alexclaber

I don't think you can go wrong either way. I was very impressed with the Shuttle when I tried it but I also think that Bob Gallien is one of the few geniuses of bass guitar amplification (that is the electronics side of it, not the speakers part) - his designs are nothing like anyone else's and they're really well fitted to the challenge of amplifying bass guitar. The GKs aren't simply a nice preamp married to a power amp of suitable ooomph, the power amp has been designed specifically to deal with the oddities of bass guitar, from the separate tweeter amp so you can get clean high but growly everything else, through the transient and dynamics response characteristics, right down to how it acts when it 'hits the rails'. Clever stuff. He's a big believer in the power section being part of the tone and feel of the amplifier, which I'd have to agree with - unless you have such a vast amount of power than you never reach the limits (and I mean VAST!) I'd like to know more about how GK have implemented their micro-amps - have they used the same B&O module as everyone else and if so what have they done with it, or have they gone from the ground up? Alex

Although nowadays I hardly spend any time on learning fancy things I've done a bit of that in my past and wonder if I would write the same basslines now if I hadn't got my fingers and brain around that crazier stuff? Hair is on my shortlist to learn to play and sing - will have to persuade the band that it's well known enough to be worth covering. The other one on my list is Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - that suits our vibe, is well known but it's a little bit tricky even before I start singing... Alex

I've noticed having an Avalon U5 in my rack is an excellent canary to test for the presence of engineers that know what they're doing - if they know what it is then things generally go well. If they don't then I interfere until they do. Going post EQ only tends to work well if you have a reasonably accurate and honest cab, otherwise the engineer will then have to re-EQ you to get you to sound nice through the PA. My SWR took the pre EQ signal through the first stage of the tube and then through a variable pad with ground lift - a nice DI that was! The Avalon is even nicer but then it is first and foremost a DI, not a bass preamp. Alex

[quote name='slobluesine' post='467512' date='Apr 20 2009, 03:04 PM']gonna try both, that should shut him up hey, so i've got a 20ft speakon cable and i just change the polarity on one end?[/quote] Not sure about just switching the polarity of one cab - unless they're really far apart they'll cancel out each other's bottom. I think you'd need to switch both to see if it helps avoid feedback. What you really want is a variable phase control like you get on a decent active subs and some dedicated acoustic instrument preamps. Alex

[quote name='slobluesine' post='467342' date='Apr 20 2009, 11:51 AM']i could just take a feed into the pa and put the DB into the foldback i spose???[/quote] That would be a much easier solution - get some midrange to your guitarist so he can hear your notes! Alex

Prince would be proud of us! Feel the funk y'all... Alex

Interesting that B&C don't even mention the arithmetic method! I like their use of Xvar as well. My view is that with live bass guitar the Klippel Xmax method makes a lot more sense than arithmetic - 10% distortion is going to be very hard to notice on a bass in a mix. Also I believe Xlim is very important (though Xvar is probably even more useful though rarely quoted) - when you push a bass rig hard you are guaranteed to be frequently running past Xmax (maybe not with the Big One but with just about every other cab at least!) and so you want Xlim to be much higher than Xmax so you can get plenty of output without risk of damage. Furthermore if Xvar is quite high then you'll keep getting nice sounding though progressively more compressed output well beyond Xmax. Alex

[quote name='Alien' post='467125' date='Apr 20 2009, 12:13 AM']Not if the soundman knows his stuff. You get more output for the same power if all the subs are in one place, and you reduce the comb filter effect, where you get bass hotspots (and coldspots) throughout the venue.[/quote] Exactly! It's not so bad in smaller venues where the standing waves are significant and not as much output is required from the subs but in larger venues and especially outdoors the separation of sub (unless they're separated by a huge distance) is a very bad thing. Unfortunately hardly any soundmen seem to know this and those that do are often stuck with working a venue that already has the subs in the wrong place and won't move them. Alex

[quote name='slobluesine' post='466688' date='Apr 19 2009, 12:52 PM']i've just got a Shadow pup on my DB, std 1/4 jack, how do i rev the phase on that Alex?[/quote] I think you should be able to reverse the polarity with a cable that swaps tip to ring and vice versa. Alternatively if you have Speakons you can swap the polarity of them very easily - maybe make up a second set of cables with reversed polarity so you can swap between to see what works best. Alex

No cabs left from this batch. Next production run will be: 10 x Compact 5 x Big One 2 x Vintage Let me know if you want to reserve one of these and if you'd like the non-Vintage ones given than 'old school' look. PM or email me rather than reply here, I'd rather keep this thread as tidy as possible! If there's enough demand I'll get more Vintage models made but they take up rather a lot of space once complete so I don't want to sit on them for too long... Alex

[quote name='~tl' post='466900' date='Apr 19 2009, 07:02 PM']Superb. Will you be doing a similar version of the Big One? If so, I may have to phone my bank and arrange more overdraft...[/quote] You can have the Big One, Compact or Big Baby done 'vintage' style. £25 surcharge plus there may be more of a wait because they have to be built differently, it isn't simply a case of swapping the grill. Alex

Pre. But get him to listen to the band onstage before the PA is brought in so he can hear how you like your bass rig to sound. If his PA is properly EQ'd he should need to do much tweaking - don't be afraid to advise him on what you want. Alex

