mcnach

What you say makes a lot of sense to me! The Schroeders tend to be 'accused' of being too mid-rich, perhaps much like BFs do, perhaps because they're less coloured... The Streamliner needs tamed a bit, a scooped cab can make it sound horrible for my taste. The Compact+BB2 sounded better with the LM3 I used to have... and which I'll probably buy again at some point. I thought the Shuttle would do the same job and be a bit more versatile, but I do miss that LM3. Never tried an F1. It's certainly a 1st world problem

The BF will go louder, that is definitely correct. I can use different EQ to make either work reasonably well, absolutely, and if I were going to get all scientific about it and analyse the frequency content etc I'm sure there would be a way to make either of them sound pretty much the way I like. Having said that, my tone shaping controls are somewhat limited (limited EQ on the amp, and different between amps, plus teh same with onboard preamps, and then passive basses too)... so I want something that makes it easy to get there, whatever I use. Again, let me repeat that: both sound really good!!!!!!!! I'll be happy with either set, which is why I haven't decided yet which ones to keep. My initial plan was to just use the TKS because their dimensions suited my car perfectly... just like that And they were red and beautiful But if I have to keep just one set, I'll have to balance all these little factors, as there is no clear winner both being pretty awesome. The TKS generally sound 'prettier', but under some conditions they can be a bit indistinct and too 'airy' for my liking. Some people LOVE that sound and think my BF set is clearly worse... so bear in mind this is just about opinion about a certain je ne sais quoi that separates both sets, with both being quite good at what they do. The BF set up is louder, but I honestly can't imagine needing to push them that hard for the sort of gigs I play (when more is needed there's ALWAYS a hefty PA to take care of the deep bass). The BF set is a bit bulkier, and awkward to fit in my current car (it wastes space and can't fit both in the boot at the same time), but they're noticeably lighter and easier to handle, and people love to help me because they're light In addition, the BF gets me close to the sound I want more easily than the TKS 1126... but whether this is because of their inherent character suiting my 'sound' or because I've used them for longer so I understand them better... I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards keeping the BF at this stage... while I try to work out a situation where it makes sense to keep both sets and can justify it

You're probably right about the BF being flat compared to TKS. I personally don't care about cabs being flat or coloured, as long as I like the sound. I colour the signal of the bass at every possible step, and the speaker is yet another link in the chain. You're right 'though that this part then gets lost if I DI, which happens most times... but then it will rarely sound the same when I'm right next to the speaker on stage than what it will sound like from the audience's perspective, so I'm not precious about having a faithfun reproduction of "my tone" (whatever that is). If I get a good sound onstage and the sound engineer can use the signal from my amp (post effects when I use them) to get a good sound at the front, then I'm happy.

Ha! pretty much! and I love chocolate so I'd say... have both! Both are delicious! That's what I've done for the past year

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1450177341' post='2930213'] Was looking at a Warmoth J build to treat myself in 2016. Having seen the spec of these now, I'm not sure whether it's worth it - these guys seem to be on the money. Just need to have a good look through their website. [/quote] I wouldn't go the Warmoth route after I have seen what you can get from Maruszczyk. UNless part of the joy is teh actual build, finishing it etc, of course. Just make sure you measure everything you think matters to you and specify it exactly the way you want it. Beautifully made instruments.

Not sure it's a mismatch, other than visually (which does bother my mild OCD but...). I had the single Compact first and I asked Alex before getting the BB2, then I went and tried the Compact with a BB2 that someone local had and kindly allowed me to test. They're quite different, but work reasonably well together. If I were going to have two of the same I'd probably have two BB2 indeed. The Compact is huge and loud, two of them would be awesome, but I do miss a bit of the high midrange which the BB2 provides so easily. I did not compare directly the 1126 against the BB2 the other day, but I have had enough experience with either separately to know the 1126 has the most pleasant voice of the two, and sounds bigger and fuller (for the volumes I've needed). However the BB2 has a midrange presence that I like a lot in a band context. I think it's something that people either love or hate. Whether it is that most other cabs are slightly mid scooped or the BB2 is a bit more mids-rich, it's got a character that makes it distinct. You can still get a lot of different sounds from it, and EQ it to taste, but it lends itself more to a bass tone that cuts through and doesn't necessarily have to have a lot of bottom end (not saying the BB2 is poor in lows, it isn't, it just doesn't sound as big as other cabs given an identical input signal). The 1126 can sound much bigger and fuller more easily... but for the sound I want it needs the midrange bumped up, and I don't get it just right like I can on the BB2... yet it sounds more... "refined and beautiful" (so hard to describe!!!)

