EBS Reidmar

[1976fenderhead]

I find it strange that the hiss is the same volume regardless of the attenuator setting... humbuckers shouldn't hum either... not sure any of it means any problem exists though.

So you said you like the character button on? I liked it initially but ended up leaving it off. Wondering how best to eq to take advantage of it, haven't found a good solution yet...

[heminder]

It seems the tweeter wants to hiss whenever it's on in any way. On closer listening increasing the tweeter level does increase the noise marginally, but not as much as from completely off -> on. Even with the tweeter on full it doesn't really take my ears off.

The Character switch I think of as an instant "old skool" button. It gives a warm boomy sound. I wouldn't leave it on all the time though.

Edited July 28, 2012 by heminder

[Kirky]

Anyone had a chance to compare the Reidmar with a GK MB Fusion and an Ampeg PF500? Also anyone near Harrogate/Leeds have one I could try?

[Spoombung]

Tried the Reidmar today.

Pros:
I liked the size and style of the box. It looked great. It was plenty loud enough with a great parametric mid control - so lots of control of your sound in that area. Plenty of clean bass (not a fuzzy or boomy bass).

Cons:
The highs and trebles had an almost brittle, hard, clean quality I wasn't sure I liked. Nothing seemed to soften it much. The compressor was too subtle even when turned up full. It didn't soften the amp's super-clean sound.

Summary - very clean, cold clarity.

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1344002954' post='1758563']
Tried the Reidmar today.

Pros:
I liked the size and style of the box. It looked great. It was plenty loud enough with a great parametric mid control - so lots of control of your sound in that area. Plenty of clean bass (not a fuzzy or boomy bass).

Cons:
The highs and trebles had an almost brittle, hard, clean quality I wasn't sure I liked. Nothing seemed to soften it much. The compressor was too subtle even when turned up full. It didn't soften the amp's super-clean sound.

Summary - very clean, cold clarity.
[/quote]

Yup, that's pretty much my opinion too, you can check it as the last (I think) post in my "small and lightweight" topic...
The compressor only goes to 3:1 so it will always be subtle.
Coming from 10 years using a warm SWR amp with a valve preamp I've been finding it hard to get used to the Reidmar's sharpness, especially because the EQ has a completely different philosophy (knobs have effect on frequencies they don't relate to) so I'm having to learn how to work with this EQ, but I can see I'm getting better at finding sounds I like as time goes by.
I actually find the Mid Freq knob a bit too wide. It pretty much goes from lows to highs not just sticking to mids, I prefer a knob with a narrower scope. As it is, the slightest touch of the knob makes you go from one frequency to another that's farther than you wanted. Hard to be precise.

I'm slowly getting my ears used to this amp's "directness", what I'm struggling with is that it makes my distortion pedals sound "plastic", I guess because it's not colouring them with any valve warmth... I'll try to get some valve preamp pedal to see if it cures it... Does anyone have any other suggestion for this?

[JakeBrownBass]

.

Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass

[such]

I used to use EHX lpb2ube for this when I was using a very clean Kustom amp.

[4000]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1344020365' post='1758906']
Yup, that's pretty much my opinion too, you can check it as the last (I think) post in my "small and lightweight" topic...
The compressor only goes to 3:1 so it will always be subtle.
Coming from 10 years using a warm SWR amp with a valve preamp I've been finding it hard to get used to the Reidmar's sharpness, especially because the EQ has a completely different philosophy (knobs have effect on frequencies they don't relate to) so I'm having to learn how to work with this EQ, but I can see I'm getting better at finding sounds I like as time goes by.
I actually find the Mid Freq knob a bit too wide. It pretty much goes from lows to highs not just sticking to mids, I prefer a knob with a narrower scope. As it is, the slightest touch of the knob makes you go from one frequency to another that's farther than you wanted. Hard to be precise.


[/quote]

Interesting. Warm is the last word I'd have used to describe all the SWR gear I've used. Makes me wonder about the Reidmar.

