zero9 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I echo the sentiments of AttitudeCastle. I like the concept, but the execution less so (it doesn't look good IMO, when you compare it against a THR for instance). If they made it look a bit sleaker, put some protective grilles on the front, and removed the VU meter, I'd consider it. For a 'bedroom' concept, I'm not sure 75Watts is necessary, as this can still be anti-social in a bedsit or a semi. For a practice amp, 30Watts is plenty and would allow the unit to be smaller and probably cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largo Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 it's an Ashdown, they'll never get rid of the VU meter as it's their thing. You can turn a 75W amp down so, personally I think they've got it about right. Agree about a grill though, although these may come in the future if the product takes off. I'd probably get a different wood one made to match the room/house furnishings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samfordia Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Does VU meter have a purpose? Sometimes I can have my amp at a very low volume yet the meter can bounce up into the red zone. I was a little perturbed by it at first because at the end of this red zone is a red cross. I was worried that I had entered the no go zone and then the thing would blow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 [quote name='Merton' timestamp='1424695667' post='2699181'] Ashdown just cover all the bases really [/quote] Shame on you for such a dreadful pun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyV Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 [quote name='Samfordia' timestamp='1424703820' post='2699354'] Does VU meter have a purpose? Sometimes I can have my amp at a very low volume yet the meter can bounce up into the red zone. I was a little perturbed by it at first because at the end of this red zone is a red cross. I was worried that I had entered the no go zone and then the thing would blow up. [/quote] My understanding is that the VU meter measures the input rather than the output so you can have the volume (output) right down but if your input levels are high then these will read on the VU meter. The manual for mine say that average playing dynamics would have the VU reading at 0 (just shy of the red zone) with occasional peaks into the red so as long as you are not permanently in the red then all should be fine. I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samfordia Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I do believe that I've been using the input as the volume and just leaving the output very low. I've clearly learnt something new today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1424704395' post='2699360'] Shame on you for such a dreadful pun. [/quote] I couldn't resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 [quote name='JAUQO III-X' timestamp='1424659633' post='2698898'] I don't want to say but the top three are long standing USA companies. [/quote] Why is it such a secret? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) [quote name='largo' timestamp='1424703481' post='2699349'] it's an Ashdown, they'll never get rid of the VU meter as it's their thing.. [/quote] Except for on this: Edited February 24, 2015 by bartelby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAUQO III-X Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) [quote name='largo' timestamp='1424703481' post='2699349'] it's an Ashdown, they'll never get rid of the VU meter as it's their thing. [/quote] Edited February 24, 2015 by JAUQO III-X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyDog Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) [quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1424390944' post='2695968'] ...a foundation of Open Source software... ...a modified and open source Unix kernel... ...a userland mostly from various open source BSD versions of Unix... ...rendering engine... ...application interfaces... ...the Unix underpinnings of OS-X... ...package management on a typical Linux or BSD system... [/quote] Mummy, my head hurts. Make it stop, pleeease Edited February 24, 2015 by UglyDog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 [quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1424679365' post='2698963'] Is it a secret? I'd be interested to know who the top three are...... [/quote] [url="http://gearpipe.com/best-sellers-top-10-best-selling-bass-combo-amplifiers-at-guitar-center/"]http://gearpipe.com/best-sellers-top-10-best-selling-bass-combo-amplifiers-at-guitar-center/[/url] Crate, Behringer, Ampeg. [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_amps.asp"]http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_amps.asp[/url] Laney, Fender, TC Electronic. Take your pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAUQO III-X Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1425250443' post='2705629'] I just don't understand it. Ampeg come out with massively unreliable Class D amps and people defend them to the hilt. Ashdown come out with new technology and everybody uses this as a chance to get the boot in. If British bassists defended British manufacturers the same way American bassists defended theirs then this forum would be a slightly more positive place perhaps. Not sure we need pages of Ashdown bashing, and I'm glad to see a rep coming on here and kicking some backsides. [/quote] I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1425250443' post='2705629'] I just don't understand it. Ampeg come out with massively unreliable Class D amps and people defend them to the hilt. Ashdown come out with new technology and everybody uses this as a chance to get the boot in. If British bassists defended British manufacturers the same way American bassists defended theirs then this forum would be a slightly more positive place perhaps. Not sure we need pages of Ashdown bashing, and I'm glad to see a rep coming on here and kicking some backsides. [/quote] It's a forum on the Internet. That's what happens. If you have read the pages on this thread you'll see that actually it's a reasonable balance of opinions. My opinion I still believe is valid in that I'm a potential customer and I can't see that, even though in itself it's an interesting package, that it's worth me spending £600. Others have disagreed. Not everyone is 'Ashdown bashing' not did I see any backsides being kicked to be honest. Edited March 1, 2015 by Muppet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1425250443' post='2705629'] I just don't understand it. Ampeg come out with massively unreliable Class D amps and people defend them to the hilt. Ashdown come out with new technology and everybody uses this as a chance to get the boot in. If British bassists defended British manufacturers the same way American bassists defended theirs then this forum would be a slightly more positive place perhaps. Not sure we need pages of Ashdown bashing, and I'm glad to see a rep coming on here and kicking some backsides. [/quote] I can only speak from my POV: I've bashed Ampeg for bringing out massively unreliable class D amps before. Everyone knows Ampeg are a shell of what they used to be. My current view of Ashdown is clouded by the likes of the Superfly and Little Giant - even though they were both years ago, nothing has come out since that's set my world alight. The MiBass, for example... in a world where TC and Genz were blazing ahead on the features and design, they needed to pull it out of the bag. And they didn't. I'm not going to defend a business just because they're British. Why would I do that? I'd love to see them back where they belong, but the products and marketing are responsible for that. Not the opinions of numpties like me on the internet. By the way, did we find out where the B:Social is being manufactured? