Has anyone got one of the AI Contras or Codas Series III yet? I just ordered mine, but it seems that AI has caught a production snag, and won't be shipping again till mid July. What do you think?
-Farin
-Farin
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Double Bass Acoustic Image Contra or Coda Series III?
- Thread starter Farin
- Start date
I have a Contra Series III. I love it. Really light, and accurate sound reproduction. I love walking into a gig with my DB on one shoulder and my amp on the other. I could NOT do that with my other amp!
All the guys I play with commented on how much better it sounded than my old amp. Like others have said on this board - it's the sound of your bass only louder. I have a couple of relatively dead notes (c, c#) on my bass and the Contra definitely didn't disguise it.
All the guys I play with commented on how much better it sounded than my old amp. Like others have said on this board - it's the sound of your bass only louder. I have a couple of relatively dead notes (c, c#) on my bass and the Contra definitely didn't disguise it.
Farin, I don't know if you caught this thread yet or not.
To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), it is the only other TB post containing a hands on description of the Series III combos.
The latest Contra/Coda model does sound very interesting. I have a Series I that I don't use much anymore, but I have been thinking about checking out the Series III myself. I live about 30 minutes away from AI headquarters ...
To my knowledge (and I could be wrong), it is the only other TB post containing a hands on description of the Series III combos.
The latest Contra/Coda model does sound very interesting. I have a Series I that I don't use much anymore, but I have been thinking about checking out the Series III myself. I live about 30 minutes away from AI headquarters ...
I have a Contra I and a Coda IIb and I'm planning on selling the Contra and getting another Coda IIb or Coda III.
Very happy with them, including the original Contra, but I really like the additional compactness of the newer amps.
Very happy with them, including the original Contra, but I really like the additional compactness of the newer amps.
Dr. Bassie and Akami -- this probably goes without saying, but from your descriptions I assume you are talking about the combo amp, not the separate head?
OK, so heres a crazy question.
Let's say I bought the AI Contra, and later on decided I wanted to mix a mic along with my pickup. Seeing as the Contras don't have a second channel like the Codas, would I be able to get some sort of 3rd party mic and pickup blender, and then run it into the Contra? How would this sound? Would anyone suggest it? And what device would you suggest doing all of this with?
Thanks
Let's say I bought the AI Contra, and later on decided I wanted to mix a mic along with my pickup. Seeing as the Contras don't have a second channel like the Codas, would I be able to get some sort of 3rd party mic and pickup blender, and then run it into the Contra? How would this sound? Would anyone suggest it? And what device would you suggest doing all of this with?
Thanks
Farin, yes you can get an external mixer/blender unit and do exactly what you outlined. In my case I have a D-TAR Solstice for blending a pickup and a mic, which I then feed into an EA Wizzy combo amp.
I bet this setup would sound fine through the Series III Contra. I've actually done this on occasion with my older Series I Contra.
But if I were you (since you asked), I'd just go ahead and get the Coda. It would be one less piece of gear to lug around and plug in, and it would probably work out to be less expensive than the Solstice option (~ $330 U.S). I should probably note that there are other choices for mixer/blenders that might cost less than the D-TAR.
From most of the accounts I've read, the Coda has just about every 2 channel mixing/blending feature you might need for double bass. Unless I misinterpreted a prior post on this topic, that includes the ability to send your mic signal, your pickup signal, or both to the PA.
The AI amp also lets you select between high pass or notch filters on both channels, something the D-TAR does not (and I really wish it did).
Maybe not as important to some, the Coda also has on board effects such as reverb, delay, chorus & flange.
Just my 2 cents.
I bet this setup would sound fine through the Series III Contra. I've actually done this on occasion with my older Series I Contra.
But if I were you (since you asked), I'd just go ahead and get the Coda. It would be one less piece of gear to lug around and plug in, and it would probably work out to be less expensive than the Solstice option (~ $330 U.S). I should probably note that there are other choices for mixer/blenders that might cost less than the D-TAR.
From most of the accounts I've read, the Coda has just about every 2 channel mixing/blending feature you might need for double bass. Unless I misinterpreted a prior post on this topic, that includes the ability to send your mic signal, your pickup signal, or both to the PA.
The AI amp also lets you select between high pass or notch filters on both channels, something the D-TAR does not (and I really wish it did).
Maybe not as important to some, the Coda also has on board effects such as reverb, delay, chorus & flange.
Just my 2 cents.
After having used my new Series III Coda for a couple of months now, I really appreciate all the extras the Coda has over my old Series I Contra. I use an AMT mic and a FC pickup. I tried using several different mixer/blenders with the Contra and more often than not, I had some kind of excess noise coming from somewhere in the extra cords and boxes. I also hated carrying around and connecting all the extra junk. With the Coda, it's strictly plug and play. If you are going to mix mics and pickups, the Coda is a perfect solution. It sounds great and keeps it simple.Farin said:OK, so heres a crazy question.
Let's say I bought the AI Contra, and later on decided I wanted to mix a mic along with my pickup. Seeing as the Contras don't have a second channel like the Codas, would I be able to get some sort of 3rd party mic and pickup blender, and then run it into the Contra? How would this sound? Would anyone suggest it? And what device would you suggest doing all of this with?
Thanks
I was wondering if the the new AI's would allow one to go "boxless" with the smaller condenser mics that usually have pre-amp boxes. It seems like you would be getting some redundant EQ features and could possibly not need the box. Are you able to run the AMT mic straight into the amp without the pre-amp box, Bob?
