Euphonics Audio iAMP Doubler

[4ropebottom]

Anyone ever used this amp? Thoughts?

[keeponehandloose]

on a gig once only, I was looking forward to tryng ona as I had read good things.have to say I was dissapointed, I only had a 10 minute fumble about before the gig but I came away thinking it was underpowered for its rating and the eq was pretty ineffectual.maybe if I had more time....

[BassBod]

Not used that version, but spent a year or two with the Micro. Very nice amp, pretty powerful good useful eq. The lack of an XLR DI gets universal tuts from engineers..even though a short cable is all that's needed (you have to get one). On balance, I found it neutral but dull.

Its the best doubling amp I've ever seen or used, but it just wasn't very engaging to listen to.

[Clarky]

I also had a Micro. Very neutral and lacking in warmth for an electric bass but in my view excellent for double bass as its so uncoloured and plenty powerful. The Doubler adds in some useful DB-specific features to the Micro, that is notch filter and phase switch.

Given it was part-designed by Mike Arnopol, the acoustic sound genius behind BigE speakers, I think the Doubler is an excellent choice for those gigging double bass primarily. If you doubled a lot, you would certainly want to put some kind of preamp (eg Sansamp) in front of the Doubler to warm up the sound for electric playing IMHO

[BassBod]

Yep - the trusty Sansamp (or Sadowsky or Aguilar) preamp worked a treat. I don't think my experience was helped by the slight mid honk of the Barefaced Midget cab. It sounded warmer and a lot more traditional through a Bag End 1x15.

A great little amp, particularly if you need to travel light and play mostly upright.

[marvin spangles]

Great little amp. I disagree with Clarky in that when paired with the right cab (cxl112) it produces a warm sound on EB as well as being a top notch bass for DB. Mind you I don't play much EB these days so maybe i'm not the best judge.
I use it as a back up to my Focus 2r. As I had to get my Focus repaired recently I was using the micro a lot . I got a really pleasing warm sound on DB. The only downside is the price imo.

[fatback]

My only amp for the last three years gigging. Superb for upright in that it's totally transparent - what goes in comes out. Also has phase shifting and notch filter, so you don't need a preamp with those. Stupidly small and light, but i've found it 100% reliable. Very well built.

You hear people say it's underpowered, but with a Midget 1X12 I've found it seriously loud. I suspect it can seem quiet because it's so clean. For electric I use a DHA VT to dirty it up and it sounds great.

Usefully, the eq mid band is placed differently on each of the channels, one suited a bit more for upright. As BassBod says, the DI out needs you to have a little adapter cable, but you just get one made up and carry it with you.

My only criticism is that it doesn't have illuminated positions on the knobs. It would look awful, i guess, but i spend too much time squinting at settings in the semi dark.

Having said that, I love mine.

[keeponehandloose]

I wish I could give one another go after reading this thread now.

[4ropebottom]

Very helpful, Gentlemen. Since I play 95% to 99% upright, it sounds like this may be a great amp.

I have a GK MB 150 S that I've used for about 10 years with the MBX112 extension cab. I've enjoyed it, but the MB 150 appears to be going on the blink. I will try to get it repaired, but I'm looking for a second amp to decide which I like better as a primary amp.

Any opinions on using this EA with the GK MBX112 extension cab? Rated at 100W at 8 ohms (the cab)

[BassBod]

There are much better cabs these days (Acme, Euphonic, Crazy 8) in terms of frequency response and clarity..but they cost and few are as small and light as the one you've got.

One thing I would say - its worth thinking about your priorities for amplification. I always thought I wanted "my bass but louder" and looked for clarity and accuracy to get as faithful a sound as I could. Then I picked up an old Polytone on a whim..and found that the sound it produced was very very good in all contexts I worked in. Now I'm looking for an amplified sound that just works for me, with my bass my pickup etc.

I'm feeling a bit liberated!

[TheRev]

Yep, I have one. The first time i used it I felt it was underpowered and lacked tonal character. Then I realised that the lack of tonal character was actually transparency and that you can set the max input gain using a little trim pot to match the output of your pickup. Now have no problem with volume and

I still use a LMII as my main amp as it's a solid lump and I know exactly how I like it set. The EA feels a bit more fragile and has a more nuanced EQ, so while it's maybe not ideal for rockabilly, it's very good at jazz and folky stuff. The more I use it, the more I like it.

[4ropebottom]

Thanks Rev and Bassbod. Good input. Basically, I play almost exclusively double bass, and I play jazz and folk-rock about 50/50. Nothing high volume at all, typically relatively small venues.

My primary objectives in amplification (a necessary evil):
1. Retain the woody, natural sound of an upright bass. Nothing that sounds "processed".
2. Light, small, and trouble free. Does not require a separate preamp. Etc.

[marvin spangles]

Given your criteria I'd say buy with confidence!

[TheRev]

Yep, the Doubler will do exactly what you need. I never leave for a gig without my Fidhman preamp but I've never needed it with the Doubler, I just plug straight into channel 2 and away I go.

I've not tried a GK MB cab, but double bass speaker cab design has moved on a lot in the last 5 years and i suspect that you'd get a much better sound with a Doubler paired with a modern, DB voiced cab like one of EA's Wizzy cabs. You should also look into some of Mike Arnapol's cab designs (he co-designed the Doubler amp), either the Greenboy/Arnapol Crazy 8 ([url="http://www.gigmaster.biz/gigmaster_soundworks_v3_007.htm"]http://www.gigmaster.biz/gigmaster_soundworks_v3_007.htm[/url]) or the BigE MAS45 ([url="http://www.gigmaster.biz/gigmaster_soundworks_v3_007.htm"]http://www.gigmaster.biz/gigmaster_soundworks_v3_007.htm[/url])

I have a BigE MAS45 and it's frankly amazing - light, clear and loud.

[simon_says]

I haven't used the 'Doubler but the Phil Jones Suitcase amp that I have also has two inputs each with independent EQ which is great when it comes to rehearsal & gigs when switching between my DB and EB, particularly when it comes to ad hoc songs that are added on the fly to the set.

I also acquired a PJB 4B cabinet as the Suitcase really struggled trying to move enough air on its own when playing an F or E on the E string of the DB. Very happy with setup now.

[johnny dissident]

Have just read this thread, so sorry for the late post. Just want to add my weight to the positive comments. I've been using my Doubler through a M line wizzy12 cab since the summer. Very versatile, you can adjust the gain and eq with the trim pots to suit your needs, I haven't used the phase switch yet as I only use a KK bass max at the moment, but hope to experiment with mixing in a mic soon. As for gigging BG and DB, no problem with a foot switch, no more faffing. And, I love the sound of my old Stingray coming through this rig, both instruments sound like themselves and plenty loud. The only gripe would be the lack of XLR DI, but easily sorted. Highly recomended ***** the cab has a lot to do with it.

[TheRev]

The lack of an XLR out is a bit of a pain - how have you got around it?

[fatback]

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1386269625' post='2298112']
The lack of an XLR out is a bit of a pain - how have you got around it?
[/quote]

The simple jack to XLR conversion lead has never been a problem for me, although you do need to carry it as sound guys won't have one. Got mine from OBBM.

EA say they chose the jack out to save internal space. The main thing is it's a proper balanced output.

[cattytown]

Andy - I have an EA Micro if you want a play,

P.