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluRay Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1425282629' post='2705725'] Everyone knows Ampeg are a shell of what they used to be. [/quote] Out of interest, how so? I've never used ampeg gear - so don't have a view either way. Just interested really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1425282629' post='2705725'] nothing has come out since that's set my world alight. [/quote] Hehe , no comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazdah Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 TC and Genz? You mean the ones who cheated about the power rating of their amps (250w instead of 450) and the ones recently shut down?. Very ahead indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 [quote name='mazdah' timestamp='1425634769' post='2709192'] TC and Genz? You mean the ones who cheated about the power rating of their amps (250w instead of 450) and the ones recently shut down?. Very ahead indeed. [/quote] Dunno about Genz... if the Little Giant can be a 'real' 1000w, no reason why the Streamliner can't be 900w too. *cough* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 To be fair Genz was producing great gear that bass players really rated and it was the decision of its parent company, Fender, to close it down, for reasons no one can understand. Genz would certainly be on my list if I was out to buy a new amp. As for TC over egging their power ratings, it's been well discussed, and to be honest I'm weary of most manufacturers claims. They all measure these things differently anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Back on a more positive note, I'm REALLY looking forward to trying one of these out on Saturday. I actually would love a little practice amp, and this would be ideal, bar the price, but given how many things it can do and that it could replace, it might still be worth pitching it to my other half Will report back after the weekend. Eude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1425250443' post='2705629'] I just don't understand it. Ampeg come out with massively unreliable Class D amps and people defend them to the hilt. Ashdown come out with new technology and everybody uses this as a chance to get the boot in. If British bassists defended British manufacturers the same way American bassists defended theirs then this forum would be a slightly more positive place perhaps. Not sure we need pages of Ashdown bashing, and I'm glad to see a rep coming on here and kicking some backsides. [/quote] People mocked the horseless carriage and said it would never catch on. As other people have pointed out, Ashdown aren't the first company to produce something in this vein, but they are dabbling in a [i]relatively[/i] new concept, which will unfortunately attract a lot of people whose instinct will be to say, "what's the point of that?", "it'll never catch on", or, occasionally, "yes, but is it any good for metal?" Edited March 6, 2015 by EliasMooseblaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan670844 Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) Hear hear, I haven't been on here for ages as I was getting pretty tired of the equipment manufacturer bashing, everybody has the right to like their own particular brand of stuff; everybody's taste is different. On here however, Ashdown receives a particularly hard time. I love their stuff, most of it, only things I didn't like was the early Mag cabs as they seemed to lack in the midrange department. But they where a worthy attempt at try to get some low end in the lower end of the bass amp market. I think for the money Mag heads brill, they are very dynamic and have a great adjustable tone and power. The new mag cabs for the money are good and have lost that woollyness that everybody complained about. Ashdown have something for everyone, the Uk made is proper high end stuff and up there with the best, particulary, the GP12 style, the UK ABM and the Valve stuff. I use their valve gear and love it, nothing sounds like it for the money, its ultra reliable but more important has been designed so that even numpty like me can look after it, change valves and bias etc. So no expensive trips to the amp doctors. I also have to say their customer service is second to none...... I commend them also for trying to being innovative, they do not follow they lead in innovation. Which is great, for a relatively small company, they do not always get it right but when they do, they get it very right. Everybody else seems to be offering more of less the same things with varying degrees of success. I don't think we should be bashing any amplifier maker, lets just say we don't like it and find what we do like. How all these manufacturers make money and more importantly develop their products, with the amount of money that most are prepared to pay for an amp is pretty outstanding work from everybody. Back in the day I remember when I bought my first High end amp a Trace GP12SMX and RM300, It was series money topping £2K. Inflatation dictates that high end stuff should be more expensive it isn't...... For the record this device looks very interesting, if you bother to look at the specs of it and what it can actually do, it is actually good value for money..... Edited March 6, 2015 by dan670844 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [quote name='eude' timestamp='1425641558' post='2709270'] Back on a more positive note, I'm REALLY looking forward to trying one of these out on Saturday. Will report back after the weekend. [/quote] And? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 [quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1425250443' post='2705629'] I just don't understand it. Ampeg come out with massively unreliable Class D amps and people defend them to the hilt. Ashdown come out with new technology and everybody uses this as a chance to get the boot in. If British bassists defended British manufacturers the same way American bassists defended theirs then this forum would be a slightly more positive place perhaps. Not sure we need pages of Ashdown bashing, and I'm glad to see a rep coming on here and kicking some backsides. [/quote] Ashdown have made their share of Class D clunkers too. I'll never forgive them for the lack of concern they gave to me and the problems I had with my Superfly amp and as a result I'll never entertain the idea of buying one of their products ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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