| Author | Message | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 157 Registered: 9-2002 |
I already have a series one bass, and am thinking of adding an SF2 to my rig...given that a series one already sounds great, and has alot in terms of tonal variety, wwould this be redundant? | ||
| 2400wattman
Advanced Member Username: 2400wattman Post Number: 282 Registered: 11-2005 |
absolutely NOT! | ||
| bassjigga
Intermediate Member Username: bassjigga Post Number: 128 Registered: 8-2005 |
Man I want to add one of these too, but alas I need to finish paying off my custom first. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4748 Registered: 5-2002 |
The way that I have my rig set up, I don't find it to be redundant; I think it plays an important role in forming my overall tone. There have been other members however who found that they had already dialed in a tone that they were happy with and found that the SF-2 didn't add significantly. | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1120 Registered: 2-2006 |
There have been a few of these show up lately for sale. I've really thought about grabbing one too but wasn't sure for the same reasons Greg. I have an F1-X and it really adds some character to my sound. | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 158 Registered: 9-2002 |
Its a tough call...I am not really a "tweaker", and prefer simplicity. I have a Demeter preamp I use, and like the tone I get from that, very clean and dry. I also like the controls, bass, middle, and treble (there is a presence knob, but I find that I can't tell a substantial change in tone using that). Its a nice simple set-up, although with the QSC poweramp I have it weighs a ton. On the other hand, I have a mesa-boogie walkabout that has parametric EQ, that I find to be a little overly complicated for my taste....too many knobs, and too many knobs that get moved around when it gets packed in its case that results in me having to spend time dialing everything back in.. I wish I was able to borrow one and check it out before commiting to buy.... | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2078 Registered: 7-2004 |
Gregory: I can't say enough good things about the SF-2. While admittedly it was a little daunting when I first got it, seemingly more complicated than I usually like, once I "groked" it, the SF-2 turned out to be quite simple to set and an amazingly effective tone shaper. When used with in mono mode, it is essentially a 3 channel mixer - one dry channel and two filtered channels. Each filtered channel can be set for low pass, band pass, or high pass. The key is to adjust one channel at a time. (While one is being tweaked, I turn the other two down to 0). First I turn both filtered channels down to 0, turn up the dry channel and set my amp and guitar controls as normal. Then I turn the dry channel to 0 and one at a time, set one filter channel to accentuate a low frequncy I like and the other to accentuate a high frequency. Back to 0 for the filtered channels and the dry channel is turned up, again. Then it's easy to mix in the low and high SF-2 channels to taste. (In stereo mode, it has two channels per side, one dry and one filtered). Once I understood what was happening, the SF-2 revealed itself as a relatively easy to use common sense design. While not common, they do seem to come up for sale not too rarely and hold their used value in the $400-500 range. You could always pick one up and try living with it for a while. If it doesn't work for you, you would easily be able to get your $ back, either through our forum or on ebay, craigslist, the usual suspects. Personally, I'd wager that once you try one, you won't be selling anytime soon. Of course, if you find yourself anywhere near Oakland, you're welcome to come down to my studio and try mine out. We have two - one hooked up to my guitar rig, and one hooked up to my bass player's rig. Bill, tgo | ||
| lembic76450
Member Username: lembic76450 Post Number: 100 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bill I haven't heard "Groked" in a long time, but, it does seem to fit the understanding of the SF-2. | ||
| mele_aloha
Junior Username: mele_aloha Post Number: 39 Registered: 1-2007 |
lbpesq, In my old age I try to recognize the best advice in the shortest amount of explanation. You just did that for me regarding the SF-2. I have rolled around the idea for a long time buying the SF-2 but have held off for fear of to much complication for my level. But the thread you just wrote about it is the one that I will hang on to. What a perfect short discription of how to go about using it. Thanks for that. It makes perfect sense that way. Aloha, Paul | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2083 Registered: 7-2004 |
Paul: No problem, glad I could be of help. I've certainly taken way more info from this forum than I've brought to it. There are a lot of smart, experienced people around here, all ready willing and able to share. Good luck on finalizing your dream Alembic and watching it come into fruition. As for your "old age", you are absolutely mistaken. You're only a year or two ahead of me, and I don't even see a glimpse of old age on the horizon. Heck, middle age doesn't even start until 60! (At least until I reach 59, then it might have to be recalculated!) Of course, there are some who have accused me of breaking the Eleventh Commandment - "Do Not Bullshit Thyself" hehehehe Bill, tgo | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2479 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi, the SF-2 is something you'll have to learn to handle. It's kinda weird but you'll manage in time (like I 've said before: all Alembics -so including the tweaking devices- are more or less playing YOU before you play them ...hehehe). OTOH: an SF-2 is good for ALL basses: series or nonseries... and even Fengiyasutakaricalcoes!!!! With you guitar and amp you create "your" sound, with the SF-2 you can keep that sound in ANY situation, you can even "play and sound good behind corners". Really ...I tried! Paul TBO | ||
| angelboy
Member Username: angelboy Post Number: 85 Registered: 1-2004 |
They're great on guitars too. I let my guitarist play around with mine for a while and he could dail up pretty much every guitar tone out there! | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 499 Registered: 3-2004 |
They will become indispensible once you get them. I had to change my stage tone due to our 2nd guitarist quitting. Between the Bass controls, the f1x and sf2 it was perfect for the venue and pa. As Ptbo states they make anything sound better. I've used Gibsons, Ric, Stambaugh, Hamer and Ovation through it and each one was made "listenable" compared to my Alembics. I get razzed all the time by the "my gear is goods enough for me" crowd. Why not have the best tools out there and be happy and not frustrated. I have yet to get a Series 2 but that is only a matter of time and money. It will happen I vow before all on this board! (thunderclap lightnting horses panicking angry skies parting and a ray of golden sunlight falling on an empty instrument stand by Frazetta) | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2518 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi Danno how are you my friend at the black side of music (I mean that figurally: I KNOW you are a sunny guy) Please take an ear at "gigs": I dropped a recording of our band Blue Stuff and Moder Dave lend me the webspace to make it "clickable"! CU Ptbo |
