TC Electronic RH450 discussion - Tweaking the Preamp

[Eublet]

Hi guys. I'm VERY excited to be announcing this. Uffe Hansen at TC Electronic has invited 5 TB users to particpate in a test group for the RH450 and an internal beta version of a PC application that allows the user to access internal settings on the Preamp. The connection between the RH450 to the PC is facilitated by a special USB-to-Midi cable that connects to the "Remote" port on the back panel of the RH450.

The users who were invited are:

KJung
Vic
Tom7
Musicman20
Eublet (myself)

None of us are endorsers, but we have been very enthusiastic about the RH450 for a while now, and have rambled on at length in many threads here about these heads, the potential they provide, and how we would like to be able to adjust this or that under the hood. Uffe and TC have noticed this so they're going to let us give it a go.

We have freedom to post our discussions here, and hopefully to get ideas for things to try from others. So please participate in the discussion with us. We can not however share the Tweaker PC application with anyone so please don't ask!

I want to give a very special thanks to Uffe and TC Electronic for asking us to particpate and provide feedback. This is the kind of thing you want to see from a manufacturer as it shows they care about what their users are interested in. So many here have made suggestions and Uffe has noticed them. So here we go!

Below is a partial cut and paste from an email Uffe sent us which explains a few things about what we're doing.

Originally Posted by Uffe Hansen via email to test group

The Gear
As mentioned in my earlier mail, I will send you a test amp and the equipment to hook up the Amp Tweak software.
I will send more specific instructions for the amp tweaker shortly, but overall it is a pretty simple Control software hooked up to the RH450 via a USB-MIDI interface and a special MIDI split cable connected to the ‘remote’ connector on RH450.

The Tweaker
The Tweaker is a subset of a development tool that we’ve been using internally since the initial RH450 prototypes passed audio. We’ve cleaned it up a bit to not make it overly complicated.



This first version allows you access to:

• Full parametric Tone control section (Bandwidth, Gain, Freq, all four bands)
• Overall Lowpass filter – Internally known as TweeterTone and much discussed on TB
• Full access to the three band SpectraComp parameters – Thrs, Attack, Release etc. for all three bands (yes it’s a lot ;-
• Storing/recalling of tweaked settings on your computer – which also means easy exchange of settings between you guys
• And finally change of selected parameter defaults on the amp

The test aim
My intention with this test is to start an open discussion on what makes sense for bass players both from a sound and tone perspective, but also in potentially opening the Amp Tweaker up to more players out there.
We don’t have a specific target in terms of product release, end date or features that we need to reach, but hey maybe we will find some underway!

In other words; we simply wanted to gain some input for new angles and ideas for bass players at the front end of the development process rather than lurking at forums and making all decisions ourselves.

This of course also means that I cannot promise the outcome of the test, so no guarantees on where this will end up. That said, I am personally VERY excited about this and convinced that we will find some cool new stuff that we can get out there.

Confidentiality – The Amp Tweaker is basically an internal tool and not a product for re-sale. Our test is fully official and you are free to discuss this with anybody out there.

[wateroftyne]

Excellent.. Subscribed. It's great that TC have made this available. Let's see what you tweakers come up with.



Every time I use my RH450, it blows me away.

[Vic]

Once we get this thing rolling, it should get very interesting.

[afroman]

Very very cool!
Not a lot of companies would go to all this trouble in order to get to know their target audiences better.

Now, if only they developed a way to buy 1 TC cab and have them sound like any of their other cab offerings.

[stingray56funk]

Oh snap!!!

[KJung]

Very interested and happy to have a chance to try this out. I'll be putting up clips

[Musicman20]

Im very excited and lucky to be a part of this. Its going to be very fun getting to know how all of this works. Thanks TC and Uffe.

[blondmix3]

Wow, VERY interested and excited about this. You know what would be REALLY cool, is if down the road they sold an interface cable like that, and you could download/save presets from your computer. They wouldn't have to make Tweaker available, just let us swap and save presets easier.

[nostatic]

Lowpass filter adjust for the win.

The rest is just tweaking things that I don't think are broken, but I understand the attraction for some and there may be some cool setting to be found.

That said, while I applaud this effort, I'd be a lot more excited/impressed if I actually had my amp. 22 calendar days at the service facility and counting. TC was nice enough to ask for my impressions of their service last night via web survey. I politely but firmly told them what I thought.

