Jack

What do you think of the 32A Cameron? Does it go 'rock drummer' loud?

Hi guys, A few times I've espoused my love of the incredible (and very sexily-named) Studiospares 458190 preamp and DI box. I've had mine around 2 years now and I love it. On the upside it's got a decent 3-band eq, a notch filter, a preshape/midscoop thing, effects loop yada yada yada. Most importantly (and more preamps should have this) separate volume controls for both the XLR and TRS. On the downside, it's as big as a house and it's stupidly 9V center positive. Well, you can get around that by using the battery or phantom power I suppose. Anyway, I think I more than got my money's worth when I paid £45, then a few months back I noticed they went up to £50 (hey, prices rise, inflation, whatever) and they were still more than worth that. I noticed today that they're down to £30+delivery. I actually thought the one that I saw on ebay had been incorrectly listed or B-stock but no, that's just how much they cost now. For £30 I'm not sure that there's a better DI box. For £100 I'm not sure there's a better DI box. I have to stress that I have no affiliation or anything, just a happy customer passing on, what is IMO, a great deal.

I get that, but I would hazard a guess that over 90% of musicians never tour. I understand the need for manufacturers to have halo products made for touring (even signature stuff for endorsing artists) that get us all excited, but realistically the gear that a lot of us lust after and the gear that best suits our needs isn't always the same. I understand why not ALL gear can be tilted, but I bet a lot of people would benefit from a kickback amp, particularly as 'amateur' live music venues get rarer and stages get smaller. I'm amazed there aren't more designs like that. Companies put a lot of time and effort into market research, and I'm sure they'd provide them if there was a market, so maybe there isn't a market. But I'm surprised there isn't...

Oooh, definitely. I forgot about those. I remember lusting after those on TB back in the day when Tombowlus was touting them as the next big thing. Funnily enough, a 310 came up on ebay not that long ago for stupidly cheap. I almost went for it until I realised that, after 10 years or so of progress, the current crop of what are now called FRFR cabs are probably better in every way.

I'm not the OP, so maybe they have other ideas. There are now several products on the market that bridge the gap between instrument (electric guitar, usually) cab and PA speaker such as the Line 6, Matrix and Laney offerings and it predates the Line 6 Powercab by, what, 3 years or so? AFAIK the FR800 was pretty much the first of these that was marketed by a bass amp company mainly towards bass players, for all I know it's still the only one actually.

PMed you Chowny.

A lot of devices, such as tuners and preamps, have two outputs. Failing that, the device that does that and only that is known as an ABY switch. Brightonion make the best ones.

Can I check flights and get back to you please?

That's the impression that I get, but I've never sat in a room with the three of them together... And, even if it IS the weakest, it might still be enough! I just see a lot of people using the QSC in settings that aren't super loud rock bands. Argh but then half of my gigs I don't use any amps at all so it shouldn't matter!

It's not an upgrade as such, just been fancying a wedge rather than the traditional cab Barefaced, they are listed for sale. Thanks for all the help so far. I just keep going around and around between: QSC K12.2 - cheapest, lightest, great dsp, flexibility to plug straight in, probably the weakest-sounding RCF 732 - just an xlr in, same size as the QSC but probably beefier for the loud band RCF 735 - too big and too heavy but with the other two I worry about being loud enough for no PA support, not so with this! I think I'm heading for the 732 as it seems the best compromise...

Hmmmm, you're all providing a great deal of useful information and generally being nice but it's not helping me narrow it down! 😁

Thanks! I'm not overly fussed about the QSC's dsp (although the possibility to plug direct in is cool) and there's a free bag with the QSC these days so the handles aren't a massive deal either. In terms of sound or volume is the RCF 735 worth £100 more?

So I'm after a wedge. K12.2 or one of the RCF models? Ids for a loudish band (5 piece pub rock) with pa support often but not always, in this band I normally use one barefaced fr800.

Yup, wifi router is a must. I repurposed a Mikrotik hap mini. Mixer is buried beside the drum kit with a media player, when the set starts the drummer turns the music down and when the set finishes he rolls the music back up.

