Most useless feature on an amp

[Alfie]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1001722' date='Oct 26 2010, 08:57 PM']Is this because you don't like the yellow, don't like the brand, just having a dig back at those whom dissed Ashdown & the VU meter or is there something in particular that you find useless about their amps?

So far the only thing I've found useless on it is the XLR in. I've found use for every other function on it.

Oh, another thing I found useless on the cobra 90 was the "compressor" button. It did sod all! I tried my hardest to hear any difference & got other folk to see if they could, but nothing. [/quote]

I have found the price tag that hangs off them doesn't work for me.

[tauzero]

Preshape on Traces.

Octave muffler on Ashdowns.

Not too bothered about the VU meter on Ashdowns, I only use VU-equipped ones in rehearsal studios and those only work about 10% of the time

Not being able to bridge a Superfly (or indeed a Supderduperfly). My Superduperfly has 1000W of Ashdown loveliness waiting to burst on my ears in a torrent of sound, but I can only get to 500W of it.

The Crate Power Block's "speaker simulation circuitry" (ie. mush generator). This can be bypassed though.

[AndyTravis]

Tried a GK amp the other week, an MB210 combo, and it sounded great, but the horn was a push button on/off and when it was 'on' it was way too hi-fi sounding, and introduced a good bit of hiss.

Surely they can have a control for this? It kind of ruined the amp for me when i was enjoying it, all though for any slappers, i see the point.

I get miffed that Amps don't all have an D.I. out on them; from 50w onward it should be mandatory - nice small combo for personal monitoring on smaller stages, but still feeding to the P.A.

[tom5string]

This one (ancient German amp) has a built-in cigarette lighter ..... :-)

[waynepunkdude]

VU Meter on the Ashdown Perfect 10 is useless as it measures output not input.

For me it the effects loop, I know others use it but I don't need it.

[51m0n]

[quote name='Wolverinebass' post='1001840' date='Oct 26 2010, 10:33 PM']Oh No!! That's every single feature of my Hartke!! Nightmare!!

On a serious level, I'd go for the useless feature of sub octave in Ashdowns.[/quote]


Sorry

[Ghost_Bass]

[quote name='tom5string' post='1002609' date='Oct 27 2010, 03:50 PM']This one (ancient German amp) has a built-in cigarette lighter ..... :-)


[/quote]

I want one!

[AndyTravis]

How does it do for overheating?


Seriously though, it's a pointless feature now you can't smoke anywhere...

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='AndyTravis' post='1002642' date='Oct 27 2010, 04:11 PM']Seriously though, it's a pointless feature now you can't smoke anywhere...[/quote]
Pretty useful if you can charge your mobile from it while you play.

[Ghost_Bass]

Over here there are still lots of places where you can smoke! The mobile charger is a good idea, just don't forget to turn it off or you'll be getting that cool sound comming from the amp if anyone decides to call you during the gig

[AndyTravis]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1002650' date='Oct 27 2010, 04:16 PM']Pretty useful if you can charge your mobile from it while you play. [/quote]

true enough, or outdoor gigs?

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='3below' post='1001736' date='Oct 26 2010, 09:05 PM']Octaver on Peavey Tour.

Power ratings that just don't seem to translate to loudness / headroom - I know it is about cabinets as well - but some amps do the business better irrespective of the alleged numbers.[/quote]
I have to agree - I like my Tour 450 head but the sub octave on it is never used. It also does not seem to be particularly loud for a 450, when I hear these threads about people playing in loud rock bands and never needing to turn their 300W amps up beyond half, I'm normally well up to 75% on the tour 450 with a hartke 4 x 10 and a 1 x 15 cab attached.

[tauzero]

I think that the "????" on the ??? amp currently [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=108194"]for sale in this very forum[/url] is vastly overrrrrated. I far prefer the "!!!!" but that just isn't on there.

[howieee]

(lemmywinks @ Oct 25 2010, 08:09 PM) *
The "ON" switch on an Ashdown......


LOL In my experience using it makes the mains transformer melt...




HAHA!!! Brilliant!!

[Protium]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1001722' date='Oct 26 2010, 08:57 PM']Is this because you don't like the yellow, don't like the brand, just having a dig back at those whom dissed Ashdown & the VU meter or is there something in particular that you find useless about their amps?[/quote]

Yes

[Ghost_Bass]

...everything atached to a Warwick logo...

