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TC Electronic RH450 Bass Amp 2.0 Head (450 watts)
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$966.67
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9.3
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Description:
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Bassists, it's time to punch through the mix! RH450 is here to give bassists a voice. From the moment you experience its sounds, the raw power, and its many amazing features you realize that the bass team at TC Electronic has delivered what you as a bass player have always wanted: an amp system without compromise.
With decades of cutting edge amp design and signal processing development, no other company could bring you this much power, flexibility and tone within a bass amp system.
At TC Electronic, bass gear is developed for bass players by bass players. They have accumulated years and years of live and recording experience - hard-earned experience we've harvested out there on the road and in studios. After countless hours of playing, tweaking, listening - well, living bass, they truly understand your needs and desires when it comes to gigs, rehearsals and studio work. They're proud to bring you RH450 - the bass innovation that will define Bass Amp 2.0.
Accommodating apparent needs that we all have, RH450's impressive feature set is bound to make you go "why didn't someone think of this before? TC calls it Bass Amp 2.0.
Rehearsal inputs
Playing any instrument on its own can be a little dull, but everyone needs time to practice, which is why RH450 has rehearsal inputs. This rear panel-mounted feature allows you to plug in your iPod, phone, computer or MP3 player via the supplied mini-jack to RCA cable adapter for easy practicing and playing along with recorded music. The headphone amp is a high quality model taken straight from TC Electronic's Studio Konnekt 48 and includes a speaker filter on the bass signal.
Integrated Tuner
Every bass player needs a tuner, but virtually no other amp offers anything other than a 'tuner out' feature... until now. Simply push the Mute button to get a full-resolution tuner 'light ring' to help you tune your instrument quickly and accurately. You can also use the RC4 for easy remote access to this functionality.
On board User Memories
You might not use presets, but only because you've never had the chance! Anyone who's used different basses on stage knows that a few user memories on your amp would be welcome. With RH450 you can easily switch between, for example, your 4- and 5-string basses, or your Rickenbacker and Fender Jazz. Just plug in the bass and use the 'car radio' style Store & Recall controls to easily switch between presets for your chosen model. There are three bass user memories, remote control access and visual indicators for Mute and the Tuner.
Flexible Tone Control
Straightforward controls like you know them from traditional amps. Voiced to give you plenty of tweaking options to nail the perfect tone. Chances are that this is all you're ever gonna need. However, if you're not fully satisfied with the default frequency areas, fear not - we've given you the option to change the focus of each of the tone controls.
The nerdy term for this feature is semi-parametric bands, but let's just refer to it as "hidden parameters" or "the magnifying glass". It allows you to pinpoint a frequency you either want to remove or boost for each tone control and then store the settings.
TubeTone(TM)
Most transistor designs have tried to replicate the tube sound using one small pre-amp tube, but they generally fail as they don't take into account the crucial characteristics of the full pre-amp and power amp sections - both of which are essential to the sound. TubeTone(TM) emulates all characteristics to deliver the full tube sound.
Spectra Comp(TM)
Most bass players know that integrated compressors generally don't sound that good. A regular compressor tends to be dominated by the lower string, but RH450's SpectraComp technology allows virtually 'per string' multi-band compression that evens out the compression across all strings.
World Ready power supply
The ultimate in convenience for the traveling musician. The built-in power supply operates from 90 to 240 Volts, making life a lot easier for anyone on the road as there's no complicated fuse changing - just plug and play!
Digital Recording output
The AES/EBU connector means you can record straight into your DAW, such as
Pro Tools or Logic. For maximum flexibility it's also S/PDIF compatible and switchable from pre to post in the pre-amp section.
Integrated DI box
Quality can vary wildly with built-in DIs, but RH450's DI is transformer balanced and galvanically isolated from the rest of the amp, which means no ground loops or hum. And don't worry about long cable runs - RH450 will draw at least 100m of cable with zero drop in audio quality.
Even though the integrated DI in RH450 does not need 48v phantom to operate, it does not get harmed either if your sound engineer accidently leaves it on.
