Jule Amps Monique Part 2.

[juledude]

Originally Posted by coyoteboy

Monique's great and all, but what's this i hear about a vinyeard?

Are you bottling Jule?

No, not bottling. I'm more on the emptying end. James Demeter owns a vineyard near his Demeter Amps facility. He is a man of valuable talents.

[nostatic]

I may have missed it in the thread, but anyone using this as a front-end to a powered PA cab? I've been experimenting with QSC K10s I've got in the studio and there as some aspects to that sound that work really well for some of my gigs. But I really want to have some more control at the front end beyond the bass preamp (Pope/Fodera). In fact, through that setup I actually prefer running the bass passive.

A dovecage sitting on a Meyer cab would probably be pretty damn sick

[donnercruz]

Been gigging and recording with Monique lately. Such good sound out of this darling. Looking forward to testing it out with a matching Demeter amp!

[Baird6869]

Did a fill in gig last night with a few buddies. Absolutely packed small bar.

Ran Monique into my Crest power amp into a single Berg 210. Also DI from Monique to FOH. Basses were a MTD 535 and a Spector Forte 5. Holy moly!!

I have never had so many complements on my tone. The band, musicians in the crowd, etc. Monique sounds great thru a power amp and cabinet.... But the DI? Wow. Great quality. I was about to buy a $150 Radial, but Monique's is just fine and my cheap Yorkville DI is fine for a backup.

This think keeps sounding better and better.

Oh, I ran Sensitivity at about 3:00-4:00 all night. Nice grinds, tubey tone!

P.s. I have an afternoon gig today and I am bringing Monique. Back line provided and we are only playing for 45 minutes, but I am hooked!

[Peredur]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I may have missed it in the thread, but anyone using this as a front-end to a powered PA cab? I've been experimenting with QSC K10s I've got in the studio and there as some aspects to that sound that work really well for some of my gigs. But I really want to have some more control at the front end beyond the bass preamp (Pope/Fodera). In fact, through that setup I actually prefer running the bass passive.

A dovecage sitting on a Meyer cab would probably be pretty damn sick

There are at least two of us running one through Berg IP310 cabs. You can probably guess how we feel about that

[MarkA]

I think that I'm reading the thread right, but, just to be sure, the matching Demeter amp being discussed is the one that will sit in a separate, "Dovecage footprint" chasis, right? There's no plan to build anything like that into the rackmount version of Monique.

[liam_g]

Originally Posted by MarkA

I think that I'm reading the thread right, but, just to be sure, the matching Demeter amp being discussed is the one that will sit in a separate, "Dovecage footprint" chasis, right? There's no plan to build anything like that into the rackmount version of Monique.

My take is that James Demeter will indeed build the poweramp into a rack mount Monique.


Liam

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

I ran Sensitivity at about 3:00-4:00 all night. Nice grinds, tubey tone!

Yep...that's the happy zone!

[MarkA]

While I am displaying my ignorance, how is Monique for aggressive, slap-style playing? The closest thing that I have to a tube amp is my Mesa Walkabout head (though I've also played through a friend's old Sunn head a couple of times). At low and medium volumes, I love the feel I can get for fingerstyle playing. I play with little or no grit, but, with the gain set right, there's just a bit of give and bounce to the notes -- like walking on a rubber-coated track vs. hard asphalt. Not enough to slow you down or to blur anything, just enough to feel good -- clear, fat, bouncy -- and propel you along.

It doesn't do as well with slapping. Compared to my Genz Shuttlemax or GBE 1200 (transients are like knife edges out of that), things feel blurred and compressed, though it does clean up some when I back off the gain.

After all of the wonderful things said about Monique's tone, responsiveness, and everything else, I feel silly coming in and saying, "Yeah, but can I slap it?" but, yeah, I do a fair amount of playing that way, and hate feeling like my sound/attack gets lost when I start to.

[MarkA]

Originally Posted by liam_g

My take is that James Demeter will indeed build the poweramp into a rack mount Monique.


Liam

If that's the case, that would be really cool. "Little" amp, self contained, for smaller stuff, separate power amp for the bigger stuff.

[liam_g]

Originally Posted by MarkA

If that's the case, that would be really cool. "Little" amp, self contained, for smaller stuff, separate power amp for the bigger stuff.

He builds the poweramp into his own 1u preamps, and my impression is that he builds it into the 2u Monique as well.

