LowDown Studio 110

[cybersnyder]

Originally I bought a LowDown 150, the 12" combo. It's a really nice combo, but was too big for what I was looking for in a home practice combo. So I took it back to GC and swapped it out for a Studio 110. Rich Renken said he does gigs with his and I didn't quite get it. I'm stuck in the bassist thought pattern of if it's small it must be a toy, right? Well I was wrong. This little combo has some killer sounds and is very portable. In the manual they mention that it's designed for the studio, you can mic it or use the DI. I haven't tried this yet, but it kinda makes sense. Do you mic all 8 speakers in an 8x10 or just one? The combo is designed to get great sound when you mic it. But it's too small to gig with, right? Included is a handy dandy line out that you can use to run your combo tone into the house stage amp.

Would I change anything? Maybe. A retractable kickback foot would be nice if you're using it as a monitor. A model knob that would allow setting four different variations of one amp would be nice or swapping out the Grind model for the Brit instead of Clean. Clean and Brit are my most favorite models. But at under $300, this is a very nice combo that has a lot of potential.

[Czar]

The kickback is a great idea.

I have no complaints with my 110.

[PaulNYC]

my complaint: the amp has enough features that keep me from pursuing GAS. Thus, I cannot help the economy as much.

[Jamie_Funk]

Do any owners of this amp use it with a 5 string? Yes, the standard "can it handle a B string" question

I see it for me as a home practice amp that I MIGHT use for smallish coffee house gigs, and/or run a line into a PA

J

[cybersnyder]

Originally Posted by Jamie_Funk

Do any owners of this amp use it with a 5 string? Yes, the standard "can it handle a B string" question

I see it for me as a home practice amp that I MIGHT use for smallish coffee house gigs, and/or run a line into a PA

J

Surprisingly, yes it can. You're not going to get enough volume to compete with a loud drummer and the guitarists' full stack, but if you keep your expectations reasonable, this combo can handle the low B.

[richrenken]

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

Originally I bought a LowDown 150, the 12" combo. It's a really nice combo, but was too big for what I was looking for in a home practice combo. So I took it back to GC and swapped it out for a Studio 110. Rich Renken said he does gigs with his and I didn't quite get it. I'm stuck in the bassist thought pattern of if it's small it must be a toy, right? Well I was wrong. This little combo has some killer sounds and is very portable. In the manual they mention that it's designed for the studio, you can mic it or use the DI. I haven't tried this yet, but it kinda makes sense. Do you mic all 8 speakers in an 8x10 or just one? The combo is designed to get great sound when you mic it. But it's too small to gig with, right? Included is a handy dandy line out that you can use to run your combo tone into the house stage amp.

Would I change anything? Maybe. A retractable kickback foot would be nice if you're using it as a monitor. A model knob that would allow setting four different variations of one amp would be nice or swapping out the Grind model for the Brit instead of Clean. Clean and Brit are my most favorite models. But at under $300, this is a very nice combo that has a lot of potential.

So you found the special "rock mode" It is a bummer that the clean and brit are your favorites since they are the two that swap.

To keep it small we had to make some concessions.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by Jamie_Funk

Do any owners of this amp use it with a 5 string? Yes, the standard "can it handle a B string" question

I see it for me as a home practice amp that I MIGHT use for smallish coffee house gigs, and/or run a line into a PA

J

LOL and the rest. I have used mine in large theatres and venues and as these situations use lage PAs with foldback, not a problem.
Check this link, on stage two Fender Vibro Kings, one Marble Harpmaster, and one loud drummer, and me with my little Studio110 LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZA8A-rBkfU

[cybersnyder]

Originally Posted by richrenken

So you found the special "rock mode" It is a bummer that the clean and brit are your favorites since they are the two that swap.

To keep it small we had to make some concessions.

It's really not that big of a deal since I normally keep the amp set to one setting. I keep thinking that I want lots of settings, and then use one.

[cybersnyder]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

LOL and the rest. I have used mine in large theatres and venues and as these situations use lage PAs with foldback, not a problem.
Check this link, on stage two Fender Vibro Kings, one Marble Harpmaster, and one loud drummer, and me with my little Studio110 LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZA8A-rBkfU

Dude! That guy's hat is bigger than your amp! Looks like a lot of fun.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

Dude! That guy's hat is bigger than your amp! Looks like a lot of fun.

LOL he was great to work for. Hailing from Dallas Texas area he tours the UK and Europe regular. I done two tours before i was stopped by a car accident, the studio 110 was loved by all the engineers involved, for once they had great control of the sound.
It was after that tour that i recorded with it, then i bought the HD400. I was only let down by cab options from Line 6 which are take it or leave it with the one cab LOL

[richrenken]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

LOL and the rest. I have used mine in large theatres and venues and as these situations use lage PAs with foldback, not a problem.
Check this link, on stage two Fender Vibro Kings, one Marble Harpmaster, and one loud drummer, and me with my little Studio110 LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZA8A-rBkfU

Awesome. You are going into the sound system as well right?

[richrenken]

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

It's really not that big of a deal since I normally keep the amp set to one setting. I keep thinking that I want lots of settings, and then use one.

