Eden Vs. GK for tone shaping

lowendgenerator · #1 09-06-2011, 12:06 AM

I have stood by, and recommended the GK 1001RBII for a few years now. I run it into Ampeg 810s, and while it sounds good, the tone shaping is a little lacking for me. I have taken to running a Para Driver in the effects loop and bypassing the preamp all together live, and it's getting me a lot where I want to be.

I've been doing a lot of research, and Eden's semi-parametric section stands out as a contender. I like certain frequencies cut and boosted (mainly mids) fairly dramatically, and I don't feel that I have that control with the GK. I watched a few videos on YouTube, and the knob twiddler demo's hint at some pretty extreme possible settings.

My main concerns are reliability, and volume. It's gotta be able to keep up with 2 full stacks and loud drummer without pooping the bed.

Am I having another one of those 1am epiphanies? Or just taking my GAS to a whole new level?

MysticMichael · #2 09-06-2011, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

My main concerns are reliability, and volume. It's gotta be able to keep up with 2 full stacks and loud drummer without pooping the bed.

Am I having another one of those 1am epiphanies? Or just taking my GAS to a whole new level?

Dunno. But may I suggest that with two 8x10s to drive, it may just be time for you to consider transitioning away from using a standalone amp head, toward a separate preamp/power amp rig?

That way, you won't have to select from the small(er) pool of amps that have all the tone-shaping features you want, plus the big power you need, etc. You can simply buy a reliable power amp that can fill a hall...plus a rackmount preamp that offers all the tone-tweaking options you could ever want.

Make sense?

MM

Son of Bovril · #3 09-06-2011, 01:58 AM

Poweramp and eden Navigator....

or... a poweramp and a dedicated eq rack with a simple preamp (or just use the paradriver)

cassanova · #4 09-06-2011, 02:52 AM

+1 to the separate power/pre amp idea.

I was going to recommend the Eden Navigator or something like a Boss GT-10B, or GT-6B.

lowendgenerator · #5 09-06-2011, 10:07 AM

I'm not opposed to the idea of a pre/power setup. Is the navigator Edens Preamp section?

**Faderoktopus** · #6 09-06-2011, 10:23 AM

My WT800 into one ampeg 8x10 has plenty of power to spare, and my band plays pretty darn loud at times. The two guitars are overdriving 200 watt heads and the drummer tends to punish his drums quite a bit, so volume and clarity is needed.

The EQ section is very powerful, but for me it is actually way more flexibility than I would ever need for a live setup, so I sometimes bypass it entirely.

Don't look for dirt from the head, though, dial that in through some other means. Unless you play the rig insanely loud.

I don't know if this is preferable to a pre/power setup, that would depend on the elements of such a setup, but I know the Eden works very well for me.

Rockmusician · #7 09-06-2011, 10:34 AM

I had been using GK for years and was experiencing the same issue. The sound was close to what I wanted but not exactly. I started looking at Eden and decided to check out some used gear online and in stores. I found thre Eden 410 cabs in three different states, all of which had blown speakers. I also found an Eden WT800 that a music store was selling on Ebay. I clicked "buy it now" and received an email the a few days that the head was in the shop because it wouldn't power on. I decided to look at other brands. I ended up getting a great deal on a new Ampeg SVT 6 Pro and two SVT410HE cabs. The combination sounds great. Check out the Ampeg heads that have tube pre-amps. I think you will like the way they sound with your SVT810 cabs.

onosson · #8 09-06-2011, 10:43 AM

Totally agree .. I had a 700RBII for years, but got rid of it recently as it was just never quite there eq-wise. Close, but never right on the money for me. Unfortunately, I can't say I like the Eden sound that much, though you do have the parametric settings which are way better than what GK offers.

If you're going with a separate preamp, I see no reason to ditch the GK, though. It works great in that function and is very small and light for an older non-micro head. Just plug a preamp into the effects loop return and away you go.

TheVoiceless · #9 09-06-2011, 10:56 AM

I agree with what everyone else is posting about GK. But that is why I like it as my head. Its almost a neutral tone/eq shaping. Which allows the colors from my bass and effects to shine through. It can be sort of " vanilla " after some time.

If G.A.S is what you have, try different pre amps through the GK effects loop. Its essentially a power amp at that point. And with plenty of neat preamp rack/pedal available it can be a fun journey for tone.

Good Luck!

lowendgenerator · #10 09-07-2011, 12:10 AM

The local mom-n-pop is an Eden retailer, I'm gonna find an excuse to leave the house alone tomorrow and spend a few hours twisting knobs.

FWIW, I just picked up an RBI for an absolute ridiculous price, and I like it. Could use a parametric mid sweep, but so far, it's good.

cassanova · #11 09-07-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

I'm not opposed to the idea of a pre/power setup. Is the navigator Edens Preamp section?

Yes, it's just a preamp.