Phil Starr

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1449939824' post='2928228'] You mention that Fane changed (presumably discontinued) the drivers that are in your 2x10, What were those? [/quote]They were sovereign 10-125's they still make something with the same name but with entirely different T/S parameters.

No your cab is compatible. Anything above 4ohms is fine. Just that the amp won't have to work so hard and will be a tiny bit less loud as a result. Two 8ohm cabs equals one 4ohm cab so if you have an 8 you could add another 8. Two 4ohm cabs equals one 2ohm cab so this is too low and you can't use another 4ohm cab. that's all they are warning you about.

I'm nothing to do with Studiospares or AKG but this is a great mic at an extraordinary price so just in case this is in your Chrismas list https://www.studiospares.com/product/439730?mc_cid=f872af9f73&mc_eid=b1b33547eb I already have two of these, so this offer is no good for me. They are much better sounding (more open and more detailed) than the SM58 for example, and reject feedback much better at the expense of you needing to get up close to the mic due to the tighter pickup pattern. Just thought it was worth passing on

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1449831565' post='2927247'] Thanks for that Phil. It looks like you just love experimenting and so the 1x12 is really a labour of love and a gift to the BC community. You said a while back that you were working on a 2x10 design for after the 1x12. Has the 1x15 Delatite superseded that? Also sent a PM. [/quote] Well if you go right back the spec for the 1x12 was created on another thread here. As I said the 2x10 is my 'go to' cab so I wanted to make that available for everyone else. It's got an 'old school' voicing is a one handed carry and because it has some high excursion drivers can pretty much cover any gig without the bottom end farting out. Unfortunately Fane changed the drivers so I need to look into finding replacements. Developing a 2x10 is just about looking for some replacement drivers. I picked up the Deltalites from Blue Aran in a sale just before the Chinese pushed up the price of neodymium £66 ea so I couldn't resist. I decide they were too good to sit around doing nothing so I built a cab alongside the 1x12 with the other half of the ply sheet and used it for gigs whilst Stevie ran tests on the 12. The original plan was to build a cab for the Kappalite 3015HO and publish that but GrahamT brought down his Kappalite (and went off with the cab ) The Deltalite compared reasonably well so that could become another published design. The current cab would take either driver with a flat response from the Kappa and a small mid-bass hump from the Delta. My thoughts are to get the 2x10 and 15 out fairly quickly after the 1x12, which covers the basic cabs most people use. Stevie is working on some designs with tweeters and midrange drivers which might add to the stable of designs. So hopefully we can cover most basic options fairly quickly. It's all made the 12 a bit slow in gestation but should speed up the next designs.

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1449826237' post='2927141'] Phil, are you still using the cab/cabs for gigging and what cabinet or cabinets have they replaced? [/quote] I rarely use both, too much for most venues, I often use one when we are in smaller venues just because they are physically small and light but I am currently working on a 15" Deltalite cab so that gets a bit of use at the moment. Two weeks ago I played at Exeter Chiefs after the Harlequins match and took the 15 with one of the 12's which sounded nice in a big venue. Before that I used a 2x10 mainly with two PA cabs used as bass cabs for big or outdoor venues. These are the cabs I cannibalized for the Beymas so they were basically the 1x12's with a large horn doing the honours above 1600Hz.. The 2x10 is my go to cab but I'm usually experimenting with new designs so it's a bit random.

The main decision is down to whether you want to start gigging with a drummer. For home practice the little practice amps are poor because the sound is pretty unsatisfying so the choice is between some of the smaller combos like the Roland or Hartke which have a much nicer sound or something which will probably be a little bigger and more expensive but which will gig like the Mark Bass. Only you can decide that. I've got the Hartke kickback, they are discontinued but good second hand buys. I paid £125 for mine in mint condition but you could probably get one even cheaper now. The sound is excellent and it is just loud enough for rehearsals and I've even gigged it in small pubs, you can just get away with it but it struggles a little in the louder sections. I use it a lot for open mics. I've played through a Roland Cube and they look OK. If this is enough for you then that's the route I'd go. You can sell it and get your money back when you upgrade so there's no risk. If you think gigging is imminent then something 200W or more is probably a better idea with probably 2x10 speakers to keep the footprint down if space is limited. The ability to use an extension cab then becomes quite useful.

