Think I've finally found the right Class D head for my Barefaced Super Twelve T!

[legoman]

After months and months of trying out a number of different Class D heads with my Barefaced Super Twelve T I think I have at last found the lightweight solution to my hideously heavy and too large Ashdown EVO II head....and that is the Markbass Little Mark Tube 800.

Some of the other heads I've tried over the last 7-8 months have sounded great but kinda just didn't give me the type of sound I like when I hook up my EVO II to the BF S12T (which is nice defined punchy and responsive low ends without the wooly boom), but when I got my mits on the Markbass LMT 800, plugged in and dialed in some VPF and a touch of bass, leaving the rest at 12 o'clock and blended in a bit of valve it was making the kinda noises I have been searching for from a Class D amp.

The other Class D heads I've tried include...

Orange TB1000
Ashdown ABM 1000
Ashdown MiBass
Gallien-Krueger MB800
Ampeg PF-500
TC Electronic RH750
Genz Benz Streamliner 900
Aguilar TH 500
Markbass TTE 500

Don't get me wrong, all of them are great heads (and the Ashown ABM 1000 is pretty much a lightweight EVO II/III but is still heavier and bigger than other Class Ds) but most of them IMHO just didn't quite nail it for me tone wise (either bass control was too boomy when dialled in, the tone was lacking a bit of smooth warmth or just did odd things like lose volume or crapped out when cranked). Having read what others are using with a BF S12T it is really varied and also includes pretty much all the heads I've mentioned, so I guess we all have our preferences tonally that each of these heads satisfy.

Just thought I'd share my experiences with you in case you were looking to get a head to compliement a BF S12T that is punchy yet not too mid scooped to sound more percussive than tonally melodic (if that makes sense!)....also it means finally I only have to do one run from the car to a gig as I can carry everything in one trip

Edited February 6, 2013 by legoman

[Lozz196]

I`ve had a fair few of those Class D amps myself, and my fave of the bunch that I`ve had:

Little Mark Tube 500. Great amps, very versatile, and the tube adds a nice presence, but without going all distorted and fuzzy. Just thickens the sound up a bit.

[RandomBass]

I've tried a few in that list. Where did you get the chance to try the new ABM1000? I don't seem to be able to locate one in store.

Cheers

Geoff

[6v6]

Could you possibly describe a comparison between the LMT and TTE 500?

I've been considering one of either the LMT500 or TTE500 combined with some sort of neo 2x12 so would be interested in your impressions (I know you said LMT800, but I'm guessing they are tonally similar?)

I'm also looking for something warm, punchy, not scooped (fingerstyle country/blues/rock, no slap!), the sound in my head is what I heard the first time I heard a precision through an SVT and an 8x10, but in a more portable/small-venue-appropriate package

[Lozz196]

Well I`ve not had the 800 but did have the 500. I too love the Ampeg sound, and the LMT gave a very nice sound, akin to Ampeg, sitting in just about the same place in the mix. I do the "scooped" thing, as it suits my music, but there is plenty of eq on them to play with. I got the scooped sound purely with the VPF filter. If you like Ampeg, check out LMTs.

[legoman]

[quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1360229473' post='1966928']
I've tried a few in that list. Where did you get the chance to try the new ABM1000? I don't seem to be able to locate one in store.

Cheers

Geoff
[/quote]

Hi Geoff,

Last year I spoke with Chris at Ashdown and he said that a few units had gone out to PMT a while back, so I popped into the Romford branch armed with my BF cab and tried it out in the shop. As I like the Ashdown tone I was impressed with the ABM1000, especially as it was smaller and much lighter than my EVO II but they retail around the £1000 mark so that kinda put me off!

That said if you like the EVO II/III tone you'll be 100% with the ABM1000

Dave

[legoman]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1360231660' post='1966977']
Could you possibly describe a comparison between the LMT and TTE 500?

I've been considering one of either the LMT500 or TTE500 combined with some sort of neo 2x12 so would be interested in your impressions (I know you said LMT800, but I'm guessing they are tonally similar?)

I'm also looking for something warm, punchy, not scooped (fingerstyle country/blues/rock, no slap!), the sound in my head is what I heard the first time I heard a precision through an SVT and an 8x10, but in a more portable/small-venue-appropriate package
[/quote]

From my perspective there isn't a distinguishable amount of difference between the LMT & TTE when they are both flat, it's more when you fiddle with the 'colour' on the TTE and the VPF & VLE's on the LMT that they begin to show their own characters. I didn't have much time to really fiddle with the TTE as I primarily used it on a gig but was pretty happy with it in a plugin, quick fiddle and go respect, just that I do prefer to be able to scoop out some of the low mid woolyness which is easy to do on the LMT. Also the TTE doesn't have a dual mid cut/boost like the LMT does so the LMT offers a bit more in the EQ control dept. As I already use a compressor before I hit the preamp I didn't need that (as that features on the TTE) so again that is what has swayed me towards the LMT.

I don't like it too scooped otherwise you begin to lose the note definition and then it just becomes more percussive when you slap so having the option to vary how much is scooped is a real plus for me, as I tend to do more mid and top boosting when I play live just so I can pitch easier what I'm playing so having the VPF means I have full tone control to add afterwards

Edited February 7, 2013 by legoman

[Prime_BASS]

I loved my LMT while I had it, although the way I used it, the shuttle 6.0 I have now is sounding exactly the same. Just a little lacking on volume IMO compared the the LMT.