Thanks, Muppet! I'd love the IRs if you're able to share? I've never used an IR before..... Someone suggested a while back that we tag any patches that we upload to Tonecloud, something like put 'BC - ' before the patch name, did anyone ever do this? Lastly, I'm struggling to properly do 'Closer' by NIN, can't get the autowah right, but that's probably because there isn't a proper autowah and I know nothing about modulation. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Considering the Zoom B3 can be had for £80 and the B3n for more like £100 they would be a great way to dip your toe in to something more serious. IME every multi-effect has the same problem: they're hard to edit quickly. Not so with those two Zoom units, they sound great too. Or, you know, Helix.

I'm going to torpedo my own argument here, but I use (and like) the PJB headphones. Admittedly I'm not the best judge as an ear problem means that headphones = vertigo for me but when necessary they do work well. See, if this product was £70 then that would make a lot more sense. I'm sure that some people will appreciate the battery, but if you really are 'on the go' (with a bass?) then does one really care about the final word in sound quality? Indeed I am truly spoiled by the Soundcraft Notepad 5, but it has the hi-z input, 2-band eq, usb soundcard functionality and great headphone output, in fact everything aside from the battery, all for £80. And it's, like, a mixer so when you're not using headphones you can mix things. I don't know why I'm so down on the PJB*, Mrs Jack constantly tells me that I don't need so many watches as "they all tell the time the same anyway" so I do get the PJB. I'm just not going to be getting one. * Yes I do, I have the worst man-flu known to science and I may actually be about to die of misery.

For listening to music I'm sure plenty will 'hear' the difference and happily spend the cash, as has been alluded to, the hifi world of golden ears and one-way cables has plenty of ways to separate cash from audiophiles. But it looks like PJB is specifically marketing this towards bassists and guitarists. I honestly can't see any way that this is meaningfully better (and a few ways in which it's a lot worse) for that purpose than a small mixer for less than half of the price.

6 years now. 6 years with the name Dirt Monkey. Can't pretend I don't feel like an absolute divot any time someone asks what we're called. The other band is called The White Line, which is an Oasis reference and fits the mod/indie vibe pretty well so I can't complain about that one. I maintain a list of names I like, half of them are sci-fi or fantasy references which I'll never use as they'd have to be for a metal band. The other half come from my day job, which is as a youth worker and science communicator. When talking about age gaps in relationships, a 16 year old woman said to her friend (who had said she'd consider a much older man) "Well that's fine for you Bethany if you have that daddy kink but I don't". Next band is definitely being called Daddy Kink.

I think as PA systems at all levels get better by the moment, MOST solutions for bass are loud enough for MOST bands these days. Half the posts in any amp thread these days are people gigging with a 300-500W head and a small cab like a 1x12". Big rigs are still incomparably cool but they're not necessary for a most any more. On that basis I think it's fair to say (regardless of whether the RCF or Barefaced is louder) it really doesn't matter, they're both incredibly loud. I think you're spot on with the costs too. A lot of people tell me that I'm mental for spending £1300 on a Helix. Fair enough, but that's pretty much what an SVT head costs these days. They can also balk at the £1100 or so for the FR800, but that's what the heritage 8x10" costs too. Both sound great and both are loud enough. Versatility, size and weight go the Helix/FR800. Absolute volume, coolness, and a slightly better price go to the Ampeg. Whether you're an FRFR convert or not it's hard to make the cost argument for either side.

There's a primate in Ringworld that becomes a protector. Long story. Anyways, he's a small monkey and he's called Hanuman. Between your name, your monkey avatar and the assumption that you were called Dan it seemed to fit.

If you want lighter, smaller, but similar sounding to your S12T why not get the Super Compact? Smaller, lighter and cheaper than the PJB and it's a good bet you'll like it seeing as you like the S12T.

All of the ones that are in installs will be switched on and off on the wall all the time.

Ah sorry, with this being the stomp thread I just assumed. The OD pedals are great, I like the klon and the darkglass a lot, but I'm really into using the guitar amps as overdrive pedals atm.

Bass gear is like women, out of your league is where you WANT to be. Is your name a Ringworld reference?