alexclaber

SM58 is the obvious choice not least because sound engineers won't give you any hassle for using it. However I've found that as I tend to sing lower than many vocalists the SM57 works better for me as it's less boomy in the lows and a bit smoother on top so the midrange comes through better. The SM58 is voiced very effectively for typical tenor rock/soul/etc vocals but on higher (female) or lower (baritone/bass) vocalists the flatter response of the SM57 can be more flattering/audible. Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic and AKG probably make even better mics for the money but I have no idea where to start with them! (I guess when it comes to vocal mics I'm acting like those bassists that automatically buy Ampeg...) Alex

Class A preamp, 2000W power amp - weight ~ 40lbs 2-way 6.5"+15" neo cab - weight ~ 45lbs Not the lightest but probably the loudest rig here! Alex

[quote name='redstriper' post='337433' date='Nov 26 2008, 04:50 PM']Thanks - I'll give it a go. How should I attach the wadding - glue or staples ? What difference can I expect to hear soundwise without the standing waves ?[/quote] Either glue or staples will work fine. Internal damping doesn't do a huge amount for standing waves, it mostly deals with damping down midrange and treble that would otherwise be reflected and interfere with the direct cone output. Not sure how much difference it'll make to you because your EQ is so extremely anti mids and highs but am curious to find out! Alex

[quote name='dood' post='337171' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:46 PM']I would love to hear your cab with my Shuker Alex.. especially to listen to the low F# response and detail in the upper strings. I like the idea of the 'Big One' with the tweeter, as a full range cabinet. I think a pair of those cabs would make a great set up![/quote] I know greenboy has had great success with lower tunings with his fEarful (similar to The Big One but with active crossover). I've designed a full 3-way crossover for a betweetered version but I doubt many people will go for that. It'll be interesting to have some tweeter addicts try the 2-way cab and see if they miss that last 1/2 octave of treble. A pair would be insanely loud - make a nice lightweight but high output and fat sounding PA system though! [quote name='chris_b' post='337177' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:48 PM']I've never used a cab with a "tilt and roll" system, but I imagine you would need a foot plate as people will use their feet to push or kick the cab over onto the wheels. Also the bottom edge and some part of the back of the cab might need some extra protection as the cab will probably be dragged over steps and up stairs.[/quote] Yes, I've been wondering about that - maybe some right-angle extrusion along the bottom-rear edge? [quote name='dood' post='337180' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:53 PM']My Epifani UL-610 has a tilt and roll system.. It's a 'big' cabinet. I find that I have never needed to 'get a foot in' in order to get it to tilt back. I think it maybe something to do with the six rubber feet on the bottom that stops it sliding when you grab the cab. However, a kick plate is defintely a practical solution. Maybe even some skid plates for those who like to shove cabs along the back of their cars/vans.[/quote] This is where you run into the problem of added hardware adding weight so you start to lose the whole point of a lightweight cab. This cab is very light, less than any non-neo 2x10" and not much more than most neo 2x10"s, it's just quite big. Alex

Obvious answer - look left! I may have only had my RIM Custom 5 since February but I feel more at home on it than any bass, even the '87 Warwick Streamer that I played for nine years previously! Alex

[quote name='beastie' post='336860' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:40 AM']...i want to replace the speaker in the cab with a good quility 1x15 500w+ 4 ohm speaker[/quote] The thermal power handling rating is one of the least significant specs and there are very few 15" speakers available in 4 ohm nominal impedance - you're better getting a better 8 ohm model than a compromised 4 ohm one purely to gain a few watts from your amp that you speaker is unlikely to have the excursion to handle. If you're willing to spend the money you can't really beat the Kappalite 3015 as a standalone 15". Alex

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='336815' date='Nov 25 2008, 11:57 PM']Considered something like this?[/quote] Yes. The cab is tall enough to not need an extendable handle so it's just a question of choosing which tilt-and-roll wheels and where to mount them. [quote name='chris_b' post='336882' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:12 AM']Feedback suggestions: 1. Don't skimp on the hardware. 2. Provide good covers. 3. Use good wheels, swivel castors, the 2 at the front with brakes and preferably 3". 4. Don't go for this one handed lift cr@p! 45 lbs is NOT a one handed lift for a lot of people. Even with good wheels we still need to lift the cab for stairs, loading the van, door steps etc. Two handles please.[/quote] Our conversation at the SE Bass Bash was critical when it came to where I put the handles - you were quite right about it being a two-handed lift! Although I can quite easily carry it in one hand outdoors, as soon as you have to negotiate doorways, corridors and staircases its size means that carrying it two-handed is much easier. Plus a key part of the lightweight cab market are those bass players with back problems! So current thinking is two tilt-and-roll wheels at the back edge, plus another strap handle on top to hold when rolling the cab. [quote name='Hamster' post='336886' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:19 AM']After Merton has blown it to bits, can I try the shrapnel? I had to leave the SE Bass Bash before I had chance to abuse it. I've just bought a BFM Omni15 Tallboy from David Perry and am interested to do an A/B.[/quote] That would be great - very curious to see how they compare! Some wheels: Alex

