Baer Amplification; Part 2!!

[nordyboy]

Hey Eublet, thanks for the eq settings that you recommended for the shuttle, they are amazing!
Am looking for another amp to go with the ml stack, like the idea of an ad200 but not the weight, any micro suggestions from those of you who have had chance to experiment a little?
Looking for a growly fat tone.....

[GRoberts]

Originally Posted by nordyboy

Hey Eublet, thanks for the eq settings that you recommended for the shuttle, they are amazing!
Am looking for another amp to go with the ml stack, like the idea of an ad200 but not the weight, any micro suggestions from those of you who have had chance to experiment a little?
Looking for a growly fat tone.....

Orange TB 500! Not quite a micro, butt easy too carry and sounds amazing.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by nordyboy

Hey Eublet, thanks for the eq settings that you recommended for the shuttle, they are amazing!
Am looking for another amp to go with the ml stack, like the idea of an ad200 but not the weight, any micro suggestions from those of you who have had chance to experiment a little?
Looking for a growly fat tone.....

Check on the Aguilar TH500. Very small, very light, no tubes to mess with, fat, growly Aguilar tone, and a very relaxed top end, along with a VERY powerful semi-parametric midrange control, that would work very well with the ML112. Nice 'alternative tone' to the tight and bright Shuttle amps.

[Ewo]

Originally Posted by KJung

Check on the Aguilar TH500. Very small, very light, no tubes to mess with, fat, growly Aguilar tone, and a very relaxed top end, along with a VERY powerful semi-parametric midrange control, that would work very well with the ML112. Nice 'alternative tone' to the tight and bright Shuttle amps.

Good suggestion! I've used a TH500 with a pair of ML112s and it works well; nice and chewy, as Ken has said.

The last few weeks I've been using a Markbass F500 with them; that's good in a different way. Not so inherently aggressive, but the two semi-para mid EQ bands let me put in some phat around 100 Hz (the low mid knob with the freq all the way down) and tweak the upper mid whatever way I want.

Two flavors of good, IMO.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by R Baer

I used an ABM500 for years, so I'm very familiar with that head. Great sounding head, but certainly not the most user friendly EQ I've ever used. If you let me know how you have it set, I can probably help you out.

Thanks Robert!

I love the ABM and I never experienced any trouble with them so far. I always managed to get a great sound everyone in the band loved, so far.

This is a recent eq shot:
It is a UK made ABM500 EVO3! It sounds a bit brighter (just like the Klystron) compared to my EVO2. This has been confirmed by the Ashdown guys.

[R Baer]

Originally Posted by gillento

Thanks Robert!

I love the ABM and I never experienced any trouble with them so far. I always managed to get a great sound everyone in the band loved, so far.

This is a recent eq shot:
It is a UL made ABM500 EVO3! It sounds a bit brighter (just like the Klystron) compared to my EVO2. This has been confirmed by the Ashdown guys.

Based on what I see and my experience with that head, I'd say your not that far off from the way I used to run mine. First off, get that input gain up higher. If that's where you normally run it at, it's far too low. You want it up around 1:00 or 2:00. Next, make sure the SHAPE control is engaged. I never liked that head without it. Bass should be good in the 11:00 to 1:00 range. Because of the contour of the SHAPE circuit, I usually got the best results running the 180Hz slider down one mark and boosting the 340Hz slider up one mark. For me, I always found the 180Hz slider to blur the low end if boosted. I usually ran the mids at 1:00 with the 1.3kHz slider up 2 marks (which may be too much with the ML112's) and the 2.6kHz slider flat. Season to taste with the treble knob. Usually 11:00 to 2:00 worked for me most of the time. One more thing, not sure how old your amp is, but if that tube has been in there many years, you might want to look at changing it. I dropped a Tung-Sol in there in place of the stock tube and it really opened up the tone for me. Feel free to contact me any time roger@baeramps.com. Good luck!

[gillento]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your help.

Originally Posted by R Baer

...Next, make sure the SHAPE control is engaged. I never liked that head without it.....

You mean Shape button ENGAGED, in case with the ABM this means that the Shape is actually off, right?!?

