Show Us Your Rob Allen Basses Part III

[JxBass]

Originally Posted by jazztonebass

I have narrowed my amp choices down to an Aguilar TH500 or a Tecamp Puma 500. Would love feedback on those.

I can't comment on the TH500 but I recently purchased a new Puma 500. It's the best amp I've ever played through. My Rob Allen Solid 4 and MB-2 both sound really great through the Puma.

EDIT: In fact, they've never sounded better!

[Hou]

Originally Posted by JxBass

I can't comment on the TH500 but I recently purchased a new Puma 500. It's the best amp I've ever played through. My Rob Allen Solid 4 and MB-2 both sound really great through the Puma.

EDIT: In fact, they've never sounded better!

I hear you. Been playing my Bonafide for 3 years now and it's the best amp ever. My MB-2 sounds amazing with this amp

[spade2you]

My Ampeg SVT4Pro to a 4x10 and 15 does quite well. It was more difficult getting a small amp that could deal with the depth of a Rob Allen and/or basses with a low B. Settled on a Phil Jones Super Flightcase. Very happy with both.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by JxBass

I can't comment on the TH500 but I recently purchased a new Puma 500. It's the best amp I've ever played through. My Rob Allen Solid 4 and MB-2 both sound really great through the Puma.

EDIT: In fact, they've never sounded better!

+1 With the Rob Allen basses, which have that very wide, buffered piezo tone footprint (i.e., massive sub bass and very sizzly, aggressive treble), the newer Puma amps like the one space Puma500, work particularly well.

The shelving bass control with that super low starting point works almost like a hi pass filter to control the sub-bass of the Allens, and the very high shelving start point treble control acts quite a bit like a lo pass for the sizzly top end (although that can be adjusted through the hole in the control cavity cover on the Allen's).

Even more importantly, the Puma's low mid control is perfect of adding a fat, round low end, and the upper mid control is nice for addding that 'woody complexiy' that makes the Rob Allens sounds quite a bit like a DB.

Finally, the taste filter, turned counterclockwise (if I remember right) is like a 'reverse scoop control', rolling off deep low end and treble and bringing out the mid mids, and was specifically designed to bring out the woody warmth of a fretless instrument.

Perfect match with the Rob Allen. The TH500 sounds good too, but I found that you need a bit more help with cab matching to really make that work with the Rob Allen. A cab with nice midrange response and a tight, non overextended low end and the TH500 can sound really nice and warm and organic, even more than the Puma, but you have to work at it a bit.

[JxBass]

Originally Posted by KJung

Finally, the taste filter, turned counterclockwise (if I remember right) is like a 'reverse scoop control', rolling off deep low end and treble and bringing out the mid mids, and was specifically designed to bring out the woody warmth of a fretless instrument.

Agreed. I turn the taste filter in the counterclockwise direction, though not all the way, more like 10 - 11 o'clock, and boost the bass knob very slightly. Perfection! For me, anyway ...

[KJung]

Originally Posted by JxBass

Agreed. I turn the taste filter in the counterclockwise direction, though not all the way, more like 10 - 11 o'clock, and boost the bass knob very slightly. Perfection! For me, anyway ...

+1 That control's useful range to me is between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Your EQ setting is 'Rob Allen' perfect, and you could sculpt a pretty good RA tone with most cabs with those two controls at different levels.

[nostatic]

Ken is pretty spot on, though I've found that with my Deep 4 running into the Puma I don't eq it at all unless the room is particularly boomy.

TH500 vs Puma for a RA is easy - Puma wins. I gigged both. The TH500 can sound good, but it has two things that I didn't like, especially with an RA. First is a bit of midrange hair that can't really be dialed out. Sounds awesome with a P-bass, I felt like it got in the way of the Deep 4. The second is that the front end is pretty easily overloaded - I had to run the pad in and keep the gain down. The Puma has more headroom on the input stage.

The Deep4 through Monique into the Puma power section is glorious. I frankly no longer feel the need for extensive mid sculpting. If I want a bit of cut with the Deep 4 I can dial up some upper mid on the Puma (if I'm using that alone) or add some mid on Monique. Or I can cut a bit of bass. Typically though I tend to run flat. The taste knob on the Puma can thin it out and I did that the first few times I gigged that combination but then went back to noon on the taste. I felt like it pushed it more into piezo territory.

As for the piezo quack, if you run a Baer ML112 there isn't much/any. One advantage to not having a tweeter. Thunderchild sounds good but can require some eq depending on the room - it isn't as aggressive in the mids. I've gigged different RAs through a number of different amp/cab combos. My current setup (Monique -> Puma -> Baer) is my fav. That said the Berg CN212 will probably sound great, but I'm willing to bet that you'll want to roll some tweeter off (I had to with my AE210s and HD112).

The other key to a nice RA sound is a really good compressor. I use an FEA dual band crossed at about 150hz. I use a bit of comp on the lower frequencies (around 3:1, fairly high threshold), and just a tad on the higher (<2:1, med/high threshold). That tightens up the lows just a bit. Truth be told some rooms I don't use it at all, but for a tough space that can help a lot.

[jazztonebass]

Thanks Nostatic...

Are you using a Puma 500 or 900? Pair of ML112's or single?

[Pacman]

I might be the only one here who does this, but I find my best RA signal chain looks like this:

MB-2 -> cord -> amp

I've never needed anything other than that.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I might be the only one here who does this, but I find my best RA signal chain looks like this:

MB-2 -> cord -> amp

I've never needed anything other than that.

Some rooms, yes. Over the past year I've actually been using the compressor sparingly. But for other rooms and mixes some eq and/or comp helps. It also depends on the RA. My Deep 4 is the most even response RA I've ever had. I've owned a number of RA and they all have slightly different feels/tones/response.