[quote name='Merton' post='336281' date='Nov 25 2008, 02:49 PM']Hey Alex, bring it up to Redhill next weekend and I'll give it a run thru at my next wedding gig.... I may forget to give it back though [/quote] I do have a meeting in your neck of the woods next week! Seriously, if you want me to drop it off with you at work/home I think that could be arranged. I'd like as many people to try this cab as possible - be good to get the feedback and also help me make my final handle/wheels decisions. Alex

Alex

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='335159' date='Nov 23 2008, 09:24 PM']When can those of us who are relatively local to you get a chance to hear it??[/quote] Well I'm not gigging at the moment, band having a hiatus because I'm so busy with the cabs. Who wants to borrow it and give a real workout? Alex

I'm pretty confident it's come in at the target weight of 45lbs - it's a little heavier than my rack which contains a PLX 3002 (21lbs), Avalon U5 (7lbs plus rack ears) and is a Gator 4U shallow (~10lbs). Alex

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='334319' date='Nov 22 2008, 11:44 AM']Just had a look at your website Alex; brilliant work! So when are you moving into amp design & manufacture then? [/quote] 2010 This is all rather snowballing but I guess that isn't such a bad thing! Just finished The Big One #1. I like this cab very very much, looking forward to getting it up to war volume in the band. I think it's big enough to justify some wheels so some mods to come for that but otherwise it's sorted! Alex

[quote name='Sibob' post='333562' date='Nov 21 2008, 12:31 AM']Has the DI got one set volume, bypassing the master, or does changing the level 'onstage' affect the DI volume?[/quote] The DI has fixed gain, not volume - volume output depends on volume input from your instrument. [quote name='Sibob' post='333571' date='Nov 21 2008, 12:45 AM']I can change the DI volume of my Ashdown using the Input Volume knob And use the Output volume knob for 'stage' volume tweeks without affecting the volume of the signal going to the PA How does it work on the Hartke?[/quote] On the Hartke the volume knob affects your onstage sound, the DI gain is fixed - just like using 99% of DI boxes. [quote name='Protium' post='333573' date='Nov 21 2008, 12:55 AM']I'm still trying to figure out what would happen with a borderline signal too high for passive and too low for active. And if the input signal is very quiet (and non-adjustable), surely you have to push the output stage more to get the same volume as you would with a "proper" signal from the preamp?[/quote] As with any padded passive/active inputs the nominal levels they are happy with overlap so there is no such thing as a borderline signal. In my experience few basses need to go into a padded active input, and note that my old Warwick has EMGs and an Aguilar OBP-3 on 18V yet still worked best into passive inputs. The gain of the power amp is fixed so if you have a very quiet input signal you simply turn the volume knob up more - it determines the preamp gain, not the power amp gain. Alex

[quote name='clash33' post='333669' date='Nov 21 2008, 10:18 AM']I use the LH500 with a Marshall 410 which is rated at 4 Ohms. I now wish to ask a stupid question, the head has two 4 Ohms speaker outputs, does this mean I can add a further Speaker (say a Marshall 15) rated ay 4 Ohms directly into the head without any problems.[/quote] You can use one 4 ohm cab or two 8 ohm cabs. According to their manual it should say 8 ohms next to each output but I wouldn't be surprised if they've printed the wrong thing on the amp! I was surprised at the amount of circuitry in the LH500 internals pic but I'd forgetten about the DI and the FX loop: Top-right is the power amp. Middle is the toroidal mains transformer, and power supply section (big caps etc.) Bottom left looks like it'll be the DI and FX loop circuitry. So all the preamp consists of is the lone valve and the few surrounding components. Very neat! Peavey are hugely reliable and their tone is always solid. This new Hartke is gloriously simple which increase the probability of high reliability and as long as your cab doesn't have weak mids then the Fender/Alembic topology circuitry is very toneful indeed! Alex