Originally Posted by R Baer

... First off, get that input gain up higher. If that's where you normally run it at, it's far too low. You want it up around 1:00 or 2:00. ...

With my setup (active button not engaged) this means, the UV is permanently in the red, like clipping the input stage?.....

I think you need to release your Valkyrie Amp very soon!

[nordyboy]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

Orange TB 500! Not quite a micro, butt easy too carry and sounds amazing.

Have you run the tb 500 though the Baer? The tb is from what I can tell quite an aggressive amp and with the minimal eq that it has could be quite hard to tame with the brightness of the Baer?
I do find it quite an intriguing little amp!

[gillento]

Originally Posted by nordyboy

Have you run the tb 500 though the Baer? The tb is from what I can tell quite an aggressive amp and with the minimal eq that it has could be quite hard to tame with the brightness of the Baer?
I do find it quite an intriguing little amp!

I can't seem to get a decent tone with any Aguilar amp/preamp. There is something in the way the lows and low mids and their eq points are voiced, that does not sound right with me.

Although all my fav cabs (ALL their 1x12 and 2x12cabs) I had untill the ML112 have been Aggies, all their amps I tried (db750, ag500 & TH500) have not been my thing.

[Eublet]

Originally Posted by gillento

I can't seem to get a decent tone with any Aguilar amp/preamp. There is somthing in the way the lws and low mids and their eq points are voiced, that does not sound right with me.

Although all my fav cabs (ALL their 1x12 and 2x12cabs) I had untill the ML112 have been Aggies, all their amps I tried (db750, ag500 & TH500) have not been my thing.

That's it. I'm reporting you to the mods, and they'll deal with you. If we let this kind of thinking continue, what's next? People marrying their pets? Bah! Ban him!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gillento

I can't seem to get a decent tone with any Aguilar amp/preamp. There is somthing in the way the lws and low mids and their eq points are voiced, that does not sound right with me.

Although all my fav cabs (ALL their 1x12 and 2x12cabs) I had untill the ML112 have been Aggies, all their amps I tried (db750, ag500 & TH500) have not been my thing.

I was with you all the way until I got my P Bass. Always felt the Aguilars (especially the DB750, which is quite similar to the TH500) was a bit too dirty, a bit lacking in the ability to dial in the 'burp and punch' and definitely attenuated in the upper treble. They have their own voice. If you like an even, clean tone like with the LMII or whatever, or the sizzle of the GK heads, the Aguilar stuff is most likely not for you. Still can't come to terms with the TH500 and my ash/maple J... makes it sound like there is a bag over my amp. But with the P, oh my oh my (IMO)...fat, grindy, big sounding, warm and it roughens up a bit when you dig in.

Definitely a 'love it or hate it' type amp, just like the GK, which is strongly voiced in the other direction... super goosed upper mids and massive upper treble extension.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by KJung

I was with you all the way until I got my P Bass. Always felt the Aguilars (especially the DB750, which is quite similar to the TH500) was a bit too dirty, a bit lacking in the ability to dial in the 'burp and punch' and definitely attenuated in the upper treble. They have their own voice. If you like an even, clean tone like with the LMII or whatever, or the sizzle of the GK heads, the Aguilar stuff is most likely not for you. Still can't come to terms with the TH500 and my ash/maple J... makes it sound like there is a bag over my amp. But with the P, oh my oh my (IMO)...fat, grindy, big sounding, warm and it roughens up a bit when you dig in.

Definitely a 'love it or hate it' type amp, just like the GK, which is strongly voiced in the other direction... super goosed upper mids and massive upper treble extension.

Well Ken,

I've been through a similar transformation as you: from active 60's/ash/maple JJs to a passive Nordy P(J)5.... (Maybe partly due to your posts )
But as for amps, our tastes are differing I like the SA200 though, as well!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gillento

Well Ken,

I've been through a similar transformation as you: from active 60's/ash/maple JJs to a passive Nordy P(J)5.... (Maybe partly due to your posts )
But as for amps, our tastes are differing I like the SA200 though, as well!

