Most Influential/Innovative Product in the Last 10 Years

[alecduncan]

Not entirely asking for the "best" or highest quality product in the last 10 years, merely the one you believe changed the bass landscape for the better.

My obvious votes are:

-Class D amplifiers (namely GK MB200/500/800 for their phenomenal value and availability to the working bassist)

-Neo Cabinets (namely Avatar B410/210 Neo series for affordability/value to the gigging bassist. Arguable who's product is most widely influential for the rise of the Neo format.)


And more controversially...

-Peavey VB-2/VB-3 for creating a "modern" tube head, allowing more bassists to access the sounds they want.

-Tech21 SansAmp Bass Driver for minimizing a bass player's necessary equipment... excellent pre-amp and tool that opens up infinite possibilities.

What are your choices?

[tallboybass]

Walter Woods?

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by alecduncan

Not entirely asking for the "best" or highest quality product in the last 10 years, merely the one you believe changed the bass landscape for the better.

My obvious votes are:

-Class D amplifiers (namely GK MB200/500/800 for their phenomenal value and availability to the working bassist)

-Neo Cabinets (namely Avatar B410/210 Neo series for affordability/value to the gigging bassist. Arguable who's product is most widely influential for the rise of the Neo format.)

And more controversially...

-Peavey VB-2/VB-3 for creating a "modern" tube head, allowing more bassists to access the sounds they want.

-Tech21 SansAmp Bass Driver for minimizing a bass player's necessary equipment... excellent pre-amp and tool that opens up infinite possibilities.

What are your choices?

I'll add to the class D amps and the SansAmp pedal range the iPad + Amplitube/ Ampkit.
I've stopped bringing the pedals back home, now it is Amplitube right into the power section of the bass combo at home. And if I've got a good idea it is just to press the record button.

[BurningSkies]

Switching power supplies.

Neodymium magnets for speakers.

[alecduncan]

What's funny is that I don't own any of those products (except for a GK 412 Neo) but still appreciate how they shape my bass peers' careers. I am seriously GASing for a Peavey VB-2, though.

[KJung]

In that time period, IMO the Markbass LMII by a WIDE margin. Most of us could not even comprehend an amp of that quality, size and weight at that price-point and with wide distribution that allowed for 'try before buy'.

That amp opened up 'light and portable' to everyone, from pro's to kids', and literally changed the landscape overnight. It is still IMO one of the best sounding amps out there at any price point, size or weight, and has virtually remained unchanged through its lifecycle (the newer III version is just a minor features tweak).

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by KJung

In that time period, IMO the Markbass LMII by a WIDE margin. Most of us could not even comprehend an amp of that quality, size and weight at that price-point and with wide distribution that allowed for 'try before buy'.

That amp opened up 'light and portable' to everyone, from pro's to kids', and literally changed the landscape overnight. It is still IMO one of the best sounding amps out there at any price point, size or weight, and has virtually remained unchanged through its lifecycle (the newer III version is just a minor features tweak).

I think there is a lot of confusion for many players and many people here. Lots of people say ‘class D’ when they mean light and small micro amps…the LMII is a class A/B amp, but many people assume that it’s a class D amp due to its size and weight. And yes, while WW may have been building small/light amps previously, you had to know the secret handshake and have a bulging wallet to have him build you one. The LMII made it possible to go to your local gearmart and try it out first hand.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

I think there is a lot of confusion for many players and many people here. Lots of people say ‘class D’ when they mean light and small micro amps…the LMII is a class A/B amp, but many people assume that it’s a class D amp due to its size and weight. And yes, while WW may have been building small/light amps previously, you had to know the secret handshake and have a bulging wallet to have him build you one. The LMII made it possible to go to your local gearmart and try it out first hand.

+1 That combination of class A/B and SMPS is still unique in the market (along with a very few others like Epifani, which I think had design help from Markbass, at least way back in the day).