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1344288512' post='1762407']
Interesting. Warm is the last word I'd have used to describe all the SWR gear I've used. Makes me wonder about the Reidmar.
[/quote]

I used to be of that opinion too, but since AB'ing them I had to eat my words. The difference of the valve preamp was very evident, that gentle 'hair' in the high frequencies.

After some more fiddling I've pretty much sorted all my niggles with this amp. The reason for all my problems was just one: lack of volume while practising at home.

I'd been meaning to change my rig for ages but with the band I was on I never had time to go to shops and try stuff. Once I left the band I could finally do this, but the downside was I couldn't try stuff with a band at full volume. Still haven't joined another band, but by raising the volume just a little bit over what I was daring to do before at home, this amp came to life. Pedals sound fine too! There was a thinness that is now gone. Screw the neighbours!

The way I explain it is this:
- SWR 350x sounded nice and full at low volumes, but when the volume went up that fullness turned into a bit of boominess and loss of focus.
- The Reidmar sounds a little thin, middy and weird at low volumes, but when you turn it up it comes to life, remaining focused. It's like it's meant for loudness, much more than the 350x was.

Also, because I was trying it with both cabs at home, I had to cut a lot of bass and boost highs because of the acoustic coupling. Once I swapped to 1 cab only, I was able to properly EQ the amp, boost more lows for some colour, not raise highs as much and get a nice balanced mid definition. Two cabs was overkill!

So I'm finally really happy with this amp. Don't think a lack of warmth bothers me anymore either. Pedals sound fine. All is fine and dandy

Edited August 6, 2012 by 1976fenderhead

[4000]

Excellent - congrats!

[Linus27]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1344289231' post='1762423']
I used to be of that opinion too, but since AB'ing them I had to eat my words. The difference of the valve preamp was very evident, that gentle 'hair' in the high frequencies.

After some more fiddling I've pretty much sorted all my niggles with this amp. The reason for all my problems was just one: lack of volume while practising at home.

I'd been meaning to change my rig for ages but with the band I was on I never had time to go to shops and try stuff. Once I left the band I could finally do this, but the downside was I couldn't try stuff with a band at full volume. Still haven't joined another band, but by raising the volume just a little bit over what I was daring to do before at home, this amp came to life. Pedals sound fine too! There was a thinness that is now gone. Screw the neighbours!

The way I explain it is this:
- SWR 350x sounded nice and full at low volumes, but when the volume went up that fullness turned into a bit of boominess and loss of focus.
- The Reidmar sounds a little thin, middy and weird at low volumes, but when you turn it up it comes to life, remaining focused. It's like it's meant for loudness, much more than the 350x was.

Also, because I was trying it with both cabs at home, I had to cut a lot of bass and boost highs because of the acoustic coupling. Once I swapped to 1 cab only, I was able to properly EQ the amp, boost more lows for some colour, not raise highs as much and get a nice balanced mid definition. Two cabs was overkill!

So I'm finally really happy with this amp. Don't think a lack of warmth bothers me anymore either. Pedals sound fine. All is fine and dandy
[/quote]

Thanks for sharing. What settings do you use withe the Reidmar and what bass?

At the moment I am running everything flat apart from Compression at 12, o'clock, Filter Activated and the Middle - Freq dials at about 10 o'clock. Sounds nice and warm that way for me.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Linus27

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1344290327' post='1762448']
Thanks for sharing. What settings do you use withe the Reidmar and what bass?

At the moment I am running everything flat apart from Filter Activated and the Middle - Freq dials at about 10 o'clock. Sounds nice and warm that way for me.
[/quote]

I'm using a MIA Fender Jazz Deluxe. All EQ flat on the bass. Pickup balance in the middle though I also like it a little towards the neck p'up)

Character = off

Gain and Middle = 1 o'c
Comp/Limit = 8 o'c
Bass, Freq and Treble = 2 o'c
Bright = 9 o'c
Volume = a millimetre above the 8 o'c line, but given the loudness of this amp, a millimeter that makes all the difference in the world

