EA Wizzy iAmp 500 vs. Bergantino IP112

[Lemon]

Hello everbody,
soon I need a Amp.
I have tryed a Wizzy Cab with a iAmp 500, that sounded good with my Upright.
Now I have also read about these IP Powered Cabs.
Im in Europe and the chances are rather tiny bumping into a IP-112.
I was wondering if any of you have had a chance to A B these two rigs
I just got a Pedulla Hexabuzz, and I want to be able to use it for both.
I was wondering if anyone could describe the differences of these rigs

Is that IP Series ok with a Upright ?
Im using a Schertler Strat and I could mix in a PUTW
or a Mic, If that thing sounds like MarkBass, it wont work that soundet very crappy. GK RB400 didnt work either mostly because of impedance problems.
but also the sound wasnt quite right.
thanks a lot for your help.

Lemon

[Lemon]

would be a big help =)

[tombowlus]

I can do this comparison for you!

I can tell you from non-A/B comparisons, that the iAMP 500 into a Wizzy is a very killer setup!

I can also tell you that the IP cabs are just out of this world!

Tom.

[winston]

Hi Lemon. I don't have precisely the setups you are talking about, but my gear comes close.

Double Bass: New Standard Cleveland (laminated) with Schertler Stat-B, Underwood, Bass Max, and Revolution Solo pickups

Bass Guitars: Pedulla ThunderBolt 6, Pedulla Rapture 5, F-Bass BN-5, Peavey Cirrus Fretless 5, Godin SD-4, Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom

Amp Heads: EA iAmp800, Eden WT-400, GK 400RB
Cabs: EA Wizzy, Bergantino HT-112(2)

I have tried the Berg IP-112 with bass guitar (BG) but not double bass(DB). My favorite BG setup is the WT-400 into the HT-112s--it's growly, warm, and punchy without boominess. I'm not crazy about the HT-112 on DB. At least with my DB the bottom end lacks tightness and I feel like there's a dip in the upper midrange in the critical "hear your intonation" frequencies. Even using the semi-parametric mids on the Eden and iAmp it's hard for me to get those upper mids dialed in without adding too much string noise.

The IP-112 didn't seem to have any holes in its freq. response--more bottom than the HT-112 and more mids throughout the full range. Jim Bergantino uses DSP that allows him to compensate for the cabs' shortcomings.

I want to try the IP-112 with my DB. In order to afford one though I'd have to sell off most of my amp setup and wouldn't have a backup. Since it's a new technology I think I'm gonna wait a bit to hear about the longer-term reliability of the IP setup. If you went the IP route you'd probably want a separate preamp for the DB to cut boom/feedback/problem frequencies.

My favorite DB setup is the iAmp800 into the Wizzy. It has a full and detailed sound that is very clear. The Wizzy (to my ears) has a very accurate midrange that brings out the details of my bass. The Wizzy doesn't have a super-deep bass or ultra-bright treble response, which is a problem for some BG players. Hope this helps.

[Lemon]

thanks winston that was helpful.

Im not a LOW B player i got this bass because we play alot of Eb and Db keys and this music sounds better if you have a low Eb.
so I have one question, is the Wizzy no problem for a 6 string ?
I mean do we hear that note or just the harmonics wich is gona sound like the fifth of it ?



Tom thanks, nice answer but not really that helpful =P . actually the IP idea died because they seem to have only a 110 volt version.
I guess I can do the same with a Crown amp.
I have a professional Neutrik sound measuring device so i can find out where the cab lacks dB and fix it.

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by Lemon

Tom thanks, nice answer but not really that helpful =P . actually the IP idea died because they seem to have only a 110 volt version.

This is incorrect. There is a voltage switch on the back.

Tom.

[winston]

Originally Posted by Lemon

thanks winston that was helpful.

Im not a LOW B player i got this bass because we play alot of Eb and Db keys and this music sounds better if you have a low Eb.
so I have one question, is the Wizzy no problem for a 6 string ?
I mean do we hear that note or just the harmonics wich is gona sound like the fifth of it ?

I have a professional Neutrik sound measuring device so i can find out where the cab lacks dB and fix it.

