EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 (edited) 11 minutes ago, lemmywinks said: Thanks, the main interest for me is being able to try different preamps which would be an improvement on what I have now without the associated astronomical costs, hopefully in a package that is convenient to gig with - ie a smallish floor unit. For years now I've basically left the amp controls alone and used instrument specific preamps as my favourite sounds have always been bass straight to the desk and I wanted to recreate that. Just a little bit of eq and compression is all I use. I've never used any modelling units before (aside from early Line 6 guitar stuff which I didn't like) so I have no idea how they actually work. I assumed you'd be able to download/share profiles or is it a bit more regulated than that? Obviously I'm not expecting a Helix to be able to model them directly itself, I just thought there would be a plethora of preamp and compressor profiles to go through and pick what I liked. I would imagine that the blocks in the Helix are more than configurable enough for you to cop pretty much any tone you are looking for within reason. Yes there’s a community for sharing profiles but there’s lots of opportunity for you to go alone to get your own unique tone - perhaps some of the diehard Helix fans here will be able to offer you some hands on experience or be able to get together with you to show you the art of the possible. The trouble is that if you go into a shop, the probability of finding somebody that could do a decent job of showing the unit off, especially from a bass centric point of view, is likely to be very low. Have a dig in the helix thread and see who pops up. Edited January 5, 2019 by EBS_freak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 2 hours ago, CameronJ said: @Jack to add context to this, the 32A replaced a Tecamp Puma 900 paired with a TKS 1126 cab - regarded by many as a very capable “one cab solution”. It’s one of those cabs that will soak up as much power as you want to give it and keep on going, with its high excursion 12” driver paired with a 6” mid/high driver. It’s a monster. Having said that, when I A/B’d the two rigs against each other the 32A felt just as deep but significantly clearer than the Tecamp/TKS rig, especially noticeable when playing back recorded music. I do vocal looping on the side and use a lot of effects on my bass so a transparent response with tons of headroom is a gift for me. Thanks, Cameron. This is good to hear. 3 hours ago, LukeFRC said: You are in the north east aren’t you... as is that gumtree seller Funny, that... 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, EBS_freak said: Before you get too overboard about it though, the audience won’t be able to tell/care the difference between the two. If you are an IEM user however, that’s where you can really begin to appreciate the subtlety. These wise words have made up my mind I think. One can go deeper and deeper into this world and although perfectly happy to pay out for good gear, there is little point if an audience doesn’t notice the quality of the sound and even less point if the subtle nuances are lost on me too! I think the Alix will be a discernible (to me) step up from the Fishman PP but I will do that comparison before I buy it. I don’t use IEMs and as much as I like pukka gear I have to be realistic about what I’m playing where and if it will make a discernible difference to me let alone the audience. I think bass > Alix > QSC is going to be top flight as far as I’m concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 That setup with the Alix, I would take that rig over 99.9% of other rigs that I see out there. Will be an astonishingly good setup - as you’ll no doubt hear. Do give them an A/B though because that Fishman is also a great pre - so let your ears rule you, not the price tag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 And PS - I’ll get you on IEMs yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 16 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: That setup with the Alix, I would take that rig over 99.9% of other rigs that I see out there. Will be an astonishingly good setup - as you’ll no doubt hear. Do give them an A/B though because that Fishman is also a great pre - so let your ears rule you, not the price tag! I will give them both a try, there’s a lot I could do with the money the Alix costs, like find a short scale fretted bass that I actually like! 16 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: And PS - I’ll get you on IEMs yet ...I think it’s the next thing on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, Frank Blank said: ...I think it’s the next thing on my list. In which case, don’t bother with a pre... get a digital mixing desk... that’ll give you a very powerful EQ section and dynamics processor to use with your FRFR.... and gear you up ready for IEMs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: In which case, don’t bother with a pre... get a digital mixing desk... that’ll give you a very powerful EQ section and dynamics processor to use with your FRFR.... and gear you up ready for IEMs... Should we continue this discussion on..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Thinking about potential preamps made me remember I had an old Joe Meek VC3 knocking around which for some reason I haven't thought about in ages, anyway plugged it into the QSC and it sounds absolutely killer. Very clear and lively with beautiful compression so I think I might take that to our next gig. It's only small (about the size of a big DI box) so won't take up much space. I have no idea when that circuit was designed but it still does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 8 minutes ago, Frank Blank said: Should we continue this discussion on..? If you’d like yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, lemmywinks said: Thinking about potential preamps made me remember I had an old Joe Meek VC3 knocking around which for some reason I haven't thought about in ages, anyway plugged it into the QSC and it sounds absolutely killer. Very clear and lively with beautiful compression so I think I might take that to our next gig. It's only small (about the