GremlinAndy Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 [quote name='~tl' post='390152' date='Jan 24 2009, 01:15 AM']Hmm, interesting. Any idea on the depth of that thing? All the 1U class-D amps I've come across (albeit in a fairly limited search) are stupidly deep, and hence won't fit in to a standard rack case...[/quote] well I own a Powersoft, and they are insanely deep (only 1u high) BUT it does fit in a standard rack. It sticks out into the back lid area, but still fits. Dunno if that's any use to anyone? I guess it couldn't hurt to be careful of the depth, if you have a rack already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Afraid I don't know the depth or anything yet, I am actually hoping it is fairly deep so that the footprint of my vbass pre sits on it securely. It looks quite deep in the pics... I will post a full report when it arrives. I have been speaking to Mark at Bass Direct about a couple of second hand 1x12 with horn bass/pa cabs which I may hook up to it. I will have to get myself there and out some cabs through their paces. As I am using IEMs anyway pretty much all the time the rig is just for a bit of fun and teaching, I may use it live for a bit of rumble where the monitors at the venue aren't up to scratch, but I think I will have a superb sounding full stereo rig for under £300... The only reason I definitely want stereo is because most of the synths I use need stereo to be fully unleashed... Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 [quote name='~tl' post='390152' date='Jan 24 2009, 01:15 AM']Hmm, interesting. Any idea on the depth of that thing? All the 1U class-D amps I've come across (albeit in a fairly limited search) are stupidly deep, and hence won't fit in to a standard rack case...[/quote] Got the poweramp today. It is a classy little unit - very light and shallow in depth and height... here are some pics. The depth measures 25.5m I am taking it round to kiwi's on Sunday for a play... Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Oh quick Q... I have asked the seller (who seems a cool chap) but thought I might ask here too.. When I want to use this in stereo I hook up a speaker to each output of the amp, but for mono is it OK to just plug in one speaker and nothing into the other, or do both have to be plugged into something before I power up? Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='395012' date='Jan 29 2009, 10:24 PM']Oh quick Q... I have asked the seller (who seems a cool chap) but thought I might ask here too.. When I want to use this in stereo I hook up a speaker to each output of the amp, but for mono is it OK to just plug in one speaker and nothing into the other, or do both have to be plugged into something before I power up? Cheers ped[/quote] I had a Peavey DPC (digital power convertor) power amp and you could run it with just one side hooked up with no detriment to the side with no load on it (same as the old bi-amp GK 800RB that had a 100 + 300 watt pair of outputs, it still ran perfectly OK with only a single speaker connected to any one of the outputs). You'd only have real issues with valve amps running without a load attached! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Hi mate, The chaps on Talkbass seem to think the same. I guess the only way to know is to try it.... Here is the TB thread: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511590"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511590[/url] So it should DEFINITELY be OK then eh? I'm scared :-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='395091' date='Jan 30 2009, 12:33 AM']Hi mate, The chaps on Talkbass seem to think the same. I guess the only way to know is to try it.... Here is the TB thread: [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511590"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511590[/url] So it should DEFINITELY be OK then eh? I'm scared :-0[/quote] If it were me Ped, I'd not be overly worried (easy to say as it 'isn't' me ). There are loads of stereo switching amps that don't require a load on each side, I suppose you could get someone to sort you out a dummy load for the unused out but again I'd not be worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) If there's a manual have a look. Otherwise, yes, most solidstate amps are fine without. Edited January 30, 2009 by The Funk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 [quote name='bass_ferret' post='383694' date='Jan 18 2009, 01:31 AM']....Sorry but IMO opinion for that budget you are wasting your time....[/quote] Well, judging by the rest of the posts in this topic, you can get a lot of great and relevant information from guys that have a positive and helpful attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I will give it a try at Kiwi's on Sunday. I might as well try it in stereo first though... I will be using it this way 99% of the time anyway so just wondered if there was an easy answer to my quandary - it seems like there sort of is... And Chrisb is right, you can pick up some bargains, especially if your poweramp is just a no name jobbie which internally is probably the same as a branded one but without the sensationalist hype I see a lot nowadays! I am on the lookout for cabs now but I anticipate having an 800w stereo rig which weighs next to nothing for under £300. ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Indeed, it's only if you have an output transformer that you'd have a problem. With no speakers connected the amp will see an infinite load so although the transistors will amplify voltage no current will flow, hence no risk of anything. If you had an output transformer (in bass amps only found in valve amps and the Jonas Hellborg signature amps) then the output section (be it valve or transistor) would amplify voltage and then current will flow from them and through the primary winding of the output transformer but this energy will not be then absorbed by the secondary winding of the output transformer and then sent on to the speaker, it will instead stay in the output transformer, build up and kill it (and I believe this is similar to how too high an impedance load can kill a valve amp). Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Excellent, cheers Alex. It seems like it will be safe to power up at home even though I don't have any speakers yet... who dares me? Anyone willing to stake £90 and their reputation on it?? lol ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='395363' date='Jan 30 2009, 01:18 PM']... who dares me? Anyone willing to stake £90 and their reputation on it?? lol[/quote] If it does spontaneously combust it won't be because you hadn't got any speakers connected, it'll be because it was knackered! What odds will you give me on my £90 stake? