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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#3,702
I'm using a Gallien Kruger MB200 and it's surprisingly loud with my H1203. I just ordered a second H1203 and really excited about it. I tried a Peavey Mini Max but it didn't do it for me, sadly, because I've been a Peavey guy for more than 30 years. I've found I love the GK sound with AK cabs. I'm getting ready to buy a MB500 or MB800. I've tried hard to argue myself out of the MB Fusion series, I'd probably love the tubey sound, but living in Alaska, I can't afford to have tubes go out on me....
 
#3,704
GK MB500 with the Birdhaus 46 have been killer for me. I've got several months on that pairing and it has amazed me time and time again. The kind of forward profile of the GK meshes perfectly with the 46. I do get some amp GAS, but this is working so good that I may well already be at the top of the mountain.

I hope Duke puts the 46 into production. It will make many a jazz player unbelievably happy. Plenty loud, deep and easy to hear everywhere.
 
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#3,706
tombowlus said:
With my TC112 and TC115, they work with a bunch of different heads, but I really like them with the GK MB800. The slam and clarity of the MB800 work well with the smooth delivery of the TC cabs.
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Man, those Gallien Krueger MB-series amp heads have really got it goin' on, don't they? I've got an MB800 too, and just love it! It sounded so nice through my TC112 v1...and it's going to totally rock the pair of H1203s I ordered as well. :bassist:

MM
 
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#3,709
I've used several amps with the 1203's including tonehammer 350, tc BH800, monique m700 prodigy, subway and minimega. With thunderchild cabs-gk mb800, genz stm900 and Shuttlemax9.2, th500.

The AK cabs are great at presenting each amp personality so just about any amp will do depending on your tastes. They don't need tons of power but what I like is they will take a lot of power and a small rig sounds huge.
 
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#3,710
emjazz said:
What are you all using for amps with your AK cabs? My Tecamp is really clean and smooth into a clean cab. Works great for some things, but could use some punch for others. Thoughts?
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Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II or AX8 modeler. The modeled amps I use are Ampeg SVT, Orange AB400, Mesa/Boogie 400+, Vox AC-20, and I forget what other guitar amps. :) The power section I use is a QSC PLX1804.
 
#3,711
Changed my strings (La Bella copper white nylon tapewounds...totally amazing). That made a huge difference. I still was needing something more so I tried bypassing the preamp of my amp by going into the effects return.....and there it was. Now my Tonebone eq is flat and I'm straight into my power amp. That says a great deal about this AK cab to me. Incredible sound.
 
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#3,712
nutdog said:
Same here. After 4 loudish gigs in 3 different rooms with a pair of 1203's I've yet to touch the 2 para eq's. Nice to know it's there but everything straight up, bells and whistles disengaged, sounds perfect. Able to go from full and fat to more cutting lead tone through finger position and pickup selection.

The peavey and subway can put lots of power into one 8ohm cab and the 1203 can take it which means one 1203 and either amp can handle a lot of situations.

View attachment 843721
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Hey @nutdog forgot to ask. I notice the MiniMega is a bit bigger. Does it hang off the back of the H1203? Looks bigger than the cab. Did that combination get pretty loud? I'm actually considering the MiniMega. I tried the MiniMax but the fan was so loud, and I used it often in a quiet environment. But it was very well built. Is the fan on the MiniMega quiet? Thanks!
 
#3,713
alaskaleftybass said:
Hey @nutdog forgot to ask. I notice the MiniMega is a bit bigger. Does it hang off the back of the H1203? Looks bigger than the cab. Did that combination get pretty loud? I'm actually considering the MiniMega. I tried the MiniMax but the fan was so loud, and I used it often in a quiet environment. But it was very well built. Is the fan on the MiniMega quiet? Thanks!
Click to expand...
The minimega is a perfect fit on top of the 1203. When positioned so that the front doesn't block the top mid vents the back doesn't hang over the back of the cab. The feet sit inside the corner pieces and around the handle recess.

