4000 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Anybody tried this? I ideally need two rigs to get the best out of all my basses, but for reasons of cost/space would prefer to run 2 different heads through my Compact. My Seis sound ok through the Ashdown and through this cab, Markbass maybe a little better, Epifani surprisingly worse. I've only ever tried EBS heads through EBS cabs but my Sei 4 has never sounded better than through EBS (I turned the horns off, as I tend to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 [quote name='4000' post='581771' date='Aug 26 2009, 07:19 PM']Anybody tried this? I ideally need two rigs to get the best out of all my basses, but for reasons of cost/space would prefer to run 2 different heads through my Compact. My Seis sound ok through the Ashdown and through this cab, Markbass maybe a little better, Epifani surprisingly worse. I've only ever tried EBS heads through EBS cabs but my Sei 4 has never sounded better than through EBS (I turned the horns off, as I tend to).[/quote] I'll give it a go this weekend all being well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 Good man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I run an EBS Fafner through Trace Elliot cabs and it sounds great. Never tried a Compact but would guess it would sound pretty kick ass. My only reservation is that I think EBS heads need at least a 4ohm load before they really shine. Mind you, from reading up on the Compact and how sensitive the speaker should be, so I wouldn't really compare it with normal 8ohm cabs. Thus I doubt there would any significant issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Can't see why you'd look further than EBS-EBS.. A 1x15 should do the trick plus it has a horn should you need it..AIUI Should be THE tone-monster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 [quote name='JTUK' post='582112' date='Aug 27 2009, 07:39 AM']Can't see why you'd look further than EBS-EBS.. A 1x15 should do the trick plus it has a horn should you need it..AIUI Should be THE tone-monster[/quote] My Rics don't sound how I want through the EBS gear I've tried. I go for 2 utterly different sounds from my Rics and my Seis. Also, my Compact is lighter than the EBS 1x15s, which makes a big difference to me as I have chronic back problems. As for horns, I've never needed one so far in 29 years of playing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 [quote name='4000' post='582146' date='Aug 27 2009, 08:35 AM']My Rics don't sound how I want through the EBS gear I've tried. I go for 2 utterly different sounds from my Rics and my Seis. Also, my Compact is lighter than the EBS 1x15s, which makes a big difference to me as I have chronic back problems. As for horns, I've never needed one so far in 29 years of playing....[/quote] Audition an Epifani too - their cabs are more mellow than the EBS gear. How do you want your Rics to sound? I know that's a difficult question to answer... but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Have you tried using an outboard preamp for the Seis and running that through the Ashdown's power stage via the FX return? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 Alex, I haven't, but it's something I have considered in the shape of the EBS Microbass. No idea how it would work though, it's not something I've done before. Having said that a spare head is always handy, although it could be argued that with the amount of gigging I'm doing - currently none - it's slightly pointless. EBS-freak, My Rics are kind of in early-ish Roger Glover (think Made in Japan) or early Mike Rutherford (Genesis Live) territory. Not quite as distorted as that but that sort of ballpark. The plan when I bought my Epifani UL502 head was to eventually get an Epifani cab to go with it to get the best of both worlds. When I received the offer of going to Florida I sold the Epi to make it happen; unfortunately for various reasons it's now a no-go, so I kind of lost out there. As we've already discussed, I was mightily impressed by my Sei 4 through EBS. I'll be interested to see what you find if you get to try the EBS/Compact combination out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 [quote name='4000' post='582195' date='Aug 27 2009, 09:51 AM']My Rics are kind of in early-ish Roger Glover (think Made in Japan) or early Mike Rutherford (Genesis Live) territory. Not quite as distorted as that but that sort of ballpark.[/quote] So what's your Sei sound like? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 Oooh, tough one! If you imagined a half-way house between Hadrien Feraud and Matt Garrison (minus the skills of course ), neither quite as fluid as H or as dry as M you'd be about as close as I can describe. Tight and fluid (oo-er missus). Thing is I play mostly with a pick, and so have to go about getting those sort of sounds rather differently than many. I usually have to eq quite heavily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I think the first place I'd start at would be using a different pick material, like those rubber picks you can get. That should get the attack much more similar to fingerstyle. I can't see EQ ever being a truly satisfactory solution unless you can find a way to replicate the note envelope. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='582668' date='Aug 27 2009, 05:13 PM']I think the first place I'd start at would be using a different pick material, like those rubber picks you can get. That should get the attack much more similar to fingerstyle. I can't see EQ ever being a truly satisfactory solution unless you can find a way to replicate the note envelope. Alex[/quote] Bear in mind my Sei Melt through a TD650 and EBS 1x15 with the horn rolled off sounded bang on. Through a Trace it was pretty close too. Haven't tried the Flamboyant 5 through EBS, although it sounded fabulous through a UL902 and Epi 4x10, and very nice through all-Markbass (and indeed Markbass LMII/Epifani UL112). Unfortunately I get a very different sound with the Compact so have to eq around it. I've tried gazillions of picks; I chop and change them all the time anyway depending on the specific sound I'm after at the time, and I alter my picking accordingly too. I'm not actually after their sound, that's just the nearest approximation I can give. I can't think of anyone who plays in anything like that noodly, notey style who uses a pick, other than me (although I'm not as good as them obviously!!!!). Dominique Di Piazza uses a thumbpick but gets a thinner sound than I'm after/have had. Obviously I'm aware that I would find it difficult to replicate their sounds exactly, and I wouldn't want to. I don't see the point in sounding exactly like someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) My experience with EBS gear has been that it's got quite a lower midrange scoop going on and quite a lot of colouration from the preamp, like a load of extra harmonic colour being generated by the valve stage. The UL902/410 is another lower mid-scooped rig though both the amp and cab are cleaner, likewise the LMII/UL112. I think a lot of what you like is either the valve colouration or the cone break-up modes adding to the lower treble content, and the Compact is really rather controlled in that area - the Midget has much more of that going on. EQing in that region on the Compact isn't going to do a lot - I think the solution is to add that colour via a valve stage that responds dynamically, therefore I think an EBS head could work rather well! Alex Edited August 27, 2009 by alexclaber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 (edited) Interesting stuff Alex. That could be why the Ashdown sounded better with the Seis than I initially thought it would, and actually worked better for me than the Epifani (through the Compact that is), although it's by no means right. As I've said previously I did find the Epifani was just so honky through the Compact, almost regardless of what I did with it (of course that's with me playing through it; that may not be the effect anyone else would get). I'll see what EBS_freak comes up with at weekend, and then may just have to try a few things out. No rush seeing as I'm not gigging (and wouldn't be using the Seis in my current band anyway), although it's a shame I missed that 350 that was for sale; having said that I believe it's valve stage-less. Could be wrong though. EDIT: Ignoring the head for the moment, I wonder if 2 Midgets would cover the territory of both sounds better than 1 Compact? Hmmm....Alex? Edited August 27, 2009 by 4000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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