I have both Puma 500 and 900 (one is a backup) and a pair of ML112s. I usually only use one cab though - I only need the pair at larger/louder gigs.

[richnota]

Hi everybody. Been super busy and pretty scarce here. Good to see the Rob Allen crew at it.

My 2 cents on signal chain: Demeter. Stomp box preamp or the rack mounted tube version. Nice combination with Acoustic Image.

[tedw]

Welcome to the Rob Allen forum and thanks for your question.

I'm not sure if my comments will be helpful, but here goes... I've always loved my Acoustic Image Clarus for the Mouse, MB-2, and Deep 5. But I've also wanted more mid control and a more full-sounding tone for my fretted basses. Toward these objections, I've experimented around with other equipment a fair bit, but keep coming back to the the Clarus. My latest experiment, which seems promising is to combine the Clarus with my Sansamp Paradriver via the Clarus' effects loop. This gives me quite a bit of flexibility and works very well with my P basses. So I offer that for your consideration. I've been trying this with an Epifani UL112 and UL110 and it sounds really good. I have not tried this with a band.... just in my practice room.

I've also tried working with the TH500, but the fan drives me nuts (in my practice room... probably would not on stage).

When I play on stage, it's always at church going direct to the board, so my experience with any amp in a live setting is limited. The room is so warm that they want zero preamps between me and the board. However, I have used an EH octave pedal and that seems well accepted.

The Aguilar, Tecamp, and Bergatino equipment that you've mentioned all have great reputations and many Talkbass fans... It's hard to imagine going wrong with any of those items. I'm sure you'll get some good opinions on those choices in this forum.

Hope this helps,

Ted

Originally Posted by jazztonebass

I am in the process of putting together a small/light rig for a fairly loud fusion/jazz type project. Ken(KJung) has been gracious with his opinion via pm's but I thought I would put this out amongst the RA enlightened here too.

I am about to aquire a Deep 4 and am also looking for a pre-loved Solid 4/Mouse or MB-2 for depth. The only other bass I will probably play through this rig is a J-bass.

I have narrowed my amp choices down to an Aguilar TH500 or a Tecamp Puma 500. Would love feedback on those.

For a cabs, I believe I will order the new Bergantino Neo 2x12 (4 ohm) being released in March. The model # eludes me at the moment. Thoughts? Alternatives?

Finally, I am curious about preamp/eq options like the Monique and the Fdeck HiPass . I would like to be able to shape the mid-voice a little better and perhaps minimize the piezo quack and low end boom.


Thanks in advance for your guidance.

[JxBass]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I might be the only one here who does this, but I find my best RA signal chain looks like this:

MB-2 -> cord -> amp

I've never needed anything other than that.

With my Clarus I was using either an FDeck Pre or VT Bass, depending. Since I started using my Puma 500 it's just:

RA -> Puma -> Cab.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by JxBass

With my Clarus I was using either an FDeck Pre or VT Bass, depending. Since I started using my Puma 500 it's just:

RA -> Puma -> Cab.

The AI heads are also a very good choice for the RA basses if you are looking for a darker, chewier sort of DB emulation... that big, warm, dark organic sort of big DB type tone. I had very good luck with a 4ohm AcmeB210 and a Focus back in the day with my MB-2. It was about as close to 'Ray Brown' tone you could ever get with an EB (not that close, of course, but definitely in that 'tone universe). The low end just BLOOMED with that rig!

[fish slapper]

Mouse to AI Clarus, done. But I play Real book jazz so organic tone with DB bloom works well. I sometimes experience some boomy ness in the subs that I use the notch filter but better managed by bringing the right speaker cab. Wizzy 10 for small or hollow rooms. Eden 112 (wizzy 12 clone) for large or dense rooms.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I might be the only one here who does this, but I find my best RA signal chain looks like this:

MB-2 -> cord -> amp

I've never needed anything other than that.

Same here.

[morebassbaby]

+1 for the Puma 500! Best amp purchase ever! I love that taste control. Give it a good counter clockwise turn for your Mices, and then back to center or just off for some gnarly sounds when I jump back on a jazz bass all with a Thunder child 1x12. I do still have a desire to get an amp for grindy fretted sounds, but honestly if that didn't eventually happen , I would still be completely content with just the Tecamp!

[tedw]

Ok, all this talk about tecamp is starting to have an effect on me..... Where you buy these amps. I don't need a ton of power, but like what I'm hearing about the tone... I've heard of the Puma 350, but per the tecamp website, there is also a Puma 300... any suggestions as to which I should consider?

[JxBass]

Originally Posted by tedw

Ok, all this talk about tecamp is starting to have an effect on me..... Where you buy these amps. I don't need a ton of power, but like what I'm hearing about the tone... I've heard of the Puma 350, but per the tecamp website, there is also a Puma 300... any suggestions as to which I should consider?

I bought my Puma 500 from Donovan at Fretspot. Glenn at Austin Bass Traders is an equally good choice.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by JxBass

I bought my Puma 500 from Donovan at Fretspot. Glenn at Austin Bass Traders is an equally good choice.

+1 To the OP, the Puma500 seems to be the sweet spot if you can afford it. It gives you decent power at 8ohms for smaller gigs and a single small cab, and can wump hard with a 4ohm 212 or whatever. The 900 would be overkill for most (good if you are using a large 8ohm cab at high volumes, for example). The 300 is the same size as the 500, and unless you are on a strict budget, you lose more in power than you gain in cost savings. Of course, if you are using a little 4ohm Wizzy, it would be just fine.