• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Baby Sumo

I'm considering the Baby Sumo:
Boutique

I'd like to know how much the hardware is silent or not when it is turned on. Is it fanless?

Also, I read here it reqiures a lot of gain, so :I'd like to know (if anyonw knows it) if Tech21 XYZ pedal level could be good to properly drive the Baby Sumo?

Thank you
 
I'm considering the Baby Sumo:
Boutique

I'd like to know how much the hardware is silent or not when it is turned on. Is it fanless?

Also, I read here it reqiures a lot of gain, so :I'd like to know (if anyonw knows it) if Tech21 XYZ pedal level could be good to properly drive the Baby Sumo?

Thank you
Baby Sumo is dead silent for me.
 
Yup it’s quiet! I run the gain wide open and use the Shaw pre to control the volume!
D9C8739D-AC60-4158-BEF0-F7AEB8B76F7E.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • F8E8496A-63B0-426D-99F5-61172B455FF1.jpeg
    F8E8496A-63B0-426D-99F5-61172B455FF1.jpeg
    165.7 KB · Views: 43
I'm considering the Baby Sumo:
Boutique

I'd like to know how much the hardware is silent or not when it is turned on. Is it fanless?

Also, I read here it reqiures a lot of gain, so :I'd like to know (if anyonw knows it) if Tech21 XYZ pedal level could be good to properly drive the Baby Sumo?

Thank you

It is passive, no fan so no noise.

The required input gain is much lower than on a real PA amp, I've not seen a pedal yet which can't drive it.
 
I don't know this particular amp but apparently it doesn't have an effects loop, if that's the one ?
https://www.thomann.de/gb/genzler_magellan_mg350.htm

So I suppose your mesa was plugged either into the normal input jack and then it should be louder than with the sumo, or into the aux in on the back panel which should then be less loud than with the sumo if what's written on the magellan (line level) is true.
I'd be surprised if the mesa didn't output at line level though, but I don't know this pedal either so I can't be sure.

It could also be that your devices use -10 line levels instead of the +4 I know.
If you're lucky agedhorse designed both your preamp and amp, so you should be able to get exact answers from him :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
I wonder if a Sumo could amplify my Universal Audio 610 Solo. Does anybody have experience with that, by any chance?
A friend of mine had a Baby Sumo, but he sold it before I got my UA and the experiment was never tried…
 
I'm still on the fence, though starting to lean toward the GSS side of falling off. A few questions:

Does anyone have the new form factor (thinner/flatter but wider) - any thoughts?

For those of you who have the older style Baby Sumo, have you ever felt that you needed a mute switch or low/high switch for active/passive basses?

Are there any features that you wish the amp had that it doesn't? Part of what is so appearing is the amp's simplicity. I'm just curious if, once tested and used over time and in the real world, if you think that anything could be improved that has yet to be.
 
I recently tried a Mesa Subway Plus and it didn't work well for me - I was getting more headroom out of a Magellan 350 than the Baby Sumo with the Subway + in front of either amp.
The Subway preamps can easily drive most +4dBu power amps to rated output with plenty of headroom.

Thst said, most +4dBu power amps encountered in the real world will also have balanced inputs, so +4dBu operation is centered around balanced connections. I don’t know the specs of the Baby Sumo.

The aux in on the Genzler amp (power amp in) is unbalanced and can be driven to rated output with a -10dBu unbalanced signal.

In the case of power amps, rated sensitivity is with the input level control fully up. The Magellan master volume serves similar to a power amp’s input level control except that there is additional gain provided.
 
I'm still on the fence, though starting to lean toward the GSS side of falling off. A few questions:

Does anyone have the new form factor (thinner/flatter but wider) - any thoughts?

For those of you who have the older style Baby Sumo, have you ever felt that you needed a mute switch or low/high switch for active/passive basses?

Are there any features that you wish the amp had that it doesn't? Part of what is so appearing is the amp's simplicity. I'm just curious if, once tested and used over time and in the real world, if you think that anything could be improved that has yet to be.

Haven’t tried the new Mini Sumo, but I want one.

It would stack real nice under my Broughton Archetype Preamp.

The Baby Sumo works really well as a power amp run with my other Preamps.

I’ve never thought it needed a mute or high low switch, as my preamps usually cover that.

For my use case, it’s been ideal.

If you plan to go straight from a bass into a Sumo of some kind, without a preamp, that might change things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WG Plum
I just got mine. Took only 3 days to get to me in Idaho. Amazing. I have two 4 ohm cabs. My Little Marcus doesn't do 2 ohms. So it's for the second cab. I also have a EBS reidmar 502. It can do 2 ohms but it's pretty anemic. EBS power doesn't seem to go up as impedance decreases like other amps.
So tomorrow I'll be trying it out on a big outside gig. So far from playing it in my house the EBS sounds better than the Little Marcus. I'll take them both to the gig. We play a couple of sets.So I can really test it.
I can already tell that the case for the amp is nice but a bit too bulky for me. I like to fit my amp my pedalboard and the sumo and a few other things into a milk crate. I don't want to make more than two trips to get all my stuff into the venue. So I need to get something smaller for the sumo.
I replaced the knob it was too bulky and no visible line. And it would be nice to have a power light on the front panel.
knob.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gh0st42
Yes I wish I had known. I would have like the light. I just finished the first gig with the sumo. Big outdoor venue With a 12 piece Horn Funk Band. Tower of Power Earth Wing and Fire, Kool and The Gang,that sort of stuff. And the Sumo was turned up pretty loud. And it didn't overheat or show any kind of weakness. Just lots of clean power.I got an ever bigger show coming up on Thursday.I think the Sumo is a keeper
 
  • Like
Reactions: gh0st42
I don't have the LED, but I don't miss it : when switched on the switch on the back glows.
Easy to tell if the amp is on after that :bassist: In the unlikely event of an issue happening with the amp I'll probably go back to the amp and check everything anyways !

I love my Baby Sumo :woot: It powers my Barefaced Big Twin II like a boss.
I do drive it quite hard from the output of the last pedal of my board (EQ with boost, unbalanced signal), and have yet to make it distort.
Pairing it with an EQ last in the chain (with the DI pre-EQ) is the ideal solution for me, with the simple EQ acting as a dedicated preamp meant to tune the amp/can to the room without affecting the FoH signal.