alexclaber

Take a photo of each setting and stick them on the amp so you don't have to muck about, just copy what you know works. Alex

[quote name='danlea' post='259953' date='Aug 11 2008, 01:48 PM']Alex, with the replacement idea I was working on the basis that the frequency response of the replacements does extend down to 40/45Hz (not sure what dynamic range that specifies) and that the TE speakers are more likely to be similar to the orange labels (down to around 70Hz), given the sound of the cabinet - obviously can't be sure about this though, so yeah, too many unanswered questions really.[/quote] You don't know what the actual frequency response is without modelling the drivers - most are squeezed into too little cab volume thus losing potential extension. [quote name='danlea' post='259953' date='Aug 11 2008, 01:48 PM']Also the current speakers (and the originals) are only 100W each, so the power difference would be a factor of two, rather than four thirds (which I'm certain would be pointless).[/quote] No it wouldn't because the power difference that matters is the amp output (which is simply down to impedance) not the thermal power handling. Remember, speakers don't produce power output, they consume power input. Alex

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='259641' date='Aug 10 2008, 11:36 PM']...with a flat eq set on the amp, it doesn't surprise me that you found the tone not to your taste.[/quote] The problem with most bass heads is that 'flat EQ' isn't actually flat EQ, it's just all knobs pointing to 0. In the case of most EBS and SWR heads that equates to mid cut and boosted bass and treble, whilst with Eden it's more of a midrange push, with Markbass it's actually pretty flat, with GK its reduced bass and boost treble and so on. So rather than having a consistent starting point you're having to work against the tonal shape that's already there. This isn't a problem at all if you pick the head whose default EQ is closest to your sound - that's what the sound of an amp is all about a lot of the time - but when using other people's rigs it can make it much harder to get your sound. Alex

[quote name='05qcdy202' post='259846' date='Aug 11 2008, 12:06 PM']I recently took my bass into music ground in leeds to get a sadowsky pre fitted to replace the stock warwick. I was told that, despite efforts, it wasn't going to be possible because my pickups are active too and not compatible with the sadowsky pre. Is this true?[/quote] No. Alex

[quote name='bottomfeed' post='258325' date='Aug 8 2008, 05:10 PM']Wow!... the place opposite was 'Pro Music'.... now that was a long time ago![/quote] I remember trying out lots of Warwicks there - though when I came to buy one I got lucky and acquired an '87 Streamer for a song privately! I got my first bass and amp from the secondhand guitar shop futher along St Michael's Hill opposite Tyndalls Road (IIRC) which then moved to Gloucester Road and then mysteriously vanished. Alex

Don't do it. Switching to speakers with a higher thermal power rating does not mean they can actually handle the extra power (because their mechanical power handling is likely to be too low). The difference between 300W and 400W from your amp is negligible. Frequency response and SPL specs mean very little - you need to model the T/S parameters to find the true low frequency response and sensitivity. In other words: 1) Not a problem but it won't really be any better than 300W into the same cab. 2) Until Celestion release full T/S parameters then IMO they're all a bad idea. 3) Yes. You don't know if the replacements will be able to handle more bass - see previous answer. Alex

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='259486' date='Aug 10 2008, 07:09 PM']I am definitely an old-fashioned git as I don't particularly like that sound.[/quote] No, you're a hip retro cat like myself. Alex

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='259361' date='Aug 10 2008, 03:45 PM']Thinking back, I can only describe it as very 'zingy' tone; sort of glassy highs and bright upper-mids but there didn't seem to be any inherent warmth to it.. I had to use the tube emulator and the 'character' setting to get any of the warmth and depth that I prefer and once I'd done that, it was OK.[/quote] That sounds like EBS to me! Good gear but predominantly focused on the 'modern' sound (which ironically is now arguably the dated '80s sound). Alex

[quote name='chris_b' post='258033' date='Aug 8 2008, 01:06 PM']Shame on you, preferring a DJ to working musicians. Keep music live? Even hacks can get better with practice.[/quote] Blame those that hadn't done enough practice before I heard them. I think the tendancy towards tribute bands is simply fulfilling what the predominantly middle-aged audiences want - to hear the music of their youth over and over again. Alex

I see Treblerock is no more. What about the place that was opposite it? Also gone? Alex

[quote name='bnt' post='257935' date='Aug 8 2008, 11:31 AM']Oh, definitely: perfection is boring, and I prefer players who aren't perfect. If you listen to Geddy Lee, for example, he's quite technically sloppy in some ways. He slurs from note to note, his right-hand fingering is not precise, and he tends to move up and down the neck when he could hold position (even on his 4-string).[/quote] I don't get why perfection is being mistaken for robotically precise playing. I suspect that those slurs, imprecise fingering and moving up and down the neck are deliberate. What's the point of "holding position" if it sounds more musical to shift? I'm far from perfect but sometimes I'll really hammer at my bass, get fret clatter, bend notes around, be loose with the time and make a generally angry racket because I want the music to sound angry! If I played that part neatly then it would sound less like I intended the music to sound and thus less perfect. The same is true for sounding greasy and funky and dirty. Or for getting than deep reggae burble to counter the skank. Etc etc. Alex