I think the time for a systematic working through of the signal chain isn't far away however a couple of thoughts. Don't dismiss the output/speaker jacks yet. It's hard to get them properly cleaned and you may have moved something just by plugging and unplugging. Once the contacts start to tarnish my experience is they are never the same again and tarnish more quickly from then on. Secondly old jacks don't just get dirty they also get metal fatigue and the spring contacts make a weaker connection. Replace the jacks if they are suspect. Then if you want to create the fault at will get some freezer spray. I've tracked down way more than 50% of intermittent faults that way.

Four speakers would cost you £200 and that looks like Tough Cab (paint) rather than Tolex so really easy to touch up. Keep it or sell it on to someone here. you could probably play it for a year or two and get your money back when you sell it.

I've got the usual parbar system a few bands use. For all the reasons above I wouldn't recommend it. If you can't get it high it blinds you or the audience and it's a total hazard having a top heavy thing like that in an area people dance in. Only for bigger venues really. Look good though. All you really need is something to create a sense of movement and something else so you can both see and be seen We also have an ultrabar12 a metre long batten with 12 fairly powerful leds. Put behind the drummer it looks great and really colours up the backdrop. Because it is so compact it offers no hazard and doesn't shine in anyone's eyes. It's set to do it's own thing on a sound to light basis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXdQjxtNmg I'm about to add in some ordinary PAR cans just to add some colour to the stage and add enough light for us to see what we are doing. They'll be set either to a fixed colour or a very slow fade between colours. The movement then coming from the ultrabar. If we start doing functions then I'm going to add a lot more but this is ideal for a pub gig

You are going to struggle to get active monitors for £100 outside of Peavey, Laney and Carlsboro. A lot of the cheap Chinese unbranded stuff will struggle with handling a decent kick drum sound. If you already have a spare PA amp then look out for a set of Yamaha club series monitors which are cheap, reliable, loud and sound pretty good. I'm with Bill in wanting to separate the vocal monitor from the drum monitor. If the drums need to be loud enough for the whole band to hear on stage then your vocalist is going to struggle to hear themselves through the same speaker.

I've gone out as a duo with just guitar and bass, doing covers. There are songs that work and some that don't we try and avoid the ones that don't. In a way it is more fun, you have to be creative with arrangements and you have plenty to do in every song if you want to keep it interesting for the audience. That said we are looking to add a small kick drum and a pedal operated tambourine fairly soon, but percussion doesn't always have to be a kit. We've also met a duo who went out with a miniature kit and guitar. That worked really well too and the mini kit didn't take up too much space neither was it too loud. More to the point there is a whole circuit out there that a full blooded band can't play. The venues are too small and/or a band are too loud. Even if the fee is smaller your cut is usually bigger and you aren't carting huge amounts of gear so set up and knock down are quick.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1449346226' post='2922841'] I'm about as old as any of you, and, back then (I'm a bit passed it, now... ) often would set up a concert, free entry or not, and had a great time, every time. I can honestly say that I've never, in my long career, with my own groups or working with our eldest's formation, ever been 'screwed'. I don't think I'm just lucky, nor more gullible. I [i]do [/i]think there's some ordinary, decent folks out there who can be trusted (with a bit of common sense, of course...); not [i]everyone [/i]is a charlatan. I do despair of some here, I really do. If I was a bit more compassionate, I'd feel sorry for some. [/quote] I'm with Dad here, and I'm probably older than him. I used to promote everything from local band multi headers to free festivals. I can honestly say the only time I made a profit was for charity events, mainly I made a small loss financially but was rewarded by some great friends, fantastic experiences and some terrific music. One of the bands that played for free were Traffic who were huge at the time and the 101'ers soon to become the Clash. Many bands have been there, if it feels right and you can afford it then do it and have fun. Once you start getting repeat bookings from venues you can start being fussy but music in the UK has always been pretty cooperative.

Thanks guys, I think to be fair I'm going to go back and see who offered to do what and then pm everyone. I don't remember who offered first and I don't want to upset anyone who has volunteered. I just have to do the sketches and put the dimensions on them. No gigs this weekend and only one Christmas song to run through so shouldn't be too busy. Jim Lea anyone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA

you could always go Fender. American Deluxe.

As soon as I can I'm getting someone to do some CAD drawings. I'll then re-post with some instructions and a series of photo's of the build. I'll do this as a new thread and let everyone know on here when it is done.

