Dad3353 Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 'Stiff cost optimization' is the marketing-speak for 'cheapskating'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 On 26/08/2018 at 16:28, Hellzero said: Sadly, in terms of heads, there is only the Acoustic Image solution, the Euphonic Audio Doubler is not a real double bass head, no ultra low level input for say a piezo without preamp... I have no problem with the EA Doubler, though I'm using a magnetic pickup and a Fishman DI, so I don't have issues with the input impedance. I have experimented with going direct into the front of the amp and using the on board HPF, but the signal was pretty low (due to my pickup's output rather than the input gain on the Doubler) and the HPF didn't seem as effective as the HPF on my Fishman. USA cab guru Mike Arnapol was involved with the design of the EA Doubler and I'm sure I read somewhere, probably on Talkbass, that he wasn't happy with EA's HPF, saying that the frequency/ratio/something was next to useless for the double bass. If I was buying again, I'd probably go with the new Acoustic Image amp. Although I never got on with the AI Ten2 combo that I had, but that was more to do with the cab than the actual amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 28, 2018 Author Share Posted August 28, 2018 13 minutes ago, TheRev said: I have no problem with the EA Doubler, though I'm using a magnetic pickup and a Fishman DI, so I don't have issues with the input impedance. If I was buying again, I'd probably go with the new Acoustic Image amp. Although I never got on with the AI Ten2 combo that I had, but that was more to do with the cab than the actual amp. Do you mean one of these: https://www.thomann.de/gb/acoustic_image_clarus_sl_s4plus_606ia_plus.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ZPcBRBkEiwA-avvkxca9PgcQJMXlYRykxiZ-9Y8_ERreCkrX7SQwEraeaW35Q1CbqzuCBoC9RsQAvD_BwE Very pretty and looks very competent, but the 606 and 607 seem to be single-channel heads. As to the Doubler, I've now heard the same thing from three users of that head ... you all put something in front of it to make it sound good! That rather leaves me wondering what the point of it is. If I use an FDeck and a Plat Pro in the signal chain, my DBs both sound fine through both a GB Shuttle 9.2 and a Trace Elf, neither if which are usually referenced when people are talking about heads to use with a DB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 28, 2018 Author Share Posted August 28, 2018 In other news, after a failed attempt at a Doubler (which in truth I'm beginning to see as a bullet dodged for my needs), it now looks like I'm buying a Clarus SL2. I only have two 'pure' DB gigs in the diary for 2018, and they're ... erm ... both on Sunday. Hopefully the SL2 will get here in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 I’ve had my Clarus for over 10 years and it still works perfectly. It’s so reliable and works perfectly with upright IMO. Plus the new heads are tiny! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 28, 2018 Author Share Posted August 28, 2018 Oh don't you start, Geoff! It was your review of the SL4 that got me thinking, and my bank account is about to be substantially thinner as a direct result. Daft thing is, that SL4 would be a very bad fit for my needs anyway ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 I was gutted I didn’t get to keep it! Such a great amp for upright. My old version still sounds great though so I’m sticking with it. 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 4 hours ago, Happy Jack said: Do you mean one of these: https://www.thomann.de/gb/acoustic_image_clarus_sl_s4plus_606ia_plus.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ZPcBRBkEiwA-avvkxca9PgcQJMXlYRykxiZ-9Y8_ERreCkrX7SQwEraeaW35Q1CbqzuCBoC9RsQAvD_BwE Very pretty and looks very competent, but the 606 and 607 seem to be single-channel heads. As to the Doubler, I've now heard the same thing from three users of that head ... you all put something in front of it to make it sound good! That rather leaves me wondering what the point of it is. If I use an FDeck and a Plat Pro in the signal chain, my DBs both sound fine through both a GB Shuttle 9.2 and a Trace Elf, neither if which are usually referenced when people are talking about heads to use with a DB. Yes. That one. It suits me at the moment to use the fishman as a DI to FOH and then set the amp as I need it for backline monitoring. For that purposes the Doubler works quite well as the DB channel has EQ centres optimised for double bass but, as you say, I might as well use any amp, especially if you go via the effect send /return. The Tecamp Puma works quite well for Double bass apparently... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 Ah yes, the Puma. I bought a 500 a few years ago from this forum. At the time it was Mike Arnopol’s favourite amp, highly recommended. It is a small amp with great clarity and a responsive eq section. Together with an FDeck HPF it has been my No1 amp. I like it so much that I sold a Clarus, prefering the Puma’s clarity. I have a second one that sits under my passenger seat as a back up - never needed to date. Two weeks ago I bought a Genzler Magellan on this forum. I hoped it might render the outboard HPF unnecessary but, having gigged it twice and a third on Thursday I’m not yet completely convinced. I’ll try it with the HPF. But for the time being I can really recommend the Puma. They’re cheap as chips on BC amp sales at the moment. Can’t understand why they are hanging around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljbass Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 Any experience with Markbass AC 101 H? http://www.markbass.it/product-detail/ac-101-h/ 2ch, phantom, phase, notch... looks good to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 1 hour ago, bassace said: But for the time being I can really recommend the Puma. They’re cheap as chips on BC amp sales at the moment. Can’t understand why they are hanging around. I'm trying very hard to resist buying one..... but the summer festival gig cash glut is trying to convince me I NEED a new amp.