Cool. I've always wanted some kind of measuring device to see what the actual response of my gear is.

I play a variety of styles (jazz/Latin/pop/ethnic) with good musicians who don't play too loud. Most of my gigs are without PA support and the idea is to get a blend so that acoustic instruments (horns, piano, percussion) can be heard alongside electric ones. In such situations, I've found the Wizzy handles the notes down to B well.

I've worked as a soundman on a 20K watt Bag End ELF system so I know what bass fundamentals sound like. The Wizzy doesn't have earth-shaking fundamental response, but then again it wasn't meant to. (Tom Bowlus and others have noted that two Wizzys have much more bass response than 1).

Some people give the Wiz grief for not being a particularly modern-sounding cab with hyped lows and highs, but that wasn't EA's intent. They wanted a blend of new- and old-school--"Flip-top sound for the new millenium" and as far as I'm concerned they nailed it.

I tend not to use a whole lot of EQ either at the bass or amp, preferring to get the sound from my hands and pickup selection and using EQ to match the room. You can definitely get the Wizzy to crap out on low notes if you use a lot of bass EQ in loud situations. So low notes at reasonable volumes without a lot of rumble, it does fine. If you want true deep bass at loud volumes, you'd probably be better off with something else.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by winston

I'm not crazy about the HT-112 on DB. At least with my DB the bottom end lacks tightness and I feel like there's a dip in the upper midrange in the critical "hear your intonation" frequencies.

Agreed - you nailed it.

I want to try the IP-112 with my DB. In order to afford one though I'd have to sell off most of my amp setup and wouldn't have a backup. Since it's a new technology I think I'm gonna wait a bit to hear about the longer-term reliability of the IP setup.

Bingo.

[Lemon]

Originally Posted by tombowlus

This is incorrect. There is a voltage switch on the back.

Tom.

ok so they didnt tell me the thruth @ bass northwest ... LOL

[Lemon]

Originally Posted by winston

Cool. I've always wanted some kind of measuring device to see what the actual response of my gear is.

I play a variety of styles (jazz/Latin/pop/ethnic) with good musicians who don't play too loud. Most of my gigs are without PA support and the idea is to get a blend so that acoustic instruments (horns, piano, percussion) can be heard alongside electric ones. In such situations, I've found the Wizzy handles the notes down to B well.

I've worked as a soundman on a 20K watt Bag End ELF system so I know what bass fundamentals sound like. The Wizzy doesn't have earth-shaking fundamental response, but then again it wasn't meant to. (Tom Bowlus and others have noted that two Wizzys have much more bass response than 1).

Some people give the Wiz grief for not being a particularly modern-sounding cab with hyped lows and highs, but that wasn't EA's intent. They wanted a blend of new- and old-school--"Flip-top sound for the new millenium" and as far as I'm concerned they nailed it.

I tend not to use a whole lot of EQ either at the bass or amp, preferring to get the sound from my hands and pickup selection and using EQ to match the room. You can definitely get the Wizzy to crap out on low notes if you use a lot of bass EQ in loud situations. So low notes at reasonable volumes without a lot of rumble, it does fine. If you want true deep bass at loud volumes, you'd probably be better off with something else.

ok so If I want a clean and clear sound with a rather flat Low end and more low mids it will do ? I dont need that EDEN like bottom end thats to much of boom and not clear any more. I like the Idea of a fullrange that almost allways sounds good
and is a iamp 500 enough for 2 Wizzy?
or is the 800 better ?
I know that the Wizzy soundet killer with the Upright.
the other option is the crown with DSP i could get it rather cheap.

[Freddels]

I just got the iAmp 500 to use with my Wizzy. So far, it sounds great. The last gig was in a concrete foyer of a hospital so nothing would have sounded great there. I think the 500 has plenty of power to run 2 wizzies. If you search the forum (especially for posts by DRURB) you can find some info regarding the efficiency of the wizzy cabs.

+1 for the Wizzy and iAmp 500

[mchildree]

Two Wizzys + iAmp800 is a KILLER rig! Too bad one of these has to go back to EA soon.... I will be buying another, without a doubt!

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by Lemon

and is a iamp 500 enough for 2 Wizzy? or is the 800 better ?

