) or a crossover to make a Bi-amp system.

It'd not be a massive deal to do it.. but alas, I didnt even get a courtesy reply.

Powersoft website

[url="http://pro-audio.powersoft.it/an_series_list.php?use_in=53&id_menu=271"]http://pro-audio.powersoft.it/an_series_li...amp;id_menu=271[/url]




Check out the spec of this audio menace!
[url="http://pro-audio.powersoft.it/product_list.php?id_menu=271&obj=121"]http://pro-audio.powersoft.it/product_list...271&obj=121[/url]

[quote name='neilb' post='14227' date='Jun 8 2007, 03:15 PM']I think powersoft do a range of 1u lightweight p/amps.

Second mortgage time tho!!

[url="http://www.beyerdynamic.co.uk/distributorpages/powersoftpages/powersoft.html"]http://www.beyerdynamic.co.uk/distributorp.../powersoft.html[/url][/quote]

Yup I own and LOVE a powersoft 2004 model. It's hifi clean 1Kw+1Kw RMS in a 1u rack weighing around 8Kilos. The new price appears steep, but when it eats the likes of the very top power amps for breakfast, the price tag isnt so bad. I have heard some glowing reviews of these amps and can understand why! Some of their 1u racks can chuck out more than 3KW RMS!

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='14237' date='Jun 8 2007, 03:37 PM']Dood and I both mention the [url="http://www.bkelec.com/Pro/Amplifiers/MXF1200D.htm"]Class D 1 u 1200w amp[/url] offered by BK Electronics. Also you can find the [url="http://www.peavey.com/products/browse.cfm/action/detail/item/82528/number/00350750/cat/89/DPC%AE+1400X+Digital+Power+Amp.cfm"]Peavy DPC1400 power amp[/url] sometimes on Ebay with a similar spec. Wallbassist had one for sale a while back.[/quote]

BK Are fantastic! I have bought a fair amount of gear from them, including amp modules and the 600W D-Class unit below. I was originally sceptical about them, as it was an 'unknown value' in amp manufacture. but they actually build a lot of OEM units for other companies.

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='14457' date='Jun 9 2007, 01:04 AM']I bought the tiny one from Dood.

That's about as much power in a small package that I've found. There's also the Crate power brick and I think Bose do a small one, about 200W if I recall rightly.[/quote]

Still goin ok then!! 600W RMS into 4 Ohms IIRC? - This module is very clever! it will slide into the back of ANY cabinet (full range or otherwise) - 4 screws to hold it into place and you have an active speaker cabimet. Yup.. you only need to carry a cabinet and your pedals! no need for a seperate head!

There are other 'lightweight' amps out there.. The market will eventually catch up and build more and more based on these 'lightweight' designs, including D Class, H Class, SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) modules and ever more emerging technologies.

heh heh!! I love toys... especially ones with flashing lights and big 'peakers too!

lol! yup! ;o)

I love the George and Alan adverts.. i'm such a kiddy! *gets all excited* I even made a ringtone out of em for my pda! *sad....very sad!! there's no hope for me!!*

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULNV7IAM8og"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULNV7IAM8og[/url]

never! I always look after my 'birds'. *yehhhhsssssss*

Hey mate!!! Good to see ya onboard!!

[quote name='peanut' post='14014' date='Jun 8 2007, 09:10 AM']It took me while to realise why no one was posting on BassTalk

New forum looks good

Peanut[/quote]

lol! poor you! Glad you made it over though! did the banner at the top of the forum not give it away *joshin' *