alexclaber

[quote name='eddbass' post='1097182' date='Jan 21 2011, 10:21 AM']Alex have you been watching too much Top Gear?[/quote] Is there a hidden camera in here?!!

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1096965' date='Jan 20 2011, 11:23 PM']If they have, all they can hear now is "peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee".[/quote] Indeed. I see there's a "best 2x12 cab" thread over in the amp forum. The problem is that everyone who's bought a production Super Twelve (the prototype got swapped for a Big One due to HUGE bottom cravings) has clearly been so thrilled with it and how well it works with their amp (and there's quite a lot of different amplifers in use) that they have no reason to ever visit the amps/cabs forum ever again, unless they want to go and gloat!

Duely noted! Looks like this will be delayed until next week but we're getting there. Dealing with a horde Super Twelves and Compacts at the moment...

I'm attempting to update this but I have literally thousands of emails to go through! I'm rearranging the feedback so it's divided up chronologically rather than by model, which is making things much simpler. If you see this and you've given me feedback on a cab since last June, do re-email it, including the date when you first sent it, to help speed up the process. I'd also like to know if anyone has reached the SPL limit of the Super Twelve?!!

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1092077' date='Jan 17 2011, 01:24 AM']Hi Alex these are very good articles, but going back to what I said to you before, I think they would be even better if it linked to (separate) graphs/figures illustrating some of the points! Teaching scientific/technical stuff I've found some people are very visual in their understanding and will find that easier no matter how clear the prose - it also gives a great solid point of reference for otherwise interminable internet discussions [/quote] You're quite right of course but it takes me ten times as long to do the illustrations as to write an article - so the visual learners will have to miss out for now!

[quote name='dincz' post='1096586' date='Jan 20 2011, 05:20 PM']Note I said power "supply" not "supplies" as a common supply for both channels is the norm.[/quote] Indeed it is! When I was getting a lightweight power amp to drive my Acmes I considered the Stewart World 2.1 which is a true dual mono amp, with the left and right side completely separated back to the mains input, which is good for when things blow up because it's highly unlikely that both sides would die at once. However, I ended up with a QSC PLX3002 which has the more normal common supply for both halves of the power amp, so you don't have the entire spare amp with you if you're just using one side but does have an effectively overspecced power supply. If you look inside a Hartke LH500 and LH1000, the LH1000 has two sets of output transistors, so a doubling up of the LH500 because it's a dual power amp version, but it doesn't have two power supplies, it has one power supply which is twice as big (absolutely literally in the case of the massive toroidal transformer).

[quote name='tauzero' post='1096546' date='Jan 20 2011, 04:49 PM']No, the voltage is split between the load resistance and the amp's internal resistance in the output stage. As the load drops, the potential divider between the internal and external resistance puts proportionally less voltage across the load. Plus the amp will blow up in the limiting case.[/quote] The internal resistance of modern s/s output stages is not large enough to explain the discrepancy between maximum output voltage into an 8 ohm and a 4 ohm resistive load. [quote name='tauzero' post='1096552' date='Jan 20 2011, 04:52 PM']If the load is the same overall, then the current draw will be the same whether it's one channel or two.[/quote] Yes but it isn't the same - if you are using one 4 ohm cab then your amp will be able to deliver a greater voltage on that side than if driving two 4 ohm cabs at once, one on each output stage.

Mid '70s Larry Graham:

[quote name='tauzero' post='1095522' date='Jan 19 2011, 07:17 PM']Surely the output power will be limited by the power supply rail voltage rather than the current?[/quote] If that was the case then all amps would continue to deliver more and more power as the load impedance drops, according to P=(V^2)/R

Exactly, take lid off, move jumpers! It's not exactly a switch on the back. And that's despite many other SMPS amps being able to handle any worldwide mains voltage and frequency without the player doing anything.

[quote name='molan' post='1095097' date='Jan 19 2011, 01:19 PM']I see the Tone Hammer has a Switching mode power supply (SMPS) - does that mean it'll run anywhere in the world without the need for step up/down transformers?[/quote] It depends on how it's been designed. All the Markbass heads are SMPS and none of them can switch voltage easily.