The Faital works quite well in a 50l cab tuned to 40Hz which is about the size of the Mark Bass NY 151. you'll lose about 5dB at 40 Hz and get about an extra 1db at 110Hz. Pretty much what you expected I think. Coincidentally the speaker would just fit in the 112 cab we have designed for the Beyma SM212 and if you use the 26cm ports it will tune to 40Hz. I'd adapt that cab by making it a couple of cm wider just to fit the 15" driver a bit more comfortably and then cut the depth by 1.5cm so the volume stays the same, but you could just squeeze the Faital in. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/227904-1x12-cab-design-diary/

Tuff Cab goes a long way, I've used just under a litre to cover two cabs with two coats each. You need most for the first coat, as with most paints on an absorbent surface. I reckon you should just about be able to get three coats out of a litre but there won't be a great deal left for touching up scratches. I'm impressed really, I've always used vinyl up to now. Tuff cab is a whole lot easier, seems to last pretty well and looks a whole lot better than the matt black I used to use for big PA cabs.

Nothing wrong with screws and glue, whatever your standard of workmanship. If you go to 6V6's build you'll see he was a very organised and careful builder. My cabs are all screwed and glued but screwed from the inside which makes finishing easier, especially if you are using Toughcab paint which doesn't stick to some fillers very well. I did consider making a modification to the slot port which would have made the build simpler but if you can cut the holes for the pipes then the whole build is so easy it became a no brainer.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1448917178' post='2919217'] From talking to other musicians especially those over 40 it seems the drive to gig has diminished for many. Guys have other things going on in the lives, the business is tougher to get for most bands. Many of the ads I saw read like this; [i]"Bass player wanted, we are all over 40. We play classic rock. We rehearse once a week and gig once a month."[/i] I'm sure some will challenge my opinion. To me this is not really a band, but more of a "Boys Night Out". A chance to get the bass out again and get out of the house for a little "me" time. Not sure what you guys think about this. Take it any direction you want. Blue [/quote] [quote name='blue' timestamp='1448931521' post='2919419'] "Then why are you dismissing people for being in bands that you (dismissively in my opinion) describe as 'Boys Night's Out'. I'm not dismissing it, what I was looking for was discussion on the overall decline in live rock probably at the bar band level. Blue [/quote] You can see why you were misunderstood, I think describing another's band as "boy's night out" sounds dismissive even if it isn't meant to be. It may be something lost in translation, in the UK almost all our most cutting insults are understatements and it was you who introduced the term. To my British eyes it did look like you were looking down on people who gig less than you. Anyway, decline in live rock in bar bands. I think your ad is a good summary. [i]"Bass player wanted, we are all over 40. We play classic rock. We rehearse once a week and gig once a month."[/i] We get a load of these over here, though many specify once a week or even more. I suppose my heart sinks a little when I see these, especially if you add the words 'classic rock'. To me it is the music of the past, admittedly a good past, and my past but it is the music of the 60's and 70's, the music of the over 40's. In my teenage years the pubs were full of 50 year olds playing Trad Jazz, the same 20 songs played by most of the bands. Good musicians often, and good fun but people playing 40 year old music with the odd new song played in the style of the late 1920's. We'd moved on through the Beatles and on to Zeppelin and Hendrix and a burst of creativity. Good fun but out of touch. Now we see the 50+'s me included playing the 40 year old music of their youth wondering why more people don't come to see them. Don't get me wrong there is still an audience out there and people still have a great time but it is inevitably a diminishing audience. Why would you expect that not to be the case? Even on a personal level this 63 year old wants to see something a bit different when I get to go out. If a band advertises itself as classic rock they will have 20 other bands playing similar sets within a 20 mile radius. I've heard enough of them, so I cross those off the list and look for something a bit different. In my band I wish we'd learn newer songs with different musical challenges, but that's just me and I love the people I play with. We put on a good show with lot's of commitment and an hour spent in their company is an hour well spent.

