BassInThePlace

This is great - I can't believe it has no responses. I don't have any isolated tracks but cheers for the ones you've posted.

So my band are playing a free gig next Tuesday (25th Nov) at Oran Mor on Byres Rd/Great Western Road in Glasgow. Everyone from Glasgow is welcome. The myspaz is in my sig for those who haven't heard the tunes.

Mine lost volume for a couple of rehearsals before the bass eventually died. I had kept my bass lead plugged in accidentally and it drained the battery super-quick. Overnight in fact. The output jack on active circuitry works the same as the Boss pedals - when the jack is plugged in, the battery circuit is complete. Probably the battery mate. Can't hurt changing it anyway.

I liked it as well. It was different. It certainly created a unique soundscape for my ears.

Cheers! Mikey really is a fantastic singer - my fave is "My Little Song". Don't know if it was uploaded when you had a look. I'd suggest looking again if you haven't heard it.....

So check us out [url="http://www.myspace.com/shepplaysthebass"]HERE[/url] and see what you think. It's only demos though - the album is still getting finished. This is only 'my' new page so there aren't many hits, and there are more songs on the main band page [url="http://www.myspace.com/playmike"]HERE[/url] as well as the drummer's 'space [url="http://www.myspace.com/plumsdrums"]HERE[/url]. Let me know what you think, and please click onto my page first - I was getting it tight for only having 6 profile views...... Ta.

[quote name='Merton' post='316609' date='Oct 28 2008, 12:22 PM']When I had a Trace 12-band head (admittedly a 1999 model) I could push the input gain all the way up and not overdrive the preamp, this is with 18V active basses. So I think you'll find it may just have a massive amount of headroom![/quote] Turn out that's all it was! First thing I tried when I got to the studio tonight was turning the gain all the way up. It only started clipping at the last, so the amp's fine and dandy. [i]Lots[/i] of headroom. Still think it's pretty unusual though as most, if not all, of the Traces I have used clip at around 2 o'clock with my bass. I'm not complaining mind you......

[quote name='escholl' post='316284' date='Oct 27 2008, 11:22 PM']no, you won't damage it. did the amp tech know that there was a problem? or was he just looking at it to give it a general approval? unless he knew there was a problem, then in a quick look he'd have no way of knowing if something, such as a filter circuit or whatever else, might be not working. Components can look fine but not be fine, if you know what i mean.[/quote] Yeah - that was the issue when I played it, so the amp went to the guy for that reason as well as a to give it a general "once-over". [quote name='escholl' post='316352' date='Oct 28 2008, 01:15 AM']i'm actually wondering if there is anything wrong? IF the pre-shape button DOES affect the sound as it should, but doesn't bypass the graphic, then that seems to be the norm, at least on the later ones. and it's entirely possibly that trace have just put in a huge headroom on the preamp so only the highest signals will clip it. they're well designed, so really, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. try setting the preamp gain to about 7, adjusting the preshape, graphic, and other controls to your liking, wack the volume up and see what it's like? I should have mentioned in my first post, even if there WAS any DC leakage from your bass, it wouldn't matter, the amp is designed to filter that out anyways. I can't actually think of why an amp tech would tell you that was the issue, either. Not if they know anything about amplifiers...not trying to put him down or anything, but DC filtering is an essential part of all but the most pretentious hifi amplifiers.[/quote] Well, the pre-shape does actually effect the sound as it should in my MkIII, but in the newer Traces (ie MkV) the only way to adjust the EQ post pre-shape is to toggle the EQ button. This way you get the pre-shape [i]and[/i] the EQ. This doesn't have the EQ toggle, so maybe you are correct in that dialing in the EQ will [i]always[/i] affect the sound no matter if the pre-shape is in or out..... Tbh, maybe it is just the headroom - in rehearsals i'm not even hitting 9 o'clock on my output and it's loud enough for the band. Sometimes [i]too[/i] loud actually. I'll mess with it tonight and see what I can find out. Cheers for the help.