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 1 hour ago, ljbass said: Any experience with Markbass AC 101 H? http://www.markbass.it/product-detail/ac-101-h/ 2ch, phantom, phase, notch... looks good to me The input impedance is 500kOhm, which is too low for a piezo pickup, so it would probably need a buffering preamp. Also, no high pass filter - unless that's what the anti-feedback control does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 I'm a fan of Phil Jones Bass stuff, and i've used some of their amps and combos with the piezo pickup plugged in straight to the high impedance input. I'm yet to try with my latest entry, the D400, but the spec sheet quotes 4 MOhm/22pF. That should be high enough for most pieces of kit, surely! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 I haven't quite worked out why it's called the D400. Power: 350W/4Ω, 200W/8Ω Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 1 hour ago, razze06 said: I'm a fan of Phil Jones Bass stuff, and i've used some of their amps and combos with the piezo pickup plugged in straight to the high impedance input. I'm yet to try with my latest entry, the D400, but the spec sheet quotes 4 MOhm/22pF. That should be high enough for most pieces of kit, surely! I use a PJB Suitcase (with the 4B extension cab) with my doublebass, using a piezo pickup. The amp is fine with the bass plugged straight in but obviously has no HPF. I do use an FDeck but purely to relieve the load on the drivers. With the Fdeck on its lowest setting the amp has no discernable volume or tone difference between plugging straight in or using the Fdeck, apart from that cleaner sound without the subsonics. It really doesn't need the buffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobmartin Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 The cheap and cheerful Ashdown OriginAL has an input impedance of 4m Ohms, ok not the 10 m of the Platinum but should do the job. Has a 5 band eq as well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickA Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Another PJB fan here. My PJB flightcase is great with a piezo pickup; little switch to "passive" and the gain adjusted to suit. Some of you (Hapy Jack included) saw mine and a lovely AI amp at the double bass bash methinks. I probably liked the AI even better than my PJB as it had a great sound in a smaller (even smaller) box and more knobs and buttons. The PJB has no HP filter stage, you can only turn down the bass knob, but I've never felt the need; even my full sized carved bass doesn't sound boomy through it anywhere I've yet played (admittedly a smallish sample of places). Plus I wanted to play an electric (or three) through it too and reckon the PJB is better for that than the AI (or an AER .. which is another option for the very flush). For those of you with a rockabilly bent (and possibly owners of metal double basses!) the PJB may prove a little soft and HiFi sounding - dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cattytown Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Did you get anything HJ? I can also vouch for the Felix. While it may be a lot for a pre, if you already have a decent rig that can go neutral it will probably be less cost than a dedicated amp. I really like it because both the pickups I have on the bass need power, and it can power both differently. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 And watch this space. As part of my ‘rationalising’ I will probably put my Felix up for sale as soon as I can get round to doing a pic. It’s certainly a great piece of kit but I don’t use two channels these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 On 27/08/2018 at 15:33, Happy Jack said: Top quality electronics: - The renowned electronic digital amplifier circuit used has been selected through numerous hours of listening tests - Very careful electronic schematic design and implementation - No stiff cost optimization which would have leaded to using low quality components and over simplifying the electronic schematic - Highly optimized power supply blocks with numerous independent regulation stages and many LC filtering stages GSS is one French man named Didier. I'd assume it's a Google Translate problem rather than anything else. The amp is bleedin' amazing despite the marketing copy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 In fairness, he's selling it for €160 so there's probably not much budget for a translator. Have you got one, Jack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 On 04/10/2018 at 15:37, Happy Jack said: In fairness, he's selling it for €160 so there's probably not much budget for a translator. Have you got one, Jack? I had the head as part of the combo, although I'd asked for mine to be detachable. I bought it to use with my EUBs (for which it excelled) but ultimately that project never took off, I stopped playing the EUBs and eventually sold them and the amp. I can't stress enough how good the amp sounded, really, really clean and full. However, with the external power pack and the fact that it needs proprietary cables it's bigger than you'd think and for the volume it produces it might as well be a DI box in any 'proper' guitar and drums band, so like I say I found it hard to have a use for it. For a double bass amp on jazzy gigs or as one of the world's nicest bedroom amps I can recommend. Also, Didier is pretty much a gem. Great customer service, great communication, all-round stand up guy. A Sumo power amp is on my GAS list as soon as I get round to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.