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Well I just powered it up and I am delighted to say I still have my eyebrows and my hands intact. The poweramp is completely silent and says the power source is 'high quality' which endears me to it even more. The school I was in today had a couple of decent looking wedge monitors lying about that I was really tempted to nick but ah well I will wait until I get mine I suppose!! Cheers Chuffed ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 P.s I hope nobody minds me taking this thread off at a tangent - apologies!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 [quote name='ped' post='395506' date='Jan 30 2009, 04:01 PM']Well I just powered it up and I am delighted to say I still have my eyebrows and my hands intact.[/quote] And you never gave me your starting price! The cheek of it... Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Just put together my "lightweight" rig; Trace-Elliot V-type all-valve pre-amp - £150 (thanks synthaesthsia!) QSC RMX-850 power amp - £90 on ebay (obliged to The Funk for words of wisdom) 3u rack case - hopefully £30-ish boutique tone and 600W power for £270 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 [quote name='Shaggy' post='395785' date='Jan 30 2009, 09:59 PM']Just put together my "lightweight" rig; Trace-Elliot V-type all-valve pre-amp - £150 (thanks synthaesthsia!) QSC RMX-850 power amp - £90 on ebay (obliged to The Funk for words of wisdom) 3u rack case - hopefully £30-ish boutique tone and 600W power for £270 [/quote] Nice work! And I would put good money on the power that amp can put out being significantly greater than any similarly rated bass amp, plus the highpass filtering and quality clip limiters will allow you to make better use of it without causing speakers to complain. I look forward to hearing how it works for you. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Sounds awesome Shaggy. Nice work. Cheers ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Shaggy' post='395785' date='Jan 30 2009, 09:59 PM']Just put together my "lightweight" rig; Trace-Elliot V-type all-valve pre-amp - £150 (thanks synthaesthsia!) QSC RMX-850 power amp - £90 on ebay (obliged to The Funk for words of wisdom) 3u rack case - hopefully £30-ish boutique tone and 600W power for £270 [/quote] Glad you are happy with the Trace V. Overall weight is relative when you have a roller rack a la the Gator ones. Roller Gator's can be had for little more than cost at CLD and if you are not brand conscious you can find cheapo Stagg roller racks from Music King. Their designs are stupidly miscalculated, their 4U racks lose 1U due to the roller mechanism, but then it becomes a perfect 3U roller rack. I still have one which I use and can't say that other than design stupidity that there is anything wrong with how it functions. Except for a 2U rack, all my racks are rollers now and my back is not complaining. Edited January 31, 2009 by synaesthesia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='alexclaber' post='396000' date='Jan 31 2009, 10:36 AM']Nice work! And I would put good money on the power that amp can put out being significantly greater than any similarly rated bass amp, plus the highpass filtering and quality clip limiters will allow you to make better use of it without causing speakers to complain. I look forward to hearing how it works for you. Alex[/quote] Those QSC's are an amazing amount of amp for the money - the features you mentioned, allows unbalanced jack inputs which quite a few don't, and many possible bi-amping / mono bridging configurations. I'd actually been bidding on a much higher specced QSC, got outbid at £230, in frustration bid on the next QSC amp with 42 mins to go that I knew absolutely nothing about (the RMX-850) and won it, also turned out to be close to where I work so saved £15 postage. Lucky that time, but could've been a lemon! [quote name='ped' post='396011' date='Jan 31 2009, 10:55 AM']Sounds awesome Shaggy. Nice work. Cheers ped[/quote] Thanks Ped, I'd been about to start looking for one of those BK's of yours - having used a Yamaha BBT-500H I'm a big fan of digital [quote name='synaesthesia' post='396017' date='Jan 31 2009, 11:02 AM']Glad you are happy with the Trace V. Overall weight is relative when you have a roller rack a la the Gator ones. Roller Gator's can be had for little more than cost at CPC, and if you are not brand conscious you can find cheapo Stagg roller racks from Music King. Their designs are stupidly miscalculated, their 4U racks lose 1U due to the roller mechanism, but then it becomes a perfect 3U roller rack. I still have one which I use and can't say that other than design stupidity that there is anything wrong with how it functions. Except for a 2U rack, all my racks are rollers now and my back is not complaining.[/quote] Cheers synaethesia, I'll check those out! The Trace pre is lush, like my old Bassman but far clearer and louder. Edited January 31, 2009 by Shaggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 (edited) Sorry I 've made a mistake and edited the above post.... you can get Gators from CLD not CPC. [url="http://www.cld-dist.co.uk/"]http://www.cld-dist.co.uk/[/url] Music King for Stagg: [url="http://www.themusicking.co.uk/4u-abs-rack-case-with-integrated-trolley"]http://www.themusicking.co.uk/4u-abs-rack-...egrated-trolley[/url] Edited January 31, 2009 by synaesthesia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIM Basses Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Nice work on that rig, Ive been looking into the whole Class D power stuff. Im gonna put some stuff up later on that. Found these guy doing some nice class d poweramps [url="http://www.tafnaudio.com/dtech_series.htm"]http://www.tafnaudio.com/dtech_series.htm[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 (edited) OK the cheapo is rig is starting to come toghether. An ART Tube MP Studio V3 microphone preamp arrived today (£42). Very pleasant hooked up to the Ashdown with the eq off. Just need a power amp for £57 or under. More news and perhaps even noises to come. There will be more questions from me when I start plugging things together. Edited February 5, 2009 by deaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Only one I can think of in my current state is the Pod X3 (I think any of the versions would do- not sure if the kidney bean has an FX loop though). Not a 1U rackmount though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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