Indeed, both sets do the job... that's why I find it so hard to let one go, as both are nice but each have something I like best about them The final decision is likely to be made largely on the basis of weight/bulk/shape... which tells you there isn't anything wrong with either I wish I could keep them all, but change in living arrangements mean I need to downsize.

For a few demo tracks SoundCloud is perfect. Bandcamp is also very useful. It allows you to sell electronic and/or physical CDs very easily. You may also offer things for free or as a 'name your price' option. So this is quite convenient and easy to set up, a very easy way to put your music out there and perhaps sell some if that's what you're after. It's free, kind of. They take a cut of 10% of your sales, but you don't pay anything upfront. Once you have an album and you want to sell it, companies like 'emubands' are invaluable. We've used them for our two albums. They do charge, I think it was £50. But they deal with all the hassle and get your music on amazon, spotify, itunes, google play and more places... We haven't made much money from any of those (Bandcamp is best in that respect) but it allows people to find our music more easily, and frankly that's what we're more interested in not the actual cash.

Not a fan of relics... but this one I like. Very nice!

Those USA SUBs are fantastic.

I used to own an old style SR300 (PJ configuration). Very good bass. I just didn't get along with the very thin neck (which many others love)... otherwise I'd still have it.

[quote name='SaxyBassist' timestamp='1450118461' post='2929798'] I wrote a great long reply with each post quoted and it wouldn't let me post it for some reason!! Anyway thanks for all the advice - I am now coming to the conclusion reading everyone's responses that the real problem (which I have been denying to myself) is actually is my cabs are too heavy for me, I dread coming home from a gig if my son is not home to unload them as I won't leave them in the car, that's when I use the sack barrow but lifting them is an effort for me I think if I was to spend money I would look at the barefaced range, I haven't got a clue which one/s would give a similar power and sound to what I have now though! [/quote] Similar power should be easy. Similar sound... not so much, as they all vary so much. If you want light and powerful... A generation 2 Barefaced Compact (115) is loud and such an easy lift. I used to own an RS210 and RH450 but I don't recall how the head sounded with the Compact alone... probably "bigger" but not so prominent on the midrange. However, you can add more midrange from your amp to compensate. The Compact doesn't go beyond 4 KHz, but I rarely found that to be a limitation, however it depends entirely of the sound you're after: if you like lots of treble, this might be lacking. There's also the TKS S112 cabs that I haven't yet tried myself but I'm looking into right now. Very light, at about 10Kg each, half the RS210. Even if you used two of those, two 10Kg lifts is easier than one 20Kg, and the way the RS210 balances makes it awkward too. Something else to look into. And you can get them in many colours. I want mine purple

