Merton

The CTM will definitely be at the SE Bash With respect to the hiss, I have to confess this was my sound man's terminology - I didn't experience the noise myself. I think you're right though, if it was hiss rather than hum then it's just a gnarly DI as opposed to needing a ground lift. Either way it's a shame to not have the ore/post and ground lift options.

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1440078606' post='2848090'] Shame i never even got to plug my GK MB800 Fusion in :-( [/quote] Why not, out of interest?

I gigged the CTM30 with one BF Super Compact last week and it was plenty. I had a small bit of bass in the PA but not loads; the SC is probably more "forward" to ally than the Retro Two10 though. I'll give you some feedback in three weeks comparing the two

http://ashdownmusic.com/products/1/Bass-Amplification/20/ROOTMASTER/130/RM800-/ I never used to be an Ashdown fan. Over 10 years ago I used an early MAG 4x10 cab which was a great first cab, but I moved on to other things and never really looked at them through my years of experimentation. The reasons for this were bad gig experiences where the “wooly Ashdown” misnomer was very much present, though looking back now I can attribute that to knackered cabinets at crappy venues rather than anything else. Additionally, by their own admission they have had some dalliances with Class D which haven’t been overly successful – for example the Superfly was a great amp when it worked, indeed perhaps marginally ahead of its time, but working was rare as (so the story goes) it was prone to becoming hot enough to fry eggs on. Then of course there were the Little Giant heads and the early MiBass amps, which just didn’t seem to catch on and certainly never caught my attention. At the beginning of 2014 however everything changed. I bought a CTM100 from Gareth (walbassist) and fell in love. Later in the year I decided to get an ABM500, which was an incredibly good amp when paired with my Barefaced Super Compact cabinets. Then in late 2014 I saw pictures of a new head being launched at NAMM 2015, the Rootmaster 800. The RM range wasn’t new, indeed I’d been quite tempted by the RM420 head until I picked up the ABM, but this RM800 model had a lovely shiny chrome front and frankly I’m a sucker for things looking good. So as soon as the official launch fanfare had happened I placed an order direct with Mark and the Ashdown team….. Gear used ACG Finn 5 with single coil J pickups, Status Retroactive J, Barefaced Super Compacts, Ashdown RM110 Styles Rock, pop, a little bit o’ soul Main amp features Gain Switchable 5 band EQ Pre-shape One-knob compressor Drive Sub-harmonics Line in with mix control Master volume Fx loop Foot-switchable drive and sub-harmonics (footswitch not included) Carry bag 730W RMS power output Finish/build quality – 9/10 The RM800 is housed in a very stylish mild steel chassis with the Ashdown and Rootmaster logos printed on the top. The front panel has a very highly polished chrome plating which looks very classy indeed, though I expect my fingerprints will need to be fastidiously wiped from it after each gig much to the amusement of my bandmates. All the control knobs feel very robust and have a good smooth but solid movement. One of the niggles I had with my old ABM head was the ease with which the knobs could be knocked, but on the RM Ashdown have got it spot on with much more precise and solid potentiometers. Top marks. It is a relatively compact amp but big for what we’ve become used to for a Class D offering – think the Eden WT550 and you’re in the right ballpark. The weight isn’t substantial but despite that the unit feels very solid and well made, instead of light and likely to fall off your cabs with an inopportune pull on your instrument lead like some of the very small Class D amps out there. It certainly gives me the impression of a well thought out and well-built amplifier. My only criticism is really incredibly minor but worth mentioning: the mains power switch is located under the IEC socket, which means once the IEC mains lead is in position it is a bit fiddly to get to the on/off switch from the front of the amp. It’s hardly an issue really but wonder if it could be positioned the other way round to make access a little easier? I love the fact the RM800 is delivered with a carry bag, this helps to ensure it’s kept pristine when not sitting on my cabs actually being used, and makes taking it to gigs and rehearsals incredibly easy. Tone – 9/10 This is Ashdown through and through, make no mistake. A lovely big warm sound from the off, even with everything set flat. The EQ is incredibly versatile and in my opinion is an excellent bridge between simple 3-band EQs and the more complex EQs with semi-parametric goings on etc. Here you have 5 really useable, sensible frequency bands with controls which all have a