Ashdown Rootmaster RM owners club

[Muppet]

I had a noisy DI in my ABM 600. Dropped it in to Guy at Ashdown and it was a loose power unit. 

[uk_lefty]

17 hours ago, javi_bassist said:

Hello guys,

 

I had been gigging hard my RM500. However, in my last gigs, the sound guys are telling me that the DI from the head has some noise. They can hide it, but it's there. They also ask me if it has a ground lift switch (I don't know why Ashdown doesn't include it). Do you people have any noise coming from the DI? I have to admit that no one had told me that before the pandemic and I don't listen to any noise when I try it at home.

Never had this myself. Mine is noisy at home (not using DI) but I assume it's picking up electrical interference.

[fretmeister]

Why is there a (I think) Green LED behind the VU as well? 

What is that for? Or is it just for flashy nonsense?

[BassAdder60]

The Led changes colour from green to red if overloaded input signal 

My RM800 never went red !! 

[fretmeister]

I've got EMG's 1mm from the strings. It's quite a high output!

 

I only got it this morning so I need to figure out how to set it up properly.

 

Lovely sounding thing. I'd love to swap that notched master volume for a normal one though.

 

[BassAdder60]

I actually like the notched controls. 
 

I recall when Dave Green posted me a new output pot for a secondhand ABM600 he asked if I wanted stepped or non stepped. I chose stepped and it’s really simple to swop on the ABM but not sure about the RM series 

[Muppet]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

Why is there a (I think) Green LED behind the VU as well? 

What is that for? Or is it just for flashy nonsense?

Ah you went for the RM?  Yeah the green light is fine and the red is interesting if you get there! I also don't like the notched volume control and find that I have to balance the input gain to compensate.

[fretmeister]

54 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said:

I actually like the notched controls. 
 

I recall when Dave Green posted me a new output pot for a secondhand ABM600 he asked if I wanted stepped or non stepped. I chose stepped and it’s really simple to swop on the ABM but not sure about the RM series 

 

 

I've had a few chats with Dave over the years - I'll send him an email and ask.

[fretmeister]

46 minutes ago, Muppet said:

Ah you went for the RM?  Yeah the green light is fine and the red is interesting if you get there! I also don't like the notched volume control and find that I have to balance the input gain to compensate.

 

I did! I thought about blowing loads more on the Berg HP, but then I thought - I'll try something a lot cheaper and with legendary customer service first.

 

I have a rehearsal tomorrow - can't wait to try it out.

[uk_lefty]

Gigging mine tonight with just the one cab, angled up with a wedge. Love the big, round, clean sound I can get... Then roughing it up and making it dirty!

[fretmeister]

Rehearsal this morning went very well.

 

It wasn't quite the workout I wanted as our drummer was missing due to covid, but it's still pretty loud band.

Very happy with the tone.

 

On board compressor is fairly crap. Probably better if I was sticking to 1 way of playing but as I swap between fingers, pick and slap the differences are too big for the single knob compressor to deal with. So I'll keep taking a pedal.

And after some more research it seems that swapping the notched volume control for a smooth one is 5 mins easy work. Definitely be doing that as it's annoying.

 

Great sound though. Pre Shape OFF, Slight scoop with the EQ, and just a smidge of drive.

 

Very happy!

[Muppet]

6 hours ago, fretmeister said:

And after some more research it seems that swapping the notched volume control for a smooth one is 5 mins easy work. Definitely be doing that as it's annoying.

Please let me know how this goes, I do want to do it! 

[Waddycall]

5 minutes ago, Muppet said:

Please let me know how this goes, I do want to do it! 

+1

[uk_lefty]

On 21/01/2022 at 17:02, fretmeister said:

Lovely sounding thing. I'd love to swap that notched master volume for a normal one though.

This is not something I've ever had a preference for, never even thought about. What is the advantage or annoyance?  Fear of missing out here...! 

[Reggaebass]

I don’t mind the notched volume on my RM , I don’t think it goes up massively with each increment , I’ve found it a very versatile amp, it really puts out some deep bass through my Big baby ll, and I’ve recently tried an Ampeg classic preamp pedal with it and it sounds really nice 

[fretmeister]

The jump between notches on mine is far too much. Maybe they are all a little different?

 

[Reggaebass]

4 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

The jump between notches on mine is far too much. Maybe they are all a little different?

 

Yeah Mine is the 500, perhaps it’s a bit different to your 800 🙂

[SuperSeagull]

I’m still getting used to mine, it’s the 500. The notched volume seems to work well for me. I’m running it through a 1x12 ABM Neo cab and still not quite happy with the sound in rehearsal but think maybe I’m just messing about with the eq too much, going to leave it all flat this week and make any tweaks on the bass. Enjoying the warmer sound in contrast to my Markbass gear. First gig with it next weekend. 

[BassAdder60]

The Neo cabs are very good and you need to work on the EQ to not make them too boxy sounding. 
They sound very different close up compared to a few feet away

[SuperSeagull]

2 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said:

The Neo cabs are very good and you need to work on the EQ to not make them too boxy sounding. 
They sound very different close up compared to a few feet away

Boxy is exactly the way I’d describe it but agree it feels like something that can be sorted with some intelligent use of the eq. 

[BassAdder60]

An external preamp pedal can help .. I tried a few and it made a nice difference 

Fender Downtown was nice

Ampeg SCR-Di - very nice 

MXR nice 

 

Set amp flat and tweek EQ 

Edited January 23, 2022 by BassAdder27

[SuperSeagull]

11 minutes ago, BassAdder27 said:

An external preamp pedal can help .. I tried a few and it made a nice difference 

Fender Downtown was nice

Ampeg SCR-Di - very nice 

MXR nice 

 

Set amp flat and tweek EQ 

I’ve a sansamp so may give that a try as well. 

[BassAdder60]

Sansamp will work perfectly 

Dont drive the amp input too hard ( VU into red only on loudest notes ) and set amp roughly flat.

The drive on the RM amps is a bit harsh and don’t use the compressor as it’s useless!! 
Set your EQ up on the Sansamp with a tiny bit of pedal drive blended in will sound good. 
You might find with a band a second cab will really make a difference 
 

Edited January 23, 2022 by BassAdder27

[SuperSeagull]

On 23/01/2022 at 14:43, BassAdder27 said:

Sansamp will work perfectly 

Dont drive the amp input too hard ( VU into red only on loudest notes ) and set amp roughly flat.

The drive on the RM amps is a bit harsh and don’t use the compressor as it’s useless!! 
Set your EQ up on the Sansamp with a tiny bit of pedal drive blended in will sound good. 
You might find with a band a second cab will really make a difference 
 

Very pleased with how things sounded tonight with the sansamp, it really is a fantastic bit of kit.

[fretmeister]

Update on my amp.

 

I had sent Dave Green an email to buy a replacement smooth master volume pot and I'd either install it myself or get a local tech to do it.

 

Instead he asked me to send the amp in and he would do it.

 

I sent it off on Tuesday. It arrived with Ashdown before lunch on Wednesday. At 14.42 hours on Wednesday I got an email from TNT Couriers saying they were collecting it.

It arrived back with me this morning with the pot swapped for a smooth one, and no charge for the work or the part.

 

@Ashdown Engineering amazing customer service once again. Thank you.

 

 

Although I did have a slight heart attack when I fired it up and no sound... and then noticed that the Headphone switch on the back was active!