alexclaber

I recently acquired one of these: to replace my Korg DTR-2 rackmount beast. Simple, quick, accurate. I am impressed! Anyone else tried this approach? Alex

I don't think bass gear is a wise investment if you want a solid income from it. But I think if you sell everything you own you'll only end up buying stuff to replace it when you realise that you want to play bass again. Maybe minimise your gear but keep hold of a bass and a band-worthy amp. There's always bands out there looking for a good bassist - maybe put financial considerations to one side and join a project for the love of the music alone? Or put the gear away and take a break. If you can play pretty much anything, why not seek out the things you can't play? I've just started tackling the seemingly impossible Havona (I may get the hang of it before I die...) Can you play that? Alex

Just a quick update. All the mixing has been done, tracks are currently being mastered. Just received the proofs of the artwork, little tweaking to do on them. Looking good! Alex

[quote name='paul, the' post='73868' date='Oct 13 2007, 05:35 PM']This is something I'm really looking forward to. When I first joined the forum I was surprised that the technique and theory section was such a baron wasteland.[/quote] I've always felt that theory and technique is so fundamental to bass playing that it should be in the general forum rather than in some little visited backwater. Alex

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='73523' date='Oct 12 2007, 07:20 PM']I ran a sim in WinISD for BP102s, which the Acme OEM is a variant of, and used that up to 200 Hz. 200 Hz to 2kHz comes from the BP102 data sheet. Above 2kHz is a generic midrange and tweeter. If the Acme driver is capable of going lower than the BP102 it would do so at the expense of midrange sensitivity and extension, but there's no point in further splitting of hairs, the results wouldn't be hugely different.[/quote] The Acme's midrange speaker is crossed over with a second order high pass at 1kHz. The Acme woofer is specifically designed to roll off smoothly at around the same frequency, so bearing those two points in mind the curve is probably a little flatter than the one you've plotted. It would be nice to see an accurately measured curve on their website as it's one of the few commercial bass cabs that does what it claims. Alex

Those plots tell quite an interesting story which is certainly not that far from reality. The plot in the Acme manual shows the Low-B4 at 96dB @ 100Hz dropping to 93dB @ 41Hz and 90dB @ 31Hz, so slightly greater bass extension than your plot. How did you ascertain the curve for the midrange and treble? Alex

[quote name='Sean' post='73306' date='Oct 12 2007, 12:59 PM']Seeing and hearing Nathan Watts on TV was a suprise, you really don't expect him to be as camp as he is.[/quote] The reverse holds true for Verdine White... Alex

[quote name='chris_b' post='73140' date='Oct 12 2007, 01:46 AM']Given that a Low-B2 cab needs hundreds of watts to get into "the zone", how much power would be needed for a Low-B1?[/quote] There isn't really 'a zone', the Acmes sound great with only a few watts. However to reach full volume you need 250-500W per woofer (lead sled amps that can supply 250W per woofer may have as much peak power as lightweight amps that can supply 500W per woofer, hence the variation). If you don't need to get every last dB out of your cab then you can use less - I'm confident that I could use a 100W head to drive a Low-B2 for band practices without any tone or volume problems, and I know of people using low power heads with Acmes for rehearsals and quieter gigs. Alex

I think we're getting crossed wires here - my comments in my original post were all related to the Omni 15TB not the Omni 10, which is a very different design. The MB150 is a very very small and lightweight combo with rather limited bass extension, lots of midrange and not a lot of treble extension. It is loud by virtue of its midrangey tone. I imagine an Omni 10.5 will be about as loud with the same power input but with greater extension into the lows and highs. A Low-B1 will be quite a bit quieter but have tons more bottom, midrange clarity and treble extension. A Low-B2 will be about as loud as the MB150 but with the same tone as the Low-B1. Better tone quality is a bit confusing because I know what I like but you might not agree with me! Alex

[quote name='chris_b' post='72917' date='Oct 11 2007, 04:13 PM']My benchmark currently is a GK MB150S that I borrowed. I'm looking for a better version of that, a high quality sound/tone at around 100-150 watts. Won't the Acmes be too much?[/quote] I don't quite understand - is the GK the combo or the microbass head? Would you be using the GK to drive the Acmes? What do you mean by 'too much' - too loud, too big, too expensive?? Alex