Portability
The versatility of RH450 wouldn't really make sense if it came in an oversized, bulky box. Its stylish design with the smooth grab'n'go handle just spells out portability. It sets your creativity free and screams for you to bring it along wherever your bass talent takes you. Bring your own sound for whatever show or studio session you're involved in or jam out on the tour bus, at the hotel room, at home - and hey, it works for rehearsals too.
Power Handling
The 450w high power output level of RH450 is accomplished by using Class D amplifier technology in combination with TC Electronic's Active Power Management(TM). APM effectively means that the amp behaves very much like a tube amp when getting close to maximum performance by optimizing the power impact, contrary to the hard-clipping tendencies of transistor amps and most other Class D amps.
Active Power Management
This abstract outlines the background and basics for the TC Electronic Active Power Management(TM) introduced on the RH450 Bass amp.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
Input connector: 1/4 in. jack
Input impedance: 1 Mohm / 100 pF
Gain range: -96 to 32dB
Bass: Center Freq: 280Hz (range: 71-1120Hz, Gain: +15/-24dB)
Low Mid: Center Freq: 400Hz (range: 100-1600Hz, Gain: +15/-24dB)
High Mid: Center Freq: 800Hz (range: 200-3150Hz, Gain: +15/-24dB)
Treble: Center Freq: 1600Hz (range: 400-6300Hz, Gain: +12/-24dB)
Tube Tone: 0 to12, Tube amp Recreation
Spectra Comp: 3 band Spectral Compression Preset Level
-12 dB to 0 gain attenuation
User Memories: 3 memory locations storing all front panel controls except Mute & Master Level
Tuner Tuning range: Chromatic, constant on A0 (27.50Hz) to E5 (659.26Hz)
Mute: Mutes speaker out, Phones out and Balanced out
Master Level Headphone Output: Studio quality headphone amp
Impedance: 40 to 600 Ohm
Mains supply: Universal 100 - 240V 50/60Hz (80w @ 1/8 Power)
Speaker out: Combined Speakon / 1/4" jack
Power rating: 450w (800w Peak)
Balanced output: Transformer Balanced XLR, Pre/Post Pre-amp
Max. Output: +0dBu
Optimal Load Impedance: 600 Ohm
Preamp out: 1/4" Jack, Balanced Output, Max Output Level = +8dBu
Power amp in: 1/4" Jack, balanced input, impedance = 10 kOhm, Max Input Level = +8dBu
Rehearsal input: RCA, Left/Right input, fits to iPod (R)
Digital Recording out: Balanced XLR, AES/EBU, (24-bit)
Remote connection: 5 pin DIN, Cable with shield
Dimensions: 275 x 290 x 66 mm / 10.8 x 11.4 x 2.6 in.
Weight: 4kg / 8.8 pounds
Finish: Sandblasted die-cast aluminum
Due to continuous development, these specifications are subject to change without notice.
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Author
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thumbs3000
Registered User
Registered: June 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Sat January 16, 2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Versatile, light-weight, great sound
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Cons:
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Some minor design flaws
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Gear:
TC Electronic RH450
TC Electronic RS210
TC Electronic RS210
TC Electronic RS212
2008 Fender Precision 4
1993 Atelier Z Bass 4
Wal Mach II 5 string
Epiphone Thunderbird 4
Sadowsky outboard pre plus pedals aplenty
I play in a 7 piece funk band (originals and covers), a TOOL tribute band and occasional rock/pop cover gigs.
Design
The size and weight of this rig is the highlight for me. I'm no longer concerned about physically injuring myself while loading in for a gig. This goes for the cabinets as well as the head. The onboard tuner is very accurate, saves me space on my pedalboard, plus if I do a gig without my pedals I don't have to think twice about whether I threw a tuner in my bag or not. Having 3 presets is exactly what I need to accommodate different basses/gigs (although I wouldn't have objected if it had 5 presets) and the use of LEDs is brilliant.