[stflbn]

Subscribed and very excited.

Being able to go in and open up the highend more if you had a gig that specifically called for it, etc would be phenomenal.

Tweaking ability would give each user the access to make a great amp a perfect amp for 'their' specific need. And as with most things 'many' or 'most' users of the amp wouldn't have an ongoing need, but for those who do value such things it would be phenomenal.

I know for me personally gigging here around Nashville, being able to have some different saved 'natures' of amp configs that I set up for vintage country, modern country, rock, funk, gospel, etc would be unreal. Just dump whichever I need into the amp prior to gig and would avoid much of the EQ tweaking I'd normally do to push the amp in different genre type directions.



IMHO.


.

[Smallequestrian]

I look forward to you guys figuring out cool settings and then me being able to copy!

[JackANSI]

Time to actually open up my RH450 and get to work on making my own interface.. this type of thing is my cup of tea

Better make it an offical product before I do

[Joeykun]

This is great news and the testers involved are great as well!!

Unfortunetly, I sold my RH450. But, I can see only good things coming out of this.
The only problem I had with this amp was the low pass filter. If this amp can get
the sparkle of lets say a MB you have a real winner. The amp overall is fantastic.

Looking forward to Ken's clips on this one too!!!

[Vic]

Originally Posted by KJung

Very interested and happy to have a chance to try this out. I'll be putting up clips

I finally have a Q3. I probably should plan to do this as well.

[Vic]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Lowpass filter adjust for the win.

I think this is pretty much on everybody's short list, so I would assume this would be one of the first things.

[barteroo2002]

Brilliant news.
Nice one TC!

It is truly fantastic to see this relationship between Research+Development and End-Users.

Even if TC don't end up releasing this Tweaking Interface, I'm sure the feedback they recieve will be great and will result in better/more varied products down the line.

I personally think that if the tweaking is available for people, the product will improve - because it is a fantastic amp at default settings anyway.

Good luck to the five involved.

[Vic]

Originally Posted by barteroo2002

Even if TC don't end up releasing this Tweaking Interface, I'm sure the feedback they recieve will be great and will result in better/more varied products down the line.

Yes, and I think it's important for us to all realize/remember, per Uffe's post, what may be productized from this, or when, is not even on the radar of this thread. Right now, it's just a research/feedback project.

If, at some point, a product announcement is appropriate, Uffe will of course handle that, and do so in the appropriate ways (with respect to the CUPS here.)

[JackANSI]

Originally Posted by barteroo2002

Brilliant news.
Nice one TC!

It is truly fantastic to see this relationship between Research+Development and End-Users.

Even if TC don't end up releasing this Tweaking Interface, I'm sure the feedback they recieve will be great and will result in better/more varied products down the line.

I personally think that if the tweaking is available for people, the product will improve - because it is a fantastic amp at default settings anyway.

Good luck to the five involved.

Defintely gotta give TC some 'props' for continuing to develop instead of the normal "We think we already did enough" routine that is all too common in tech.

But to not (eventually) release something like this to the people that already bought one would kinda irk me the wrong way. I really don't care about anyone else who buys one down the line. When/If the changes are made to the next model, it might make the next version far superior to mine (thus making mine worth less on the used market) and actually be all software related.

I'll be spending much of my free time saturday and sunday with my Saleae logic analyzer and my RH450.

[Vic]

Originally Posted by JackANSI

But to not (eventually) release something like this to the people that already bought one would kinda irk me the wrong way. I really don't care about anyone else who buys one down the line. When/If the changes are made to the next model, it might make the next version far superior to mine (thus making mine worth less on the used market) and actually be all software related.

Ok, my post was specifically intended to try and head posts like these off at the pass and avoid them.

Please... PLEASE... do NOT get all spun up on what may or may not eventually happen with the product from this thread. PLEASE!!

Just trust that TC Electronic will make the appropriate product and customer decisions when the time comes. Let's try to leave that UNKNOWN factor out of this thread and just enjoy the adventure. Ok?

[nostatic]

I'd love to enjoy the adventure. If I ever get my amp back

yeah, yeah...I know...broken record. But the interwebs is for venting and arguing. And pron.