Frank Blank

Anyone..?

I am considering replacing my Fishman Platinum Pro preamp with the Grace Designs Alix. Now my usual MO is to just buy the thing I want without doing any comparison but not this time, well, not if at all possible that is. So, does anyone out there own a Grace Designs Alix, Felix or Bix that I can try or does anyone have experience of the Grace Designs preamps in comparison with the Fishman? Also, if I do go for the Alix, this will mean getting a separate compressor as the Fishman has one built in (already talking myself out of the Alix). I have no complaints about the Fishman, I’m just wondering if the Alix is really going to be noticeably superior?

Any thoughts or opinions welcome.

Welcome! Your carpet/wallpaper combo is giving me acid flashbacks man. Keep playing, whatever you do, just keep playing.

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I know when I'm beaten

(but like a Phoenix.....maybe, just maybe) 

Rubbish, your builds are just glorious.

1 hour ago, bartelby said:

I even have an NSK passport...

I am so jealous, I wanted one of their European car ID stickers so much.

28 minutes ago, Dennis1971 said:

Numpty question here,

I've got an active bass  and use the new zoom B1 Four to have a bit of fun at home with headphones.  I was debating buying a small amp and cab for playing with a guitaris and drummer i.e. something relative affordable like TE Elf with small cab or TC Electroinic 250W with a small cab.

Would I be better off buying an active full range speaker and go straght from the ZOOM B1 four into that? And what would you recommned if the budget is small and I mostly jam in  small setting with a drummer and guitarist (using Kemper Amp).

Cheers

Obviously I’m going to say yes to your question but on that budget I think it’ll be difficult to source a decent one. Where are you based @Dennis1971? You are welcome to try mine out. 

3 hours ago, bartelby said:

Can’t like this enough!

I flippin’ love Laibach

Me too, proper bonkers.

59 minutes ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Question, what happens if you plug the bass straight into the QSC on its bass amp setting?  Is that loud enough?

Just noticed @CameronJ has already answered, as he says, bass straight in is plenty good. 

What was I thinking, omitting one of my longest standing always there albums..?

Sparks - Kimono My House

27 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Hunting around, researching possibles and I came across this beauty (in the States of course). Creeping up in size of course (210) but it's got that Acoustic logo across the front... ooooh👍

 

 

Oh god that’s gorgeous...

17 minutes ago, jrixn1 said:

I have an RCF 732A (broadly equivalent to QSC K12.2) and I've used both mic and line level settings when gigging.  Mic level is louder but makes my pre-amp volume control more sensitive (a smaller tweak results in a larger difference in volume).  So I generally use line level unless I need to be really loud.

Just start with the pre-amp volume low to avoid any surprises.  But in general, you're not going to blow out a QSC. Certainly at close quarters your ears will give out before the speaker does!

Sound advice, I have thought about just trying the bass > Fishman through all the inputs I just didn’t have the confidence to do it n case I blew something!

Just now, PunkPonyPrincess said:

I might be able to add one of @TheGreek‘s as well if that helps. It’s an offal offer I know.

It’s one he can liver with.

4 minutes ago, jrixn1 said:

I always took "mic input" to mean any low voltage, low impedance signal, rather than literally only a microphone.  The manual says, for MIC, "Use with directly connected microphones and sources with low-level output."   (BTW I'm a layperson not an expert!)

Layperson also. I think this is it, I suppose I don’t really know what level the output of the Fishman should be considered as. You the Fishman manual gives output info in Ohmns and dB but I cannot translate that into mic, line or whatnow!

2 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

So how loud was it when you turned it up to 20?

Loud in the house but outside in comparison to traditional amps and cabs it seems quiet to me.

2 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

Try the QSC at mic level (input A).  Start with the QSC gain in the middle, and the Fishman volume control on low.  Adjust the Fishman volume to suit.

Really? I assumed that mic on input A was solely for microphone input?

Thanks for responding btw.

Months on from my purchase of the QSC K12.2 and I am still in a bit of a quandary. As you probably know I am using bass > Fishman Platinum Pro preamp > QSC. I was unsure which input to use on the back of the QSC so in the end I emailed Fishman and QSC asking which input / setting I should use. Both came back saying the Fishman should be connected to the QSC at line level so I use input B on the rear of the QSC at line level. Now the volume at line level is absolutely fine for rehearsing with my duo at home, I only have the gain 4 notches up when there are twenty available but I have recently attended two Bass Bashes with the QSC and in that environment it suddenly seems very, very quiet. I realise that it’s dwarfed in such surroundings but reading back through this thread I’ve noticed that some people are going through the QSC at instrument level, this is much louder but I thought it was for directly plugging in passive instruments? Should / could I be using instrument level for more volume or should I stick with the QSC / Fishman advice? Also I’ve tried using the Fishman’s XLR out into the QSC and I just get a hum, again I’m unsure which input setting I should use for this Fishman > QSC XLR connection. Generally I just don’t think I’m getting the volume I feel I ought to be getting when I crank it up when I use line level. The outputs from the Fishman are...

Amp Output:
Level: -∞ to +6dBV
Output Impedance: 1k Ohms

XLR D.I. Output:
Level (pre EQ):  -10 dB relative to input

Level (post EQ): 0 dB relative to input

Output Impedance: 600 Ohms

Public Image Ltd - Metal Box

Crass - Feeding The 5,000 / Stations of the Crass

Simple Minds - Empires and Dance

Human League - Reproduction / Travelogue

John Foxx - Metamatic

Killing Joke - what’s THIS for? / Revelations

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju

Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids / Tin Drum

Þeyr - As Above...

Kraftwerk - The Man Machine

3 hours ago, PunkPonyPrincess said:

You need someone to buy your old tinybasses to make room for new ideas.

a) good luck with that.

b) there is a rapidly increasing queue!

23 minutes ago, Olivetti17 said:

This beautiful bass has been kept indoors and is in fantastic condition.

Yeah, right with you there, mine are kept outside, in kennels and frankly they are a bit shabby.

I’m sitting in my car as I’m a bit early for my lesson, was thinking about transcribing an MK baseline this evening just to see how difficult it’ll be, don’t think I’ll start with this!

3 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

@jebroad

Splendid.

Next time we meet, I want to have a go on that massive and classic looking head that was parked near to @Frank Blank and his rig.  Although I got a go on Frank's Mouse (very nice it was too Frank); you were busy, I was on-call, there was so much to see, folk to catch up with and so-on that I didn't get the chance.

It looked like summat from the seventies.  Am I close?

@jebroad‘s gear was so cool, reminded me of stuff I used to use back in the punk days, I was a tad jealous! Sorry we didn’t get to chat @SpondonBassed, can’t imagine what I was busy doing apart from plugging @Jabba_the_gut‘s basses. No doubt we’ll chat another time, it was excellent that you both made it though.

16 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

I won a bottle of sherry in my first raffle. As a seven year old I thought this was fantastic 

I’ve never won anything in a raffle, not once, I am untouched by the hand of raffle you might say.

Just stopped for some food on the way home. Thanks to the excellent @jebroad and his equally excellent Mum for another splendid Bass Bash, some great people, some great basses. Good, as always, to put faces to names. Looking forward to the next one.

@Frank Blank‘s (mostly) Acoustic Corner is now open.

5 minutes ago, jebroad said:

We might be able to sneak in early from 12 so If you happen to be there around then- just come in

Happy to help setting up, I’m just parked around the side facing the playing field.