GK: 1001rbII & 410Neo

malleable · #1 07-18-2012, 08:01 PM

I just bought this setup new less than a week ago. And I just canNOT get a clean tone out of this thing. I know the GK "growl" is a popular term, but what I hear is distortion.

I've been messing with the rig for a few hours each day, and trying all kinds of combinations with the knobs. For example, if I turn all knobs all the way off/down on the amp, and roll only the Volume and Woofer knobs all the way up, when I play the low E, it sounds like a distorted fart. (After a few seconds the distortion falls off.) I know this isn't a good setting to get a good tone, but I don't think that distorted sound should be there. To me, that setting should have mostly a clean sound, especially with no boost.

When I have the Volume, Woofer, and Boost knobs only halfway up, with the EQ set in different ways, the rig is loud, sure, but I can't get a clean tone. And the louder the amp gets turned up, the more the "distortion" is prevalent.

My bass isn't primo, but it isn't bad; I have a Schecter Stiletto 4. (I just changed the battery in the bass today.) This GK stuff is my first loud rig, as I had been playing with GK MB115.

I have friend who has a Genz Benz Streamliner 900, so I'm interested to hear what the cabinet sounds like with a different amp. Otherwise, I'm having a hard time finding a sound I like with this GK rig. I'm hoping someone can tell me I'm doing something wrong. But I don't think getting a clean bass sound/tone is too much to ask? Maybe just not with GK?

bassgod0dmw · #2 07-18-2012, 08:09 PM

You should be able to get a very clean and loud tone from it, easily. Something is off.

Can you please post all of the settings of the knobs? Have you tried them all at noon?
Are you running it full range or bi-amp?
If bi-amp, are you running it with the correct 4 conductor GK cable?

B-string · #3 07-18-2012, 08:16 PM

The cleanest sound will come with the boost off, masters (woofer/ tweeter controls) up 3/4 and use the volume (input gain) to set your volume (this is even suggested in the manual). You may need the input pad with an active bass, the clip light is before any control so if it lights up your input signal is too hot.

malleable · #4 07-18-2012, 08:19 PM

Thanks for the response. I keep thinking I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what.

I have tried all the knobs at 12, yes. Usually, I keep my treble and hi-mid pretty low. Often--as I've done with my MB115--my low mid will be around 1 or 2, and the bass knob about 11. Again, I've tried the knobs in all different places, but this was the sound I like with my MB115.

I connected the amp and NEO today for the first time with an XLR: same problem. Though, I've mainly been using it bi-amp, with the 4 conductor GK cable that came in the bottom of the NEO box. I don't think it matters which plug the cable goes into in the back of the amp, as there are two. Obviously, there's only one in the back of the cab.

B-string · #5 07-18-2012, 08:30 PM

First how the heck did you get a XLR cable to connect to the cab and second DO NOT USE A XLR cable they are for low voltage signal use only!

Is the amp head new or used?
The cab new or used?
New NEO cabs need to be played for a while to get "broken-in". They even and mellow out after break in. Try the head with a different cab and cab with a different head?

TC.65 · #6 07-18-2012, 08:30 PM

Try the settings that B-string suggested also if you can try the head with a different cab. The first G-K head that I bought was a 400RB-IV. It had audible distortion no matter what my settings were, and even at very low volume. I returned it for a different unit. I hope you bought yours new so you have a warranty.

malleable · #7 07-18-2012, 08:54 PM

Not an XLR, sorry, a 1/4" guitar cable is what I used to connect the stack. Though I had the same issue.

I have tried all different settings with the knobs. When I originally got the stack, I thought the distortion was what people referred to as GK "growl". I was told to keep the Boost all the way off, crank the Woofer knob up, then adjust the input volume. I don't notice a difference in the problem I'm having when I do that.

The amp and cab are both new, as I purchased them from Guitar Center.