Excuse the poor quality phone picture. I hate this phone... Aaaanyway. In November 2014 I ordered a pair of TKS 1126 cabs, one with a tweeter, without having heard them before, purely on reviews and on dimensions: they seemed designed for the boot of my car Plus I could get them in red The idea was to then let go off the Barefaced cabs (a 2nd generation Compact and a 3rd generation Big Baby 2). These speaker cabs were nice, and light, but I was never really in love with them and were a bit bigger than ideal. The TKS seemed enough for my requirements. A year later I still have both sets of cabs and could not make my mind up. Over the past year I've used those cabs in various situations and combinations (with various heads, and also as extension for the little MarkBass combo on the right). There are things I like on both, and things I dislike in both... and I decided to book a rehearsal room last Sunday, bring in a couple of bandmates (drummer and guitarist) plus another guitarist friend and someone else who wanted to attempt to sing who shall remain nameless , and try all cabs side by side. It's a largeish rehearsal room but still not huge, can't really compare to what it'll sound like in a venue without PA support, however that's a limitation I will have to live with. So... I used my trusty Stingray with a Genz Benz Streamliner 900 powering the TKS set or the Barefaced set, switching from time to time, playing some fingerstyle and slap, clean and with an EHX Bass Soul Food pedal providing a bit of grit, and mostly playing funk/ska stuff with some rockier heavier things thrown in to make the second guitarist smile a bit... The conclusion is... I want them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I have to make a decision. If I had to choose on sound alone... The TKS 1126 would get my thumbs up. They just sounded really really nice. They have tons of low end, and the treble is there in spades if you want it. The tweeter is really not required at all on these cabs, in my opinion and for my taste. These speakers sound a bit 'mid scooped' to me. They always felt that way and it's something I didn't like. You can dial in more mids and they really sound nice, but I was not always getting the character I was really looking for. Perhaps I was not using the right amp for my taste... I have mostly been using the Streamliner 900 because it sounded big and I liked that, but perhaps another amp would work better with the 1126 cabs. The Barefaced, using the same bass/amp settings sounded quite different. They sounded big, and authoritative, but the tone wasn't as round and pretty. However, I found it a lot easier to get a well defined yet fat sound using the Barefaced. I have to watch the mids with this combination as what sounded good with the TKS was too much on the Barefaced. Dispersion seemed better with the Barefaced too, filling the room retaining definition regardless of where I was. Standing at about 5m it sounded very good. Side by side, the Barefaced were a little lacklustre compared to the TKS, but they weren't bad and once I concentrated on just playing I enjoyed the Barefaced cabs a lot. I then tried the MarkBass combo. On its own it clearly didn't move nearly as much air, unsurprisingly. Then I added a 1126 cab. This is a combination I have been liking a lot because it's portable yet powerful. The bottom end was nowhere near as deep as with the Streamliner and either set of cabs... how much of that is due to the different amp and how much is due to the much smaller cab, I do not know. But I could turn up the bass control a bit and that actually resulted in a very very nice tone. I have the feeling that the TKS 1126 would suit the MarkBass LM3 or the Genz Benz Shuttle better than the Streamliner. The MarkBass combo with the Compact or Big Baby 2 sounded also good, but I think I preferred the TKS in that case. The Compact seemed to produce a lot of volume and big lows but it didn't sound as pleasing as the TKS. The Big Baby 2 seemed to be lacking a bit in the low end by comparison... but again, once playing for a bit the ear accepts the change and it's actually a good sound that retains a lot of definition and clarity but still has enough low end. The Barefaced were the loudest. I could turn up and they just sounded louder. The TKS would also get very loud but I felt that they didn't like being pushed as hard. For sheer volume... Barefaced wins. For 'big' bottom end, TKS had the edge slightly, and their tone was more pleasing... but it was easier to get a well defined cut-through tone with the Barefaced although the bottom end could get a bit muddy at times (the Streamliner certainly would not help there). Size-wise, the TKS are slightly more compact, which in my case means they can fit in the boot of my car and I don't need to take up space on the back seat and I can leave them in the car without being on display. They're also heavier, 'though. Not terribly heavy, they're still considered 'light'... and they have very good comfortable handles, but the Barefaced are a lot lighter and when having to negotiate stairs and people in a busy bar... it's very welcome. So... all this is making me think, again, that a pair of TKS S112 would be my ideal cabs at the moment. They seem to be of a nice compact size, with less lows than either BF or 1126 but with a well defined midrange, and very light whilst powerful enough... I would like to get two S112s while I still have the 1126 and the Barefaced speakers so that I can make sure I make the right decision... but I'm not sure I'll manage to free enough cash without selling other stuff. At the moment I'm tempted to let the TKS 1126 cabs go, and keep a 'loud and light' set: the Barefaced, which perhaps I'm more used to and I can get a good definition out of more easily. Then I can try the TKS S112s and see whether they can turn into a single solution, if they sound better than the Barefaced ones, for me. But the 1126 cabs sound soooo nice too. Hmmm. There'll be a Barefaced or TKS for sale thread soon, but I cannot decide just yet I might end up advertising both and whichever sells first is the one that goes... Why is life so complicated???

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1449946821' post='2928320'] Zoom H2 with the limiter set to Live 2 and you can't go wrong (at least I haven't. Never had any problems and can get very decent results out of it. [b]I believe there are some limitations if you rely on the battery - I recall some functions don't operate when it's being powered by the battery.[/b] [/quote] Not in my experience. I run it on batteries most of the time.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1449825450' post='2927129'] Zoom devices are great for sticking in a corner and pressing play and forgetting all else bar the level. If the band mix is ok... Zoom will deal with it well enough. They have a very generous sweet spot for recording and the mic compresses well enough. If you have a screwed mix on these..your rehearsal mix would have been very poor anyway For a plug n play device at their price point, I'd say they are pretty unbeatable. [/quote] what he said. A bit of experimentation will allow you to find the best place to place the recorder, but you'll get a decent recording anywhere, really. I use a Zoom H2. So many of our songs have come out of jams that were recorded in this little thing.

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1449657393' post='2925569'] Dont call me surely No it wasn't a misprint [/quote]

Looks like a very good choice to me

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1449408197' post='2923226'] Sorry Dad - disagree - if you are forking out money to do a gig you are paying to play regardless of how you define "self-promotion" - it has nothing to do with buying your own instruments etc. The equation is simple: We are being paid to do a gig = not paying to play We have to front the money to play the gig = paying to play [/quote] Have you ever put on a show yourself? Who pays to rent the venue? You do! You pay. Of course, if done well you will make money by selling tickets and/or drinks, whatever the arrangement is. The point is someone has to pay some money before the event takes place. Sometimes that someone is a promoter. Sometimes the bands cut the middle man and become the promoters. This case sounds like the latter. A new originals band is not going to start out with a huge following. Piggy-backing onto another more established band sounds like a good idea to me and the fastest and cheapest way to get gigs, be seen, and hopefully get people to notice you and start coming to your own gigs.

