The HandBox Amplification thread

[MrDinsdale]

Yeah I have the Scarlett too, great and cost effective but lack of pad is annoying. With my old GK it was really hot on the DI, used to have to put a separate DI in the FX loop with a pad to get a usable signal.

 

I was originally talking about a load box for using to record at home etc without a cab. Having an attenuator to control the DI signal to hand at gigs definitely wouldn't hurt though!

[dmccombe7]

4 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

I think you might be talking about attenuating the hot DI out when newbie was considering a speaker substitute load, which could lead to a very wrong conclusion if he wasn't all that bright!

Ah, i didn't think of that either. I just assumed it was for the DI output. 

[peteb]

Is this 'hot DI' issue just with the WB-100? I've done loads of gigs with my R-400 and never had any issue with the DI at all. 

 

[wateroftyne]

Apologies - was skim reading.

 

’Issue’ (it’s not really that, but…) is just with the newest variant of the WB. A simple attenuator brings it down to lower levels.

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, MrDinsdale said:

I was originally talking about a load box for using to record at home etc without a cab.

 

The problem with this is that for a traditional bass rig your cabs are just as important to your sound as the amp, so running the amp on its own is never going to be an effective solution, as you'll be forever messing with the EQ trying to replicate the sound of the missing cab(s). If you were to look at getting a load box, the only one I could recommend for this kind of amp is the now discontinued Marshall PowerBrake, which is big, heavy and even with the fan running will get very hot (it's trying to dissipate 100W of audio power as heat). None of these devices are really designed for bass amps - they are aimed at guitarists trying to tame slightly over-loud 50W amps. IMO you are better off forgetting about the amp entirely for home recording and get a pre-amp/DI with a suitable sound.

Edited April 11, 2023 by BigRedX

[MrDinsdale]

2 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

The problem with this is that for a traditional bass rig your cabs are just as important to your sound as the amp, so running the amp on its own is never going to be an effective solution, as you'll be forever messing with the EQ trying to replicate the sound of the missing cab(s). If you were to look at getting a load box, the only one I could recommend for this kind of amp is the now discontinued Marshall PowerBrake, which is big, heavy and even with the fan running will get very hot (it's trying to dissipate 100W of audio power as heat). None of these devices are really designed for bass amps - they are aimed at guitarists trying to tame slightly over-loud 50W amps. IMO you are better off forgetting about the amp entirely for home recording and get a pre-amp/DI with a suitable sound.

Yeah the more I've read the more i think I'm happy to just keep to the Jad Freer Capo for recording and home practice, it sounds incredible. I always take a clean DI when recording so i can always reamp with the WB100 at a later date if I feel it's missing some valve goodness.

 

Even if I got a 1x10 or something again for home I'd still be limited by only really getting to practice when the child was asleep.

[dmccombe7]

30 minutes ago, MrDinsdale said:

Yeah the more I've read the more i think I'm happy to just keep to the Jad Freer Capo for recording and home practice, it sounds incredible. I always take a clean DI when recording so i can always reamp with the WB100 at a later date if I feel it's missing some valve goodness.

 

Even if I got a 1x10 or something again for home I'd still be limited by only really getting to practice when the child was asleep.

Have you considered noise cancelling headphones for the baby / youngster. Keep the bass sound true and go with altering your surroundings to accommodate the bass. 

Job done 

Dave

 

 

[MrDinsdale]

1 minute ago, dmccombe7 said:

Have you considered noise cancelling headphones for the baby / youngster. Keep the bass sound true and go with altering your surroundings to accommodate the bass. 

Job done 

Dave

 

 

Haha I like your style 😂

[dmccombe7]

5 minutes ago, MrDinsdale said:

Haha I like your style 😂

I jest of course. 

[MrDinsdale]

It's a keeper!

[wateroftyne]

9 minutes ago, MrDinsdale said:

It's a keeper!

What the dickens did that sound like..???

[MrDinsdale]

Hefty! It sounds perfect, lots of grit and handles extra drive pedals perfectly. Everyone had a little raised eyebrow when I booted it up followed by an appreciative stank face. I wasn't sure how it would hold up for getting some more aggressive tones as most of the demos I've heard have been more funk, blues and rock but it doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

 

It's a perfect replacement for the Marshall 40kg monster.

 

It works beautifully with the Jad Freer Capo preamp upfront. The Model Fet and Longsword pedals give some fantastic clank where needed, they sounded great already but the WB-100 really brings them to life.