And by the way, has anyone else seen one of these new marvels. I have had one on order now for several months and my local dealer has had another one oredered since November. Any news from Acoustic Image?
And by the way, has anyone else seen one of these new marvels. I have had one on order now for several months and my local dealer has had another one oredered since November. Any news from Acoustic Image?
Silversorcerer said:
That won't work with the AMT because of the (proprietary? unusual?) 4-pin connector the AMT uses. However, I've been running a dynamic mic (Beta 57) into the Focus III head, which is the same preamp configuration as the coda. It works great. Since the amp has phantom power, I would imagine that most normal "standalone" condensers could be used as well. The ability to mix mic and pickup right there on the amp with no external BS is a godsend, especially when you are playing out a lot.
And by the way, has anyone else seen one of these new marvels. I have had one on order now for several months and my local dealer has had another one oredered since November. Any news from Acoustic Image?
Two people in this very thread own one of the series III combo amps. Am I missing something?
As Chris correctly stated, you can't run the AMT mic without the black box. However, since I started using Chris's idea of attaching the black box to the bottom of my stool, I don't find it to be near as inconvenient as dragging the box around by itself.Silversorcerer said:Are you able to run the AMT mic straight into the amp without the pre-amp box, Bob?
And by the way, has anyone else seen one of these new marvels. I have had one on order now for several months and my local dealer has had another one oredered since November. Any news from Acoustic Image?
I am surprised your dealer doesn't have one by now. I ordered mine last September and got one of the first ones out and I have seen a few others in the Kansas City area. They may be still playing catch-up. Regardless - it's well worth waiting for.
It's not unusual that the 57 dynamics work. These don't need power, just an XLR connection.Chris Fitzgerald said:
But still the question remains;- with mini condensers that usually need a power box and a pre-amp, could the supplied phantom power voltage, which I think is variable on the AI heads, take the place of the the power box / battery? And aren't the EQ controls on the box going to be redundant with the controls on the Coda/Contra/Focus/Clarus head? I had researched a few other small condenser mics that have different / easier to match connectors. When I posed the question I didn't remember AMT being proprietary. Thanks for reminding me.
I'm always in pursuit of a less cluttered signal path and try to eliminate anything along the way that might add noise. I know that a large diaphram condenser mic that needs phantom power can be used straight into an AI head, just like you suggest. Without phantom power, this would need a pre-amp. So what about these smaller condensers? Maybe with some of them the phantom power would be sufficient also. I think one that I researched had the mini XLR connector. It's a shame that I lost those bookmarks, but I know some of the same mics have been reviewed in this forum. I'll try to find a good candidate for a try again.
Besides those two you mention, Chris, I haven't seen much. I do now see that Upton's has a few of the single channel combos available and it seems that Gollihur is taking orders now. I'll check with my local fellow here again. He has had the Focus series III heads for a while now and I've checked that out and really liked it with my Ampeg 212 cab, but I'd like the versatility of having that small combo package for rehearsals and still have the same amp controls that I use on stage. I can bring out the Ampeg cab for the larger rooms but still have essentially the same sound. I know it will be worth it to wait for the right AI. I want something that works well with my DB, but also has a 2nd identical channel for my EBG. The versatility of a small 2 channel AI combo Amp is hard to beat. I guess when I finally have it I'll do some experiments with some smaller condensers other than AMT and see what happens.Chris Fitzgerald said:
As far as mics that might work without a pre-amp box, this AKG C416 L was one that I had looked at. It has the mini XLR connecter and the specs indicate it will run off of phantom power. It also has response down to 20 Hz. Check it out:
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Actually, if you have the urge to experiment, you should know that all the 4th pin on the connector does is to act as a switch to turn the black box on when the cable is connected to the box. I believe that pins 3 & 4 are connected together on the cord. If you can figure out the EQ on the AI that matches what AMT uses in their black box, I'de love to hear about it. What ever it is, it certainly works better than anything anything that I was able to figure out with other mics.Silversorcerer said:
- May 6, 2003
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- Proprietor Fifth Avenue Fret Shop. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine
AMT needs a 9 volt not 48V found in phantom.
You could change the connector and get rid of the 4 pin too. Could probably run it from phantom but you'd need to figure out how to step down the voltage before it hits the element.
I've though about using a smaller container for the circut and mounting it on the bass with or without the 9V. It's not a huge circut.
Then I found a Sennheiser 409 and forgot all about the AMT.
You could change the connector and get rid of the 4 pin too. Could probably run it from phantom but you'd need to figure out how to step down the voltage before it hits the element.
I've though about using a smaller container for the circut and mounting it on the bass with or without the 9V. It's not a huge circut.
Then I found a Sennheiser 409 and forgot all about the AMT.
Jason -- I use the e609, which is a similar size and shape to the 409. I mount it by wrapping a dishtowel severa times around the mic shaft, so there's a couple of inches worth of "padding" around the mic, and then I stuff it inside the tailpiece, with the mic head sticking up just above the tailpiece. I have also stuffed it inside the bridge legs, but the sound is a bit more boomy when I do that. On my bass, the tailpiece location seems to sound better.
Anyhoo, the dishtowel-several-times-around seems to work pretty well.
Anyhoo, the dishtowel-several-times-around seems to work pretty well.