Between the Spectracomp, Tubetone and the semi-parametric EQ I have pretty much all the toneshaping I need. Previously I relied on outboard gear to do all of this, but now it's all housed inside my amp.
The RH450 chassis is very sturdy although some of the components are not. The input socket does not inspire great confidence and feels a little flimsy. The plastic front panel and plastic knobs also feel pretty weak and in fact I have already snapped off the tubetone knob (see the customer service section below) through normal gig/rehearsal use. However the rest of the unit feels rock solid. I would like to see future units made entirely of metal with much sturdier knobs/pots.
It should be noted that the chassis protrudes about 1cm out around the front panel. What this means is that you can only plug a straight jack into the input. A 90 degree jack will not plug in to the input. A minor design flaw perhaps but it was still a little disappointing when I realised it.
Another recommendation I would make to TC is to add a level control to the direct out. Sound engineers love this feature and I miss it.
I love having 3 small-ish cabinets!I feel that hauling a 45kg 4x10 cabinet up a flight of stairs poses a risk to my physical wellbeing and TC's cabinets have solved this for me. I can fit an RS210 & an RS212 in the boot (trunk) of my sedan car! With my setup I can tailor which cabs and how many I need depending on the gig. The cabinets are very sturdy. The exterior WILL scuff. After just one gig my brand new pristine cabinets were scuffed. Now that I've done about 30 gigs on this rig there are visible scuffs all over the cabinets. It really doesn't bother me but I'm sure it would bother others. I don't particularly love the finish on the cabinets and would probably have preferred carpet. When I put one of the cabinets on the back seat of my car (with a leather interior) it left scratches on it. I'm sure it would do similar damage to back seats made of regular material too. I now u place towels on the seat. Not too big a deal but I never had to do this with previous cabinets.
The speakers are MODULAR. Depending on the gig, I will stack my rig however I feel. For example:
REHEARSAL: 1 x RS210 sitting vertically
FUNK GIG: 2 x RS210 stacked vertically
MEDIUM SIZE PUB GIG: RS212 + RS210 in quadbox formation
BIG STAGE / ROCK GIG RS212 + 2 x RS210 stacked like a 6x10
These different combinations are BRILLIANT. It really feels like I have 4 different rigs.
SOUND
In general I consider the RH450 in use with the RebelStack cabinets to have a pretty flat sound (I mean that in the good sense). With the amp set flat I liken it to plugging into a good set of studio monitors whereby the sound you send into it is the sound will hear back, only louder. I like to think I have some pretty nice basses and I'm pleased that the RH450 doesn't colour the sound of them too much and lets the natural tone of the instrument come through.
I have my presets set up as follows:
PRESET 1: EQ flat, spectracomp dialled in so the compressor kicks in about 50% of the time while playing normally. Tubetone at about 9 o'clock. I use this preset for all 3 of my 4 strings with a little help from the Sadowsky pre on the passive basses (the Fender and Epiphone).
PRESET 2: Bass and treble slightly boosted, fairly heavy compression, Tubetone set anywhere between 9 o'clock and 2 o'clock depending on my mood. Again I use this for my 4 strings. This is more of a rock/SVT sound and it is HUGE. Especially when you dial up the Tubetone oh my god..... Great for playing with a pick on my P bass.
PRESET 3: A little bit of compression, Tubetone and EQ all tailored to my Wal. The other 3 basses have similar output etc, but my Wal really just needs its own dedicated channel and here it is.
I've experimented with adjusting the frequencies of the tone controls but have found that I really like where they are set out of the factory the best.
I prefer the Spectracomp to be used in moderation. It's perfect for dialling in just a little bit to control your sound so that you can barely tell it's there but you miss it if it's gone. I find that turning it up too much creates unpleasant squashiness but I guess that goes for all compressors.
