mildmanofrock

I used the Big One at the Moonfest festival on Sunday. It was the best sound I've ever had live - and it can more than deliver the goods on a big stage. It's got loads of bottom, punchy mids, and crystal highs when you need them. I cut through like never before. In fact, if anything, I think I turned myself up a little too loud. Since getting the Big One, I've had nothing but complements. It puts my Ampeg 410HLF cab in the shade. I can't recommend it more highly - with a 1000W amp or thereabouts, it's all you'll ever need in any setting, from rehearsals right up to big events.

I've always used stainless steel. Then, I tried nickel - now I'll never go back to stainless steel. They're far too zingy for me when you first put them on. Nickels aren't so - and they seem to last longer.

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='586487' date='Sep 1 2009, 01:25 PM']If I was paying him a million dollars just to join my band I'd bloody well want him to be spot on every time. [/quote] Funny, I think exactly the same about footballers.

Yep - I'm being a little bit picky. That sort of riff would be a lot easier to play with a plectrum. Well, it would be for me. Great sound, like you say though. You can feel the beef.

[quote name='0175westwood29' post='586137' date='Aug 31 2009, 10:40 PM']eh? hopefully this is a joke yeh? andy[/quote] Well, no. It's a bit off.

That's not just distortion in the intro - there's a flanger on there too if I'm not mistaken. I got a similar thing yesterday with my EBS multidrive - band nearly pooed their pants when I switched it on. His timing from 1 minute 30 is bloody awful, mind.

I've just bought a Big One and love it. I'm in Swindon, so if anyone wants to give it a try, let me know. I'm also playing it at the Moonfest festival on Sunday in Westbury (The Log Off Band) if anyone wants to see it in an open-air festival setting. ([url="http://www.moonfest.co.uk"]www.moonfest.co.uk[/url]www.moonfest.co.uk)

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57482&st=0#entry568660"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...t=0#entry568660[/url]

[quote name='Mr.T' post='568795' date='Aug 14 2009, 11:14 AM']Oddly (or not?)..... I thought the Fender had the most 'full' sound.[/quote] As explained above... "It doesn't really do the Vintage justice... a little nudge on the treble would have given the Vintage a similar bite to the... Fender 2x15..."

Hi Raggy - only gig at the moment is at [url="http://www.moonfest.co.uk"]www.moonfest.co.uk [/url](we're on before Hot Leg). I'll let you know if any more come up. Can't wait to use it at a gig, I'm over the moon with it.

Mine just arrived today. It's stunning. Light, compact... and the sound: clear, biting (roll off your mids to taste), and thick. My Ampeg 410HLF cab will soon retire. It's a beautiful solid cab with lots of bottom. It still does the job and is great for players looking for lots of presence. But the Big One does the same, with more clarity. I'm away for a week on Sunday, but will do a full review when I get back. Lovely. *Edit* Before I go, I just have to add: this cab is amazing. If you get one, don't be put off when you first plug in. The big speaker is new and tight, so needs a couple of hours playing at high volume to loosen up and unleash its bass. The mids might seem a little in your face at first too. Just adjust your EQ a little. Keep playing. Then it hits you... the tightest, juciest, warmest and clearest bass sound I've ever had. I can't recommend it more highly. I'm absolutely delighted. And no, I'm not on commission!

And me.

[quote name='51m0n' post='562062' date='Aug 6 2009, 04:25 PM']The sound a cab gives is far more dependant on the dimensions of the cab[/quote] So, is a bigger cab generally louder and clearer? I speak from a position of total ignorance.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='556304' date='Jul 30 2009, 04:30 PM']A DSP is a digital signal processor. The Berg IP has one of these built into the onboard power amp, which provides EQ, filtering, compression and limiting to make the cab sound much louder and deeper than you'd expect from something of its size. The XTi amps have a DSP built in and you can download patches for them to you computer and then load them onto the amp via USB, so if you're using them to drive a JBL PA speaker system you can get those patches from JBL's website. Now obviously my cabs are already designed to go stupidly loud for their size, and even more comically loud for their weight, so they don't really need DSP to help. But if it's available then why not use it? So I can do two patches for each cab, one which provides simple highpass filtering, compression and limiting (highpass filter removes all unwanted energy below the tuning frequency to minimise wasted power and excursion, compressor would only kick in once the cab/amp are reaching their limits, and then limiter to kick in after that), and a second patch which also adds EQ to flatten and extend the response in the lows and smooth out response in the mids and highs (in addition to highpass filtering, compression and limiting). Alex[/quote] I was with you all the way up to 'A DSP...' No, that all makes sense, cheers!

Thanks for the ebay link Steve - watching now.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='556002' date='Jul 30 2009, 11:24 AM']Those Crown XTi amps are such good value! I'm going to make patches available for all my models so if you use an XTi with them it'll be like the difference between a Berg IP and a HT - that DSP means you can squeeze out a surprising amount of extra loudness. Not that you're likely to need that extra output but a little bit of overkill never goes amiss in rock and roll... Alex[/quote] Yep, those Crown amps look really good. Sorry Alex, what will the patches do on your models? I'm a bit crap with abbreviations like Berg IP, HT and DSP.

That sounds like a cracking combination. Where can I get me one of them Ampeg SVT IIP's? Do Ampeg even make them anymore?

I find the EBS Multidrive quite good. Some bemoan it's lack of tone control, but I haven't tried it in a live setting though, so can't comment. Quite dear new, but you may be able to pick up one second hand for £80 to £100?

Thanks fellas - sage advice, cheers!