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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#4,861
@PDGood, it could be the head, as others have mentioned, starting to distort (might be more prone to that at 8 Ohms). A very clear-sounding cab might show that where another would not. If you've had the cabs for awhile, it might be that the screws holding the drivers in place could use a bit of tightening (that was mentioned in this thread some time back, and doesn't only apply to AK cabs). Or... there could be some other issue -- I'd borrow a stout amp and check that all the screws are snug first. If that doesn't fix things, I'd contact Duke.

For what it's worth, the LMII in my little CMD 121P combo has started to go -- thought it was a driver (specifically tweeter) issue, initially -- fuzzy, paper-y distortion at times -- but it's turned out to be the head.
 
#4,862
PDGood said:
I love my AK cabs and constantly get compliments on tone using any bass I run through them, but..... I have had issues of distortion in the midrange at volume that wasn't all that excessive. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
I'm running a Markbass LMlll so the wattage is not unreasonable, and I play with a light touch. None of the bands I'm with play crazy loud like in the old days - guitarists with Fender Deluxes and the like. I'm kind of puzzled by this.
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Sorry to hear you're having distortion! If it turns out to be the cabs, let me know and we'll figure out which driver is the culpit, then we'll take it from there.

Turn Em Loose said:
Hey @DukeLeJeune, since you didn't ask.....How about an attenuator for the Bite switch instead of an on/off switch?
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I assume you're talking about the midrange smoother switch? It makes a change to the circuit itself. Theoretically there is a way to bring an attenuator into play, but I'd have to look at the power handling, because attenuators are prone to burning out at far below their rated power when cranked for "maximum attenuation", and the lower in frequency we are using the attenuator, the more power it's going to see. If I can figure out a way to do it that seems safe to me (and I have a technician friend who can advise me), then it can happen. Thank you for the suggestion, whether it proves to be practical or not!
 
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#4,863
DukeLeJeune said:
Sorry to hear you're having distortion! If it turns out to be the cabs, let me know and we'll figure out which driver is the culpit, then we'll take it from there.



I assume you're talking about the midrange smoother switch? It makes a change to the circuit itself. Theoretically there is a way to bring an attenuator into play, but I'd have to look at the power handling, because attenuators are prone to burning out at far below their rated power when cranked for "maximum attenuation", and the lower in frequency we are using the attenuator, the more power it's going to see. If I can figure out a way to do it that seems safe to me (and I have a technician friend who can advise me), then it can happen. Thank you for the suggestion, whether it proves to be practical or not!
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By attenuator, here, do we mean an L-Pad? I don't fully understand the circuitry involved, but I've got an idea of the goal: control how much power a driver sees while keeping the overall impedance constant. Might it be safer and more practical, in this case, to have a three-way switch (smooth, middlin', aggressive) than to have a traditional L-Pad on a dial? Maybe not, but as long as you're exploring options I thought I'd ask.
 
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#4,864
MarkA said:
By attenuator, here, do we mean an L-Pad? I don't fully understand the circuitry involved, but I've got an idea of the goal: control how much power a driver sees while keeping the overall impedance constant. Might it be safer and more practical, in this case, to have, a three-way switch (smooth, middlin', aggressive) than a traditional L-Pad on a dial? Maybe not, but as long as you're exploring options I thought I'd ask.
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I don't know whether I'd use the entire "L-pad", or just the series resistance side of it (and simply not use the parallel leg). The power handling is higher if I don't use the parallel leg, but the range of adjustability is smaller.

A three-way switch might work too, haven't looked into that yet.
 
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#4,865
DukeLeJeune said:
I don't know whether I'd use the entire "L-pad", or just the series resistance side of it (and simply not use the parallel leg). The power handling is higher if I don't use the parallel leg, but the range of adjustability is smaller.

A three-way switch might work too, haven't looked into that yet.
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Cool. Just trying to make things more complicated. Don't mind me.
 