The Tubetone is interesting. I always dial in a little bit. It adds slight warmth and subtle tone changes when used modestly which really contributely nicely to my sound. Dialling in a little more will give you a little bit of edge, adding that little bit of grunt and presence that often goes down well when playing with a pick. Any more than this starts getting quite distorted and I'm yet to find extreme Tubetone settings that I like. If you want heavy distortion then go buy a pedal, I don't think the Tubetone was designed for it.
This rig is pretty damn loud. I rarely find myself without enough volume, although i must admit that on about 3 occasions I've found myself wanting to turn up more but already pushing the rig to its limits. These gigs were clubs with a pretty big stage playing to about 1500 people in a rock/pop coverband. I'm not putting the RH450 down, it's more powerful than my previous rig, but this size gig is about the biggest you would want to do before you start thinking about using an 8x10 fridge with 1000 watts under the hood.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
As I mentioned earlier, my Tubetone knob broke! All I did was take it out of its case, the pot got caught and snapped off. I took the amp back to my dealer (The Bass Centre), they had to ship it from Melbourne to Sydney for repairs. I had it back in 2 weeks, pot repaired and they also apparently found 2 LEDs that weren't working and fixed them. I was really happy with the response from The Bass Cenrtre and TC's Aussie reps. Although i must admit that having had a pot snap off in my first 6 months with this rig I'm mildly concerned about how it will last over the next 10 years...
OVERALL
Overall.... I love it! This rig is super versatile, especially with my 3 cabinet setup. It does justice to my vintage-sounding basses as well as my ultra-modern Wal sound. The tone is exactly what I want and it has enough power for the majority of my gigs. The tone-shaping features are superb. The onboard tuner is great and means I will nevery firget to bring a tuner (which I've done plenty of times before!!)
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Modify the front panel so I can use angled jacks on the input
Add a level control to the direct out
Redesign the cabinet exterior so it is less likely to damage my car's interior
Make the front panel/knobs/input socket sturdier, those knobs are waiting to snap off...
Slightly more power or ability to run 4 cabinets would be more awesome than I can imagine
Release an RS115 (single 15inch) cabinet and I'll go out and buy one tomorrow.
In all I give this rig a 9 out of 10 and I'm generally a pretty harsh critic. If the suggestions were addressed I can't see why I wouldn't be able to give them a 10. We'll wait and see I guess.
Thanks for a great amp TC and for raising the bar in the industry.
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mlowe
Registered User
Registered: March 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia.
Posts: 2509
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Review Date: Wed January 19, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,500.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Compact, light & simple to use but feature rich
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Cons:
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Given the competitions use of class D power could be more
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The original review is right on the money. I haven't had any issues with mine to date, it's about 9 months old now and been perfect. I was using Eden and power amp that made 1200W RMS @ 4 and I don't miss it. While this review is about a RH 450 I'm mentioning the Eden because it's common opinion they are a great sounding amp and it's a good reference. Given that the RH 450 nails the same tone. I use mine almost flat, mild comp and mild tube tone.
IMO the tube tone hauls serious butt as a tone shaping tool. Many might disagree but it provides far greater variation than my WP100 ever did. For this reason when the tube tone is off it sounds a lot like Eden to me, mild I have a SWR and up it's like a classic ampeg. Not literally but just an example.
It's really good to be able to grab a TC gig bag, throw in the amp, other bits a cab on you off. The difference being when connected to a RS 210, other than the mass of air this thing sound absolutely big. I used 600W with an Eden 410XLT and in rehearsals this sounds equal. In some cases at moderate volume I find the bottoms and depth better and that's really saying something considering the comparison to any Eden cab.
As advertised the TC cabs are made by Tannoy who is now owned by TC. Tannoy have been building amazing speakers since time began so a 210 bass cabs would be elementary to their engineers. This certainly shows when you hear these cabs.
For me I waited a long time for Eden to come up with Neos, that went ??? So I looked at Mark Bass and TC. TC had everything I needed and no time wasters in an amp that cost only AU$1,500 and the 210's less than $800. You guys in the US are probably thinking $$$ are you serious. Over here it's awesome value for a great rig. My Eden preamp cost as much as the head and cab together.
