LukeFRC

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1390857683' post='2350612'] What, you mean the powerCON socket? [/quote] if that's what the blue thing is!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1390853940' post='2350492'] I agree. [/quote]hmmm am i right in thinking there's an odd-part-out in that photo?

it will be written on the end of the neck if that helps. Late in the production though

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1390843836' post='2350236'] That's the innards of my SWR SM1500 [/quote] ooh I can join in.... inside (well half the inside of an ashdown APM 1000 power amp - can you guess what I'm replacing in there?

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1390843007' post='2350213'] Compare and contrast - Behringer EPQ900 (class H, 900 pretend watts). To be fair to Behringer, this is a perfectly adequate amp if you're looking for around 300 watts: [url="http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/dincz/media/P1010228.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] to be fair though the powersoft is probably 10 times the price.

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1390843549' post='2350226'] I'm convinced there would be a market for a tiny class D 'power amp' that we would plug our preamp pedal of choice into. Literally an amp to power the sound, not to colour it.... . just a box with a volume knob. [/quote]SWR tried that. Demeter do it.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1390843226' post='2350217'] I'm with WoT - give me big iron every time [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JPJ/media/IMG_0785_zps2d111b8e.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] so what is it? we cannae tell from the pictures.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1390832913' post='2350002'] The power supply. The main deficiency of most Class D amps is that they lack sufficient capacitive storage capacity. Manufacturers in their zeal to make the amp as small as possible don't put in enough capacitors to do the job. If you look under the hood of a really well made Class D you'll find half the chassis filled with storage capacitors. [/quote] as show by the inside of one of those powersofts....

I can get a wide verity of sounds with my right hand that I loose if I lower my action. I like the custom Strings the boys at Alpher got made - they are fairly low tension but chunky round core gauge which means you can have both the higher action and fly around the fretboard if that's your thing.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1390687199' post='2348397'] There are two issues here. One is Class D amps. There is nothing about Class D that's inherently any better or worse than any other class. How well or how poorly the manufacturer makes it is the question, and where that's concerned you can make a really good or a really bad amp of any class. The worst amp I ever had was all valve A/B. The other issue is DSP. You're seeing a lot of Class D amps using it, because that's what accounts for the majority of new amp designs. If DSP had been available when SET ruled the roost they'd have been in those as well. Here also implementation is the issue. Some are very good, some not so much. You can pretty much tell which came out of the minds of engineers who also happen to be bassplayers, and which from those who'd be more at home doing video games. [/quote] Good distinctions Bill. (though no idea what SET is ) I agree there's nowt wrong inherently with class D, you rarely hear the "they lack punch" point of view when it comes to PA amps (mind you I haven't looked for that long) You've hit it though with the DSP more than the added features - there's very little discussion explanation as to what they are aiming for and some things... well you can hear the compression - which is fine if that's what you want. Just lack of discussion. The most surprising thing I found was when I took the top off my old Tecamp puma 1000 and found they hadn't used any DSP in it.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1390665861' post='2348112'] I'm in Beith sadly, about 18 miles from Glasgow. Thanks for the offer though, I appreciate it. I'm a novive bassist so I'm a bit out of me depth. [/quote] almost played a festival in Lochwinnoch that our singer was involved in organising.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1390672850' post='2348226'] Apologies, Luke, if I've mis-represented your intentions. I wonder what bass player asked for programmable colour-changing lighting panel, though. [/quote] I realised that my post seemed to contradict you- went to change it and the power went off. Let threads go off on any sort of tangent more interesting that way!

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1390671258' post='2348199'] Cross purposes..? Hardly. The original question was concerning the growing plethora of D-class amps with added 'features', wondering whether there was any real added value in these novelties. [/quote] no it was more wondering what was behind the design process - more what do they think us bass players want and prioritise. I for one almost bought a RH450 when they came out, 4 band sweepable eq, inbuilt tuner and so on - stuff I would use. I was all set to find one till I heard one... and then realised there had been design decisions that I wasn't so excited about.

I must say I enjoy the prominent STATUS logo on that buzzard.

sit ontop of this? :

plus I think it's the intonation

where are you? I'll look at it for free if anywhere near leeds.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1390662335' post='2348071'] The main problem with the class D stuff is the lack of real umph. There is no other way of describing it but all the class D stuff I've tried is missing that real 'weight' to the sound. I do want to try the Aguilar Tone Hammer as allegedly this amp suffers least from this issue, but until someone brings out a class D module that sounds the same to my knackered old ears as a good old a/b design with huge transformers, then I'll keep the SWR and continue to be on first name terms with my chiropractor [/quote] I don't disagree (not enough exp to) I know the powersoft tecamp stuff sounded nice. But it's part of the thing I don't get.... do PA amps that are class D get the same decription? Some do, and you can go on forums and they discuss the low freq. abilities of various amps... but you get to bass amps.... and.... one of the big companies can bring out a loud 450w amp with lots of clever DSP and power management and it takes a while for people to work out that it's only 120w or whatever it was - which isn't the worst thing but...

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1390661828' post='2348061'] There's a flaw here, though (to me...). My 'choice' has always been pretty much minimalist. I play drums, bass and guitar ([i]no, you fool; not all at once..![/i] ), and have always thought that less is more. I respect the wishes of those attracted to the 'City of Tiny Lights' gadgets, bells and whistles, but would appreciate the 'choice' of having nowt to frig about with. It's purely consumer commercialism, imo, driven by the perceived need to renew, just because one can; built-in obsolescence. Yes, I'm old. That explains it..? No, I've always been like this. Thanks anyway. [/quote] it's the lack of focus on "sound" that gets me. Over the years everything has seemed to go towards a "simple as possible tone path with the smallest number of the highest quality components" as the way to go... this doesn't seem to be happening with some of these smaller amps, and if anything the other way - tecamp for instance going from a high end amp unit to a cheaper one.

intonation? Learn to set the thing up yourself. Save £50 time and time again