[icastle]

[quote name='Subthumper' post='1000203' date='Oct 25 2010, 03:55 PM']I'm hooked, anyone got anything more useless than that?[/quote]

You mean apart from the box of instruction leaflets I found last week for stuff I can't remember ever having owned?

DI socket on the back of the amp (many makes) - PITA to get to when it's flight-cased.
Octaver on Peavey Tour 700 - does anyone [b]really [/b]want to create a sound like that on purpose?
Effects loop on Line6 LD750 - there isn't one!
MultiFX units that are smarter than me and use alphanumeric gobbldygook instead of a sensible name that you can actually remember from one use to the next
Electroharmonix Chorus effect that Line6 seem to like - about as subtle as Marianne Faithfull eating a Mars bar


[i]erm....

...that last one came out loud didn't it? [/i]

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='icastle' post='1015957' date='Nov 8 2010, 04:42 AM']DI socket on the back of the amp (many makes) - PITA to get to when it's flight-cased. [/quote]


Can you explain this, I'm trying to get my head around why it'd be a problem?

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1000422' date='Oct 25 2010, 07:09 PM']The "ON" switch on an Ashdown......[/quote]

LOL. Best laugh ive had for ages

Also agree with the Octave thing. Never used it on all 3 of my Ashdowns.

Separate inputs for Active basses. Why cant one do it all like some other makes.

That XLR input on Markbass heads (for me anyway).

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I used to have an Ashdown & agree about the sub-octave thing, the FX loop and the input meter, but even more useless than those was my first amp, a late 70's Ohm head which had a built-in flanger which sounded absolutely horrible.

[icastle]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1016141' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:55 AM']Can you explain this, I'm trying to get my head around why it'd be a problem?[/quote]

My amp is flightcased along with a couple of rack mounted sound processors.
By the time you have all the internal cabling for those, plus a bundle of mains leads plus a pair of speakons coming out of the back, getting to the DI socket is a royal pain.
It's also about 7" from the back of the flightcase to the back of the amp as well.
I have an old Hartke HA3000 which actually has the XLR on the front of the unit and I found that sooooo much easier to use.

[Count Bassie]

I have always been scratching my head about why Effects Send/Return loops and other potentially useful connections are so often at the back panel. I do all my playing and pedal-stomping from the front-side of my amp, where I stand when playing. The only jack I want to see at the back is the Speaker jack(s). Put the rest of 'em on the face! I think it's a useless feature that requires one to spend time leaning over their amp in the dark.

My older Trace Elliot AH250 has Send/Returns on the front panel, and the newer GK heads do also. Well-done.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Count Bassie

[icastle]

[quote name='Count Bassie' post='1016406' date='Nov 8 2010, 02:36 PM']I have always been scratching my head about why Effects Send/Return loops and other potentially useful connections are so often at the back panel. I do all my playing and pedal-stomping from the front-side of my amp, where I stand when playing. The only jack I want to see at the back is the Speaker jack(s). Put the rest of 'em on the face! I think it's a useless feature that requires one to spend time leaning over their amp in the dark.

My older Trace Elliot AH250 has Send/Returns on the front panel, and the newer GK heads do also. Well-done.[/quote]

The little engineering demon on my shoulder is whispering to me that I should really drill some holes in the 1U blanking plate and run extension sockets from the rear of the amp.

...but then again, it's good to have something to moan about occasionally

[Count Bassie]

[quote name='icastle' post='1016416' date='Nov 8 2010, 09:44 AM']The little engineering demon on my shoulder is whispering to me that I should really drill some holes in the 1U blanking plate and run extension sockets from the rear of the amp.

...but then again, it's good to have something to moan about occasionally [/quote]

Right, keep the moaning about the little things... still... do it! I made cables for same purpose to run from the back of my H&K Fortress preamp. But jacks in a plate would have been better.

Don't worry, you'll find something else to moan about!

[Ghost_Bass]

I think is better not to have more cables than you need fighting to wrap themselves around your legs... back pannel wiring is the way for me!
When you plug your cables you're not playing and you don't need to have your amp all the way against the back wall! just pull it a bit to front, plug all your cables with the greatest of ease and push it back to it's place!
If you're flightcasing then ask for a back door on the case when building with the necessary size and location to alow you to get to every socket without effort!