[quote name='tauzero' post='1094846' date='Jan 19 2011, 09:49 AM']Depends what you're running into. If you have two 8-ohm cabs, you're probably better off running one off each output than both (ie a 4 ohm load) off one.[/quote] Sorry, I realise that could have been misinterpreted, as indeed it was! If your amp can drive down to 4 ohms on each side, or 8 ohms bridged, and is 500W/ch into 4 ohms, 300W/ch into 8 ohms and 1000W/bridged into 8 ohms, the xxxW/ch ratings should be based on both channels being driven. If you're only driving one channel and the other channel is silent then I'd expect to get closer to the 600W into 4 ohms on that side as the power supply has lots of spare current capacity. My point is merely that if you have an amp which can't bridge into 4 ohms but you have a single 4 ohm cab, don't feel you're wasting the ability of the amp because the redundant power amp channel is actually contributing in that your amp has a power supply section twice as large as if it was a single channel 500W @ 4 ohms amp, hence it can get closer to doubling its 8 ohm power output when driving 4 ohms. If you have two 8 ohm cabs then use one of each side of amp, which will get you a bit more output than with both on one side because the power transistors aren't working so hard.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1094597' date='Jan 18 2011, 10:50 PM']I think when i started playing i was lent an amp and told it will blow up if i turned it on with no load so thats where my questions came from[/quote] That's only true for valve amps (i.e. the really heavy ones!) If an amp says "minimum load 'x' ohms" on the speaker outputs then it's safe to use without anything connected because having nothing connected is an infinite load. Valve amps don't have a minimum load, they have a maximum load,but usually just specify 2 and/or 4 and/or 8 and/or 16 ohm outputs (because they are transformer coupled) and having nothing connected is an infinite load, which makes them sad.

You can use either side on its own or both at once, or you can use the bridged output. You can't used bridged at the same time as using each side separately but you can certainly use just one side of the amp singly with zero problems - in fact running one side of the amp into its minimum impedance you'll usually get a bit more power per side than using both sides at once, which is nice.

My brain is clearly addled from the drugs. It is a 1+/1- and earlier I meant a 1+/2+. Dodgy lead or amp problem. I'll send you another lead and you can disassemble and reassemble your current lead and keep it as a spare.

Correction - there is a very small diagram in the illustration of the rear panel that shows the wiring diagram for bridged mode. Otherwise nowhere else in the manual does it mention that it's a non-standard Speakon wiring. I'll send you a different lead! Alex

Hi Dan, You might need a 1+/1- 4-pole Speakon at the amp end. If that's the case if would have helped if Hartke had mentioned it in the manual! Alex

[quote name='51m0n' post='1059491' date='Dec 15 2010, 01:07 PM']Piccies please![/quote] See Facebook/Twitter!

Exactly, lots of bracing!

Right, as I said a Midget T will go out on tour, then one will. This will be the final touring Barefaced cab for the forseeable future. Departure next week if all goes to plan. Here's the route: Captain Rumble - Portsmouth jasperjames - Portsmouth AndyMartin - Portsmouth back to Barefaced HQ davidmpires - Sevenoaks discreet - SE London BassBen - Greenhithe, Dartford crez5150 - Essex Sharkfinger - Essex Paul S - Benfleet, Essex Alec - Ware, Herts Legion - Ipswich pete.young - Ipswich harmonicfish - Cambridge Alien - Milton Keynes Gadge - Milton Keynes MoonBassAlpha - Didcot PURPOLARIS - Swindon Gunsfreddy2003 - Cirencester/Cheltenham gafbass02 - Cheltenham BassBod - Bristol xzodar - Bristol TheRev - Bristol orangepeelneil - Bristol (gerryc - Weymouth) cocco - Cardiff -> FedEx -> daz - Chester Bass Culture - Chester Uncle Balsamic - Wirral Etienne - Liverpool 270degrees - South Manchester guyl - Stockport hubrad - Bradford bobbass4k - York/Canterbury EvilSmile - York benh - Bridlington -> FedEx -> eude - Edinburgh AndyBob09 - Glasgow -> FedEx -> back to Barefaced HQ If you're on the list I expect an email ([email protected]) so I can send you the user manual. It's not your average 1x12" and if you treat it as such you'll not hear its full potential! I want this cab to move FAST - so a week each, tops. As with all the Barefaced cabs it is best heard in a loud rehearsal or gig, otherwise it may not seem that impressive. It sounds nice quiet but the joy is that it keeps on sounding nice as you turn it up to earplug-required SPL, so please try to schedule a rehearsal if you don't have a gig, or book a practice room and drag your drummer along for some groove practice. We are now in 2011 and it seems like everyone has a phone with a camera on it, or indeed a smartphone which makes things even easier. Take a photo of the cab with in your rig, next to your current cab too if possible, and either post it up here or email it to me. Please post any and all thoughts, good or bad. If it isn't sounding as good/loud as you hope then read the manual and if that doesn't help email me. So far most people like the Midget once they use it right, which is nice. As this has taken an age to sort out, if you no longer want to take part please post below. If you'd like to add yourself you have until the cab departs - anyone who can fill the geographic gaps, much appreciated! gerryc, you're a little out on a limb from the Bristol lot down in Weymouth - so you can either sort out something with the Bristolians or I can lend you a cab for a week when I'm next down in Weymouth.

