alexclaber

If you're based in the UK and you play bass, post a photo of your finest facial gigging moment for the chance to win a Midget. The best submisssion of 2009 will receive a Barefaced Midget completely free of charge (if you'd rather have a Compact then we'll have to have a whip round for the extra £25 quid). My decision is final, this is not a democracy. And thus a tie-breaker is required from each respondent: One groovy sentence that hits the Barefaced vibe. Doesn't need to be about anything in particular, just has to shizzle ma nizzle, you feel me? Alex

[quote name='voxpop' post='464984' date='Apr 17 2009, 01:30 PM']Hi Alex, I think you are right its an Avalon type with better EQ options.[/quote] It's certainly a very appealing preamp! Unfortunately adding all that EQ whilst maintaining signal integrity is very expensive, hence the vast price difference between it and the U5 (and similarly between the U5 and Avalon's other preamps). [quote name='voxpop' post='464984' date='Apr 17 2009, 01:30 PM']The power amp sounds like my 1980's BGW studio power amp. Lots of current, grip and power BUT with a better upper mid and top sound. Much sweeter than the BGW. I will experiment with the speaker loading over the weekend and see if it changes the sound. Any thoughts on this??? How will it effect the sound ??[/quote] I'm unfamiliar with the effects of output transformers on tone - I'm just aware that if they're not large enough they can form a bottleneck due to the magnetic fields from the two coils failing to couple fully at high power - and that with the high output impedance of a valve amp you have to have an output transformer to shift over to the low voltage high current drive that a speaker needs. But when you have a solidstate power stage you already have the right output impedance so Jonas must prefer what an output transformer does to the tone. I notice the amps are relatively low power (compared to other standalone power amps, they're not much different to typical bass heads) and thus wonder if he likes the sound of a transformer coupled solidstate power amp running beyond its linear zone? Alex

[quote name='The Funk' post='357119' date='Dec 17 2008, 05:23 PM']Will add my review in the new year![/quote] And which new year would that be? Alex

JonnyM's Compact review: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34439"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34439[/url] Sharkfinger's Compact review: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=46464"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=46464[/url] Alex

Very nice! I suspect the Hellborg pre sounds rather like my Avalon U5, though with a lot more EQ options available. Be interesting to compare the two at some point. I'd like to know more about the power amp and what sets it apart from other high quality PA style power amps - I know it uses an output transformer like a valve amp (don't run it without a load!) and am curious as to what differences that causes. Alex

Well isn't this neat! I shall attempt to subdivide this monster thread into something more useful... Alex

Only questioning it because if you've heard one 4x12" and liked the sound of it, then if you start looking at other 4x12"s you might as well look at every other cab - the speaker configuration will not tell you how it sounds or performs! So if you like the Marshall then buy the Marshall - choose any other cab and it's a lucky dip as to how it will sound. Alex

Why a 4x12"? Alex

[quote name='Buzz' post='463851' date='Apr 16 2009, 12:33 PM']Why don't you commission Alex to build you some cabs to meet your sepecifications? Chances are you're going to be spendings lots and lots of money on "commercial" cabs to get what you need.[/quote] No custom cab needed! The Barefaced Big One can whip every other cab on the market for lower tunings at high SPL, even sub low B. Alex

I blame Robert Plant - "In the darkest depths of Mordor..." Alex

[quote name='4000' post='463647' date='Apr 16 2009, 08:45 AM']What I find depressing is the complete lack of availability of gigs for originals bands, certainly in our area.[/quote] That and the collapse of the recording based business model due to illegal downloads being the way most people acquire their music. And that the venues in Brighton have a habit of being filled during term time by the automatons from BIMM. I don't think the music scene is any better or worse than it's ever been - the benefit of time is that the mediocre stuff gets forgotten. Alex

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='463190' date='Apr 15 2009, 05:29 PM']When are you gonna have some photos of the Vintage or will I have to build a superior cab myself?[/quote] I've have some pics of the Compact (vintage look) up within the next few days. The first fullsize Vintage will be done in the early May batch so photos then! Alex

By the way, although the Barefaced Big One is clearly better than all of you, I don't mind selling you one! Alex

[quote name='bumnote' post='463080' date='Apr 15 2009, 03:31 PM']For all the concerns expressed about the 1/4 jack its been used in guitar amps for what 50years? [I wonder how many that is] and is still being offered in brand new equipment today so although no doubt it can be bettered, it cant be all bad.[/quote] Good points: Cheap, easy to get leads (even if they're the wrong ones), takes up less space on the back of an amp. Bad points: Poor current handling, lower durability, cables have to be soldered, shorts on insertion/removal, exposed parts carry voltage. With a guitar amp the current handling isn't such an issue. But with a cab that can handle 500W comfortably like the Compact then you're looking at 8 amps plus at the lowest points on the impedance curve. With a cab like the Big One you're dealing with well in excess of 15A if you're using a big power amp - and the live end of a 1/4" lead could have 120V on it just waiting to get you. Plus the speakon socket I use fits straight onto the cab, no jack plate required - simpler and stronger - and it's properly airtight. If I was launching these cabs 15 years ago then I'd include 1/4" sockets - but 15 years ago people weren't using anywhere near as powerful amplifers. But Speakons are common enough nowadays and for those that haven't been converted from 1/4" leads I'm quite happy to take on the task of enlightenment! Alex

If your links worked you'd be more likely to get a response! Alex

Is your bass gear better than your ability to use it? Not your playing per se but your ability to actually get the best sound out of your gear? Based on the frequency of tone related questions I'd suggest that many bassists are far from really getting the most from what they already own, yet are inclined to throw money rather than intelligence at the problem. Alex