lot of cut and boost potential. Ashdown completely re-worked the old MAG preamp for the Rootmaster series and I think they’ve done a sterling job. This amp has the ability to dial in any tone quickly and easily through this 5 band EQ, and that’s before we’ve looked at the three additional rotary controls – compression, drive and sub-harmonics. The compression is a mild distraction – I’ve played with it at home but not yet used it on a gig, so I can’t comment on it too much at this stage The drive, however, is sublime. Ashdown call it a valve-emulated drive and I can very much hear that in the overtones which come into play as the control moves clockwise from 0 to 100%. I’ve said it elsewhere and I will repeat it here, the drive on this amp reminds me of the drive control on the SansAmp Bass Driver DI. With the control at 0% you will get a perfect clean tone; edge the control to around 9 o’clock and a subtle edge to the sound appears; take it past 1 o’clock and you are in saturated valve-amp territory. It is glorious and a very well thought out circuit in my opinion. That leaves the sub-harmonics circuit. Again Ashdown say this was redesigned for the RM heads and again what it brings to the party is very useable and sensibly voiced. Even with the control at its maximum setting the sub harmonic content is controlled, the lower octave doesn’t dominate the sound like some octave pedals allow. Instead what you get is a restrained but suitably “present” sub-octave tone which adds some lovely extra thickness to the tone without compromising on the main bass tone or creating a boominess. I’d like to give it top marks really as I can’t fault the preamp because for me it does everything I want, however I’m knocking one mark off because the DI is quite hissy, which leads to the tone going to the FOH desk being crap. I always DI pre-backline so it’s not actually an issue for me but it may be an issue for someone else without the ability to run a separate DI. It's also worth noting the DI is post EQ only, there's no pre/post option nor is there a ground lift. One or both of those switches may well have sorted the hissiness I have experienced... Power – 9/10 Although marketed as the “RM800”, the RMS power rating of this is actually 730W, not 800. I can’t say I really care. There is power in abundance, I have yet to explore the limits of the output capability but I suspect I’ll never get there. Being Class D with an SMPS there aren’t any huge transformers within the amp so you don’t get that valve amp “sag” (but I wouldn’t expect it) and I haven’t pushed it hard enough to get into that region of clipping we all know and don’t like with Class D units. For my needs I can see this having plenty to spare but wait for a louder gig later this year with baited breath! I’m only going for 9/10 because I don’t yet know how close to the limits I have strayed, so I will have to come back in a few months and edit this score. Practicality – 8/10 Versatile, powerful, lightweight, line in functionality, comes with a bag… You almost can’t ask for any more. The one thing I’d have loved is a headphone output for home practice but frankly that’s what a volume control is for – just play more quietly EDIT - just remembered something which perplexes me. The sub harmoniser has a rotary control on the front but no on/off switch - in other words to turn it "on" you have to rotate the control to your desired position, rather than have it preset and just flick a switch. The only way to make it switchable is to use a (non-supplied) foot switch. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me? SECOND EDIT - the fan. It's on all the time and whilst it's not the loudest in the world it's also a bit noticeable at low home practice levels. Be aware of that if it's something which would bother you - it doesn't bother me. I think the twin fans on my ABM were louder and certainly the fan on my WT400 was able to create more wind Value – 9/10 RRP is £499.00. For a 700W amp designed in the UK and with these features I think that’s pretty good though of course there are plenty of other amps out there. Comparable units would be the Gallien Krueger MB800, TC RH750 or the Carvin B1000, all of which are around the same price point. Of course if you’re sneaky like me you buy it direct from Ashdown to get the direct price rather than the street price…. Overall – 9/10 So over the last 18 months I’ve become a massive Ashdown fanboi as I’ve realised quite what I’ve been missing with all amps I’ve used before these. I currently own the RM800, a CTM30 (which is the Little Bastard in grown up clothes) and (for the time being at least) a BTA200 which is stupendous. I love this amp, it does exactly what I want and what I need; frankly if I ever sell then something is wrong with me. There, I’ve said it. I am GAS free. Until Ashdown bring out something even better.