One last post tonight, if you go back to post #479 you'll remember Stevie scaring me with a very significant peak at around 700Hz in the slot ported cab. We swapped drivers and it was definitely the cab. Well the peak is tamed pretty much with wadding especially on the top edge of the port but I'm going to make a new baffle and move the speaker off centre which I think will help further. I'm happy we know what is going on there and have a solution. However I'm now pretty happy with the basic design of a 18mm cab with four pipe ports tuned to 50Hz so the slot port won't be a problem as we won't be recommending it. The availability of cheap hole saws means cutting the holes for the ports will be easier than forming the slot which was the only reason I went that direction. I found the wooden slot was tricky to form if you don't have plenty of clamps to hand.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1448895807' post='2918936'] I have a question about tube ports and their lengths. Am I right in assuming that standard downpipe means the 68mm stuff? I've noticed that winISD and a couple of online calculators come up with quite different lengths than the ones used in the prototype cab, quoted below. The exact figure varies depending on the end correction selected (I used "one end flanged"), but WinISD is suggesting a length of 298mm for a 50Hz tuning in 50l, rather than 190mm. That's with four 68mm diameter ports. I'm trying to figure out if I've missed something in the process. [/quote] You aren't going mad, first of all the pipes internal diameter is 64mm the outside is 68mm. secondly it depends how you enter the parameters into winISD as sometimes the manufacturers don't always use the same techniques for measuring as are assumed by win ISD. Then the box isn't exactly 50l as I built it oversized to allow for the volume of bracing the ports and speaker and any modifications I would make as the design developed, I didn't use all the extra volume I allowed. We also found two sets of data for the SM212 out there and then took our own measurements of the basic parameters which differed slightly from those published. If you go back to post #291 you'll see we actually measured the tuning of the cabs and the port dimensions are measured from the cabs we tested. Well spotted though, and I had to double check all this so you are keeping me on my toes Ultimately that's why you try and build prototypes and test them.

A couple more suggestions. I had the same problem with my HA3500 of the dodgy era. There are a number of fairly big electrolytic capacitors in the power supply circuit to the pre amp stages that are just soldered to the circuit board and are unsupported. Sure enough the joints had gon on one and the track was being pulled away from the board with a couple of others. I just resoldered them and pushed the leadouts through far enough for them to rest on the board. You could use some neutral cure silicone as well for support. To find most intermittent faults get a freezing spray. by spraying individual components the contraction will often recreate the fault or temporarily cure it as the components and joints contract suddenly. Good luck, always worth saving an old Hartke

I rather think the technical 'faults' of the Ampeg cab are what makes it sound great to a lot of people. All that beaming of upper frequencies/comb filtering/mid bass peakiness/cone break up/lack of true deep bass gives you a speaker that delivers sound to the bassist if they are in line but gives a sound that is warm and sits nicely in the mix to the audience. Lot's of cheap speakers gives you high efficiency so the amps don't work too hard and all that cone area means you aren't going to run out of cone excursion. You live in Surrey and like Barefaced so why not take a trip down to Brighton with your SVT and see if they can give you a sound you like as much as the fridge before you start parting with any money.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1448631941' post='2916994'] That's something I've often wondered about in the interminable valve vs SS discussions that musicians often enjoy. While I understand that with the right voicing, compression and perhaps a touch of soft clipping, a well designed 100 watt solid state amp [i]could[/i] perform in the way we'd expect a 100 watt valve amp to perform, I'm not certain how often this is actually achieved in practice, especially at the more modest end of the market. [/quote]I guess it wouldn't make much sense in one way, the cost would be in the design and development so you wouldn't then build a budget amp that way, and since extra watts cost so little in SS designs you might as well have them. With switch mode power supplies there isn't any weight saving by going low powered either. There's lots of other differences between the two technologies as well, so compression alone won't give you a valve sound. However digital modelling techniques are getting better and cheaper all the time so there will be a time when we won't be able to tell the difference. Listening to some of the plug-ins studios use we are pretty nearly there probably. I'd say the AER amps do a pretty good 'valve' sound but they aren't cheap. The other thing that occurs to me is that a really good valve amp and a really good SS amp would have the same characteristic; of all the sound and none of the distortion, so they would sound quite alike. Maybe what people like is the sound of a cheap valve amp. Just a thought.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1448619225' post='2916844'] My thoughts were that anyone only needing a 200 watt amp must actually only be using 100 watts. [/quote] It's more extreme than that surprisingly. You play a note and it sounds loud than fades until it is lost below whatever else your band is playing. Obviously we also play louder and quieter depending upon what the music demands. You might have a dynamic range of 40dB between your loudest and quietest bit of bass. Your 'normal' sound level might be half of your loudest level and maybe even less. If it is half then this is 10db down or 1/10th of the power so you are probably only using less than 20W (with a 200W amp turned up to the distortion point) most of the time. If you had a bit of compression or a limiter then you'd reduce those peaks and a 100W amp would be plenty. That's why valve amps have the reputation for being louder, they kind of naturally compress the sound at the peaks and you can run them closer to the overload point without worry about headroom.