spyder

I play mostly in pubs / clubs / wedding venues with a very basic Presonus PA and it was noticeable compared to the direct to mixer via a high quality active DI sound. The sound tightened up and I could here myself better because it pushes the sound forward. Using quality iem / studio headphones / high end hifi it was very noticeable.

"What Origin are doing is pretty cool and gonna make a lot of people happy who want the sound and ‘feel’ of those classic amps recreated as closely as possible in a compact form." Summed up perfectly. It's all about the feel.

Moving on from this morning I've used the 1/4 inch amp out straight into my Ashdown ABM / 4x10 with no EQ, valve drive or sub harmonics turned on. With the settings shown below it sounds almost the same as the Di out going into the PA. This feature is great as I can duplicate the Di sound into any back line amp.

So after two hours of playing with backing tracks this morning it is a keeper. For the first time in ages I actually had goose bumps and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The sound is so amp like through my iem and standard headphones it was a revolutionary. I went back to just using my AEA active DI and small eq changes on the mixer and the sound collapsed. Yes it became more bass heavy and brighter but I was lost in the mix. On its own the Fifteen sounds a little dull and very mid forward. But in a mix it stands out and really feels like you are playing through an amp. I've finally found a preamp / Di that I can use on every occasion.

I've had mine for about an hour now. My first impressions..... where have all the bass and treble frequencies gone.? My signal chain. Passive Serek Midwestern 2 five string. Dunlop flat wound strings. AEA active DI. Midas MR18 Presonus Air10 & Air15 sub. I've tried so many preamp di pedals that I've almost given up. I prefer going straight into the mixer with a high quality transparent active DI. I usually use an AEA active DI with just a little eq boost ( 3-4db ) around 80hz and 2khz. Also HPF around 50hz. The Presonus PA is an entry level system with a defused sound that is just ok. No matter what I did the Fifteen just sounded wrong. Bass was lacking and the treble was dull. Of course that is exactly what the B15 sounds like. I took a break and came back with fresh ears. This time I used headphones connected to the Midas MR18 and I finally got the idea. It sounds like you are playing through the Ampeg B15, a fabulous vintage sound. The pedal feels very responsive and the sound reacts to how hard you play just like a real amp. I think through my Presonus PA the sound is a little lost. But with a better PA or while recording or using headphones the sound is very amp like. I'm going to spend all of tomorrow morning playing with the pedal with backing tracks of our set. This should give a better idea how it sits in a mix. I'm sure it will sound great. If not it's going back to Andertons.

The Scarlett 2i4 interface uses standard XLR cables I believe.

Me too, it's rubbish.

It is the 600w model according to the back plate. Serial number ends in 0202. I noticed the new UK ABM range also on the Ashdown website. Latest UK made 410 is 35kg but the power handling has increased. Mine is not leaving the house / studio. Gone are the days lifting that weight in and out of the car.

I've just picked up or should I say struggled to pickup a 2002 Ashdown ABM 410 cab. ( 35kg ) I normally don't use a 410 but I wanted a home / studio / have fun with cab to match my ABM head. It looks like an early ABM Evo due to the date and use of blue drive units? The back plate only has 1/4 inch jack inputs so I'm assuming it's a cross over model from the original ABM to the Evo range? Information on this old model would be gladly received from the hive mind.

When I worked in the retail side of the hifi industry an old wise manager said. " Those cables make a difference to the amount in the till. "

From the web....... The Ibanex IV1SR will be shipping in early 2026 with a price point of $7,999.

I really like the bridge. I understand that it is a little fiddly to use but I have had good results. It was on the bass when I bought it but I will look into a replacement. The string spacing is very narrow, probably 16.5mm.

Keep coming up as below.... ?

I have a similar problem with my passive two pickup bass and a Midas M18 with a Presonus PA. My solution is to use only 2- 3 db of bass boost around 50 hz and 3 dB treble boost around 1 khz to compensate for flat wound strings. Leave the mids alone or use a small boost around 500hz. Do not cut the mids. This solution is essentially a flat eq. It will sound very week in the bass and bright on its own but in my situation it cuts through the band mix.

The link does not work for me.

Unfortunately it's not the bolt that has lost the thread it's the saddle. I will have to find a second hand bridge to use it for parts.

Lars from Schaller got back to me this morning. Unfortunately they haven't got any left. Looks like I will have to check out eBay and Reverb for parts.

Fantastic... Thank you for your help.

Hi... I have an old vintage bass that has a replacement bridge. The E string saddle spacing bolt has stripped and pulled out. I replaced it with a slightly larger diameter bolt that has held for now. Does anyone have a complete bridge or just a saddle that matches this unknown make of bridge. Many thanks.

Send it back.

Ashdown.🎶🎶🎶🎶

You could use a passive volume control in the effects loop. This would allow you to find tune the output volume. https://brightonion.co.uk/products/micro-volume-control

https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product-category/effects-pedals/trace-elliot-pedals/ I don't know what to make of the Di... Line level passive Di with 1:1 transformer. Very odd from a so called bass amp manufacturer. Really only suitable for line level low to med impedance gear. Thinking about it, it could be used for an active high output bass?

You are right... The valves does impart a small amount of sound differences. I've used many Brimar valves and find them to sound really good. It is so difficult to find so called good quality NOS valves because even if they test as GOOD in a well maintained and calibrated valve tester there is no guarantee that they are so heavily used that the sound you are hearing ( warm or bright ) is not a symptom of just being clapped out / worn out. I pop a valve in and if the sound is good then it is good.

After many years of tube rolling in high end hifi amps and bass amps I believe valves do not have a given sound. It all comes down to the circuit that the valves go into. For example yesterday I was playing around with valves in my ABM head. A JJ and EH 12ax7 buzzed and hummed like crazy but in a hifi amp they were silent. The JJ was very bright and the EH warm. Next went in a vintage 1980s Marshall that was silent but sounded very thin and bright. I settled on a 1990s smooth silver plate Sovtek 7025 that sounded perfect to my ears. All of the above valves sound very different in my other amps. I firmly believe that it all is down to the circuit that the amp uses.