skychaserhigh Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 When I used class D amps , I could get an ok sound but it felt empty. Going back to my older amps gave me a better sound with that full fat bass feeling that drives the band. This is my interpretation of 'Heft'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1464596315' post='3060509'] Heft, for me, is the quality of bass sound that hits you in the body, not something you get with your ears. [/quote] That would be my definition too Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1464594846' post='3060487'] Which amp are you using? [/quote] Been using a Glockenklang blue soul for the last year, but just got a Epifani piccolo which also doesn't appear to be lacking any "heft". As far as I know both these amps have proprietary power modules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is a spectacularly illogical poll. If you honestly think that no class D amps can do heft then why on earth would some £200 9V powered effect pedal be able to add that heft? What I call 'heft' is the ability of a rig to produce unencumbered weighty sonic output below 80Hz. Others may consider it something else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I would love to do some blind sound tests with some of you guys!! Some of you appear to have a truly remarkable sense of sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) [quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1464605339' post='3060670'] This is a spectacularly illogical poll. If you honestly think that no class D amps can do heft then why on earth would some £200 9V powered effect pedal be able to add that heft? What I call 'heft' is the ability of a rig to produce unencumbered weighty sonic output below 80Hz. Others may consider it something else... [/quote] Quite! Don't you know that putting go faster stripes on a car actually makes it go faster? :-p Edited May 30, 2016 by EBS_freak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 nothing wrong with ss amps i loved my old markbass lm2 but valves have a sound and putting drives on top of driven tubes sounds amazing. not saying the class d stuff sounds bad, but also alot depends on the cab aswell ive tried really small 112's and it just doesnt sound as big as i want, not tried any barefaced cabs but my current 810 is my favourite cab, massive mid punch! low mids for me is where the punch/heft is. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I may be totally wrong. Ok so class d basically has a transistor shut on and off rapidly. This is very efficient. But Just like an interlaced picture vs progressive, or a refresh rate of a picture that supposedly we can't see, some people do notice these differences as its a on off picture basically. Where as other forms of amplication like class A etc is always on a bit like a progressive scan pic. Not efficient amp tech but noted for its sound quality. Is this possible where the lack of heft some people perceive is coming from. That like a refresh rate etc some can see or in this case hear the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 I don't want the sub 80hz on stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 [quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1464611672' post='3060757'] I don't want the sub 80hz on stage. [/quote] Indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Dunky Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This is very interesting for me right now as I'm about ready to buy an amp, and I know the tones I like - Mark Bass, Genz Benz, Ashdown, Aguilar, SWR - but I'm very aware of the whole Heft issue. I want a fairly light amp that I can carry without breaking my back....but I do not want something which has a thin tone - I contemplated a Rumble V3 but they seem a little thin. So here's the question - if I have a budget of £500 and I don't care if it's combo or separates, don't care if it's new or used (I imagine it would be used given my budget) I want 250-300w of oomph......what should I buy? Not looking to hijack the thread, so if the mods want me to start a separate thread for this, I happily shall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 Well I like my Aguilar Tonehammers paired with a Sansamp, these give me the elusive bigness/heft that I want. But I recently heard the Ashdown Rootmaster and it seems to have the sound I want from just the amp so I`d recommend trying them out. If they did a DI/Preamp pedal that matched I`d be all over them I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Dunky Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Yeah the Rootmaster is a peach but a tad heavy. But you have to compromise somewhere, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 For me nothing matches the sound of an all-valve amp. But the G-K MB500 Fusion is the lightweight amp that has so far been closest to that experience. In my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1464523291' post='3060042'] Re the various opinions on heft, just interested to see how people prefer to get it. [/quote] I had my vaccinations against heft many years ago.Thankfully, they have never failed me to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Dunky Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 [quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1464668077' post='3061222'] I had my vaccinations against heft many years ago.Thankfully, they have never failed me to date. [/quote] Heft B or Heft C? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Amp wise I once got close with an Orange Bass terror, cab wise ive not tried anything from the lightweight crew that would make me give up my heavyweight gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I'm another one that struggles with many people on here's definition of "heft". In fact, the phrase has been bandied about on here so much recently that I think it's lost a lot of meaning anyway - it's turned into a rather lame joke. For me "heft" (if there is such a thing) is the power of the bass hitting you, as the words are linked I'd say it's similar to the notes having weight. In my experience this generally only comes from big tube amps - they have many an issue such as cost, weight, size etc... but they do provide heft. Some old-fashioned SS heads do a decent approximation at a substantially lower cost & weight (whilst still not being light!). The current crop of class-d bass amps most certainly do not - I'm sure if you measured them they are equally capable of reaching the same volume with the same frequencies covered but IMO they just don't have it - adding a Sansamp or Tonehammer in-front categorically does not add "heft", I was actually surprised to even read that as a thread title. I'm sure it'll come - the proper professional standard class-d PA's can do it so it's just a matter of time before the clever people out there work out how to make the bass amps work too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1464611340' post='3060749'] I may be totally wrong. Ok so class d basically has a transistor shut on and off rapidly. This is very efficient. But Just like an interlaced picture vs progressive, or a refresh rate of a picture that supposedly we can't see, some people do notice these differences as its a on off picture basically. [/quote] The switching frequency is way above the audible range at which point the difference between a continuous and sampled signal becomes moot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1464605562' post='3060676'] I would love to do some blind sound tests with some of you guys!! Some of you appear to have a truly remarkable sense of sound. [/quote] These echo my thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 [quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1464695557' post='3061471'] These echo my thoughts. [/quote] And conversely, I'm amazed that it's a characteristic that passes so many people by. We're all different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 It definitely passes me by... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Heft is a word I use to try and describe the sound of an amp, along with a lot of other words.Trying to describe the sound of an amp (or anything else) that someone else hasn't heard is really a pointless task, as both the sound and the words are open to interpretation - and in any case sound is incredibly subjective. Even a recording of a bass being played through an amp (on YouTube, for example) is also pointless as there are so many variables to take into consideration such as recording quality, type of speakers used to listen to the recording, and on and on. At the end of the day whether your gear sounds any good is most likely down to whether you can actually play the bass or not. Edited May 31, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 Anybody played an Orange Terror Bass and found it to lack heft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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