The thing is that a POD isn't magic - it's just a preamp with some extra stuff in there to give power amp / cab simulation. You will still run into the weak link that is the loudspeakers - and monitors still have the same problems that bass cabs do - not enough ability to handle lows at high SPL with low distortion. If you have serious monitors, the kind that can make a kick drum sound good, then a POD makes sense, or if your whole band is willing to shift to in-ears, but otherwise you still have the same problem as before, just through different gear. Alex

Conceptually it's a good theory but a decent powered monitor that can handle bass will cost a lot more than an equally fat sounding and loud head/cab combination. Alex

[quote name='Paul S' post='466789' date='Apr 19 2009, 03:52 PM']At the moment I'm thinking head + cab(s) would allow an intrinsically heavy piece of kit to become a lot more portable than a giant combo.[/quote] Exactly! Regarding the old TE 4x10" combos, although they have a nice punchy sound they're pretty restrictive tonally - not much bottom, not much upper mids and top - and they have very little power handling in the lows if you do try to get any depth from them. I regularly rehearse through one and when I do bother to take a Barefaced cab instead my bandmates tend to pester me to never use the TE because it's so muddy in comparison. However however easy it is to take a 32lb cab to rehearsal it's a lot easier to just use the 80lb one that's already there! Alex

The first 'vintage look' Compact: Alex

[quote name='stevie' post='466378' date='Apr 18 2009, 09:11 PM']When comparing specs for drivers from different manufacturers you really should make sure they are measured in the same way. The Celestion xmax is the voice coil overhang, a figure that is quoted by every other speaker maker except Eminence. Eminence uses a method that can give a figure up to twice this.[/quote] Manufacturers are generally switching over to the Klippel analysis method of measuring Xmax as the point where 10% THD is reached. This takes account of both voice coil overhang related distortion and suspension non-linearities. If Celestion are as far behind with their testing methods as they are with their neo speaker designs I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them using the old arithmetic method. I would be extremely surprised to see the Celestion neos come out as showing twice as much Xmax using the Klippel as the (coil length - gap height)/2 method! Alex

When I refer to commercial cabs I am generally referring to the higher end models. The only reason my cabs are cheaper is because I'm selling them direct so I'm avoiding the typical 100% retailer mark-up. Double my prices and then you'll see the cabs that they're competing with (and beating) performance-wise. If you look at the speakers I'm using, no-one else is using as potent a fullrange 15" as that in the Compact. Only one maker is using the beast that I use in the Big One and they're putting it in an undersized cab. No-one is using a midrange speaker that comes close to the output of that in the Big One. And no-one else is using a true high-order full crossover on a woofer/mid as used in the Big One. Performance-wise you should compare the Compact with anything of similar size priced above £800, whilst the Big One is in the rarefied £1200+ region. But as a newcomer to the scene it would be very difficult to get anyone to pay that much without using endless hyperbole, carefully cooked specs and lots of sponsorship/endorsement 'deals'. It'll be interesting to hear more real-world comparisons as people switch from the established boutiques to Barefaced! Alex

No problems electrically - just use 16 AWG or thicker to avoid resistive losses or changes in response. Note that with separated LF sources you could end up with nulls where the direct and reflected sounds from both cabs all cancel out substantially, so it's rather a cross your fingers and hope situation. Can you stack the cabs vertically, point them at the guitarist, boost the midrange and then find a null that you can place your double bass in to avoid feedback? Alternatively, try reversing the polarity of your pickup to put the upright and the cabs out of phase. Alex

It'll smooth out the midrange response substantially - should make cab sound louder, fatter, clearer and less harsh. Never heard of anyone not liking the results! Alex

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='465993' date='Apr 18 2009, 11:25 AM']Are you mostly reffering to the 'square' ones there?[/quote] Mostly. Alex

I'm just not that keen on 4x10" and 4x12" cabs because they are the wrong shape for so many reasons. Are you basing your desire to switch from 15"s on your experience with the Markbass cabs? Alex

[quote name='Protium' post='465407' date='Apr 17 2009, 07:22 PM']In the Compact you mentioned using the Kappalite 3015LF, Xmax = 9.6mm (and interestingly a useable frequency range of only 40Hz-1.5kHz) Comparing with the Deltalite 2512 in the Schroder 1212L cabs, Xmax = 4.9mm. But as there are two of these drivers what does this mean in terms of excursion-limited power handling?[/quote] I'm using the 3015 in the Compact, Xmax=5.9mm and extended upper frequency response. The Schroeder 1212L cab no longer uses the Deltalite II 2512, it uses the Celestion BN12-300S, Xmax=2.5mm. Excursion limited output is basically dependant on your total cone area x excursion, so the older Schroeder 1212L cabs can match the Compact for this, whilst the newer ones have only half this volume displacement. Alex

My wife's favourite band so I've seen them quite a few times - he does have a remarkably huge tone. And there is no G-string tuning peg on his bass, it is very much a 3-string. Really suits the power trio line-up. They seem to do one good album and then one mediocre album - 1977, Free All Angels and Twilight of the Innocents being the good ones. The last track on TotI is incredible - they closed the set with it when we saw them in that strange old theatre in Camden whose name escapes me and it was so happening - just epic bombast and emotion. Interesting fact - Ash have never made any money from album/single sales - they're just big enough to sell enough to cover all their costs and then they make their living from touring. Of course if the record company weren't taking their very hefty slice it would be a different matter entirely. Alex

What are these strange KG that you speak of? Alex