 

Completely anecdotal but I don't remember grinning this much while playing my old GK 700rb or Fusion S 800. The Marshall VBA400 is the only other amp I've tried and immediately thought I couldn't imagine using anything else.

[wateroftyne]

Fantastic!

[Woody1957]

15 hours ago, MrDinsdale said:

It's a keeper!

Where's this?...in your living room?

[MrDinsdale]

1 hour ago, Woody1957 said:

Where's this?...in your living room?

Haha na my partner would kill me if i even suggested it, this is the rehearsal room we use at Prospect Studio near Bradford.

 

We do also have a very similar collection of monsteras in our living room though.

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, MrDinsdale said:

Haha na my partner would kill me if i even suggested it, this is the rehearsal room we use at Prospect Studio near Bradford.

 

We do also have a very similar collection of monsteras in our living room though.

If a wife loves you enough she'll let you rehearse in the house. 

Obviously i rehearse in a studio and she doesn't follow BC. 

Dave

 

[MrDinsdale]

She asked if I liked the amp after practice and instantly started rolling her eyes. That's even before I proceeded to talk about girthy drive tones and pillowy lows at her for 10 mins.

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, MrDinsdale said:

She asked if I liked the amp after practice and instantly started rolling her eyes. That's even before I proceeded to talk about girthy drive tones and pillowy lows at her for 10 mins.

Keep at it. After a while she'll get so bored, fed up and worn down that she'll give in to your demands. 

So i've been told 

Dave

[scrumpymike]

So here's a question for you. My gig cab is a LFSys Monaco that's rated at 600W and it's an absolute keeper. Amp-wise I have a Mesa Subway TT-800 which just about delivers the volume I need for my classic-rock covers band through the 8ohm cab in the larger venues we play.

 

I'm tempted to sell my R-400 and get a WB-100 but what volume levels am I likely to get from the 120W all-valver relative to my TT-800?

[dmccombe7]

Dont know about the TT800 volume but i get equivalent volumes to my Mpulse600. 

That's with both amps set up almost exactly same.

Gain 1 o'clock

Bass - flat

Mid - 1 on Mesa and 2 on HB

Treble - flat

Master - typically between 10-11 o'clock on either amp.

 

I dont generally use para EQ on the Mesa or the crunch and bright buttons are off on HB.

I've used it in 150 sized venues without PA support altho i'm using 2 cabs bringing it to 4 ohms. I have used one 8ohm cab in a smaller venue with punk covers band and it sounded much same volume to be honest but that's not a like for like so probably irrelevant.

 

I did a trial at WoT's house between his R400 and my WB-100 and there wasn't much difference in tone. Maybe very slightly fuller or bit more depth in the WB-100 but honestly not a lot in it and if i was using just the R400 i probably would never have noticed the difference.

We weren't there specifically to do a A/B test but we were curious LOL

Not sure i'd sell my R400 for the WB-100 TBH. IMO they are close sounding amps The R400 being lighter and having no power valves to worry about in the future.

 

@wateroftyne should be a lot more help with this as he has both and has gigged both. He also has far more experience than i have.

 

Not sure if that helps you. ?

Dave

[scrumpymike]

Thanks Dave. I see the WB-100 has 2 spkr output sockets, 1 x 40hm and 1 x 8ohm. Does this somehow boost the power the amp delivers into a single 8ohm cab?

[warwickhunt]

2 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

Thanks Dave. I see the WB-100 has 2 spkr output sockets, 1 x 40hm and 1 x 8ohm. Does this somehow boost the power the amp delivers into a single 8ohm cab?

No,the opposite.  It delivers the exact same power into either a 4 or 8 ohm load.

 

[Merton]

2 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

So here's a question for you. My gig cab is a LFSys Monaco that's rated at 600W and it's an absolute keeper. Amp-wise I have a Mesa Subway TT-800 which just about delivers the volume I need for my classic-rock covers band through the 8ohm cab in the larger venues we play.

 

I'm tempted to sell my R-400 and get a WB-100 but what volume levels am I likely to get from the 120W all-valver relative to my TT-800?

If you do think of moving the R400 on, let me know please 🙏🏻 

[scrumpymike]

1 hour ago, Merton said:

If you do think of moving the R400 on, let me know please 🙏🏻 

OK, you'll get first refusal when/if I do.

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, scrumpymike said:

Thanks Dave. I see the WB-100 has 2 spkr output sockets, 1 x 40hm and 1 x 8ohm. Does this somehow boost the power the amp delivers into a single 8ohm cab?

Glad you answered that as i wasn't sure. 

Dave