Thanks, sorry I've been so untwittery, will attempt to do more! I do find it very hard to say anything in a mere 140 characters though...

[url="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Barefaced-Bass-speaker-cabs/130257677703"]Barefaced @ Facebook[/url] and [url="http://twitter.com/#!/barefacedbass"]Barefaced @ Twitter[/url] Am going to try and keep these updated with photos of cabs as they're going out, new models, links to new bits on the website and other (t)witterings...

Another update - new Vd info added: [url="http://barefacedbass.com/technical-information/Volume-displacement.htm"]http://barefacedbass.com/technical-informa...isplacement.htm[/url]

Hi Ash, As your 8x10" isn't giving you the depth of bottom you crave I think you'd be best served by one of our Big Series cabs, either a Big Baby + Baby Sub, or a Big Twin. Performance is very similar, just whether you have two smaller boxes or one larger one, which is personal choice. When you're not full-on rocking out a Big Baby on its own will be loud enough. Although your SVT4 is a bit of a beast it does make up for it in the amount of power it can produce - none of the class D micro-amps will match up - now that power isn't much use with your 8x10" because you don't need the power except in the lows but down there it can't handle the power. However with a Big Series cab you will be able to make full use of that power. Alternatively if you want to go lighter you could look at the more powerful lightweight amps on the market - the Shuttle 9.0 is probably the smallest that'll be powerful enough, the LM800, then there's the big iAmp, the SVT7, the bigger GKs. The LH1000 is a nice alternative to the SVT4 - I prefer the tone and it has plenty of power. Or you could go for a rack preamp, a lightweight plastic rack and a class D power amp - not many rack preamps on the market anymore but they're not hard to get old of. One thing to note about the SVT4 is you might be less than thrilled with its tone at the moment but with it going through an 8x10" quite a lot of its nature is being hidden - give it a more open cab and you may love it! Then again you may not... But it's much easier on the brain (and thus ears) to change one bit at a time. Best regards, Alex --- Cheers alex, Most helpful, how big is the big twin and the others you suggested? Also what price are both options? I was expecting to be offered the twin 12 or 2 of them. If i did go for 2 cabs would I be able to run them both from the mono bridge output? I'm itching to get my hands on new gear now would I loose any of the mid or top in going for either option? Ash --- Hi Ash, The Big Twin is pretty much like a 6" taller version of the Big One - weight around 50lbs. Big Baby / Baby Sub are the same size as the Compact, 33lbs and 27lbs respectively. £825, £575, £450, + P&P respectively. Yes, you'd run them all from bridged mono, daisy-chaining if you had a a BB/BS pair. Both run to about 10kHz with unusually flat response through the mids, rolling off smoothly in the upper treble. Optional tweeter to kick in above that but I very much doubt you'd need it! Best regards, Alex ---

The more recent 'on tour' Compact has just returned. The reason a Midget or a newer Compact hasn't gone out is that we still haven't caught up with demand as it continues to increase faster than productivity. Thus those who are paying for a cab have come first! Since the whole 'on tour' idea came about we have extended our trial period from two weeks to a full month. Bearing in mind the number of people wanting to try cabs via the 'on tour' process and how long it took each cab to progress round the country and thus how annoyed some people appeared to get due to the wait, I'm not even sure it's a good approach now. Better to consult with us, order the cab we feel best suits your needs and matches your gear and then have a month to try it at your leisure. Also one older 'on tour' cab has yet to return despite leaving numerous messages with a certain bassist, and this disappointing behaviour leaves me further disinclined to continue with the tour...