TC Electronic Classic450 + Hartke Hydrive HX112

[darylchan]

New rig day!


Good cables count too


Quality on the HX112 is less than stellar. New out of the box and the tolex is already peeling on the back and side.
Larry you really got to do something about this quality issue.
At least the shop I bought from has agreed to replace it with a new unit when they order new stock.



Tone from this combination is great. Big and defined low end with sweet highs that are never harsh, even with the tweeter switch full on. It gets pretty loud too. Looking forward to testing this out in a band situation with drummer and guitard.

[RickenBoogie]

If you find the volume to be lacking, (which is likely), add another identical cab.

[Larry Hartke]

Brother Darylchan,

First of all thanks for playing Hartke, the HyDrive 112 is one of my personal favorite Hartke cabinets. I'm sorry you received a HyDrive 112 cabinet with the vinyl peeling away. We recently received a small shipment of 55 HyDrive 112’s some of which exhibited this problem. I was actually the one to discover it. We of course immediately stopped shipments and only about 25 had already been shipped. We recalled what we could, but a few got through and we will certainly make good on any that have this problem. If you need any help in getting your HyDrive 112 replaced you can reach me at 201-680-8153 Cell or lahartke@comcast.net My sincere apologies!

[RickenBoogie]

^best customer service in the biz^

[darylchan]

Thank you Larry. I'm expecting the store to send me a replacement unit soon. Apparently all their units in stock have this issue so they've ordered fresh stock. FYI I'm from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia if this helps you trace the problem.

Now that I've had more play time with the amp and cab I can write a bit more.

If there were any doubts about the roadworthiness of the TC Classic450, you may notice a dent along the front top edge of the casing. It would take a real idiot to dent the thick aluminium casing like that (I bought it used off the bay) and the amp still works like a champ.

The tone should be familiar to y'all... slightly warm and very pleasing, not as transparent as say Genz or SWR but still provides enough bite for slap/pop. Spectracomp is excellent. I set it to 3 and it gives a nice punchy sound while levelling out the peaks. Tubetone however doesnt do it for me. It just sounds brittle. Don't like it.
The DI out of this amp is legendary. I use it post-eq to line into my Lexicon omega and the signal reproduces the TC tone nicely while remaining squeaky clean.

The Hydrive 112 cab sounds great for what is probably the most affordable good cab that can be bought here in Malaysia. The lows are nice and tight at 4 ohm, and becomes 'bigger' when set to 8 ohm. Mids ring clear with just enough sparkle at the top from the horn. The cab basically does what you tell it to do without colouring your sound too much. Plenty of volume. I love watching the hydrive cone pump when you crank it. The best part about it is the weight and compact size. Can't say the same about the vinyl covering though.

[darylchan]

Pardon the shoddy phonecam pic

Gigged my rig last night, with house PA support.
Sounded fantastic on stage and kept up with the drummer plus 2 guitards. Set gain and master to both around 10 o'clock, all EQ at noon and the sound through the cab punches right through the mix.

The D.I. on the TC amp is superb. Took the sound tech all of 5 seconds to get a good clear sound coming out of the PA whereas setting up the guitars took 5 minutes. Had good comments from the audience on the quality of the sound. You know it sounds good when you see the floor move.

Overall, couldn't be more pleased with my rig. Setting up was a breeze, reliable all night with no issues, and carting it around doesn't break the back.