Passinwind

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1448917178' post='2919217'] Just looking for comments and insights from you guys.[/quote] In what passes for my world this is nothing new at all. It's been just like that since I started playing out in the early 70s.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1446980251' post='2903836'] So Mesa offer a 2 ohm switch but the ASC70 minimum load is 2.5 ohms? it looks a good amp but there does not seem to be enough room for smoke and mirrors in that box. Maybe a 2 ohm loading will allow the smoke to come out? Passinwind, you must have the designer manual for the ASC700. Is 2 ohms possible? [/quote] 2 ohms is no problem at all and the Bergantino amp offers that as well -- you just have to add an external current limiter. There is no design manual per se AFAIK and the spec sheet/wiring diagram is most likely for a stock config with no extra heatsink or fan, and with the stock built in limiter, which would not be a very smart way to build if stable 2 ohm operation is a priority.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1446931549' post='2903647'] Heh... yeah, that's the problem. I dunno - I might really like this when I hear it, but (as we've chatted about via PM) it needs to be a real advance from what I've heard already to ring my bell... [/quote] As I've said before, I think it 's really mostly about the whole design, not what power amp module someone is using. But in any case, I prefer to give any new amp design around two years to get wrung out before I'll even consider buying it (used), and these days I am already extremely happy with what I have. Beyond that, I would be very unlikely to buy anything that's not in rack mount format. But as usual, it seems that my tastes have little to do with the mainstream.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1446912180' post='2903456'] I admit I'm tempted by this, but from what I've read there's been no great advance in the spec of the power section, so.. I think I'll hang on for the next generation of modules to come through. [/quote] Since this amp is the among the very first releases to use the newest ICE module, your wait should only be five years or so.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1446402011' post='2899125'] After my eye op I have had trouble as my new lens is quite different to my other eye.That is due to be operated on next month. So no needed work has been done. I have been running the power amp on its own using my Korg AX3000B as a preamp.[/quote] Here's hoping the second operation goes as well as the first one. My old eyes have really been put to the test recently as I've been hand soldering some surface mount prototype onboard preamp stuff: My wife brought home a really nice magnifier light as an early Christmas gift, but it turned out that she had overpaid badly, so back it went. I'll just get the one I really wanted eventually, but for the moment I'm done with this particular tangent anyway. I managed to port the same EQ scheme used in the boards pictured upthread to a much more compact format that works fine on a single 9V battery, something I wasn't at all confident in my ability to do.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1446566386' post='2900363'] If the above Roland is not what you need (one of my boys has one, and it's great). New kid on the block - Steinberg UR22 mk2. You can also connect it to an iPad. I have the mk1, and it's excellent. [url="http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/audio_interfaces/ur_series/models/ur22mkii.html"]http://www.steinberg...s/ur22mkii.html[/url] [/quote] I recent bought the UR242 and am quite happy with it. The extra input pair and separate power supply are useful features in my world. No idea about how it runs on a Mac or iPad though.

Diana Ross and the Nacho Supremes

[quote name='dan_thebassman' timestamp='1445515703' post='2892045'] Thanks for the response. It's a good point, is halfway on the dial 250w?? [/quote] It might be under some complex set of variables coming together just so, but you can only know by actually measuring it in real time as you play. And then as soon as you play harder or softer, or just a different note, or touch an EQ or gain control, things will change. Halfway on the master volume can very easily be full power, or beyond full rated power (clipping), or even essentially no power at all if you aren't sounding a note.

Gator and a few other companies make [url="http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GTOUR4UHR"]1/2 rack width cases[/url], not sure if that's what you actually need though?

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1443997438' post='2879399'] I don't belirve that Passive EQ can boost. With controls set flat it cuts everything by a certain amount but mimics boost by cutting some frequencies less than others. You need a lot of gain before or after passive eq to make up for the loss of signal. Passinwnd is the best guy to ask though as he designed the preamp that we are using with active bass and mid but a passive treble control. [/quote] Boost and cut are always relative to something. I'd suggest that measuring at your speaker's output relative to your bass's signal level is by far the most relevant measure. Nothing wrong with looking at the system as a black box: [quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1443997438' post='2879399']The real answer though is to use your ears.[/quote] And of course for those of us who aren't satisfied with just doing that, a deep rabbit hole awaits.

Starting the shrink down process on my 3 band onboard preamp design. I started by just replacing all the through-hole resistors and the ICs with surface mount ones. That cut board size in half: I have a lot of work to do on my SMT soldering technique, no closeups this time!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1443460047' post='2874906'] Moondance is what we call a 'pop standard' which is shorthand for a diabolical turd that has nothing to do with Jazz. [/quote] You're being far too kind Bill.

[quote name='Yawn_Blah' timestamp='1443376449' post='2874239'] yep. in fact i'm pretty strange with circuitries. i swapped some pickups and pots the other day, but when it comes to ICs and such i'm a noob. but yes i'll get a replacement for that IC and give it a try. Thanks a lot again. [/quote] Make sure you get the right part number, if it is in fact one of the two I mentioned they are not interchangeable.

