Guest MoJo Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Could someone point me in the direction of a YouTube video that typifies this 'classic Trace tone' that BC'ers often refer to? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Not sure if this is a 'wow, listen to that tone' video, but Ed Friedland does a fairly decent demo of the new line of TE amps. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVyBjX_qkFI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVyBjX_qkFI[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I did my school 'work experience' in the Trace factory when I was 14. In between packing stuff into boxes and doing regular paid staffs jobs whilst they sat around drinking tea and talking about arsenal, I tried out pretty much the entire range at the time (late 90s) To be honest I was distinctly underwhelmed and have stayed clear of Trace ever since. I tried out a friends Ashdown a few years back and that also sounded suitably muffled and wooly. Give me a nice bright GK sound instead... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1374851801' post='2154092'] I did my school 'work experience' in the Trace factory when I was 14. In between packing stuff into boxes and doing regular paid staffs jobs whilst they sat around drinking tea and talking about arsenal, I tried out pretty much the entire range at the time (late 90s) To be honest I was distinctly underwhelmed and have stayed clear of Trace ever since. I tried out a friends Ashdown a few years back and that also sounded suitably muffled and wooly. Give me a nice bright GK sound instead... Rob This madee laugh;) . What I found about TE is that, they look great and sound good on pokey rehearsal rooms but sound dull and thuddy at gigs and at home [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thornybank Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Dull and muddy. Hmmm.... Not in my experience. Doug Wimbish has been playing Trace since forever. Try some early Tackhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mep Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Don't have much experience with the csbs but the heads have 7or 12 band eq which are very flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [quote name='Thornybank' timestamp='1374918271' post='2154733'] Dull and muddy. Hmmm.... Not in my experience. Doug Wimbish has been playing Trace since forever. Try some early Tackhead. [/quote] Heard the name, will check them on you tube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Along with Markbass, they fall into the "great sound, shame about the look" category for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 My Roland amp has a "TE" setting. This is a Trace Elliott emulator. This setting is bassey, thick sound output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I do like the look of Trace amps tho' . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPoneGnMgUs[/media] Haha dull and muddy. Get outa here! Trace amps are renown for their clarity, punch and aggressive pre-shape tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I always though they kinda sounded like someone playing an acoustic bass with a duvet stuffed inside it... still each to their own I guess... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I'm still not much the wiser. I currently own a 1993 Series 6 715S combo and have owned in the past a BLX80, a GP12 1215 and a GP12SMX 2x10 combo and more recently, the 'Peavey' 1215 combo. They all sounded different so, I'm confused when people refer to 'that' Trace Elliot sound'. Are they referring to the sound with the Trace Elliot 'Shape' feature engaged. If anything, I'd say the Series 6 and the BLX80 sound 'boxy' with everything set flat but can sound bright if EQ'd correctly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1374954462' post='2155264'] I always though they kinda sounded like someone playing an acoustic bass with a duvet stuffed inside it... still each to their own I guess... Rob [/quote] Just me & you hen Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1374957507' post='2155308'] Just me & you hen Rob [/quote] It would seem so... At least I'm not alone in my dislike of a bass tone that sounds like someone playing a P bass whilst wearing ski gloves... Takes all sorts this bass playing lark though. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I'm not saying I'm a fan, far from it, every encounter with TE for me has ended in disappointment. I would just like someone to say, there, that's it. We've had examples of a classic Stingray tone, a P-bass tone. Curiosity that's all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 My experience in rehearsals was great. ( maybe I was swayed by the lights). When I got one, it was very rumbley ,and the weight was more than my sister in law ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 The early 80's stuff (up to series iv) didn't really have a sound..it was graphic 7 or 11 band and a lot of power, for the time. How you set the eq was your sound. Unless you used the pre shape slap switch, then it got honky and nasty. After that, my experience was it got a bit more voiced, and sophisticated..but not really better. Horns in cabs also added top end that wasn't there in earlier versions. The slap switch accounts for a lot - like the SWR Aural Enhancer. It could be a good thing..but generally wasn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonEdward Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Used quite a bit of Trace gear over the last 20-years (amps/cabs/combos/pre-amps), and in general they have been 'solid', but hardly spectacular performers. I think 'boxy' is a good way to describe the overall sound. To my ears, the early GP11 amps/cabs always sounded quite 'thin' - unless you had the top of the range 8x10/1200 rig. During the 80's/90's the 'Trace' brand was popular, but not these days. Now it is mad expensive, for what is technically the same as they were shifting back then. IMHO, the GP7 graphic stuff is [i]very[/i] average, albeit it with plenty of power, and I wouldn't buy it now. I still have a GP12XV valve pre-amp, which is great and I use it for recording. I have also kept my mid 90's 4x10 cab - with original vinyl covering. It has front porting, but I'm not sure if this makes that much difference? Oh, and even their amp heads are heavy, so watch your back. Lastly, what were they thinking with the green carpet covering cr*p?????? .. and the BLX and Boxer combos? - absolutely dire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 [quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1374958422' post='2155326'] I'm not saying I'm a fan, far from it, every encounter with TE for me has ended in disappointment. [/quote] That's pretty much my experience too. Admittedly I've never owned one, so it could be that I just haven't got my head around the EQ or something, but whenever i've encountered them I've found 'The TE Sound' to be one that I'm not happy with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I think the preset 1and 2 which refers to the TE sound One of them is scooped sound and the other is a mid range honk I like scoop sound, TE gear is very loud and robust which I guess in a way attributes to the overall output sound I personally really like it but some others don't,it really depends what you are after and how it's applied to the style of music whether it fits or not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I think the sound is usually preceded by "God my back hurts, I'm gonna have to get something lighter". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 *grunting* Sweating *grunts some more* ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 It is bloody heavy though..I will give you that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 What is this "lightweight" crap everyone cares about so much nowadays? Not heard a single one of these class D lightweight toys produce any desirable tone! So what the amp weighs 20 kilograms, is sounds da bomb! Since when is 20kg too much for a grown man to carry anyway... Whimps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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