Liam

[SactoBass]

I've only had my rackmount Monique for a week or so, and I am already planning to do some tube rolling (not because Monique is lacking in tone, but because I am a diseased tube roller from way back when, and I just can't help being addicted to NOS tubes, no matter what bass amp rig I'm using). Here is what I am planning to do:

V1 (gain): replace stock current issue Shuguang 6N9P (6SL7) with a 1951 brownbase NOS/NIB JAN Tung Sol 6SU7GTY (6SL7 equivalent), round black plates, black glass.

V2 (EQ): replace stock current issue Tung Sol 6SL7GT with brownbase NOS JAN CHS Sylvania 6SL7WGT, black plates.

V3 (buffer): replace stock chinese current issue 12AU7 with NOS RCA 12AU7WA/6189 blackplates.

V4 (rectifier): replace stock current issue Electro-Harmonix 6CA4EH (EZ81) with NOS/NIB RCA 6CA4 (EZ81).

At the time of this writing, I already have the first three NOS tubes in my possession, but not installed yet. The fourth (V4 rectifier) is being shipped to me right now. Once I receive that fourth tube, I will open up Monique and swap out all four tubes at the same time. I will then post up with my comments.

[bikeplate]

Hi

Getting real tempted to buy one of these

Rob

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by MarkA

how is Monique for aggressive, slap-style playing?

I don't know since I don't play that style. But perhaps other Monique'sters who play that style will chime in.

[AmazingMumford]

Originally Posted by liam_g

He builds the poweramp into his own 1u preamps, and my impression is that he builds it into the 2u Monique as well.

That's correct, based on Jule's recent post (#250):

"Monique rack mount with the 800 watt Demeter amp inside exists right now. James is ready to add his amp inside existing and new rack mount Moniques."

As of Nov. 16, Jule wrote: "For prices and availability we need to give James a few days to figure this all out. Wont be long before he has the details finalized."

Jule would have already answered this question if he wasn't currently in Norway, sipping his vino and snacking on gravlaks with Kreken.

[Baird6869]

Originally Posted by MarkA

how is Monique for aggressive, slap-style playing?

I really like Monique for slap as it has that Full, articulate, cutting tube tone.

I play a bit of funk (usual 70s disco type stuff) and lots of RHCP. Great slap tone..... One of the best I have heard.

Monique DOES NOT break up like a SVT or a Mesa D180/400+ can though. Not a bad thing, but Monique does not do crazy raunchy distortion.

Strangely, I do find I can add more grind to my tone with very aggressive attack when playing fingerstyle. Almost like I can slightly (more than usual) overdrive my tone by playing harder.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by Peredur

There are at least two of us running one through Berg IP310 cabs. You can probably guess how we feel about that

At least.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by AmazingMumford

That's correct, based on Jule's recent post (#250):

"Monique rack mount with the 800 watt Demeter amp inside exists right now. James is ready to add his amp inside existing and new rack mount Moniques."

As of Nov. 16, Jule wrote: "For prices and availability we need to give James a few days to figure this all out. Wont be long before he has the details finalized."

Jule would have already answered this question if he wasn't currently in Norway, sipping his vino and snacking on gravlaks with Kreken.

What the?!!
I missed the darn boat!
So to speak...

[nostatic]

well, I'm in. I've been messing around a lot with my sound recently and figure I'm going to try and have two different voiced rigs - one more rock oriented, the other more hi-fi. I've got Puma heads for the rock stuff, and am going to give the Baer cabs a spin (plus I've got some other stuff coming from Mike A.). For the hi-fi, I've been liking powered PA cabs, and have RCF and/or FBT coming soon. My plan is to run the Monique on top of the PA cab, thus, in theory, giving me a yin/yang of tube feel and hi-fi sound. Having some eq and volume control up front helps with the cabs in a live environment. I figure the Monique can likely work for the more rock rig as well, just run into the effects return of the Puma.

[foderaman]

You can also try in into the front end of the Puma and see what you think of that?You can pick up a little more of the EQ from the Puma along with Monique.I have used Monique in the front end of my Markbass F500 and it works and sounds Great!

Originally Posted by nostatic

well, I'm in. I've been messing around a lot with my sound recently and figure I'm going to try and have two different voiced rigs - one more rock oriented, the other more hi-fi. I've got Puma heads for the rock stuff, and am going to give the Baer cabs a spin (plus I've got some other stuff coming from Mike A.). For the hi-fi, I've been liking powered PA cabs, and have RCF and/or FBT coming soon. My plan is to run the Monique on top of the PA cab, thus, in theory, giving me a yin/yang of tube feel and hi-fi sound. Having some eq and volume control up front helps with the cabs in a live environment. I figure the Monique can likely work for the more rock rig as well, just run into the effects return of the Puma.