Any love here for Hartke amps and speakers?

[Cuzzie]

Rocker

Unfortunately manufacturers quite lots of figures which are 'correct' but not practical.

It may pump out 600w at a peak, but unfortunately in the real world you need RMS which is what it will pop out continuously.

In a small burst peak, it may reach 600w, but this may be for a second or so, when actually it's continuous power put out is probably 2-300w, hence that what it sounds like.

This reported 'undepowering' is universal across many people's use.
It's a shame their LH series would blow your nuts off, but strained your back humping it around

[indiegrungesound]

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1502715406' post='3353031']

Thanks!... My avatar and username are nods to two of my all time favourite bands. I love the Husker Du logo.
[/quote]

Excellent choices! I really like Interpol. And Hüsker Dü-just like Sugar or anything Bob Mould does now!-are awesome! The band's logo is the only thing I've ever considered getting a tattoo of!

More importantly, I hope the rig, be it in it's current form or potential future expansion, keeps serving you well!

[Wolverinebass]

[quote name='Rocker' timestamp='1502729015' post='3353164']
I don't understand how the TX600 can be deemed underpowered. The spec is 600 Watts at 4 Ohms, 400 Watts at 8 Ohms. If the amp can output that many watts, surely it is the speaker(s) that are letting the side down.

Confused
[/quote]

It's because much like TC Electronic before them, Hartke have cooked the books. I had a shot of one a few weeks ago and it was laughable how low the output was. I would have said it was 300w at 4 ohms. Even at that I felt it was straining.

I don't like the LH series because the EQ is rubbish, but there can be no mistake about the power of them. They're devastatingly loud. Even my own HA5500 will cause people to lose their fillings when cranked. The TX600 to my ears isn't even as loud as an HA2000.

[Rocker]

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1502734574' post='3353202']
Depends on what you want to/are doing? I use my Minimark ( assume you mean the 2X8 250 watt combo and not the Micromark) as a 1 stop solution for small gigs and home practice. For larger gigs I use my CMD121P, sometimes with a NYC12" cab in a large venue.
[b]If you like the MB sound, why change...?[/b]
[/quote]

Good question. Firstly my Minimark is the 2*8 combo you mentioned. It is a great sounding little [and light] box. When I tried out the basses in the shop it was through Hartke kit and that too sounded great. So I wanted to get the lowdown, the opinions of the experts here, on Hartke. It is most likely that I will keep the Minimark and add an external speaker to give more volume. An 8 Ohm 15" speaker might be the solution as might a 4*10" cabinet [though it might be heavy, as would the 15" speaker cabinet]

Thanks Cuzzie for your clarification on the output power. It is a pity about the TX600 as it looks so good with the built in handle, and seems to be well put together.

[Norris]

We used to play at a venue that provided the backline - a LH1000 with 4x10 and 1x15 cabs. After the second gig I took my own Fender Rumble V3 500 combo - much better sound IMHO. I didn't get on with the Hartke gear

[Mykesbass]

I bought a Hartke HA2500 in an emergency (only thing I could get in time for a gig). I also bought a Citroen Picasso 3 days before Christmas - similar circumstances. Both gave a very poor user experience, and I'm so glad they are both now just unhappy memories.

[steve spear]

Have the people complaining about the power issue been trying it at 4 ohms? I've read similar comments on Talk Bass. So I called Hartke and spoke to one of the techs and he said they changed the taper on the gain and master. Don't know if this helped. Anybody?

[Skybone]

Currently have an HA4000 head & an unmatched 4 ohm cab that sounds ace. It's the first Hartke I've had, but very impressed with it. Tried an LH500 and an HA2500 at the same time, but I was more impressed with the 4000, so it was the one I brought home. Tried them all with a Hartke ally cone 2x10, and none of the amps suited it to my ears. The only criticism of the 4000 I have is the weight.

Liking the look of the new HD500 class D combo, even though it doesn't appear to be available in the UK.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Skybone

[bassjim]

Back when Hartke were "the " brand to have, I had a transporter 4 x 10 with a Trace Elliot ah 200 head, and thought that was really good. Gigged it for about a year till I blew one of the cones.  User error all the way.

Then after a stint using trace cabs got a second hand  XL 4 x 10. That was a good cab but very heavy. Used to roll it up and down one step at a time if there were stairs. Good sound though.