+1 I actually LOVED the Streamliner900 (which has a bit in common with the SA200 IMO) with my VP5 with my tight, grindy, punchy Bergantino AE410. That was really something. However, I found the Streamliner a bit too wide, without enough EQ control to simultaneously get the low mid punch I needed out of the TC115, and also to brighten up the upper mids and rough up that 'studio monitor' type thing that the TC does so well. Hence, the TH500. However, totally get the 'love hate' things with these heads. Any strongly voiced head will speak to some and not to others. Pretty hard for anyone who likes a warm clean sound to hate the LMIII or whatever, but the GK stuff and the Aguilar stuff has such a strong tonal footprint, that it is often a 'love or yuck' sort of thing

I also LOVED the Streamliner with the ML112.... There is much in common between the ML112 and the Berg AE10 loaded boxes.

[nordyboy]

Originally Posted by KJung

I was with you all the way until I got my P Bass. Always felt the Aguilars (especially the DB750, which is quite similar to the TH500) was a bit too dirty, a bit lacking in the ability to dial in the 'burp and punch' and definitely attenuated in the upper treble. They have their own voice. If you like an even, clean tone like with the LMII or whatever, or the sizzle of the GK heads, the Aguilar stuff is most likely not for you. Still can't come to terms with the TH500 and my ash/maple J... makes it sound like there is a bag over my amp. But with the P, oh my oh my (IMO)...fat, grindy, big sounding, warm and it roughens up a bit when you dig in.

Definitely a 'love it or hate it' type amp, just like the GK, which is strongly voiced in the other direction... super goosed upper mids and massive upper treble extension.

Makes me think that the th500 May not be to my taste. I love open sounding amps that allow a j bass top end to ring out.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by nordyboy

Makes me think that the th500 May not be to my taste. I love open sounding amps that allow a j bass top end to ring out.

I greatly prefer the Markbass stuff, the TecAmp stuff, to a lesser extend the GK stuff, or the Genz Shuttle Max heads for that vibe. However, IMO and IME there.

[GRoberts]

Originally Posted by gillento

Thanks Robert!

I love the ABM and I never experienced any trouble with them so far. I always managed to get a great sound everyone in the band loved, so far.

This is a recent eq shot:
It is a UK made ABM500 EVO3! It sounds a bit brighter (just like the Klystron) compared to my EVO2. This has been confirmed by the Ashdown guys.

I had an ABM500 EVO and gigged with it for a few years. Loved it, never had a hiccup. Was just going through a GAS phase and downsizing and got rid of it. But what a GREAT sounding head. Versatile, powerful. Sweet.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gillento

Well Ken,

I've been through a similar transformation as you: from active 60's/ash/maple JJs to a passive Nordy P(J)5.... (Maybe partly due to your posts )
But as for amps, our tastes are differing I like the SA200 though, as well!

PS Just so you don't think I've gone off the total deep end (that Aguilar is SUCH a different tone than I've ever used in all the years that I've played!), I often gig the Bergantino AE212 with the Glockenklang Blue Soul and my ash/maple Alleva-Coppolo LM5 (70's style J) with new DR Hi Beams That is probably the farthest tone away from the Aguilar/P Bass combimation you could possibly get... super huge low end, completely, utterly clean midrange, and the cleanest, most extended upper treble on the market

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

Orange TB 500! Not quite a micro, butt easy too carry and sounds amazing.

+1 This head does a very good job of sounding like its big brother (not quite the same feel, but the tone is very close), and it goes great with the ML112's.

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by nordyboy

Have you run the tb 500 though the Baer? The tb is from what I can tell quite an aggressive amp and with the minimal eq that it has could be quite hard to tame with the brightness of the Baer?
I do find it quite an intriguing little amp!

I use this combination all the time, and I've gigged with it as well. I had no problem dialing in the high end. It's a more flexible tone stack than you might guess at first blush.

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by KJung

+1 I actually LOVED the Streamliner900 (which has a bit in common with the SA200 IMO).

-1 I know that Roger used the SA200 to help voice the Streamliner, but to my ears, they don't sound any more alike than any two other random "bass heads." I suppose their is some crossover in the tones you can get out of each of them, but I don't really feel like there is a strong similarity between the two.