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='462455' date='Apr 14 2009, 08:23 PM']If you made the vintage a couple of inches deeper, would it make it go lower, or would it just toally mess up the port tuning? And as a small run builder, is that the sort of shenanigans that are possible?[/quote] Because of these drivers' characteristics it doesn't really give you enough extra bottom to be worth the effort. Even increasing the enclosure size by 50% only lowers F6 by 5Hz. Simply turning up your bass EQ by 3dB will get you that extra extension without carrying an oversized cab (and with the Vintage's sensitivity you can afford to add some bottom without running out of power). Alex

[quote name='Protium' post='462543' date='Apr 14 2009, 10:09 PM']Wouldn't mind an A/B with the Schroeder tbh[/quote] Just received this email: "Received the cab today. My first impression is that it looks great, is very well finished and is just the right size for my ABM500 to sit on top :-) I've only tried it out in the house but it sounds fatter, bassier and cleaner than anything I've owned before and the bass extension puts my Schroeder 1212 to shame - that's probably not much of a surprise though!!" Alex

[quote name='Protium' post='462389' date='Apr 14 2009, 07:04 PM']What sort of specs do you reckon the Schroeder cabs have? 102dB "pie in the sky" or not?[/quote] The Schroeder 15+ is claimed to be 104dB but is actually ~98dB. The 1212L is claimed to be 103dB but is actually ~101dB. The max SPL for either of those current models is about 6dB lower than the Compact in the case of the 15+ and 3dB lower in the case of the 1212L, due to much lower excursion limited power handling. What do you make of the truthful values I listed a few posts up? Alex

And regarding a 1/4" socket, I'd really rather avoid them - seen far too many instrument leads used as speaker leads, plus the way they short on insertion/removal is an excellent way of killing amplifiers. If someone does indeed to daisychain two cabs then I'm happy to add another Speakon for £5 but I'd rather keep things simple on the standard cabs and also be able to intervene by questioning any planned daisychaining which might not work so well. Did the info in the user manual help? Alex

[quote name='Pixel Pirate' post='461929' date='Apr 14 2009, 11:28 AM']Alex, could you explain how the vintage has a higher frequency for the F6 value as opposed to its F3? Am i missing something??? Cheers [/quote] Typo! Should be 59 and 51Hz. Well spotted! Alex

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='461879' date='Apr 14 2009, 10:55 AM']So what the F numbers mean then?[/quote] F3 is the point where the low frequency response reaches 3dB down. F6 is the same but -6dB from nominal LF sensitivity. SVT 810 is F3 ~58Hz. However because all these drivers have high excursion limited power handling they can accept much more bass boost at high SPL without farting, so even the Midget can produce bigger bottom at higher volume than any conventional (i.e. not Acme) 2x10" - you just have to EQ that extra bottom in. Alex

[quote name='bassman2790' post='461782' date='Apr 14 2009, 08:52 AM']Do you think I'd benefit from adding another 2103 cabinet (2x10, the 8 ohm cab in parallel with the 8 ohm impedance of the built in drivers will still keep the overall impedance within the 4 ohm limit) or would I be better with the 1153 ( 1 x 15 ) ?[/quote] I think adding either cab will make a big difference but can't say which will work better. Also you do need to bear in mind that room acoustics have a horrible degree of effect upon your tone. Alex

[quote name='bassman2790' post='461763' date='Apr 14 2009, 07:17 AM']One earlier post said that the two 10" drivers don't move enough air, but we're only talking pub gigs here, playing to 60 - 100 people and as I said earlier the bassist with Angel House fills the pub with his bass through his 2x10 trace Combo.[/quote] With that EQ he's getting a nice bump in the lows where the combo can handle it. He's using a pick which always helps cut through better. And if his picking less hard then his tone will be less demanding on the amp with less extreme transients on the leading edge of the note (which are what tend to push amps to clipping without producing useful output). I still think a 2x10" is very borderline when it comes to producing fat bottom at gigging SPL - it's possible but it requires the right kind of technique on the bass, a drummer who can control his dynamics and a guitarist that leaves a sonic space in the mix for the bass. Alex

[quote name='Protium' post='461673' date='Apr 13 2009, 10:44 PM']Suit yourself then, was only a suggestion but obviously hit a nerve! Yes, but in the car market they don't say "Our new car will go [i]about[/i] as fast as your average saloon, MPG [i]comparable[/i] to a 3 cylinder diesel" etc, they have their figures available. People may not be able to see through marketing falsifications but they can't see your specs either. This IMO is an easy way to lose potential customers.[/quote] I posted this a few pages back [code]Compact 25.5" high x 19.5" wide x 13.5" deep / 32lbs / 100dB / F3=63Hz F6=51Hz / £400 Big One 29.5" high x 21" wide x 16" deep / 47lbs / 99dB / F3=47Hz F6=41Hz / £625 Vintage 38" high x 24" wide x 13.5" deep / ~52lbs / 103dB / F3=59Hz F6=51Hz / £650 Midget 19.5" high x 15" wide x 13.5" deep / ~25lbs / 99dB / F3=82Hz F6=58Hz / £375 Big Baby 25.5" high x 19.5" wide x 13.5" deep / ~34lbs / 95dB / F3=46Hz F6=40Hz / £575[/code] That's reality - doesn't seem very impressive compared to everyone else's pie in the sky figures does it? What exactly are you going to do with the specs? Alex