It is supposed to be lovely; in three weeks I will find out and let you know as I'm meeting up with Stew (Huge Hands) who has the Retro Two10 so we can run the CTM30 with the Retro Two10 and see how good it sounds

Yeah keep the head dude, get saving for some Barefaced goodness

Alice, what's the matter?

I believe the Toneman is simply the last MAG range re-badged if that helps at all Edit: and Ashdown say that the preamp for the RM was completely redesigned!

I reckon it's more versatile than I've had reason to experiment with yet, it's a cracker in my book

My new Ashdown RM800 on its first outing with my Barefaced Super Compacts. Sounded immense

Edit - sorry to Mark for the the major thread derail. All RM800 talk now over on my NAD thread to leave this for ABM talk

Aha! Well I've just got home from its first gig, so.... It has been an absolutely brilliant amp at home through the RM110 cab, but tonight I gigged it through my two Super Compacts and it was incredible. For context, we are a wedding band so the usual pop/rock covers fare. In terms of tone I like a full, fat but punchy sound with a bit of bite when needed so I do tend to fiddle with drive controls on amps if they are there. That said we go through a PA and I DI via a SansAmp before my backline so it's more just for my own personal pleasure that I fiddle with my knob(s) really... Ahem. Our first set tends to be less rock and more pop so I kept the drive control very low for this, occasionally pushing it for some of the 80s tunes. I kept the compressor off and the subharmonics thing on but so subtle you'd not notice (though I did wind it up for one song just for shits and giggles - it added a nice thickness without becoming silly and overpowering). I got a nice clean but creamy tone by leaving the EQ flat but a tiny boost on 240Hz; the bass sat beautifully in the mix. Our second set becomes more rock centred so for this I spent a lot of time playing around with the drive control, setting it anywhere from around 9 o'clock to around 1 o'clock; I've likened this drive control to the drive control on the SansAmp and I stick by that now I've gigged the amp. At 9 o'clock there is a nice edge to the tone, by 1 o'clock you're in that delightful saturated valve amp territory and it sounds glorious. Dare I say it but I prefer this to the old valve drive on the ABM EVO II... Volume wise I was never left wanting; the master got to about 10 o'clock and I didn't ever hear the amp go into that horrible squishy Class D clipping so I would expect I have headroom to spare. The gain control does have to be set quite high to get a strong signal into the preamp (I had it at 3 o'clock) but that is no bad thing. I was running my ACG in passive mode so would have had to drop the gain back a touch if going into active mode. The only thing which wasn't good about the amp was the DI, which we tried just because we could. Apparently it was quite hissy - I suspect the high level of the gain control and a lack of ground lift may have had something to do with it. It doesn't bother me since (as I've already said) I DI pre-backline anyway so it wouldn't be used but if you wanted to record with it it might be an issue. So all in all, I am well chuffed with it. An absolutely stonking amp (for me), just what I expected and more importantly hoped for. Couldn't be happier

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1439403878' post='2842573'] All you need are a few rolls... [/quote]

[quote name='funkyjimbob' timestamp='1439231037' post='2841118'] So, today it randomly turned up.. 2 weeks and 2 days later. The tracking wasn't updated either. Here she is (With my Infinity). [/quote] Nice! Worth the painful wait I hope?

There's a MAG 1x15 in the classifieds at the mo - depends if it's a convenient local buy though by the looks of it!

I'd consider the MAG 1x15 - can be picked up v cheap

Cracking!

Here we go again ....

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1439052405' post='2839686'] This will have been no help at all... http://youtu.be/U4f_51oTYJw [/quote]

sorted, you can buy them from Ashdown D'oh

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1438942656' post='2838800'] Nice, please do as its probably going to be a toss up between that and the new Tech21 500watt head. [/quote] Ended up using my CTM30 because the room was tiny. I can happily report that the CTM30 kicks arse and is very giggable with sensitive cabs, but that doesn't help you! I'm not on tonight's gig so will have to come back to you next weekend - I know the venue so know the RM800 will be able to stretch its legs