Ashdown SubHarmonic

[BassAdder60]

Has anyone used the Sub feature on their Ashdown in situations where you need to fill out the sound during a single guitarist solo section ? 
 

If that would work add more depth I will order the footswitch 

[Lozz196]

I’ve only used mine minimally, on In The City by The Jam. I read that Bruce Foxton does this so when at rehearsal we did a few covers for fun I tried it. In truth I don’t remember that much about it so it clearly didn’t make a big impact on me. That said I didn’t play the song without it in that rehearsal so I can’t say if I thought it was better or worse, I do know I didn’t stop midway to switch it off though.

[uk_lefty]

I have but not made a massive feature out of it. I occasionally used it to thicken up some higher register playing, using the dial up to half way, never over, to keep a subtle octave effect. It works OK as an effect for a bit of subtle emphasis or assistance but I'd never leave it "always on". Before I went back to multi effects I bought the 2 button footswitch so I could bring in and out the drive or sub whenever I wanted. Now I have a Helix I can't see me using these functions at all, not even at home. 

[BassAdder60]

Anyone tried the FS-2 with the ABM600 to see if it switches on the Sub ?

I know it should be the FS-4 but I don’t want two foot switches if one could do both Sub on both amps 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Be very judicious in the use of a sub-harmonic generator. A generated tone one octave down played at the same volume as the original note will double the power requirement on the amp and speaker, and driver cones could be pushed past their mechanical limits.

[Matt P]

4 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

Anyone tried the FS-2 with the ABM600 to see if it switches on the Sub ?

I know it should be the FS-4 but I don’t want two foot switches if one could do both Sub on both amps 

i think this would be a question for @Ashdown Engineering but a quick google seems to show that the Fs-2 uses a 3 pole plug (quite usual for a 2 button footswitch) whilst the FS-4 uses a 2 pole plug and some circuitry in the footswitch casing so i'd expect that the Fs-2 won't work if the amp is expecting the fs-4.

 

matt

[BassAdder60]

Just checked and Ashdown confirm the two are not interchangeable between Rm and ABM series 

[funkydoug]

7 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Be very judicious in the use of a sub-harmonic generator. A generated tone one octave down played at the same volume as the original note will double the power requirement on the amp and speaker, and driver cones could be pushed past their mechanical limits.

Bill is if course right here but players have used octavers for decades so don't let this very sensible advice stop you making music! Good good bass cabs are pretty robust in reality.

If in doubt a good HPF will help, even with an octaver / sub.

[Woodinblack]

21 minutes ago, funkydoug said:

If in doubt a good HPF will help, even with an octaver / sub.

Normally, yes, but this is in the amp, so there is nowhere to put the HPF, unless there is one already built into the ABM600

[BassmanPaul]

On 26/05/2021 at 08:03, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Be very judicious in the use of a sub-harmonic generator. A generated tone one octave down played at the same volume as the original note will double the power requirement on the amp and speaker, and driver cones could be pushed past their mechanical limits.

AMEN!

[funkydoug]

On 26/05/2021 at 21:12, Woodinblack said:

Normally, yes, but this is in the amp, so there is nowhere to put the HPF, unless there is one already built into the ABM600

In the effects loop, which I'm pretty sure is after the front panel stuff.

I've asked about whether there is a HPF built into ABMs a few times and have read directly contradictory replies from different  people at Ashdown. As a result , if I need an HPF on an ABM I take matters into my own hands.

Edited May 28, 2021 by funkydoug

[Downunderwonder]

Maybe it has been improved on since the early MAG combos? The one I played on for a couple of years of rehearsals would often sound horrible when I plugged in. All mush of a low end. Solution was to turn OFF the SubHarmonic button.

[Beer of the Bass]

I never used it in the MAG combo I had - I preferred to use my Boss OC2 as the low octave from that was much more punchy and characterful. I don't think my combo had footswitch capability either (it was a while ago), which seems silly for an effect like that.

[uk_lefty]

5 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Maybe it has been improved on since the early MAG combos? The one I played on for a couple of years of rehearsals would often sound horrible when I plugged in. All mush of a low end. Solution was to turn OFF the SubHarmonic button.

I think there's a few things going on here... My general experience of Ashdowns was cheap Mag combos that had been tortured in rehearsal rooms, probably with the sub pushing the speaker too hard and the teenage moshers pumping everything up to max. But it's the way Ashdown say its a subtle "always on" thing. On my Rootmaster i treat it as a built in effect to turn on and off tastefully when needed, the sub octave can sound quite separate from the original note. Always on would not sound good and be quite tiring to listen to. 

[BassmanPaul]

It doesn't matter what the subharmonic does if the speaker system is incapable of safely reproducing what is coming out of the amplifier.