bass amps and "color"

[tfer]

I have no interest in hearing my basses uncolored. If I put my ear against my bass, and pluck a note, I can hear exactly how it sounds.

It sounds like crap.

Color away, pickups, strings, pedals, amps and cabinets!

 

[Downunderwonder]

The Quilter sounds pretty much the same as the Rupert Neve DI i use.
So i consider the terms "warm" and "transparent" to be applicable.

Everyone else uses warm as a colour attribute.

 

[nostatic]

"warm" often the result is a low-mid push and/or hi-end roll-off.

 

[madmaskbass]

I am far from expert on this topic but I know that in the video of the making of the Darkglass M900 Doug explains that most class D power stages are built of the same design. Aannyway that's all I have to say about that lol. interesting topic that again continues to hurt my brain in tone seeking confusions.

 

[Korladis]

I am far from expert on this topic but I know that in the video of the making of the Darkglass M900 Doug explains that most class D power stages are built of the same design. Aannyway that's all I have to say about that lol. interesting topic that again continues to hurt my brain in tone seeking confusions.

Sure, but there are exceptions, and also most solid state power amps aren't class D.

 

[teemuk]

... Doug explains that most class D power stages are built of the same design.

Yes, many class-D amps employ circuit modules manufacturers have purchased from another company (e.g. ICEpower). All in all, there aren't that many suppliers for those modules, and the suppliers typically do not have extensive category of products. Consequently many amp manufacturers end up using the same modules..

These modules, as is, are typically designed as very "transparent" amps with low harmonic distortion and moderately flat frequency response. You can more or less expect that performance until you push them to their limitations, like clipping. Then all bets are off. Designed as "ideal" amplifiers thse modules can be used in a wider array of applications, which makes sense since musical amp industry alone isn't big-enough market. Many modules are also quite "plug-n-play", which means they are fully functional power amplifiers once you provide the power supply and proper interconnects to signal source and load. Many manufacturers end up using them that way, as quite "transparent" amps.

But in the end it's just a module, and the complete amplifier is what is built around the module. The complete amplifier does not have to be transparent because signal-colouring circuitry can be introduced externally. While modifying what the module itself does is probably not a good idea one can still do things such as pre-limit and/or equalize the signal fed to the module in any preferable manner (e.g. compression/limiting, "tube emulations") and employ signal feedback from module output in any preferable manner ("current feedback", "global feedback"). The module itself may also provide features that aid external signal processing like clipping indicator terminals. In practice the designer has quite an array of tools to shape the final performance and "tone" of the amplifier. In the end, this approach ends up treating the module, (although its a complete circuit board and fully functional amplifier), pretty much equally to any integrated chip in the design.
There are also manufacturers who take this approach.

Point is, it's hard to tell anything concrete about an amplifier if only thing we know about it is that it employs class-D amplifier module X in the power section. Besides that, we don't know what other stuff is going on in the electrical circuit.

 

[brianrost]

Not true at all, at least IME. There are many many non-ICEpower builds these days. Just for starters: Ampeg, Carvin, Peavey, and Acoustic Image.

Yes, not everyone uses ICE. There are other mfrs. But I find it hard to believe that most $500 Class D amps do not use off the shelf power modules.

Carvin and Peavey have been making class D amps for pro sound for decades, I'd expect them to roll their own.

I own and use AI...those are not cheap and I supect they use their own power amp design since they came along way before the other brands. After all, back then only DB players were looking for tiny clean sounding amps.

 

[Passinwind]

Yes, not everyone uses ICE. There are other mfrs. But I find it hard to believe that most $500 Class D amps do not use off the shelf power modules.

Who said anything about a $500 price point?

In any case, there are quite a few different ICE modules too. As more or less a wannabe amp designer, I think their business model is pretty fantastic.

 

[Al Kraft]

Assuming all ICE modules will result in a final amplifier design that is perfectly flat and will sound identical is a bit like (and give me a little room on this one) assuming that using all the same tubes or MOSFETS will result in two amplifier designs sounding identical or both being nominally flat in their response.