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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
That's what I was thinking... I think we went over some of this in school, but I needed a signed permission slip from my parents at the time.
Gonna bump this question from earlier in the thread. What's everyone using with their TC112?
Started with a Genz Streamliner 900. Tantalizing- boatloads of headroom, lots of chewy tube goodness, but ultimately not a great match. Too polite in the upper mids.
Then I got a G-K MB800. Much better, nice contrast between the uber-smooth TC, and the snap of the G-K.
If you like clean, this is a great combo. So transparent you can hear a gnat land on your strings, yet it's never strident. Plays very well with pedals, and the G-K EQ points work very well. Still, it's a little touchy at low volumes, so I got an MB200 for quieter sets.
Then I got a G-K MB800. Much better, nice contrast between the uber-smooth TC, and the snap of the G-K.
If you like clean, this is a great combo. So transparent you can hear a gnat land on your strings, yet it's never strident. Plays very well with pedals, and the G-K EQ points work very well. Still, it's a little touchy at low volumes, so I got an MB200 for quieter sets.
Steubig is using Puma 500 or 900 (can't remember which) and they sound great. The MB Fusion is a good match IMHO since they tend to be pretty aggressive in the upper mids while the TC is "musical" there so you can push the tone around.
I've used the following heads. All sounded good with the tc112 IMO . What you put into the cab is what comes out.
Mark Bass F1
Aguilar TH 500 &350
Walter Woods
jule Amp Tardis
Demeter M800D.
IME they all sounded great depending on my tone goals.
Mark Bass F1
Aguilar TH 500 &350
Walter Woods
jule Amp Tardis
Demeter M800D.
IME they all sounded great depending on my tone goals.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,951
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
+1 The MB800 is the micro I use the most with my TC112 and TC115, but the MB Fusion 800 also works great, as does my Puma 900.
I use the Glockenlang Blue Soul with the TC112 (4ohm, not 8), and it sounds great.
I also have used (although they are not micros) the Read Purity pre / crest prolite and Monique/Minnie with great success as well.
I also have used (although they are not micros) the Read Purity pre / crest prolite and Monique/Minnie with great success as well.
IME so far, nothing sounds bad with the TC112 (mine is the original 4 ohm, with the AF feature), but it seems to work best for me with amps that are fairly open-sounding. Did not like the TC Electronic RH450 or BG250 with it.
Really helpful. Thanks everyone. I'll check out the GK MB heads with mine when it arrives. The Puma could be a possibility too. I'll see what
Thomann has in stock - they have an excellent returns policy.
Monique/Minnie would be cool but a bit of a stretch at the moment.
EDIT: Thomann has the GKMB800, GK MBF800, and Puma 900 all in stock. Looks like I'll be able to order all and try them out/return as needed, credit card permitting...
Thomann has in stock - they have an excellent returns policy.
Monique/Minnie would be cool but a bit of a stretch at the moment.
EDIT: Thomann has the GKMB800, GK MBF800, and Puma 900 all in stock. Looks like I'll be able to order all and try them out/return as needed, credit card permitting...
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Was the Streamliner a bit too open/relaxed for you with it? I seem to recall you swapped from the Streamliner to the GK...
The Streamliner was a real paradox for me.
Excellent build quality, DI, HPF, and dynamic feel at mid to high volume. Also, it had an impressively sweet, hi-fi top end with a nicely voiced treble control.
But the baked-in EQ curve gave me fits. It was so plump in the low mids and relaxed in the 2-4K region, that by the time I'd finished using the 3-band EQ to control the low end and dial in the right amount of treble, I'd run out of knobs.
No matter what I did, my rig always sounded and felt too relaxed/veiled/scooped. Tube swaps didn't do the trick for me. An Empress Para-EQ helped, but I still couldn't seem to get the bite and clarity I wanted.
The G-K worked out much better. Although it starts out too bright and grindy up top, the EQ is much easier to dial in, and running a Diamond compressor in front turned out to be the finishing touch. Now I decide whether I want to sound modern or old-school, instead of the Streamliner deciding for me.
All this might have worked out differently if I'd waited for the extra bite of the 2nd-gen Thunderchild, but that's a moot point for me.
I use an MB500 with my 4-ohm TC112 v1. I just make sure to control the "gank" factor by easing back on the treble & high midrange EQ controls. Sounds very clean, full, balanced, powerful & deep.
MM
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That was my experience. I really wanted to love that amp, but the more I used it, the more frustrated I got. Mostly due to the fact that the baked-in eq is pretty much the opposite of what I like to get. So for me it really was pedaling uphill all the time. If you like thick/chewy low mids and a relaxed upper mid, that amp kills. If you like the opposite, you're not going to be happy...
It might be that the Streamliner matches up well for my tastes with the v2 112AF. In which case, ideal scenario for me, no extra spend needed.
Still, getting the lowdown from everyone has been really useful. Thanks all.
Still, getting the lowdown from everyone has been really useful. Thanks all.
It also depends on your basses, your hands, and your target tone.
Since I ditched the Streamliner, I switched to a Dingwall bass that has a lot more growl and zing going on. Who knows, if I still had the Streamliner now, I might be quite happy with it.
The one sure factor, is that the smooth, even and transparent character of the Thunderchild will reproduce your tone in a very musical and accurate way. Getting to know mine has been a real education...
