Ashdown Mi-Bass 2.0

[Naetharu]

[b]Intro[/b]

This is a review for the 2.0 version of the Ashdown Mi-Bass head (400 Watts). No to be confused with the more common standard Mi-Bass with the five-band EQ.

[b]Overview[/b]

The Mi-Bass is a compact class-D amp with simple controls and a few neat features. I picked mine up as B-Stock from Andertons for around £160. The amp’s controls are very basic, with a Gain and Output controlling the bass’ volume. The Gain stage has a circuit that is supposed to mimic a tube-style overdrive when turned up past the 2-O’clock mark, and it seems to do this rather well. The EQ is a simple three band.

Perhaps one of the nicer features, at least when it comes to a home practice amp, is that it has a dedicated volume control for the line in, making it very easy to get a good volume level when playing along to recordings and backing tracks.

The amp also features a DI out (pre-EQ), a headphone socket (large style), and a choice of either regular or speakon connectors which is a nice addition.

[b]Build Quality[/b]

In respect to the build quality I cannot fault the amp. It feels very solid, with a nice matt metal casing and heavy duty plastic dials. All of the sockets are secure and the whole thing has the feel of being well made. Being a class-D amp its light but it still feels sturdy. It’s certainly more than capable of standing up to being taken to gigs/practice sessions and otherwise being run through the rigors that bass playing entails. It’s also worth noting that it comes with a very nice quality gig-bag that has a great thick fleece lining and fits the amp very snugly, making it easy to transport and adding to the security when taking it out and about.

[b]Features[/b]

As mentioned above, the features are quite basic but what is there is nice. The amp’s ‘Gain’ control features a pleasant sounding over-drive style distortion when turned up enough. The sound is very usable and produces a good tone which retains the bottom end.

The EQ is a little disappointing. Its only three band and there is a very limited variation on offer. Even cranking the EQ dials fully sees far less movement in the sound than is the case in other amps I have used. As such, I would advise against this head unless you have either an active bass or a good EQ pedal that you are happy to use instead of those on-board the amp. Personally I use an active instrument and tend to dial in my sound that way, leaving the EQ on the amp flat. However, it is disappointing how in-effective the EQ on this amp is.

The amp features a line-in with a dedicated volume control all housed on the front of the casing, which is very useful. It also has a headphone socket on the rear of the casing. Together this makes it great for practice sessions in my flat. Added to this is that, thanks to being a class-D amp, it can be used without a speaker load, thus making for a very portable and quiet means of playing in all situations.

[b]Sound[/b]

The sound of the amp is pretty much classic Ashdown – very close to that of my old MAG-300. It’s quite warm, and smooth and avoids some of the tinny treble that some amps have. However, due to the EQ discussed above, it is a little bit of a one-trick pony unless you bring in some outside means of shaping the sound.

It’s also worth mentioning that the amp is quite given the wattage rating. It’s certainly enough to pull off a good practice session with a reasonable drummer when hooked up to a pair of 112 cabs, but I would say it’s noticeably less powerful than the 260 watt class D from Eden, and certainly less powerful than my old MAG-300.

[b]Overall[/b]

In conclusion, I find the Ashdown Mi-Bass 2.0 a nice amp for practice. If you can pick one up for under the £200 mark, you’re going to get a compact and well-built head that is great for using to play along with MP3/YouTube tracks and as a solid practice session amp provided you have a reasonable drummer.

However, if you’re playing a passive bass be careful since the EQ here leaves something to be desired. Furthermore, don’t be caught off guard by the wattage claims, since the amp is not as powerful as its technical specs would suggest.

I love the amp for what I use it for, but at the same time I find myself thinking about picking up either an Eden or Fender class-D amp in the near future to have something equally light and a little more gig-worthy.