1 CL112 only, Tweeter on.

Edited August 6, 2012 by 1976fenderhead

[Linus27]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1344290822' post='1762459']
I'm using a MIA Fender Jazz Deluxe. All EQ flat on the bass. Pickup balance in the middle though I also like it a little towards the neck p'up)

Character = off

Gain and Middle = 1 o'c
Comp/Limit = 8 o'c
Bass, Freq and Treble = 2 o'c
Bright = 9 o'c
Volume = a millimetre above the 8 o'c line, but given the loudness of this amp, a millimeter that makes all the difference in the world

1 CL112 only, Tweeter on.
[/quote]

Will try those settings later but I guess with the Middle at 1 o'clock and Freq at 2 o'clock, that will make it quite middy and should give a fair bit of honk to a Jazz.

[1976fenderhead]

[quote name='Linus27' timestamp='1344292461' post='1762487']
Will try those settings later but I guess with the Middle at 1 o'clock and Freq at 2 o'clock, that will make it quite middy and should give a fair bit of honk to a Jazz.
[/quote]

Well if you think about it, it's actually scooped, because I'm boosting Bass and Treble twice as much as I'm boosting Mids. Would be roughly the same as leaving Bass and Treble flat and cutting Mids by one tick, then raising the Volume. I just do it as I said because I've found it easier to control the volume and the vibration of my walls that way so far

[1976fenderhead]

Has anyone tried plugging the bass to the Line Out? I did it by mistake and it worked like an effects return except the Volume control was also bypassed! Certainly this can't be normal? It's like a Line Out and a Line In in one????

[Bigwan]

[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1345105205' post='1773478']
Has anyone tried plugging the bass to the Line Out? I did it by mistake and it worked like an effects return except the Volume control was also bypassed! Certainly this can't be normal? It's like a Line Out and a Line In in one????
[/quote]

No that sounds about right. The connection in the circuit will be from somewhere between the preamp and poweramp and is not one directional so you can use it as a line in to the power amp. The line out will probably be volume control dependent since it's usually after volume control and before power amp, but oddly that'll mean if you insert a signal there, it's after the volume control so it's uneffected by it! Clear as mud, eh?

[1976fenderhead]

Got it. Just had no idea these things could have both directions.

[heminder]

Hmm. In that case, what's the real difference between a Line Out and a Line In?

This might prove useful for a drum machine...

[1976fenderhead]

Killer new EQ setting, this time with 2 CL 112's. I tried to replicate my favourite VT Bass tone and came pretty close (minus the hairiness):

Gain @ 2 o'c
Bass @ noon
Middle @ 2 o'c
Freq @ 3 o'c
Treble @ 1 o'c
Volume @ 8 o'c

Comp and Bright off
Character off

Sounds awesome. I was doing it wrong all along. This amp asks for boosted mids!

Then I found a great VT Bass setting to go with it, that doesn't change the tone at all, just adds valve character:

- All EQ @ noon
- Character & Drive @ 11 o'c
- Level just below noon or whatever suits you

Running to THE FRONT of the amp, not the FX return.

SAME EQ, EPIC TUBE TONE!

Edited August 16, 2012 by 1976fenderhead

[giblett123]

Majorly stupid question..... What kind of handle do the 112 cabs have? just browsing and can't find a pic of it anywhere!

[1976fenderhead]

Not stupid at all, I tried hard to answer that question before buying it and couldn't come up with a definitive answer from web photos.
It has one handle only on the right side, like this (nothing on the other side):

http://kitarablogi.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/ebs-reidmar-cl-112-e28093-side.jpg

[giblett123]

Cheers for that, much appreciated, just checking it wasn't a little plastic jobbie that you is so small you can't get your hand inside it!

[nottswarwick]

I've read most of this thread and am intrigued. Is it REALLY louder than a LM2 or similar allegedly 500watt amps?

[Linus27]

[quote name='nottswarwick' timestamp='1345670582' post='1780390']
I've read most of this thread and am intrigued. Is it REALLY louder than a LM2 or similar allegedly 500watt amps?
[/quote]

Yes.

[nottswarwick]

ok. So no real reason not to get one then?