Chienmortbb

Mat-sush-ta If you had had to explain as many times as I have that there is no effing sheet in there only a mat. That is what the big M is on many components.

Of course working for Panasonic. te capacitors all had the big old M on them that meant they came from Matsushita Factories. For those that don't know Matsushita (pronounce Mat-Sush-Ta) was the Japanese name for National and Panasonic. Our only unreliable SMPSPSU on plasma displays was caused by an out of spec batch of semiconductors from another supplier.

You won't buy better cables.

I cannot see any reference to the drugs supplied to make you believe that a cable costing just south of grand will improve your sound. This is utter rowlocks.

That is crazy, pots can be replaced easily. They can be cleaned but sometimes this is a temporary measure.

It depends on whether they are properly specified. Many Chinese clones or copies of evaluation boards cut costs by using component brands that "overspecify". Companies like ICEPower do not scrimp on the components and that is why the DIY Audio forums are full of people whose module has blown shortly after powering up, There is no reason why a properly designed and manufactured Class D amp should be unreliable. TVs have been running with SMPS for around 20 years and with Class D amps (albeit lower powered) for almost as long. For example 65" plasma displays/TVs had 700-800W switch mode power supplies and were/are extremely reliable. Mine was 15 years old and working fine but I left it on the wall when I moved as it was too big for my new place. Incidentally I was Technical Manager for large screen displays at Panasonic Europe before I retired so I had access to reliability data.

As they say in the press, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. I have investigated and you can make up your own minds. As an example, the ICEPower 250ASX2 power module is £299.88 from Profusion in the UK. That is the power module in the Aguilar TH500 among many others. To replace the Mains transformer and power valves in an Ampeg SVT is £456 from Surrey Amps. An SVT output transformer is £297.46 from the Tube Amp Doctor in the USA (I could not find UK stock). To replace the 6 output vales/tubes (SOVTEK) alone on an SVT is £240 from Watford Valves.

Cold is the US terminology, in the UK it is called a dry joint. They can be caused by a number of things, including a soldering iron not having enough power to bring the solder and the parts to be soldered up to the correct melting point for the solder. However they are also caused by corrosion or grease on one of the parts to be soldered.

It is a compliment in a way that the cosmetic design of the Streamliner was such a huge influence on the Bugera M1001.

https://www.talkbass.com/wiki/pw3b-lpf-open-source-onboard-preamp/ @Passinwind will probably reply shortly but I know the history of this design. It was originally designed as an onboard pre-amp. The full details of that design is available on "The Other Place" and as I understand it, the latest iteration is designed as either an onboard or stomp box format. As for power consumption, I know that this was a major consideration in the choice of components and I believe that this version is designed for either 9V or 18V operation Thde original can be seen here. https://www.talkbass.com/wiki/pw3b-lpf-open-source-onboard-preamp/

That's fair enough if you are told the limitations of a piece of equipment. I know that wehn I am tired after a gig though, even the lightest item hits a doorframe or the edge of the boot of the car.

I did not have much of a chance to do much today but I did a bit. If you look at the picture above, The left hand module in new and untested and the right hand one has lost all the screws that hold the mains cables. So the first thing I did was to replace the mains input socket on the RH module. All easy I thought. No chance. The pins were too big so I had to drill out the holes. I was not sure whether the holes were plated through. So I had to malt sure the solder went right through. We will know tomorrow when I test it. I did test the other, newer module after rejigging and testing the mains wiring, Wiring was fine and the module worked fine. The new 4.8mm Faston connectors finally arrived this afternoon and I will start using them tomorrow.

And of course you have the choice.

I was reading the information, sent out by ICEPower recently, about their new 2000W modules and these points jumped out at me. To meet EMC/RFI requirements for even a medium sized MI company would be prohibitive. The cost a new ICEPOwer module does not come close costs close to a set of atV alves/Tubes in a big Ampeg* head. Yet no one seems to worry about replacing valves regularly. *£376 for full set of valves/tubes for an SVT at Watford Valves or more than half the price of a Mesa Boogie Subway D-800 currently in Europe.

Would it be worthwhile clamping the neck for longer so the the wood itself straightens? It seems a lot to ask the truss rod to take all the strain as in the video. I have straighend a neck like this but with tension off the truss rod and I left it clamped for a week or so. \The truss rod then only had to correct the string tension.

I put Di Marzios in mine, the jazz pup still retains that jazz bridge tone but is noiseless at its a humbucker. However I almost never use it. Incidentally the P pup is precisely 1/4" forward of the traditional P position.

Don't get me wrong, I was not criticizing ICEPower per se. I understand the problem as I had a design stolen for a headphone system for passengers stolen by a flag carrying airline. One that IS in a country that does supposedly operate IP properly. I suppose we should realise that the ICEPower modules do reduce development costs and time to market and the price we pay is lower initially but that component level repair is not possible.

I should add that the ICEPower modules, used by many are also impossible to get schematics for. I have repaired one before but they are difficult. Wharfedale on the other had join the list of those willing to supply service information.

Well what with the move, Covid and a new bamd this slipped on to the back burner but now I am back on it. I have drilled the heatsink on one of the new modules and it is now installed. I have started the wiring. The mains wiring is done to one module. I tried to use the Faston connectors I had but they are too big and so I have had to order the correct ones. They will be here Monday or Tuesday then I can restart wiring and testing of the modules. Once the power amp modules are tested I can start on the wiring. More soon.

If you put the power into the same cabinet, the relationship between power, quoted in watts, and the SPL is logarithmic. So a doubling of power results in a 3dB increase in the SPL. That is assuming that there is little or no power compression in the speaker.

Ed, I am not inferring in any way that Markbass products are unreliable, rather that Markbass, Music Tribe (Behringer) and Harman (Soundcraft) have all refused to supply the information that I need to repair their goods. You have to also accept that there is no IP on an electronic design made using commercially available components. The only way to get around this is to POT your commercially sensitive circuits (as HH did with their Valvesound Modules in the 1970s). I should also add that the Markbass product was a LM tube that had fallen off a cabinet so could not be considered a reliability issue unless you think that a professional amp should be able to withstand life on the road.

That is the only Markbass manual in the public domain. I worked for a large consumer electronics company before retiring (2009) and anyone could order a Service Manual or parts. Admittedly the use of integrated SMPS and Class D modules mean that the failure of one part requires a PCB replacement. That is expensive but that is no excuse for the lack of service information. This type of protectionism was outlawed some years ago in the motor trade so why should the electronics industry be different. Ashdown, GK, Marshalll, Alesis have all been very helpful to me in repairing amps effects units Behringer, Markbass and Soundcraft have all refused to supply Circuit Diagrams of Service Manuals. I have had one Markbass unit that has had to remain unrepaired because Markbass do not help the independent repairer.

Correct David. My mains voltage is close to 250 in Dorset and some amp modules don't like it. 253V is the upper limit and I had 240V module that did not always work. of course in Norway the mains could be down to 203V.

I have had a Vox AC30 Bass Combo and a Fender Bassman 50 in my day and by modern day standards they are crap.

I would not bother. Put an FMV tone stack in front of a decent SS amp and it will serve you much better.