My old cat at the time liked it too and when ever possible liked to sneak into my spare room where I kept all my bass gear and fosters up against it. For some reason he really liked the shiny cones. Target practice perhaps but at least one cone was turned yellow. Apart from the smell, the cab continued to work for about 2 years till the acidic content of the cats fosters on one particular cone finally gave way and blew. 

But the sound was always a good one for sure.  These days, those big old cabs are just too impractical for me to contemplate .  I agree the company went downhill a while ago but any of the old cabs and those old kickback combos are still good if you find one.

I only got to use a 200? watt head with a graphic eq once and was very disappointed with that but that but couldn't comment on the stuff with the higher output ratings. 

But at the time they were "the" gear to have and plenty of players used it. Like old Trace stuff, the older stuff, although heavy, was the better stuff ?

 

[davehux]

I'm on my third HA3500 - not because they go wrong, but because I see something else, flit off after it like a demented butterfly and sell the HA, decide I don't like it, and buy another 3500 because they just sound so good.

 

When will I learn!!!!

[discreet]

Anyone used the new Hartke KB12 or KB15? Supposedly 250W RMS / 500W Peak. Only read one review on here which said the KB12 was underpowered. Which is a shame. Anyone else say different?

[AdrianP]

Quote

Anyone used the new Hartke KB12 or KB15? Supposedly 250W RMS / 500W Peak. Only read one review on here which said the KB12 was underpowered. Which is a shame. Anyone else say different?

Yes, I've got one of the KB12s. I bought it when PMT were blowing them out for £220 about six months ago. Whether it's underpowered or not depends on what you expect from it or compare it to, I suppose. For me, it's a £200 combo amp which packs away quite small and is easily powerful enought for rehearsals. That's up against a loud guitarist and a drummer who thinks the only sure sign that he's been hitting hard enough is if he ends up in A&E for precautionary X rays. Actually, we've rehearsed in a couple of studios where I've had to turn down because the KB12 has set off worrying vibrations in the walls and ceiling. So I can't fault it as a rehearsal amp, even with a loud band.

I've only gigged it the once and that was outdoors. So probably not a really fair test. But I would say that it got a little lost in the mix under very testing conditions. The drummer kept asking me to turn up the volume as he couldn't hear me. But turning up past about 2 O'clock had it starting to fart out quite noticably. I'm not sure if that was the driver going past its excursion limit or the class D head starting to clip. But about 1 O'clock was about it's practical limit.

So I get the feeling (bearing out that previous post which I've also read) that the KB12 is probably quite sensitive to room dynamics and placement. In a relatively small room, well placed near a back wall, it could blow your fillings out. But get a badly shaped room, or less than ideal placement, and you could struggle to hear yourself. But that's a difficult thing to test without trying it for real. For what it's worth, I've started putting together a rig consisting of a 700 watt head and, so far, a 12 inch cab. All off the classifieds here. I'll probably add another 12" cab before too long as I know we will be doing more outdoor gigs next summer. And I don't think the KB12 will cut it.

Don't know if that helps any.

A

[discreet]

16 minutes ago, AdrianP said:

Don't know if that helps any.

Yes it does, thanks for your thoughts. The band I'm (possibly) playing with has a quiet, controlled drummer. They are not a rock band. So that could make all the difference.

Mind you, there's nothing worse than having no headroom, or even thinking you may have no headroom, so I'm still not sure...

Edited December 18, 2017 by discreet

[arthurhenry]

On 8/15/2017 at 08:13, Wolverinebass said:

I don't understand how the TX600 can be deemed underpowered. The spec is 600 Watts at 4 Ohms, 400 Watts at 8 Ohms. If the amp can output that many watts, surely it is the speaker(s) that are letting the side down.

Confused

It's because much like TC Electronic before them, Hartke have cooked the books. I had a shot of one a few weeks ago and it was laughable how low the output was. I would have said it was 300w at 4 ohms. Even at that I felt it was straining.

I don't like the LH series because the EQ is rubbish, but there can be no mistake about the power of them. They're devastatingly loud. Even my own HA5500 will cause people to lose their fillings when cranked. The TX600 to my ears isn't even as loud as an HA2000.

Bass Player's review in July 2017 revealed that the TX600s power amp, which is made by another manufacturer (normal practice for digital apparently) has a max output of 400w. Where does Hartke think the other 200w come from?

[Skybone]

There's that new combo out, though it doesn't seem to be available in the UK, but you can get it from Thomann, Musik Productiv & Music Store (DV247). The Hartke HD500, completion for the Fender Rumble 500 & the Ampeg BA210. Good price too.