The cabinet material, ditto as above. The ability to mix & match cabs, ditto again, this is killer method of scaling cabs and only ever lifting very easy to carry units. They are pretty light and carry handles in a perfect location. What I did to save the cabs and the car seat was buy the TC made cab covers. They are cheap and are perfect for saving both your cabs and car. Because of the cab dimensions they fit in my boot (trunk) very easy. Honestly the cabs are just another example of how much Tannoy kick serious butt.
Compressor equals really good. Simple but very decent.
The input jack, I can't plug in a right angled connector also. I guess they recess the panel to protect the pots/knobs but this causes the issue with cable. I've never used angled connector at the amp so didn't really notice this.
The memories. Wow, I can't say enough good about this feature. It's not hype, flash, BS, it's innovation and absolute killer. Who ever thought of this at TC needs a pay increase. Only on the next version please give us 5!
Tuner as mentioned is very accurate and really nice to use. No more rack, external or bricks to carry. No more batteries either.
I'm not a die hard vendor fan, not going on patriot favoritism but it would take a huge thing to move from TC now.
Class D amplifier, my background is electronics and over the last 5 years or so I watched very closely the development of digital amplifiers. I can't honestly say why but for some reason Denmark seem to have a number of very pioneering digital amplifier design companies. I'm not at all shocked with how good this amp sounds when you put TC's highly respected processing expertise and their class D amp together.
9/10 for exact the same reasons as first review, DI level would be nice but for me the headroom of power is not a bad thing and the competitors such as Mark bass are already there. Saying that the 450 is certainly a real 450.
Like anything you need to check these out if your considering. The heads great but when you hear the cabs I'm sure you will be very surprised.
I also bought mine from Bass Centre Melbourne and can't sing enough praise for the guys there. Service is exceptional and every single person that works there knows exactly what they are talking about. I never check prices, BC has always been best here without any haggle.
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Fender, Audere, TC Electronic & DR
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kurcatovium
Registered User
Registered: April 2008
Location: Czech Republic, Europe
Posts: 182
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Review Date: Mon August 8, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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size & weight, power, 3 presets, tubetone, comp and the fact it has handle
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Cons:
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sometimes hard to dial a sound
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Bought second hand and never regretted.
Sound possibilities are huge, dials are working well (but sometimes it takes time to find the sound due to lots and lots of options), spectracomp works for me and tubetone is... Well, it's good for me. It certainly doesn't sound exactly like tube amp, but it can get pretty fuzzy.
The power output is more than enough, completed with reliable speakon conector and nicely working DI output. Built-in tuner works surprisingly good and with supplied footswitch it's easy to operate.
Can't recommend this head more.
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GAS is killing me!
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bizbomber
Registered User
Registered: April 2010
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Tue November 22, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $650.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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light weight AND killer tones
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Cons:
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power switch at back. (I'm grasping for a con)
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I really love this amp. The two reviews above are pretty much dead on.
I love the light weight.
Compression is superfunkalicious.
I love the light weight.
Tuner is excellent.
Three presets are great. I have one for my blues gig (passive Fender P), one for my classic rock gig and pop band with pedals galore (08' Fender deluxe P with active EQ) and one for my Vector electric standup.
Practice input is brilliant.
Love the light weight!
I had a GK RB 800 Combo. Killer sound but destroyed my back. This amp sounds better, has way more features, and I can load into a gig in one trip. Bass, head, cab... done!
I run the head with 2x10 for small gigs and rehearsals and for larger gigs I'll go with the 2X10 and 2X12 "half stack". A gig needing more volume than this and I'm going direct into a P.A., my amp is a monitor with reinforcement coming through the stage mix so is not really an issue. IMHO
Sound guys love the pre/post EQ out. Very clean so I'm told.
I really couldn't be happier with this Amp. It is light. It is loud. It has many great features. I plug it in, I plug into it, I turn it on, it rocks my socks. Every time.
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Mark B
From Canada Eh
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