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1449340800' post='2922788'] Does it cost you to rehearse? It usually does, so I'd view it as a good PR opportunity that costs a bit of rehearsal money. [/quote] This. It may end up costing a bit of money, but you can view it as a rehearsal in a proper live environment, with an audience that you would not attract to your own gig at this point in time. Nothing better to be noticed and make fans than playing gigs. All kinds of gigs. My band is doing reasonably well at the moment and it's been mostly through networking, making friends with other bands, playing at their events while they play at ours, and essentially playing as much as we could. Eventually we can be a little picky about what gigs we play and our fee etc, but if nobody knows you yet the best way to be seen is at gigs that other bands who have already enough followers organise. Do it, and have fun!

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1449577308' post='2924764'] I'd be wary now of buying a combo that didn't give me this option Remember, it might suit your current band, but you may be in a different band this time next year - you never know Of course, it's your choice - but I'm just underlining the positive benefits of 2 cabs Though this might also be expensive - you can spread the cost / outlay You can get the combo now, and maybe pick up the ext cab at a later date - keeping your eye on the 2nd hand market Cheers again Marc [/quote] Very good points.

[quote name='Wonky2' timestamp='1449528259' post='2924463'] Good feedback guys, thanks.... My aim is to get to a single unit solution.... Ext cabs route is great but I would probably only use it once in a blue moon so not sure I can justify the spend on the 121p combo AND the 121ny cab (circa £900 together) ..... One amp solution the 121h alan c model may bring is appealing .... Can any one confirm the differences between the alan c and the standard 121h ? Is it just that the alan c runs at full 500w with I presume a 4ohm speaker in the combo ? If that is the case, I'm guessing that means the Alan cannot take an additional ext cab should the need arise ? 500w may be well and good but sometimes an additional speaker moves the air you need ? Still, as I say... I want a one unit solution so not concerned bout ext cabs.... Just that the Ålan c can cope well with full bore 500w ? I did prefer the top load amp head as the thing is so small I will obviously be looking down on in to adjust knobs ( arthritis don't lend itself well to crawling round on your knees) .... My feelings are that if I go down the 121p route I may yearn for the ext cab.... Lugging an extra cab (yes I know they are tiny and way 1/2 a gram) is ok if it's for the odd bigger gig but I don't want to be having to fetch it to rehearsals etc..... Saying that, the band is fairly quiet.... Ahhh ... I used to be indecisive but now I just can't tell ! [/quote] £900 together? Lucky! I bought my CMD121P in 2013 before the price drop... £750 just the combo! Still, not complaining. I love it. I was tempted by the 151 version, but the extra depth in the sound was not enough for me to offset the extra bulk & weight. For rehearsals the little combo does it more than fine in my band. I only use an extension cab occasionally. But most gigs I do have PA support unless it's a small bar gig. I've also bought a foldable trolley a while ago. It takes very little room in my boot (just an A3 hatchback, so not huge), and it makes taking away the combo plus any extension speaker really easy. I mean, it's easy without a trolley, but with one it's just the ultimate lazy solution... with a great sound.

I have owned various heads in the past few years, I still own two, simultaneously with a CMD121P combo. Guess which one gets gigged the most? Yup, the tiny combo. It just sounds good whatever I throw at it, it's very portable, and it's got a lot of punch for such a small amp. As a stage monitor (DI'd to the house PA) it's brilliant. I often use a small stand, a Stagg GAS4.2, which lifts it a bit from the ground and aims the speaker at me, so it's easier to hear. Other times it may be on top of a cab if there's one provided. Sometimes I add the extra cab sometimes I don't... it always sounds good onstage. The stages I normally play at are not huge, but it covers a range from your typical music bar stages to 300-people venues usually. Now, to use it by itself... it can be a bit limited unless the band is not very loud. Having said that, I've used it several times in small bars and once even outdoors (small street performance during Edinburgh festival) and it worked pretty well. My band has three electric guitars, trumpet, sax and drummer as well as vocalists. I do not own a NY cab, but I've used the little combo together with various other cabs: - with a Barefaced Compact... it sounds pretty big. In a large bar without PA support it was plenty. - with a small TKS 1126 cab... plenty of volume and a very compact rig. A reggae band played through it too and they sounded very good. - with an even smaller Schroeder mini10R cab. The ultimate small rig. Again, bar gigs were not a problem whatsoever. The CMD121P is the best musical purchase I've made in years. I love it.

Kevin bought my Aguilar Filter Twin pedal. Very easy going, fast payment and very kind when I missed post office opening times on Saturday (sorry!). Thank you!