MiG-25 not MiG-29: "The majority of the on-board avionics were based on vacuum-tube technology, not solid-state electronics. Seemingly obsolete, vacuum tubes were actually more tolerant of temperature extremes, thereby removing the need for providing complex environmental controls inside the avionics bays. In addition, the vacuum tubes were easy to replace in remote northern airfields where sophisticated transistor parts may not have been readily available. As with most Soviet aircraft, the MiG-25 was designed to be as rugged as possible. Also, the use of vacuum tubes makes the aircraft's systems more resistant to an electromagnetic pulse, for example after a nuclear blast. " Anyway... Alex

I believe it should get you that trademark nutty sound... Alex

Forget the scales and reading for now - learn how to play your favourite song! Alex

Personally I'm quite incomfortable about the idea of reverse-engineering someone else's design work and building a rough copy, though it's worked well (financially) for Behringer. I'd imagine Glockenklang have enough turnover to have custom made drivers, probably based around available Volt models but with the voice coil, magnet and cone tweaked, possibly quite substantially. The tweeter is more likely to be off-the-shelf but the crossover is likely to be their own design and this has a bigger bearing on the sound than the model of tweeter. Alex

One thing I'd recommend is to read as many interviews as possible with great bass players - bass isn't a technically difficult instrument to play, nor is it hugely demanding in terms of your understanding of harmony. But it does require a real appreciation of the role of the bass and how better to understand that than to hear it from the mouths of the giants! Alex

[quote name='steve-norris' post='328561' date='Nov 13 2008, 06:27 PM']Bilbo just shoot me please! Bilbo why do i like 'A kind of blue' ? is it not real jazz or is it some simplistic form that a mere mortal like myself understand?[/quote] You like a Kind Of Blue because you like it. Simple! I think jazz suffers as a genre just as metal does - both are genres in which is hard to write good music that remains accessible. I can't stand the vast majority of metal but some of it IMO is absolutely fantastic (Sepulture - Roots, Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power, Metallica - Master of Puppets). Alex

Bootsy/Catfish! Robert White / Eddie Willis / Joe Messina / James Jamerson. Alex

[quote name='johnnylager' post='328310' date='Nov 13 2008, 12:59 PM']Not very much according to this... But bear in mind I know bugger all about anything except early/mid 80's rock/metal and we didn't use these namby-pamby lightweight things back then [/quote] I guess the way I see it is that most cabs have plenty of midrange, it's the top and especially the bottom where they tend to be deficient. Plus so many players have active basses with onboard EQ and also any bass with a bridge pickup can make lots of midrange noise. Note that the mid-cut tends to be around the 500Hz mark, not the fatness-stealing 250Hz centre that SWR/Eden/Markbass etc have in their 'enhance' type circuity. Also bear in mind that the wonderfully simple circuitry will maximise the tone from your instrument and those fine details of bass character when presented in a coherent form really help get you heard. Alex

[quote name='johnnylager' post='328245' date='Nov 13 2008, 11:06 AM']Oh amp gurus - is this plot correct for the Fender tone stack [and therefore the LH series I would guess] with bass & treble @ 50% & mid @ 100% giving a mid-cut, or am I talking sh*te? And does it matter? [attachment=15949:fender.pdf][/quote] Yes, that's the one. Try with with 2,10,2 settings, that's considered closest to flat. Alex

Play the string wherever and however makes the right sound! That's all there is to it. As a beginner it may help to start with three basic playing positions, e.g. near the bridge, near the neck and in between, just to get you understanding the tonal effect of moving your right hand, but with practice you should become totally fluid at controlling the tone. Also concentrate on learning to pluck the strings so they move parallel to the frets, not perpendicular - this gives you maximum dynamic range with minimum fretbuzz. As with any artform, once you have all the techniques nailed you can then throw them out of the window and just get on with being creative in whatever way gets the required result - avoid short-cuts on your route to enlightenment! Alex

[quote name='clauster' post='327693' date='Nov 12 2008, 03:45 PM']If we put in a joint order so we could split the delivery, that'd be 39p/watt.[/quote] My QSC PLX cost even less than that - but I had to buy all three thousand watts in one go... Alex P.S. Just opened it up to cure a rattle and (barring the annoying rattly fishpaper cooling tunnel - I suppose I have to give them points for cunning ways of saving weight) what a beautifully made piece of kit it is. And the sheer complexity of the circuitry has certainly put me off expanding into the amplifer market any time soon! Not quite as pretty internally as my Avalon U5 but that's just wasted hidden inside a rack...