ped

The buzz of my alarm sounded for just a second before I smartly switched it off. I was already awake, I had to catch a 6am flight and I can never sleep before midnight. Kim and Morten by chiscocks, on Flickr I had been invited to see the home of the TC Electronic operation in Aarhus, Denmark. TC have been one of the longest running sponsors on Basschat and I really like Denmark, so I was keen to snap up the chance before the school holidays ran out. My fist trip to Scandinavia was when I was about 12. I went to legoland and it was literally the best week of my life as Lego was the centre of my universe at that age. But since then I’ve grown to admire Denmark for lots of other things, whilst still being thankful for the small plastic bricks which got stuck in various orrifices (and still do). Design. That’s what I like about This country. The Danish design museum in Copenhagen. The art museum in Aarhus, even if it would be better if they told you how much the paintings were worth. Even the way the streets are laid out to accommodate cyclists and drivers alike. It’s fair to say my knowledge of TC Electronic was minimal before my visit. Quite new to the scene, first releasing their bass range with the RH450 bass head, RS210 bass cab and RS212 bass cab, launched at Winter NAMM 2009 (January) in Los Angeles. they have approached the bass amplifier in a Danish way. Innovative, tactile, loud… It’s difficult to use the right superlatives to describe the gear TC produce. From the super light combos and heads to the top of the line Blacksmith range there’s now something for every budget and plans for more in the future. Shipping by chiscocks, on Flickr I was shown around the ‘R&D’ centre (where there is also a limited amount of manufacturing) by my contact Kim Bang, TC PR Manager. Kim is a bassist. I immediately identified with him when he explained how he bought 9 P basses looking for the right one -one from 74, one from 72 and the rest from 77-79. He finally decided on a sunburst ’79 with rosewood board and an A-neck. Ask him if he plays a five string and there’s a similar story finishing with a Fodera Emperor with 70′s Jazz pickups and spacing. Most of the manufacturing is done abroad, with only the ‘Blacksmith’ amplifier being produced on site. The facility in Aarhus is home to the team who design and test the products so this fairly small building is responsible for what hits the shelves. When I arrived with Kim we had a general walk around and saw the various elements that make up the building. Eventually a set of stairs led ominously underground into the darkness. Nestled among some mad Frankenstein creations, huddled in the corner like some product engineer gollum was a chap named Morten. Morten and speakers by chiscocks, on Flickr Product Specialist, Morten Ehlers, is a larger than life character. He’s an energetic player with a sense of humour and a no compromise approach to his craft. I love the way TC employs players like Morten, who describe the sound in their heads with words like ‘ping’ and ‘butter’ (albeit in Danish) and spend time turning it into an amplifier. One of his main responsibilities is to develop the range and find artists to ‘toneprint’. If you’ve never heard of this feature you can read about it on the TC site. It’s been so successful that artists are now approaching him to be ‘toneprinted’, to invent a noun. The development areas of TC are split into three; guitar, bass and ‘pro’, which is also referred to as ‘HD’ and covers high-end studio and not least broadcast equipment. They are actually quite secret and I was only allowed through once all the secret meetings had finished. I’m pretty sure I saw spider man leaving with an RH450. Kenneth Wandall, the Electronic hardware engineer (Bs.Sc.E.E) has the responsibility of testing the equipment. He’s got a special pair of gloves that he wears to isolate him from the energy in the capacitors and is every bit like my friend in technology class at school. After telling numerous visitors to hold their ankles as he slips on the said gloves he gets what he deserves when people clap and shout BANG behind him whilst he’s elbow deep in an electronic device. Manufacturing with R&D by chiscocks, on Flickr So to the torture chamber. There’s a shipping container in the car park from which you can just about hear a repeating bass groove. Had they finally given Morten his own ‘office’? No, it’s just a whole bunch of Amps and speakers rigged up to a CD player for months on end in intense heat to see how they perform. Two BG250 combos have done 6 months so far. Nobody knows what TC stands for, apparently. There are legends and myths, most of which sound un-printable on a civilised website like Basschat. But that doesn’t matter because I saw what TC really stands for on my visit, and you can refer to the earlier superlatives or try one yourself. Just make sure you’re wearing brown trousers. Project Room by chiscocks, on Flickr Fiskergade on the canal at night by chiscocks, on Flickr Your Rainbow Panorama (ARoS) by chiscocks, on Flickr Den Gamle By old town bench by chiscocks, on Flickr Mehari side by chiscocks, on Flickr ARos Terrace BW by chiscocks, on Flickr