Tripehound

I'm really attracted to the Quad Cortex due to its functionality and its form but I know that I'd use barely 5% of its capabilities, even taking into account a bit of home guitar playing. For live duties I'm not sure that I'd like a one-and-a-half-grand piece of gear on the floor when there's beer and punters about... Could this be a reasonable compromise in that it would (temporarily) satisfy my twiddling with tech urges, do the job and come in at a less wallet-draining price? https://www.bassgearmag.com/ik-multimedia-releases-tonex-pedal/

Apparently there’s a new release of the firmware - 1.4 Has this got the octaver?

I'm on the cusp of buying a new amp after several years of playing DI and could do with some advice. I've got what I want down to these Darkglass products (pretty sure 500 watts will do it) and have just landed a pair of DG112 cabs so nearly ready for liftoff. Up to now I've been using a Helix (which I sold), a Zoom B6 (which again I sold) and a bunch of preamp pedals, currently an Atomic Bassbox. I have an attraction to techno bells and whistles but the reality is that I use a clean tone much of the time with the odd use of overdrive in one band, and a more driven sound in another that I play with. It seems that any of these three will capably do what I'm after and my inclination is towards the Exponent although I've read some concerning things about it e.g. not wowed at the idea of having to use the phone, where is the promised foot pedal, is this likely to be well supported by DG etc? There are loads of articles from the launch but not much on the actual experience of using one. I'd greatly welcome and value people's thoughts and particularly what are I suppose are my key questions - are the basic clean sounds the same on both amps and is there anything the AO does that the e500 can't?

I had one with a Neo410 for about three years - it was kind of my dream rig and the opportunity arose to get it at a very good price. Due to its weight (and perceived fragility) it spent the vast majority of its time in our rehearsal room and it eventually dawned on me that it was really a professional large stage amp and not really appropriate for using in the Dog and Hammer on a Saturday night. Like Mr BassMayhem above I stuck to the Vintage channel and it does sound marvellous - everything I'd hope for. I guess for me it's like the real Fender Twin Reverbs are to guitarists - wonderful if you have someone else to shift it about. In the end I sold it to a company who provide backline for touring artists and I understand it was used by The Cult at Nottingham Rock City a few days later and was earmarked for the (cancelled) Mott the Hoople UK tour so it went to a good, and more appropriate, home. Did sound good though...

Sorry I wasn’t clearer! What I meant was do the Microtubes 500, the Alpha Omega 500 and the Exponent 500 amps all sound much the same when played clean and that what distinguishes them are the overdrives included? I

Bit of a daft question maybe but... is the sound of the Exponent in clean mode much like the clean voicing of the Alpha Omega and the Microtubes?

I'm thinking of getting a Darkglass Alpha Omega 500 having spent the last few years playing through a Helix straight into the PA with my covers band, I've just joined an outfit who are a bit more traditional rocks and don't think a Zoom B6 into a Headrush is quite going to cut it! I need something light and pref 4 ohms so... question is what cab to go with it (I'm choosing blind as auditioning them isn't a practical proposition)? The Darkglass 212 looks the business but can't find much online about them in terms of reviews and YouTube videos are hard to gauge. Seems light and well constructed - also two of the 112s is an option. Expensive though and the Vanderkley cabs are about the same price. Barefaced Big Twin looks a safe option but what about the GR Bass cabs which are much lighter? Does anyone have experience or strong opinions on this or am I making too much of it and they'd all sound great? As ever I'm grateful for your thoughts,

Who did you use?

I was hoping for may 10 or so copies but I guess 50 is a possibility. Just don't want to be left like the dude from Creme Brûlée and his drawer of cassettes. It's a stinky poo business...

Like I suspect a few others, I spent much of the assorted lockdowns and downtime writing and recording an album's worth of material with a singing, lyric-writing mate with audio files bounced back and forth over Google Drive etc. It's now as-near-as-dammit finished and I've posted it up on Bandcamp - as it seemed the logical thing to do - but it's not as satisfying as creating a proper artefact so I'd love to get a vinyl copy of our album for each of us. After all that effort virtual or even CD doesn't really seem to reflect what went into it. Does anyone have any recommendations, experience or advice on getting a very small run of records done? If you'd like to have a listen then it's here https://hendersonsheppard.bandcamp.com/album/quench-the-album - friends have compared it to the likes of David Sylvian, The The, Blue Nile and Depeche Mode whilst at the same time making clear that it's nowhere near as good as any of them...

I play in three bands (retired so doing what I always wanted to do!) - a pop/rock/Motown/disco covers band, a middle-aged-blokes-playing-classic-rock band (what the market has been crying out for for years) and now a fifties-revival rock'n'roll/jive outfit as well. all playing pubs and clubs. No consistency whatsoever...! It's the covers band that's been my main outfit for some years but the other two bands are about to start gigging - and therein lies my question to the hive mind. The covers band all play direct through a fancy line array PA so I use a Zoom B6 or an Atomic Bassbox with a Headrush 112 pointing up at me for a monitor (tried several times to use IEMs and gave up each time). This all works fine and the band is regularly complemented on their sound (if not their playing). But for a 'rock' band and a Fifties RnR band should I just use the Headrush as an FRFR with the period/genre-appropriate models or invest in a new rig? Thing is, I sold off my previous amps some time ago - Rumble Stage 800 (never bonded with it) and before that a dream setup of Super Bassman 300 + 410 (marvellous but too heavy as I couldn't get it up the steps into the house!). Portability is crucial. The covers band will continue to do what they do but for the other two outfits it's likely to be full backline and mainly vocals through the PA. Been looking at what I suspect are popular choices in this area - the Mark Bass 121 plus a NY cab or the GK Legacy 800 212 - but I am wide open to suggestions, your experience and advice! Looks like the MB might be better for the 50s thing and the GK for rock but I can't afford both!

And gone from eBay - like a ship in the night.

I had a blue 4003s and really liked the sound and that neck but eventually fell out of love with it because if you looked at it for more than 10 seconds some paint would fall off.

I've just found that (looks great btw) but that bass is confusing me! The body is bound but the fretboard looks like a 4003s. Knobs look different - as best as I can tell with the photographs.

Is this a thing? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284928525554?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l1120&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=c054086a1eed4c5da13afcf021f7816a&bu=43129826273&ut=RU&exe=0&ext=0&osub=-1~1&crd=20220811013933&segname=11021

Gigged with the B6 and it acquitted itself with honours! It's a keeper which leads on to a question... Has anyone got some suggestions for a bag/case that would suit it?

I've lurked long enough - just ordered a B6 and it should arrive tomorrow. I know this may sound a bit sublime to the ridiculous but I've been pondering whether to go for a Quad Cortex or whether one of these might actually do the job for me (at a considerably reduced cost of course). I had a Helix LT (I mess with guitar at home) but got fed up of lugging it around in its flight case - we all play DI - and I have been using an Atomic Bassbox which is competent but not quite exciting enough for me. There is no destination - it's all journey.

Hi Kev - I keep looking at these. I used to have a Helix LT but sold it as I found I was tending to use just the one patch and few effects. Moved to the Atomic Bassbox (I play in a band where everyone is straight in to the mixer) but am unconvinced by the tone and especially the overdrive. Considering the new Zoom B6 but keep wondering... Can I ask which amp models/captures you've tried and what you think of them vs other modellers?

Looks like competition for the Markbass Vintage Preamp maybe (also valve-driven)? https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/markbass/markbass-mark-vintage-pre-tube-preamp-pedal

Thanks - that's an excellent summary!