Generally I'd rather hear a DJ than a covers band - too many hacks out there that create groove-free areas - at least you know a DJ can't mess up the music! Alex

No. If a player was too perfect he certainly couldn't be described as too clinical - that perfection would encompass greater emotional expressiveness through control of timing, tuning, dynamics etc. There are plenty of players nowadays that appear to have the technical dexterity of Jaco but I've yet to hear one that is so expressive and creative as well Alex

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='257650' date='Aug 7 2008, 10:32 PM']I'm hopefully going to get another matching cab to get 550watts @ 4ohms out of the head. That should be enough headroom.[/quote] It probably won't be enough headroom to avoid ever running out of it but it will reduce the frequency of hitting the limiter or clipping. It's almost impossible to have enough headroom to never clip an amp unless you have immense power and lots of speakers or you compress/limit your bass sound. Generally I wouldn't worry about clipping lights unless they are associated with bad noises. Bad noises mean turn down, anything else is usually ok. Adding the extra cab will make more difference than lowering the load to 4 ohms. The reason master volume knobs usually cause distortion when turned beyond halfway is because of so many bassists saying "I never need to turn my amp beyond 3" to show how load their amp is. They neglect to mention that turning it beyond 5 causes distortion. My amp rig doesn't sound terribly loud at 'normal' settings - but you can turn it up and up and up! Alex

Longer scale - I use a 36" to get a good low B. I'd go even longer to get a satisfactory low F#: [url="http://www.knuckleguitarworks.com/size.html"]http://www.knuckleguitarworks.com/size.html[/url] Alex

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='246470' date='Jul 23 2008, 10:42 PM']I got great finish with it but its easily marked even with a fingernal.... [/quote] It seems very hard and tough now it's well cured. Certainly a lot tougher than tolex. Alex

[quote name='iamthewalrus' post='255966' date='Aug 6 2008, 07:51 AM']As much as I'd love to go back to using a 15, it's a case of me having to get on with what I've got....[/quote] Note link in signature - 15"s don't have to be heavy! Alex

To expand on the larger internal volume thing, if you make the Omni 10 bigger then not only will you increase the internal volume but you'll lower the port tuning by a few Hz. My rough simulations suggest that although you'll gain 0.5dB at 50Hz increasing to just over 1dB at 40Hz, at 55Hz you'll be about equal and between 65Hz and 130Hz you'll be 0.5dB worse off. With sprung side handles I imagine you'll often have to negotiate doorways sideways so depth matters. Alex

If weight isn't a concern then old Peavey amps are the cheapest route to giggable gear. Alex

[quote name='clauster' post='255189' date='Aug 5 2008, 10:48 AM']I live in a small cottage down some steps from an unlit dirt track)[/quote] In light of that I'd be more inclined towards building the standard size Omni 10. It isn't a tiny cab at the best of times and adding an inch here or there could cause doorways and knuckles to have some nasty collisions. Bill himself has commented that the extra bottom from the larger cab size is marginal - and that extra bottom is only extra sensitivity in the lows, it'll still run out of excursion at the same SPL. I wouldn't put the handles in until you've built the cab and found the balance points. Good luck! Alex

Doesn't the Yamaha have a really cunning parametric EQ? If so, use that to cut the lows very hard below the tuning frequency (somewhere between 40 and 60Hz, experiment) and then add boost at and just above the tuning frequency. That'll get you maximum bottom with minimum chance of farting out. (To exactly find the tuning frequency, download WinISD and use the signal generator on it to drive your bass amp - lay the cab on its back, sprinkle salt on the cone and when it bounces the least (in the sub 80Hz region) then you've found it). At the end of the day though you're using very small cabs with restricted low frequency response and drivers with limited excursion - at least they'll make nasty noises before you damage them but don't expect much real fatness. Going to bigger cabs won't help unless the total cab volume and/or cone displacement (area x excursion) is increased. Alex

[quote name='noisedude' post='254629' date='Aug 4 2008, 04:27 PM']No freebies here ... so someone tell me which 12-inchers they thought were good?[/quote] Whichever ones spend the most on advertising... Alex

These arguments always fail to separate the two distinct roles of the wood. One is as a rigid support structure for the strings, the other is as a resonant filter system for the strings' vibrations. The stiffer the string support structure, the less the filtering system gets involved, and vice versa. Alex

Try it with both one and two batteries - it's easy enough to bypass one clip with another clip. I went from 9V EMGs via MEC preamp to 18V EMGs and OBP-3 preamp (with bypass switch), which gave a huge change in tone but I can't say whether it was getting rid of the MEC, going to 18V or a bit of both. Alex

If it is then why do different basses sound different when unplugged? Alex