And yes, I actually sold my Walter Woods (after using one or the other of his amps for the previous 15 years) when the LMII came out. They put that sort of quality and performance and size and weight into anyone's hands who wanted one.

The fact that SO many other micro's have now come out, but the LMII/III is still going strong is quite amazing, given the typical product half-life in this category.

[KJung]

In the previous decade (mid 80's to early 90's), I would give GK the nod with their MB150 micro combo... the first 'one hand giggable' combo amp. Everyone I know had one of those at one point or the other, and they are STILL on the market!

They put out a 'head only version' of that combo, but at 150 watts, it just wasn't the 'full size amp' replacement that Walter Woods was back then (for a very high price) and that the LMII became at its introduction.

[jowens004]

Id have to agree....Class D amps!
Class D amps have done loads for our industry. Gave light weight powerful rigs to those who dont care what they sound like, and allowed them to sell all their GOOD amps to people like me for pennies on the dollar.

[JimmyM]

The LMII certainly created a big splash and is a fine fine amp, but for my money, the SVT 7 Pro is THE product of the last 10 years.

[RobJ]

Originally Posted by KJung

In the previous decade (mid 80's to early 90's), I would give GK the nod with their MB150 micro combo... the first 'one hand giggable' combo amp. Everyone I know had one of those at one point or the other, and they are STILL on the market!

They put out a 'head only version' of that combo, but at 150 watts, it just wasn't the 'full size amp' replacement that Walter Woods was back then (for a very high price) and that the LMII became at its introduction.

Yeah, heck of a little amp. I still have mine, well over 15 years old now and still going strong doing rehearsals every week and small gigs where a stack isn't needed.

I agree with BurningSkies and think the use of switching power supplies (finally) and neodymium magnets for speakers have made a huge impact.

[fhm555]

My vote would go to the ability to put a brand new, off the rack decent, serviceable, playable bass in a players hand for under $500.

When I was a kid I had to spend $200~$400 just to get someone's castoff old beater with (usually) one or more major issue(s) that had to be addressed before it was usable. And new basses, forget it, when a new bass did make it's way to the local music store it was so far out of my price range I couldn't even dream about one without getting depressed. There were cheap basses back then, but they were spindly, constantly twisting pieces of particle board crap better suited for doorstop duty than actual playing.

These days you can walk into your local GC with $500 in your pocket and try a buttload of body styles with almost endless pickup configs, and even have a choice between active and passive, all for the money you have in your pocket.

When I was a kid the local music store got (maybe) 2~3 new Fenders a year and maybe a dozen Peaveys, and grubby mitted kids like myself where NOT allowed to touch them, much less endlessly noodle on them whenever we walked in the store.

[R Baer]

Antares Auto-Tune. It's allowed a whole generation of pop "artist" to convince their fans they can actually sing!

Oh. we're talking bass amps... right. Well, then I give props to the LMII. I don't think the class D market would have developed anywhere near as fast, if Markbass hadn't proven to all the other companies out there, that there is actually a market out there for small, lightweight bass amps.

[tallboybass]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Switching power supplies.

Neodymium magnets for speakers.

Big +1

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by R Baer

Antares Auto-Tune. It's allowed a whole generation of pop "artist" to convince their fans they can actually sing!

Oh. we're talking bass amps... right. Well, then I give props to the LMII. I don't think the class D market would have developed anywhere near as fast, if Markbass hadn't proven to all the other companies out there, that there is actually a market out there for small, lightweight bass amps.

Autotune has been around for years. I blame Cher for starting the cavalcade of Autotune abuse...where people used it as an effect rather than a subtle production band-aid.

[Mr. Pickles]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Autotune has been around for years. I blame Cher for starting the cavalcade of Autotune abuse...where people used it as an effect rather than a subtle production band-aid.

Autotune is to the 21st century what reverb was to the 80's.

[IntrepidCellist]

The rise of digital modeling. Makes recording and getting sounds simple at a very low price.