I know, me too. I do like having choice for when I am in a "mood". I bop between r&b and rock.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by richrenken

Awesome. You are going into the sound system as well right?

Sure am Rich, and getting my stage level via monitors, which was cool as the whole stage had a carpet of bass generated by the 110. That's why the Lowdown range has to be understood, in my opinion it is the same sound options with different power output and cab options, not different sounding amps as such. In the studio i get better results with the 110 as i would with a full rig.
When in the studio i get 1 mic and DI and usually on one speaker, so why take in more than that LOL. The 110 has all of that covered, so the days of taking in 6 0r 8 10" speakers to have only one used are gone for me. That was the same principal on the Lightning Willie Tours, to have bass but not driving from one source but be a carpet for all to sit on.

Its the same in the studio when live recording, it has no vibration or resonance problems (yet) so baffeling is minimal to none existant. So the room sound is great and if set up near the kit, the bleed is great on the kit for a real feeling of live on a recording, rather than separation to stop resonance interference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AvI98aA-Yg

The 110 is next to the kit un-baffeled just pointing in to the room, that's why i have no headphones, so i can hear the roomsound. If it sound good in the room, it will sound good on tape.

[Fergie Fulton]

Hi Rich, Hope your well?
Just a quick catch up with the studio 110. Had a great last 6 months sound with the HD400 and the studio 110, not a problem and the compliments to both of them have been many (the HD400 is through two Aguilar 12s).
In the middle of recording again so the 110 is hard a work again, then off touring with the HD400 rig in the spring when festival season starts... so looking forward to that LOL.
I still carry the 110 with me as a back up or a studio session, or radio session when on the road so always have options.
Here's to another year of great sound, keep up the great work.
Fergie

[richrenken]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

Hi Rich, Hope your well?
Just a quick catch up with the studio 110. Had a great last 6 months sound with the HD400 and the studio 110, not a problem and the compliments to both of them have been many (the HD400 is through two Aguilar 12s).
In the middle of recording again so the 110 is hard a work again, then off touring with the HD400 rig in the spring when festival season starts... so looking forward to that LOL.
I still carry the 110 with me as a back up or a studio session, or radio session when on the road so always have options.
Here's to another year of great sound, keep up the great work.
Fergie

Thank you so much for the update, I really appreciate it.

Let us know when there is more stuff to listen to.

[Fergie Fulton]

Here's what i'm talking about. In the bass end of the studio in amongst other rigs the studio110 does the same, if not a better job than those around it. One speaker miked, one DI used, the sound it there but not the air pressure in the room, so no vibration freqs . On this session it was live takes and no overspill on any of the drum mikes, it was a great room sound from the mike and the DI just gives it that edge. My favourite studio amp for what i want, put it in its case and walk in , record, walk out with it and the bass in hand.

[trkkazulu]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

Here's what i'm talking about. In the bass end of the studio in amongst other rigs the studio110 does the same, if not a better job than those around it. One speaker miked, one DI used, the sound it there but not the air pressure in the room, so no vibration freqs . On this session it was live takes and no overspill on any of the drum mikes, it was a great room sound from the mike and the DI just gives it that edge. My favourite studio amp for what i want, put it in its case and walk in , record, walk out with it and the bass in hand.

Where did you get the flight case for the Studio 110?

JPW

[cybersnyder]

Did some tests last night and I'll be using the Studio 110 this weekend to play to 70k at Raven's Stadium. The sound guy really liked the feel of the amp's DI. I was going direct before and the Studio 110 gives a fuller, richer sound with just enough watts to use as a personal monitor.

[Adam Bomb]

That's gotta be the record for biggest gig ever played with that amp.

All the way on the other side of the spectrum, I went to a jam at my buddy's this weekend. Was gonna take a much larger combo but it started to drizzle so I stuck my 110 in a compactor bag and off we went. It cleared up after we got there so we played outside on his patio. Loud drummer, quiet guitarist. I ran my usual effects, which include an octaver (i.e. octave lower) and 1, sometimes 2 distortion effects. Three if you count Grind mode. I like to play heavy. Should have put the amp on a table but I had it on the floor.

I was audible! Wouldn't say loud or doomish, but I was definitely in there. I know because my mistakes were definitely loud enough. I pushed her harder than I should have - gain and master at noon, sometimes past noon. Pushed her so hard that the next day I practiced at home with an ear towards making sure she still sounded fine. And she did!

Long & short: Outside, drums, no PA, effects, and almost loud enough. Even when used for other than what it was intended, was very impressive.

--Bomb

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by trkkazulu

Where did you get the flight case for the Studio 110?

JPW

Case was a stock bought case from a local supplier. I had it partitioned to take the amp and the leads. Also room for a few other essentials as well. Its everything i use in the one case.

Another session done for the BBC at Madia Vale Studios.
It will be aired on the Paul Jones show, BBC Radio 2 at 7.00 on the Mon. 29th November
Again no probs with the bass, easiest session yet as we used the DI straight from the amp with just a cannon. The BBC are notorious for equipment being top notch and PAT test and line check all and everything that goes into their boards