[quote name='escholl' post='316200' date='Oct 27 2008, 09:49 PM']The very, very, very first think that your bass signal is likely to encounter in the trace head is a capacitor, which is aptly named as a DC blocking capacitor. Try it with a different bass when you can. Has it always worked properly?[/quote] Well i've just bought it so I don't know if it's always worked. The amp-tech looked at it as soon as I got it and I only finalised the sale [i]after[/i] he gave it the all-clear. And he's a reputable chap from "Strung-Out Guitars" in Glasgow. I'm rehearsing tomorrow so i'll try it with a passive Fender Jazz and see what happens. Might need to get it sorted and bill the fella that gave it to me if it's the amp though. Shouldn't be a problem, but do I stand to damage my amp if I carry on like this?

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='316092' date='Oct 27 2008, 07:23 PM']I get forced to take odd approaches to some tunes in my current band because I'm sharing bandwidth with a trombonist. But I don't know if I often make the most of it to be honest, and usually I'm just a bit irked that I can't play a "normal" bass part. I think I'm getting old. [/quote] You know - i'm like that at 27!! Sometimes, it's good to go out on a limb, but playing Entwistle-syle bass parts over a "Mamma Don't Allow" type song just won't work. It's all in the feel. Always.

Anyone seen Stormin' Norman talking up the new Trace stuff as well [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFaAI9Z5Zw"]here[/url]? If ever there was a hardcore Trace advocate it was him, and he loves the new stuff. "Not even using the EQ...."

So I think I have DC leakage from my Spector pre-amp into my Trace that's causing some (minor) issues. When setting up the gain on the Trace, the 'clipping' LED [i]never[/i] blinks no matter how far I turn the knob, and the pre-shape button is not working as it should, ie I can always adjust the sound via the EQ instead of by-passing with the pre-shape button. So I can never properly set up my gain level - it's always just a guess..... The amp tech has given the head the all-clear vis-a-vis electronics etc, and suggested that maybe the pre-amp from the Spector is leaking DC and messing with the pre-amp in the Trace. I have still to try the amp with another, passive bass to see what the result is, but has anyone else had an experience like this? Btw, the amp is a MkIII Trace, and does not have a passive/active switch on the front. Ta.

The Trace line started going tits-up before Gibson bought them out - in many way Gibson tried to save the company. Gibson get blamed for much of the Trace demise but in reality, the company were going south before that. The best Trace gear, the pinnacle of build and sound quality, is generally thought to be between the early 80's and very early 90's with the "best of the best" being the MkV line of amps, although the earlier amps(MkIII/MkIV) are still better than most. I like to think of these as using "old Watts" if you know what I mean. The earlier Trace stuff, even at 250W, can blow away a lot of new amps in terms of punch and tone - even if some newer stuff is supposedly more powerful. That's just my opinion. I know everyone's ears are different, but my MkIII AH250('83ish) is better than most of the newer amps i've played, and the MkV I play regularly is an absolute beast of an amp, even compared to the EBS Proline 2000 and Warwick Neo Tubepath 1000w amps. And the rest of the band agree with me! As far as the newer Trace stuff goes - I don't really play any of it. But only because I never get the opportunity. I certainly don't reserve judgement simply because it's new, but by the same token, I don't expect it to be as good as the best Trace gear from the 80's. Like everyone else has said - if it sounds good to you then it's good enough.

[quote name='chris_b' post='311792' date='Oct 22 2008, 09:01 AM']The definition of ULTIMATE is "the finest or most superior quality of its kind". We're not looking at personal taste here but generally accepted superior bass amps that have stood the test of time and opinion. In this category you've got to be looking at the Ampeg SVT and the Eden WT800.[/quote] It's still subjective as to what one would consider superior quality though eh? Getting into a philosophical discussion regarding the meaning of the word 'ultimate' and all the corresponding (subjective)opinions derived thereafter is probably not what the original poster intended. No matter what way you look at it, it's [i]all[/i] subjective. Granted, there are 'superior' amps that are a cut above the rest, but regarding whether they are 'ultimate' has still got to be based on personal experience, and is therefore, subjective. I do agree however, that the Ampeg SVT falls into this category. I have never used the Eden WT800, and I also think that older Trace Elliots such as the MkV AHxxx line should be considered 'ultimate' based on your definition, i.e: "...stood the test of time and opinion". As I stated in a previous post, I can get a better sound from a 20 year old Trace than I can from just about every other newer amp I play. That means that [i]I think[/i] it's an 'ultimate' amp derived from your definition. I'm sure that not everyone here agrees with me. Does that mean that I am wrong and you are correct or vice-versa? No. Course not. So we [i]are[/i] looking at personal opinion. Sorry.