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Updated: Vanderkley's new Aurora head


BassTractor
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Can't seem to find this being mentioned or shown yet, so here goes - hopefully not again:
Marc Vanderkley reckons his new amp Aurora will be ready in October.
Should make an impact at some level, seeing as how the previous one was lauded with weird oak leave thingies and whatnot.


[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/VanderkleyAurora201307-1_zps00ca709c.jpg.html"][/url]



Now before you search your lining for change, do please realise this thing is gonna cost.
That means "money".
I mean: serious money.



[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/VanderkleyAurora201307-2_zps3cf29e28.jpg.html"][/url]



- Input for passive/active instruments, 0/-12dB.
- 5-band active tone control.
- Loop with dry/wet blend.
- Continuously Variable Damping factor to control speaker damping
- Master volume
- The pre-amp is built up from high end discreet audio op-amps.
- Stereo Aux in, Send/Return,
- Headphones out with adapter jack to mini jack.
- Balanced DI out, Pre/post eq, Ground lift,
- Tuner out.
- 700 Watt @ 4 Ohm, 1200 Watt @ 2 Ohm.
- Weight around 5 Kg.
- The power-amp is class D with switch-mode power supply.
- It is two rack units high and comes with rack-ears for 19" mounting.
- Supplied in a sturdy road case.

Edited by BassTractor
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  • 2 months later...

[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/VanderkleijAuroracomplete_zpsf5a57c03.jpg.html"][/url]



[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/VanderkleijAurorafrontleft_zpsb757ea22.jpg.html"][/url]


[url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/VanderkleijAurorafrontrightbig_zps324abc54.jpg.html"][/url]



Notice the loop choices as well as the CVD, which is the Continously Variable Damping.
My amateur guess is that it controls the output impedance, and hence gives you control over the damping factor. This in my book is fan bloody tastic, and very useable.

I think the best thing to do now is just ordering it, and if it doesn't perform well enough, to just throw it away. Yup. That seems like a good plan.

.

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You can pre-order for £1599 from Bass Direct [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vanderkley_Aurora_amplifier.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vanderkley_Aurora_amplifier.html[/url]

It will be interesting to see how the pre-amp in the Auroa performs.

I've just bought a Jule Monique tube pre-amp and used it to by pass the pre-amps in friend's amps, namely:

Tecamp Puma 900
Aguilar DB751 (assuming you can hear the amp over the droning fans cooling the bloody thing)
Aguilar TH500
Genz Benz Streamliner 900

It was astonishing how the Monique improved the sound from all of them, I guess the pre-amp is the weakest part, hopefully the Aurora addresses this weakness.

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Pricey beast but impressive 2ohm figures from a class D amp. (that's assuming it's not a stereo amp expecting 4ohm on each side)

Hate the fact it hasn't got a IEC socket though - if you damage your lead, the likelihood of finding a spare at a gig in the middle of nowhere is pretty slim. At least with IECs, you are likely to find one, somewhere!

Looking forward to seeing these in the flesh and hearing what they can do.

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[quote name='Mark Dixon' timestamp='1379357049' post='2211733']
You can pre-order for £1599 from Bass Direct [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Vanderkley_Aurora_amplifier.html"]http://www.bassdirec..._amplifier.html[/url]

It will be interesting to see how the pre-amp in the Auroa performs.

I've just bought a Jule Monique tube pre-amp and used it to by pass the pre-amps in friend's amps, namely:

Tecamp Puma 900
Aguilar DB751 (assuming you can hear the amp over the droning fans cooling the bloody thing)
Aguilar TH500
Genz Benz Streamliner 900

It was astonishing how the Monique improved the sound from all of them, I guess the pre-amp is the weakest part, hopefully the Aurora addresses this weakness.
[/quote] improved? you stick a top of the range boutique valve preamp that you like the tone off before almost anything and it will probably improve it! ESP. when comparing it to bass amps either way cheaper than the preamp or going for solid state lightweight. (or are a DB751 - which I know nothing about apart from it's big and silver)

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[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1379534002' post='2213936']
improved? you stick a top of the range boutique valve preamp that you like the tone off before almost anything and it will probably improve it! ESP. when comparing it to bass amps either way cheaper than the preamp or going for solid state lightweight. (or are a DB751 - which I know nothing about apart from it's big and silver)
[/quote]

Mark said it improved it, but what he meant was that he thought it improved it. One shouldn't confuse opinion for fact.

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[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1379535231' post='2213973']
Mark said it improved it, but what he meant was that he thought it improved it. One shouldn't confuse opinion for fact.
[/quote] :) i did say more or less that.. then decided to remove it from my post. Tecamp preamp is pretty good to my ears - esp with the onboard compressor

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The Genz shuttlemax 9.2 has more power, twin channels using FET and or blendable valve preamp, 3 fx loops which gives you the option of a global only loop for use of an external preamp or in my case the fishman pro from the double bass. It comes with a footswitch and costs less, good old Fender are stopping sales of all Genz gear! Lol.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1386977582' post='2307239']
£1599?. At that price it needs to slaughter the Class D competition. A risky pre order IMO. Would need to hear this thing first
[/quote] to do class D SMPS amp well is apparently hard- which is why most commercial bass amps seem to use one of a small selection of amp modules available. I guess what you're being charged for is their preamp before whatever power amp modual it is.

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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1387062881' post='2307954']
You bunch of nitwits!
They charge you £1599 for the striking red colour, and it's totally worth it!
So the preamp is free, as is the class D amp.
Deal of the century!
:P
[/quote]

Red - to match my Bank Account! And a free pre-amp. Where do I sign?

RK

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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1387063027' post='2307955']
Using a different module to the ICEpower thing virtually every other Class D uses will be a good start.
[/quote]
Hopefully the finished article will be as promising as the good start. Anyone got a chanced to demo this little beast yet?

Edited by leroydiamond
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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1387063027' post='2307955']
Using a different module to the ICEpower thing virtually every other Class D uses will be a good start.
[/quote] I do wonder why so many class D use the ICEpower thingy... IMO and purely subjectively and with no evidence to back this up... it's got it's own sound that I seem to hear through every amp I've tried with it in. The older Tecamp stuff used powersoft modules and sounded very different In a way I liked (but were more expensive).

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Add one of these, [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QSC-power-amplifier-Qsc-plx3602-Sounds-Like-Mc2-Lab-gruppen-Amplifier-/131063545347?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item1e83fefe03"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QSC-power-amplifier-Qsc-plx3602-Sounds-Like-Mc2-Lab-gruppen-Amplifier-/131063545347?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item1e83fefe03[/url], to this, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224698-aguilar-db680-all-tube-preamp-mint/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224698-aguilar-db680-all-tube-preamp-mint/[/url]. Stereo, bi amp able, heavier..yes but much more practical.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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