IME/IMHO, two Wizzy's > one Wizzy x 2, and yes, I definitely recommend the iAMP 800 for driving two.

Tom.

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by tombowlus

IME/IMHO, two Wizzy's > one Wizzy x 2, and yes, I definitely recommend the iAMP 800 for driving two.

Tom.

Huh?

[tombowlus]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Huh?

To me, two Wizzy's sound greater than (">") you would expect, hence, two Wizzy's sound greater than one Wizzy times two.

And, while they are only rated for like 200w, I find that two Wizzy's sound awesome with the iAMP 800's 1,000w into a 2 ohm load.

Tom.

[winston]

Originally Posted by mchildree

Two Wizzys + iAmp800 is a KILLER rig! Too bad one of these has to go back to EA soon.... I will be buying another, without a doubt!

Is that top Wizzy a prototype or sumthin'? Looks taller and has corner protectors. Different sound or performance?

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by tombowlus

To me, two Wizzy's sound greater than (">") you would expect, hence, two Wizzy's sound greater than one Wizzy times two.

And, while they are only rated for like 200w, I find that two Wizzy's sound awesome with the iAMP 800's 1,000w into a 2 ohm load.

Tom.

Best to put down the Macallan while you can still walk.

[Jeremy Allen]

Originally Posted by tombowlus

To me, two Wizzy's sound greater than (">") you would expect, hence, two Wizzy's sound greater than one Wizzy times two.

And, while they are only rated for like 200w, I find that two Wizzy's sound awesome with the iAMP 800's 1,000w into a 2 ohm load.

Tom.

Hi Tom--I have an iAmp 800 and an Acme Low B2 II (4ohm), with a Wizzy on the way. I've thought about using the Wizzy and the Acme together (my own version of the famed NL210/CXL112 rig), but I'm a little concerned that half of a 1000w load would be too much for the Wizzy. This sounds like it's not a problem in the set-up you mention above (with two of the same speaker), but would it be a problem if one were cranking the iAmp enough to give the Acme as much juice as it demands? (So far, I have had the iAmp master volume between 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock in the absolute loudest [ridiculously loud] situations when I'm just using it with the Acme.)
Thanks--Jeremy
(PS--I dig the 2x10 shootout on your blog! Very informative.)

[seanm]

Originally Posted by Lemon

is a iamp 500 enough for 2 Wizzy?

I don't play DB, but I do use an iAMP 500 to run 2 wizzys. Actually, I have the iAMP500C and a second wizzy.

I recently played a country gig of roughly 150 people, though it was pretty rockin' by the end of the night. The volume was enough that people would have to raise their voices to talk, but they would not have to shout. No PA support. Lineup was singer/rhythm guitar, lead guitar, pedal steel, drums, and bass.

I loaned my bass/rig to another bassist for a set and got to hear it. I had the gain and master at half. The P bass used has very low output pickups. I hope I sounded half as good as he did. The bass was very up front in the mix but not overpowering.

That gig was about 9 hours and the iAMP was probably used for at least 6 hours and probably closer to 7 hours at 2 ohms with no problems.

I also used to play in a rock band that was starting to practice at stupid volume levels. One wizzy couldn't cut it (I refused to take the gain or master over 3/4). But with two wizzys, and industrial strength ear plugs, I could keep up

So while the iAMP 800 would probably give you more headroom, you can get stupid loud with the 500.

[mchildree]

Originally Posted by winston

Is that top Wizzy a prototype or sumthin'? Looks taller and has corner protectors. Different sound or performance?

Yep, the top cab is a prototype WizzyM that John at EA kindly sent me as a loaner while my WizzyE was being repaired. EA really has the customer service thing going on, and they've got a new die-hard user here as a result...they really go the extra mile. Ditto for my dealer Bob Gollihur.

John told me that I'd find the WizzyM goes a bit lower and sounds more neutral than the current Wizzy, and he's right. It's also a little less directional due to the side porting. Apparently, it won't be manufactured due to complex construction and excessive cost. It was cool to get to try it out, though!

I'll be buying another Wizzy as a result, and I suspect John knew that would happen.