[quote name='Yawn_Blah' timestamp='1443375497' post='2874222'] thank you JTUK you helped me figure out that my valves are ok. thank you ahpook for your time, yep i don't dare, but as you and Passinwind suggest i will chase the output part. thank you Passinwind for your advice i'll take my unit straight to a techie. have a good time friends [/quote] Cool, and good luck. With the right tools and a little knowledge that should be pretty easy to fix, most likely.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1443348721' post='2873961'] There was a thread on talkbass some time ago about how a particular budget PA from carvin could be re-purposed as a near-boutique level bass cab by a modest driver upgrade. I seem to recall that the dimensions, port and horn/driver config of the cab almost exactly matched one of greenboys designs (whether by accident or design I dont know). [/quote] It was a convenient surrogate cab used for development of the fEARful concept, because Dave Green hates building cabinets. He had me re-do the crossover, which was not really up to the task once he installed drivers that at the time cost about as much as the cab originally did, or maybe just a little more. But then later I heard a dead stock one and it was actually not bad at all. And then Carvin downgraded the spec, and Dave disavowed anything to do with the newer version. So, as with so many things, just depends.

You could try replacing the socketed IC; looks like an NE5534 or 5532 opamp (can't quite read the number), which are common and pretty inexpensive. If that fails then further self-repair is not such a great idea IMHO. A good tech could most likely trace that circuit by sight in 5-10 minutes tops.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1443365204' post='2874129'] But the main thing was, given the variety of cab brands, sizes, configurations, was that I would have been happy to use any of them at a gig. Sure there were nuances to each cab, but overall this shootout showed me that gear is gear, and sure, we all like to get our own sounds if possible, but workable sounds can be gotten from an array of different speaker cabs. Maybe we all obsess just that bit too much (I`ve certainly established that I do from this).[/quote] I've been to well over a dozen of these sort of confabs over the the last decade. I have always walked away without fail feeling as you do. The other thing that invariably strikes me is how few other people gravitate to the stuff I do.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1443366978' post='2874149'] You get the sound right at low level...you've worked out what settings to use at home etc... and they the sound goes completely to pot when you turn it up. [/quote] Thanks, we would say "ramps up."

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1443366059' post='2874139'] I think both are good sound wise but for me, the [b]TH doesn't amp up well[/b]... which is a common thing with the lightweight amps, IMO. [/quote] Huh? Can you please explain the Queen's English to this dense, still half asleep Yank?

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1443364724' post='2874123'] I use a TH, and I'll probably keep it as a backup or door stop or whatever but I don't need much EQ so I don't colour things much. I know that sounds a bit odd but I am indeed looking or listening to the back end stage of the amp, and this is what I don't totally love about the TH. I don't much like it on quite a few of the other lightweights amps I've used either, tbh. They have the volumes but no guts. [/quote] The Demeter 800 amps use the same power module as the TH500, so it would be interesting to know what is different in the implementations.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1443352123' post='2873996'] Wish i could get one of those 21012's to replace my 1212L. [/quote] I made that switch from a 1210, came to regret it quite a bit. The 1210 was only really good for one band I played in, but it was perfect for that. The 21012 was just way too heavy and bulky for my loading and playing situations, although it definitely was a much more versatile cab. But of course, what I replaced it with ended up being even bigger and heavier, and pretty much never leaves my house these days.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1443290108' post='2873642'] Just back in from the SE Bash where Lozz captained the cab shoot-out. From the various cabs demoed in the 212, 115 and 112 range the one brand that stood out as being consistently good was Schroeder. Not just that, but they looked good, seemed well constructed and the 212 was an easy lift. I'm just wondering why out of the usual suspects that are put forward as the best here, Schroeder is a name that does not figure.[/quote] The older ones were not uniformly all that well built or well engineered, so many people may just ignore the newer ones I guess. I owned a couple (1210R and 21012L) and they sounded nothing like each other. Glad to hear that Jorg has upped his game, he's a great guy.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1443041063' post='2871824'] I was thinking more of jack and power sockets, but those are valid points regarding valve sockets. [/quote] Jacks and pots can definitely be less reliable if great care isn't taken with the board mounting scheme, and small power connectors on EFX units were definitely a very frequent offender back when I was still in the repair business.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1443037789' post='2871785'] It seems to be quite common that the PCB around board mounted sockets flexes slightly in use and after a few years the tracks fracture and crack. I'm not even any sort of professional repair guy, but I can think of at least three bits of kit I've repaired where this was the fault, so I presume it's a regular point of failure. [/quote] That happens mostly with poorly designed tube socket mounting schemes or not so robust circuit boards, IHMO. Thermal expansion/contraction of tube socket pins can cause solder joint fractures in some cases as well. Many many pieces of gear work flawlessly for decades with board mounted sockets though. To address the original topic: diminishing returns have pretty much always been a fact in audio gear. You typically don't get twice as much functional anything for double your money, more like a 5 or ten percent improvement, with improvement down to the beholder to decide of course. Jule is crazy busy fulfilling orders, so perhaps he is a little underpriced if anything.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1442691112' post='2868834'] Yep the legend that is uncle fluffy Hes a good man for making them available. [/quote] Yep, he's a generous cat. He was quite helpful and encouraging when I was starting out with my modded version.