Al Krow

Aha! So this is what one of Satan's gonads looks like?

All roads get compressed back to Rome in the end. **sigh**

Actually if I was going to call it, it would be: (based on reputation from trusted BC mates) EQ control - Tech21 Q/Strip Additional amazing tone - Monique M700 Power amp - get something decent that puts out what you need. The M6 and the pre-amp on my basses covers that off for me. But hey I'm just a humble bass player and not a sound engineer... 😂

@Hellzero - well that's told you then! Lol! @51m0n Fyi - I am the proud owner of a Satan's one-knob compressor by TC and finding it a LOT more effective than that Cali posh-boy stuff. But heh I am that same Al Krow who believes ALL compressors are the spawn of the devil. Back to the plot: seems to me you're very focused on a great preamp. Fair do's. In which case why not a Monique M700? There's even one in the FS. @both of you There's a lot of cash flying around on this thread. One of us is going to be out of pocket, but at least beers will have been bought 🍻

Great, look forward to it. IMO there is no real comparison between the tone of the M6 with its 12Ax7 pre and 'Trans class' (I'm guessing that is A/B class) power amp which together provide its deliciously complex harmonics, and the tone from even some of the best D class amps - the Mesa D800 included, which I've also tried (albeit not through very the best of cabs - just what was available in store). @bassfan and I A/B'd my M6 against both my DG M900 and his TC RH750 and there was no contest. So much so that he went and got an M6 for himself within a couple of weeks. If the TF comes close or betters it, I'll happily purchase one myself and trade in my M6 and my DG M900. I've been looking for a D class that achieves that tonal 'sparkle' the M6 delivers for a couple of years now and not found anything yet. So I (genuinely) look forward to being blown away! PS please check the power rating on the TF - I think 1KW at 4 ohms may be peak rather than RMS? So not apples with apples comparison.

I'll take it from my BB2025X budget.

Well when you've got your TF, I look forward to an opportunity to A/B them. If my Mesa M6 (and I'm not talking about the D800 / D800+ series here which are half the price of the M6) doesn't match or exceed the TF for tone then ALL your beers for that night will be on me. And I'll likely get a TF myself - lol!

Get a used Mesa M6 and be done with it. Pair it with a VK210 or a Berg 212 (or similar) and your ears will love you forever

@Muzz I think you've hit the nail on the head: 300W WA + great cabs = just fine 300W WA + run of the mill cabs = may struggle If I had to choose between a great cab and a run of the mill amp and vice versa, I'd go for the great cab option every time. Any shortcomings on the amp can often be dealt with by a quality preamp pedal. Shortcomings on the cab can't so easily be fixed.

Yup that's the one. So there is 'flat' tuning adjustment available, but I don't make "use" of that i.e. it's on a normal setting. Instead of being exactly central when the bass is in tune it will be both central and one next to it on the right lit up. It's close but not quite there.

It's the Korg 'Pitchjack' plug in - is that different to the one you're thinking of? I don't think they're making them any more (which may say something!) ...

#RTM is a good general principle for sure. But you also need to #CTP** So whilst many tuners may have the ability to change the A-440Hz, this certainly doesn't. It's a little bit out in the same direction for each note. I've calibrated it with tuners that are accurate. Tbf it's not out by precisely by the same amount for each string - my bad for indicating this might have been the case and why you rightly diagnosed your possible solution. It's actually fine for a quick and dirty at gigs, particularly as I know its foibles. **check the price. This was a < £12 piece of Korg tat. If you pay peanuts you invariably get monkeys! That's an equally good general principle methinks.

Fair do's - we did have some stage lighting together with some 'party' lighting for the hall. But I'd have thought that audiences don't particularly need to see the bass player as long they can hear the groove and have sight of the vocalists (who are a much nicer sight, believe me, than the old geezer with the 5 string 😁)

OMG Paul - it was dark. It was late. We've played living on a prayer a million times. But this one time I managed to start two notes further up the fret board than I should. It kinda worked in an avant garde jazz sort of way. The guitarist glared at me with a 'WTF look' and I got back on track in 2 bars flat... one of those little horror stories that are worth a pint at the Dog n Duck when meeting up with fellow BC'ers methinks! Does there come a point in every bass player's life where getting LEDs at the side of the fretboard should be compulsory? 😁

That makes sense. I was almost tempted to get a woofer (a BF one had been listed) to go alongside the Meatbox, but it was starting to become quite a journey down a rabbit hole so I decided to cut my losses and moved the Meatbox on instead... 😀

@fuzzonaut - am also impressed you're getting your DOD Meatbox to work. I couldn't really get anything like its full potential with my 10" / 12" cab set up. Are you using 18" or sub woofers?

@51m0n so you come to a decision then?

Ah you're a man discernment Mr bass fan. So that's 3 pedals on my board in addition to the pedal board, Spectracomp and Mesa M6 you've recently got following a short visit to the Krow bass-ment, plus being on the waiting list for the "LA teeth white" BBNE2 with gold bling hardware? Although I suspect that particular GAS might find its status being reversed this week. The annoying (well maybe not) thing is that I have a separate tuner (which is consistently out a tiny bit across all 5 strings by the same amount, but at least I know exactly where to pitch things at). Very handy if you don't have a tuner on your amp or don't fancy carting a whole pedal board with you: And for the record, the Helix cost me nearer £420, I believe. Which isn't a bad price for a tuner.

👍 That is the plan! Although word on the street is that the Helix hasn't mastered synth yet so it's likely that the FI will survive to tell its story for a while yet (unless this new SA Spectrum pedal matches the hype that its makers are putting out about it!) But, you're right, I suspect that we have reached 'peak pedals' for the Krow board. On the BIG plus side I've finally managed to get shot of the Markbass 410, which I received as part-ex on a cab sale, so I've suddenly got a whole lot more room including easy access to my bass rig for the first time in ages. So I'm hoping progress with getting to grips with the capabilities of the pedal board will speed up a bit now (yeah, yeah I know you're probably thinking it couldn't be going much slower - lol!). Gratuitous pic of the home rig...

...or that stunning 4 month old BB434 that John is selling for just £300. If I was playing more 4 strings I'd definitely be tempted by all of them! 😎

So here's the conundrum: a used 2024 for £1,300 or a brand new P34 (which folk seem to be loving) for the same price?

And I hate to have to admit this, but I think I noted a "very tangible" (as opposed to a relatively subtle, but nice) difference from having a comp at the start of my signal chain last night: When combined with my MXR BEF I needed to dig in significantly less hard to get a consistently good 'squelch' than compared to playing without the comp i.e. the comp appears to open up the filter nicely. On a separate point, I've also been thinking about whether I need both the Fwonkbeta and the BEF given the greater control that the BEF allows me, but the Fwonk has a brighter / less dark core tone (which is just the ticket for funk right?) than the BEF, and which seems to work well in the 'mix', whilst the BEF has a greater 'clarity' which is nice solo'd. So they're both staying on my board for now!

Here's my updated incarnation with the two new additions (Grizzly Bass and Fwonkbeta) in the chain. Currently just home use only for creative sonic fun. Still gigging the old fashioned way with bass --> amp & cab (via Smoothound wireless).