FullSizeRender.jpg

I would call the fan volume medium to loud. It's not the loudest I've heard but definitely not the quietest. Not a factor while playing but noticeable in a quiet room. When left in the cycling color wheel mode it takes on a pumping/breathing quality in conjunction with a high pitch that changes frequency as the the color changes. It doesn't pump/breathe/change when a single color is selected but the fan/pitch is there. There is no way I could deal with the pump/breathe/change thing in a quiet room.

This vid shows difference between subway, which I think is pretty quiet, and minimega:



This demonstrates the pump/breathe/pitch change:



For more comparison, the kustom kxb500, which I consider to be intolerably loud:



The TC BH800 (quiet fan, nice amp):



The above videos were all done recently in the same room with the same iphone. Here are some others done with different camera a few years ago.

Thunderfunk TF550b (fan is not required and is switchable on/off, a good option if you are looking for something quiet):



And the one that started my obsession with documenting fan noise, the Ampeg pf500 (I mentioned the loud fan in the megathread. Made this vid after being told it wasn't. Ampeg hater may have been mentioned.)



Genz Streamliner (quiet) vs. pf500



Yes, I'm working out of the house today. Or, I should say, avoiding working. But now I have a post to quote whenever someone asks about fan noise.
 
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#3,714
nutdog said:
The minimega is a perfect fit on top of the 1203. When positioned so that the front doesn't block the top mid vents the back doesn't hang over the back of the cab. The feet sit inside the corner pieces and around the handle recess.

View attachment 860821

I would call the fan volume medium to loud. It's not the loudest I've heard but definitely not the quietest. Not a factor while playing but noticeable in a quiet room. When left in the cycling color wheel mode it takes on a pumping/breathing quality in conjunction with a high pitch that changes frequency as the the color changes. It doesn't pump/breathe/change when a single color is selected but the fan/pitch is there. There is no way I could deal with the pump/breathe/change thing in a quiet room.

This vid shows difference between subway, which I think is pretty quiet, and minimega:



This demonstrates the pump/breathe/pitch change:



For more comparison, the kustom kxb500, which I consider to be intolerably loud:



The TC BH800 (quiet fan, nice amp):



The above videos were all done recently in the same room with the same iphone. Here are some others done with different camera a few years ago.

Thunderfunk TF550b (fan is not required and is switchable on/off, a good option if you are looking for something quiet):



And the one that started my obsession with documenting fan noise, the Ampeg pf500 (I mentioned the loud fan in the megathread. Made this vid after being told it wasn't. Ampeg hater may have been mentioned.)



Genz Streamliner (quiet) vs. pf500



Yes, I'm working out of the house today. Or, I should say, avoiding working. But now I have a post to quote whenever someone asks about fan noise.
Click to expand...


Wow, thanks nutdog. Excellent work. I have more to think about thanks to your work!

Will :-)
 
#3,715
I never considered the KXB500 fan too noisy until it became a topic in the KXB500 megathread. Suddenly I was concerned and went so far as to order a quieter fan for it. As fate would have it, I ordered the wrong voltage so I didn't install it. Then I re-assessed the fan noise as a total non-issue, especially once the first note is played. So I returned the fan and did not order another. My opinion on the KXB fan noise unchanged a year later, it's absolutely fine for me even in my dead quiet living room, but especially on a gig
 
#3,716
Will :)[/QUOTE]
shrigg said:
I never considered the KXB500 fan too noisy until it became a topic in the KXB500 megathread. Suddenly I was concerned and went so far as to order a quieter fan for it. As fate would have it, I ordered the wrong voltage so I didn't install it. Then I re-assessed the fan noise as a total non-issue, especially once the first note is played. So I returned the fan and did not order another. My opinion on the KXB fan noise unchanged a year later, it's absolutely fine for me even in my dead quiet living room, but especially on a gig
Click to expand...
I never knew mine had a fan . They must have used different products as availability or price dictated. Maybe mine does not turn on:D
 

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