size of a big DI box) so won't take up much space. I have no idea when that circuit was designed but it still does the trick. Just how many ways are you trying to kill rock n roll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 minute ago, EBS_freak said: Just how many ways are you trying to kill rock n roll? Just the one which involves not spending a small fortune to replace already extremely nice equipment! Only bad news is the enhance LED no longer works on mine, should be easy enough to replace and the effect is still audible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 8 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: If you’d like yeah! I’ll just wade through 64 pages... I play (mainly) in an acoustic duo, do you think IEMs are usable in that situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 2 minutes ago, Frank Blank said: I’ll just wade through 64 pages... I play (mainly) in an acoustic duo, do you think IEMs are usable in that situation? Absolutely - I use them in all kinds of situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 05/01/2019 at 10:15, roblpm said: I am thinking minimal.....! I have Behringer BDI21 which is I suppose as minimal as there is....! I sometimes use a simple overdrive pedal, but otherwise I'm plugging straight in with my P bass with flats. Sounds so nice I don't feel the need to adjust anything at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/rcf-745-as/1326252184?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social no idea if that’s a good price but secondhand pair of RCF 745a between Liverpool and Manchester... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 1 minute ago, LukeFRC said: https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/rcf-745-as/1326252184?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social no idea if that’s a good price but secondhand pair of RCF 745a between Liverpool and Manchester... Look to be in decent condition and cased. 750 a piece. Not too shabby value for money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intime-nick Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 (edited) I’ve been trying to convince our drummer who owns the band PA to sell his (albeit nice) Yamaha DXR12 tops and DXS12 sub for a pair of these but he’s not convinced (yet) - we run the whole band through the PA so I know it’s just a matter of time before he cracks ! He did say at practice last night that he’d like to hear a pair of 745s at a gig before making his mind up but trying to rent or find a pair to loan is a bit of a challenge. Might just get these and bypass the drummer ! Edited January 10, 2019 by intime-nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 14 hours ago, intime-nick said: I’ve been trying to convince our drummer who owns the band PA to sell his (albeit nice) Yamaha DXR12 tops and DXS12 sub for a pair of these but he’s not convinced (yet) - we run the whole band through the PA so I know it’s just a matter of time before he cracks ! He did say at practice last night that he’d like to hear a pair of 745s at a gig before making his mind up but trying to rent or find a pair to loan is a bit of a challenge. Might just get these and bypass the drummer ! You've got two bands now... and a back line. Cmon, it's an easy decision. But then again, I am a complete gear slut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Having finally settled on an FRFR set up that’s is, by far, the best amplification solution I’ve ever used, I have now bumped into the next hurdle, which, to be honest, I should have considered before buying the preamp. I play an acoustic fretless bass through a Fishman Platinum Pro and into a QSC K12.2 and it’s exactly the sound I’ve been after for, well, decades really and that would be fine only I need to play my fretted four string through the same set up. Playing live or whilst rehearsing I alternate between basses, obviously the settings on the preamp need to change yet the Fishman has only one channel and obviously I don’t want to be altering the eq back and forth as the basses change. Are there preamps with the ability to save different eq settings and switch between them? Or is there another solution to this? I am hoping the only answer isn’t a Kemper or a Helix but as ever I’m open to persuasion @EBS_freak... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 (edited) I have an EQ pedal so that I can both bring the level of the Sterling down to that of the Rickenbacker and be able to adjust the EQ keeping my main preamp pedal set on the one setting. I think that it would only be if I needed mild overdrive etc that I would need more than this but the EQ pedal does what I need and keeps it simple Edited January 12, 2019 by Delberthot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 The Radial Bassbone is made for that sort of thing - not particularly cheap, but IIRC there may be one in the FS on here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Blank Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 5 minutes ago, Muzz said: The Radial Bassbone is made for that sort of thing - not particularly cheap, but IIRC there may be one in the FS on here... Cheers @Muzz! Just looking at the Bassbone OD, it appears to do exactly what I’m looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 @Frank Blank maybe consider something like a XR12 - you can dedicate a channel to each bass, each with individual gain and EQ and compression, overdrive etc... to build your core tone for each instrument... whatever you need. The amount of processing you get in that small box is just staggering, if you can’t make that work for you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 13 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: @Frank Blank maybe consider something like a XR12 - you can dedicate a channel to each bass, each with individual gain and EQ and compression, overdrive etc... to build your core tone for each instrument... whatever you need. The amount of processing you get in that small box is just staggering, if you can’t make that work for you... That looks completely nuts for £200, good OS compatibility too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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