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#4,866
DukeLeJeune said:
I assume you're talking about the midrange smoother switch? It makes a change to the circuit itself. Theoretically there is a way to bring an attenuator into play, but I'd have to look at the power handling, because attenuators are prone to burning out at far below their rated power when cranked for "maximum attenuation", and the lower in frequency we are using the attenuator, the more power it's going to see. If I can figure out a way to do it that seems safe to me (and I have a technician friend who can advise me), then it can happen. Thank you for the suggestion, whether it proves to be practical or not!
Click to expand...

Yes. The smoother switch. That's what I meant! Thanks, Duke!
 
#4,868
Switches up for my gig tonight.
20170128_204942.jpg
20170128_204930.jpg
 
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#4,869
PDGood said:
I love my AK cabs and constantly get compliments on tone using any bass I run through them, but..... I have had issues of distortion in the midrange at volume that wasn't all that excessive. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
I'm running a Markbass LMlll so the wattage is not unreasonable, and I play with a light touch. None of the bands I'm with play crazy loud like in the old days - guitarists with Fender Deluxes and the like. I'm kind of puzzled by this.
Click to expand...
Possible cab issues have already been covered, so I'll go the other way....

Are you sure it isn't the AK cab putting the Markbass head under the magnifying glass?

I'm a total weenie about upper mids and treble, very sensitive to little distortions and other character flaws. I auditioned a Little Mark III before I got my AK cab, while I was still using.a compact 3-way cab by Flyte.

You could think of the 103W as a crude precursor to the Thunderchild. It had a very hi-fi character, but like Greenboy's early fEarful's, it emphasized any harshness in the upper mids and treble.

I liked the power, form factor and comprehensive EQ of the LMIII, but it had an elusive distortion in the upper mids. It was particularly noticeable when I played double-stops up around the 12th fret. This was at low volume, so it was definitely something about the amp design, rather than a lack of headroom.

I discussed this with another TB'er who was a big Markbass proponent, and he had noticed the same characteristic. The difference was that he heard it as an interesting growl, rather than a problem.

The main difference between us, was that he was using conventional bass cabs at the time, mostly Bergantino.

After our discussion, I went back to the store to try the LMIII with a Mesa Scout cab and an SWR Goliath II. The distortion was far less intrusive, because the hole between the woofer and tweeter in those cabs hid it.
 
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#4,871
Thumper said:
... when I engage my Phat Phuk as a boost, the Phat Phuk is dialed in to add a little "hair".
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My ability to come up with product names utterly pales in comparison.
 
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#4,875
banditcosmo said:
Hey can anyone recommend a lightweight head that will run at 2 ohms for a TC112 and a TC115 (both are 4-ohms) ? I have a Shuttlemax 12.2 but I'm looking for something different. Looking for full deep more old school tone.
I was thinking about a Mesa D800.
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Eden 550 wt from 1998 -2010 or so will run two ohm. That's why I bought one since both my AK cabs are 4 ohm's. I sounds great through the TC cabs, but you might need more power than that. The tone is warmer then Genz stuff IMHO, and the eq is so flexible you can get whatever tone you need. I old school up my tone with a darkglass VU, or a TC electronic spark booster. Or both!
 
#4,877
Thumper said:
when I engage my Phat Phuk as a boost, the Phat Phuk is dialed in to add a little "hair".
Click to expand...

DukeLeJeune said:
My ability to come up with product names utterly pales in comparison.
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May be, Duke, but that's only in the near term. Names like Thunderchild have staying power. Mark my words!

Let's check in again in 20 years and see whether players are talking about the Phat Phuks or the Thunderchildren of today's music making products. :rage:

;)
 
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#4,878
Snaxster said:
May be, Duke, but that's only in the near term. Names like Thunderchild have staying power. Mark my words!

Let's check in again in 20 years and see whether players are talking about the Phat Phuks or the Thunderchildren of today's music making products. :rage:

;)
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Some things are great regardless of the name. I'd like the Phat Phuk B no matter what it's called. I don't think I am ever going to sell mine.
 
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