Ask me in 6 months! If you get a pair of Low-B2s then you don't need an Omni 10.5 for small gigs (I don't think I'd be happy gigging with any single 10" speaker anyway, unless full horn-loaded as in the Titans and then you'd need something else for mids and highs) because you'd just use one Acme for small gigs. A pair of Low-B2s have 96dB sensitivity, 41-22,000Hz within 3dB, -6dB @ 31Hz. An Omni 15 has 104dB sensitivity, 50-12,000Hz within 3dB, -6dB @ 45Hz. The Low-B2s can handle 700W thermally and about double that mechanically. The Omni 15 can handle 450W thermally and a little more than that mechanically. All in all the Omni 15 should max out a few dB louder but the greater impedance may mean you only get one or two dB advantage. The trade-off is that it doesn't go as low. My gut feeling is that the Acmes will sound fuller and warmer and more transparent, the Omni will sound louder, more dynamic and more in your face. But don't trust me on that... Alex

Soundforge is the most amazing piece of software ever! Alex

Robbie, you are rapidly becoming a legend in my world! I never thought I'd say this but I'm starting to get bored of my old Warwick... Alex

Anything where an alkaline battery lasts a long time is lower load - remote controls, active basses, many analogue effects pedals. High load items are most digital electronics (pedals, cameras, etc), torches, and so on. I have never found a reliable capacity rating for an alkaline battery as the high internal resistance means the capacity under high demand is a fraction of the capacity at low demand. I strongly recommend Hybrio NiMH instead of alkalines as they have very low self-discharge (80% charge after a year sitting idle), are fully charged when you buy them, and have all the other benefits of normal NiMH batteries. They don't make 9V's yet but I'm gradually replacing all my AA cells with them. Alex

My '87 Warwick which has been my main bass since '99 has EMG pickups which are loud, clear, free of hum or noise, and responsive to technique. The Q-Tuners claim to achieve even more transparency with strong output without any active components, which should reduce noise further and increase dynamic range. They are also very tweakable for string to string balance etc. And they look rather groovy... Alex

Indeed I am! Alex

[quote name='The Burpster' post='70329' date='Oct 6 2007, 03:25 PM']MiMH dont yet have anywhere near the same capacity as Li or 'normal' Alkaline..... Shame....[/quote] NiMH batteries have significantly MORE capacity than alkalines under heavy load. However the majority of NiMH batteries have a high self-discharge rate which makes them unsuitable for low load environments (like in active bass electronics). NiMH are far better than alkalines in digital cameras etc. Alex

A lot of NOS tubes are military spec. This should mean greater shock resistance and less chance of microphonics. I fitted my old SWR Grand Prix with a NOS 5751 military spec tube and I haven't a bad thing to say about it - hopefully it'll last a very very long time. Alex

[quote name='The Funk' post='69864' date='Oct 5 2007, 09:53 AM']Just get the drummer to give you a kick on 1 and a hi-hat on 2 and 4 (if it's in 4/4) underneath what you're doing.[/quote] That doesn't work so well when it's the drummer that's failing to get the syncopation. Alex

El Homero's thread about timekeeping got me thinking about this. I'm not a real drummer but I've been messing around on kits since soon after I started playing bass and can certainly fool the less musically edumacated. My technique is shoddy but I understand how to create grooves and use the kit in its cunning ways and feel that this is invaluable in how I (almost unconsciously) lock with the drums when playing bass. Who else plays the drums to one degree or another and how has this affected your bass playing? Alex

Then again if you can't count whilst playing it can be a nightmare trying to communicate difficult syncopations when you've written a new song and someone's just not getting it. Alex

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='69716' date='Oct 4 2007, 09:23 PM']I'm hoping they will cope with a low B without any problem.[/quote] Should do - probably better than the GS112 as the reduced lows will mean the speaker is less likely to run out of Xmax. Just remember that they're only 1x12" cabs - if they sound unhappy, add another. Three should be ridiculous (in a good way)! [quote name='Chopthebass' post='69716' date='Oct 4 2007, 09:23 PM']They have the same low frequency handling as the GS.[/quote] That's another one of those useless specs - best ignored! Alex

They're quite new and not the cheapest or lightest. I presume they've gone for a more powerful magnet structure compared to the GS112 to increase the midrange sensitivity at the expense of some fatness in the lows. Also it looks like they've used a stiffer cab construction to clean up and tighten the mids and lows. The thing that's really special about them is how cool they look! Alex

Hey Robbie, did those strings reach you before the postal strike started? Alex

I have a metronomic head but since I started singing I've had to minimise it to avoid losing my teeth to the microphone... Alex