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Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive: 2005 » Archive through October 17, 2005 » Archive - 2004 » Archive through November 12, 2004 » Amps speakers & god's basses(Alembics) « Previous Next »

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terryc
New
Username: terryc

Post Number: 5
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 4:18 am:   Edit Post

When I visited the factory four years ago..the lord of tone - Ron Wickersham advised that a good quality power amp and speaker is suffice if you have good active tone circuits...now I put this to the test by setting all the controls on my peavey rig to neutral..no boost, no graphic..just use the input gain and master volume and you know the wizard of sound was right..you don't need any tone shaping at all from your amp.

terry capewell..UK
flaxattack
Advanced Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 219
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 7:58 am:   Edit Post

i knda agree. i have a line 6 pod that i play through. with all the shaping it allows, i find myself sticking to minimal effects, slight compression, drive
harald_rost
Member
Username: harald_rost

Post Number: 76
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 9:24 am:   Edit Post

I'll second that. On my Eden WT-800 usualy all the parametric knobs are at 12 o'clock. This amp sounds without boosting any frequencies.

Harald

the_mule
Advanced Member
Username: the_mule

Post Number: 318
Registered: 1-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 9:42 am:   Edit Post

I couldn't agree more, my Orion and my EVH both sound absolutely fabulous with my Glockenklang in the bypass setting originally meant for amplifying double bass. I hardly use the EQ at all!

Wilfred
palembic
Senior Member
Username: palembic

Post Number: 1754
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post

Weep-weep-weep and snodder ...oh my oh my ...me with all those knobs on Tweak Peaks!
Hmmm... serious guys ...in a room -for instance at home- there is a more neutral setting. In higher volumes and in situations one have to "play around the corner", cool down plush-and-wooden inns or warm up concrete dance-bunkers I do prefer my Tweak Peaks ...even WITH Bonnie (who has Series II electronics like you all know). Okay ...I admit ...lesser with Bonnie than with her sisters.

Paul the bad one
dadabass2001
Advanced Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 289
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 10:50 am:   Edit Post

My goal has always been to start at flat reponse in a new room, try to EQ the amp for deficiencies in the room acoustics, and then set MY tone on the bass.
I noticed when I saw Jimmy Johnson playing with Chad Wackerman and Alan Holdsworth two weeks ago in Chicago that Jimmy had NO backline at all - just a tap (two?) off of his DS-5 into the PA and three floor wedges from the PA. His sound was extremely natural and full.
Mike
gare
Member
Username: gare

Post Number: 94
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 1:32 pm:   Edit Post

Mike
You were at Durty Nellies for that too huh ?

Gary
tom_z
Member
Username: tom_z

Post Number: 61
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 4:07 pm:   Edit Post

Durty Nellies?? That's a name from the past. If you mean the pub in Palatine, that is. I grew up about three blocks away.
dadabass2001
Advanced Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 290
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 4:58 pm:   Edit Post

Yeah Gary,
Were you there? I had never seen Jimmy live before (or with anyone but JT on videos). Durty Nellies was sweet. I sat about 20 feet in front of JJ. What a wonderful night. I stayed for the second set and loved it! I couldn't take my eyes off of Jimmy's bass (I LUV walnut!!) He's just sooo smoooth.
:-)
Mike
gare
Member
Username: gare

Post Number: 95
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 6:16 am:   Edit Post

Tom..yes,dats the place. Been completely rebuilt tho (thank God).

Mike, yup I were there, had to leave after 1st set tho..being a school night and all.
They were impressive.

But back to the subject (sorry we got sidetracked).
I've always started out with everything flat and worked out from there til I found the sound I liked,in the past I used a 31 band EQ to tune the amp to the room.
Still experimenting with my Excel,it has east meets west electronicals. Once the filter and amp are set it's nice to be able to tweak the sound with the treble and bass controls. I've also noticed that the settings on the amp are now turned way down from what I used with the Rickenbacker and the Spector. Also,I've turned off the graphic EQ on the head (Mesa 400+) and recently patched in a parametric EQ in the effects loop. Got it,may as well try it..until I get around to an SF-2.
G
kungfusheriff
Intermediate Member
Username: kungfusheriff

Post Number: 194
Registered: 8-2003
Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 3:49 pm:   Edit Post

Using the filters on my S2, run through a humble Amper B-100R, with my jazz trio yielded a cloudy sound that drove me nuts. I had both pups up full, both tone knobs at 50%, neck Q at about 5% and bridge Q at 75%. The amp was set flat with a bit of bass boost and the deep switch on. Whole frequency bands were disappearing..it was awful!
The sound cleared up marvelously with both filters off, and on the amp, having the deep switch off and the mid-cut switch on and backing off the low-mids a teeny bit.
A mid-shy sound is incredibly boring, almost painful, to listen to by itself but it sure mixes well under other instruments.
adriaan
Advanced Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 393
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 3:03 am:   Edit Post

Mid-shy sound mixes well - that depends on the amp and speakers. On SWR, a slight mid boost helps to cut through better, but when dialing in your sound on your own you probably would not add mid-boost as it sounds kind of annoying.
ajdover
Intermediate Member
Username: ajdover

Post Number: 144
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Thursday, November 11, 2004 - 6:50 pm:   Edit Post

I have to admit, I punch up all of my stuff on my SVT IV Pro. My bass, mid,and treble knobs are pretty much maxed, and I adjust with the EQ. I also have all the ultra hi and low switches engaged, and the bright switch as well.

It works for me. And I use pretty much the same settings with a lot of different basses (two Alembics, two Fenders, two Gibsons, an original Musicman, a Pedulla, a Peavey, and a Rickenbacker). Flat settings are just too .. boring, no balls, but that's my preference. To each his own, as they say. And an SF-2 in the mix doesn't hurt ....

Alan

gare
Member
Username: gare

Post Number: 96
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 6:06 am:   Edit Post

Alan
What speakers are you using. Sounds like you have a pretty BIG sound.
I player with a guitar once who used to walk over to his amp and roll his hand across the controls..putting everything at 10. When you got out away from the amp a bit where your hair wasnt standing straight out from the sound pressure it actually sounded great
ajdover
Intermediate Member
Username: ajdover

Post Number: 145
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 7:22 am:   Edit Post

Gare,

I'm using whatever came stock in my Ampeg cabinets (BXT115HLF and BXT410HLF, 4 ohms). They hold up well. I don't know if my sound is "big," as you say, but there's certainly no mistaking it for something else I think. Like I said previously, it works for me pretty well. I realize others probably wouldn't go that route, but hey, to each his/her own.

Alan
gare
Member
Username: gare

Post Number: 98
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, November 12, 2004 - 10:42 am:   Edit Post

Hi Alan
I actually meant were you using like a bunch of 10's etc. You're pushing enough air that it cant be mistaken for a teeny sound.
You're right,to each their own..bet theres a few people who cringe at my sound..oh well.
To my ear,using the boost switches on most amps makes it sound a little bigger.
Tweak on !

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