B-string · #8 07-18-2012, 09:06 PM

G-K will do clean very well so one or the other is damaged. DO NOT USE a GUITAR cable either. They are small thin wires that can overheat and short out, killing a SS amp. Use a 1/4" SPEAKER cable or a speakon cable only.
I'd say you need to return to Guitar Center and find out which has the fault, amp or cab.

malleable · #9 07-18-2012, 09:15 PM

Thanks so much for all the responses. I have a friend coming over tomorrow, with his cabinet and amp. So we'll do some swapping of wires and see if we can narrow the problem down.

I post tomorrow night if I'm still having issues. THanks again!

gjbassist · #10 07-18-2012, 09:34 PM

Something is not right because you should be able to get a nice clean and loud tone no problem! GK growl is not the same as distortion. I think you have the right idea checking things out using your friend's cabinet and head.

slap5string · #11 07-18-2012, 09:35 PM

Ive been playing a 700rbII w GK 410's in bi-amp mode and that amp will do squeaky clean very well. Curious to hear how your amp / speaker cab swap works out.

B-string · #12 07-18-2012, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malleable

Thanks so much for all the responses. I have a friend coming over tomorrow, with his cabinet and amp. So we'll do some swapping of wires and see if we can narrow the problem down.

I post tomorrow night if I'm still having issues. THanks again!

Post anyway so we will know what was up!

ljazz · #13 07-19-2012, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

The cleanest sound will come with the boost off, masters (woofer/ tweeter controls) up 3/4 and use the volume (input gain) to set your volume (this is even suggested in the manual). You may need the input pad with an active bass, the clip light is before any control so if it lights up your input signal is too hot.

I'll add that you'll want to keep the volume knob below 1:00 (best below noon). If you need more than that, start bumping up the master. On my 700rbII, I notice nothing on the boost until it gets up closer to noon. I do this, plus what B-String said, except I start with the master at noon, and the boost at 3:00. If I have to come up on the master, then I'll drop the boost down a touch.

Personally, I'd say there is something wrong with the head. I owned a 1001rbII for about a week before flipping it for a 700rbII....... the 1001rbII just would not growl until I had everything up, at which point I could really hear my neo212 straining. I ran it into a ampeg 810, and I could get it up loud enough to get the tone I wanted, but at that point it was just too loud.

DWBass · #14 07-19-2012, 06:22 AM

Is your bass active? Try changing out the battery.

malleable · #15 07-20-2012, 03:53 PM

Update!

Let me say first that this is my first stack purchase. I had been playing a GK MB115 for a couple of years, which is 200 watts. I wanted something a little louder, so if I want to play with a drummer and some other folks, there would be no problem hearing the bass. I'm not looking to deafen anyone, just be able to sit comfortably in a band mix during practice. So... I figured buying the 1001rbII with a NEO 410 (8 ohm) would give me plenty of extra volume, and then some, as I think this combination is somewhere around 480 watts. To me, that's a big difference, 200 vs. 480. Anyways, what I'm finding is that I'm learning about speakers and my sound as I make new purchases...

I swapped my amp and cab out with a friend's amp and cab every-which-way yesterday, and there are no issues with my new equipment, I'm convinced.

Here's what I don't like with the GK stuff, which I mentioned in my first post. If all the knobs on the amp are totally off/down, and I roll only the Volume and Woofer knobs all the way up, when I play the low E (and other notes), it sounds like a distorted fart. (The distortion falls off after a few seconds.) My friend told me that's the sound of the amp clipping, even though the clip light wasn't coming on. Thing is, with all the knobs down except the Volume and Woofer, the output sound from the cab is really not that loud! The EQ increases the volume a little, but it's the Boost knob that really gets the volume going. (As of right now, I want to leave the Boost all the way off/down because, as the GK manual says, the Boost adds "harmonic distortion," and I hear that as distortion, and so I'm not interested in it now. I'm looking for a clean tone.) To get maximum volume from the cab without it clipping, I have to set the input Volume in the 12 o'clock position if the Woofer knob is all the way up. Again, with the Boost off, this is no where near adequate volume, especially from a 410 with a large amp.

(If I use the clip button on the amp, it cuts over 50% of the potential volume.)

It seems to me, if I'm not interested in the Boost knob/GK growl, then this isn't the stack for me. Because getting a really clean tone out of it is only going to happen at minimal volume.

Thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

gjbassist · #16 07-20-2012, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malleable

Update!

Let me say first that this is my first stack purchase. I had been playing a GK MB115 for a couple of years, which is 200 watts. I wanted something a little louder, so if I want to play with a drummer and some other folks, there would be no problem hearing the bass. I'm not looking to deafen anyone, just be able to sit comfortably in a band mix during practice. So... I figured buying the 1001rbII with a NEO 410 (8 ohm) would give me plenty of extra volume, and then some, as I think this combination is somewhere around 480 watts. To me, that's a big difference, 200 vs. 480. Anyways, what I'm finding is that I'm learning about speakers and my sound as I make new purchases...

I swapped my amp and cab out with a friend's amp and cab every-which-way yesterday, and there are no issues with my new equipment, I'm convinced.

Here's what I don't like with the GK stuff, which I mentioned in my first post. If all the knobs on the amp are totally off/down, and I roll only the Volume and Woofer knobs all the way up, when I play the low E (and other notes), it sounds like a distorted fart. (The distortion falls off after a few seconds.) My friend told me that's the sound of the amp clipping, even though the clip light wasn't coming on. Thing is, with all the knobs down except the Volume and Woofer, the output sound from the cab is really not that loud! The EQ increases the volume a little, but it's the Boost knob that really gets the volume going. (As of right now, I want to leave the Boost all the way off/down because, as the GK manual says, the Boost adds "harmonic distortion," and I hear that as distortion, and so I'm not interested in it now. I'm looking for a clean tone.) To get maximum volume from the cab without it clipping, I have to set the input Volume in the 12 o'clock position if the Woofer knob is all the way up. Again, with the Boost off, this is no where near adequate volume, especially from a 410 with a large amp.

(If I use the clip button on the amp, it cuts over 50% of the potential volume.)

It seems to me, if I'm not interested in the Boost knob/GK growl, then this isn't the stack for me. Because getting a really clean tone out of it is only going to happen at minimal volume.

Thoughts/ideas/suggestions?

Something is still not right! I have an 1001RBII and a Neo 212 and have no trouble getting clean tone and more volume than I will ever use. So you did try your head with your friend's cabinet? Did it sound the same as your cabinet? Can you post pics of your amp settings?

malleable · #17 07-20-2012, 04:15 PM

As I said, ALL of my knobs are down/off. (There's no reason to post a picture.) When I turn up ONLY the Volume and Woofer, and turn them up all the way, then there is distortion, especially with low notes. I'm told this is clipping. So... if I turn the clipping button on, the volume on the stack is cut by over 50%. Since I'm not using the Boost knob, then there's no way to get more volume.

georgestrings · #18 07-20-2012, 04:26 PM

Turning all your amp's knobs "down" is definitely NOT the way to approach this - try setting your amp like this:

...with the Woofer volume @ 12 Noon, 4/5 string button "Out", and your bass's preamp EQ knobs centered at their detents - and let us know how that turns out for you...

- georgestrings

slap5string · #19 07-20-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malleable

As I said, ALL of my knobs are down/off. (There's no reason to post a picture.) When I turn up ONLY the Volume and Woofer, and turn them up all the way, then there is distortion, especially with low notes. I'm told this is clipping. So... if I turn the clipping button on, the volume on the stack is cut by over 50%. Since I'm not using the Boost knob, then there's no way to get more volume.

Not sure what you are hoping to achieve with this setup. If you are looking for "clean" - turning the volume and input all the way will not work on ANY amp.

gjbassist · #20 07-20-2012, 04:33 PM

Yeah, I'm not getting the "turn all the knobs down" thing either. Go with what georgestrings suggests first and work from there.

Here is a quick pic of my settings. Honestly, if I turn the volume past 9 o'clock at home my wife yells at me to turn it down!