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Calling all Hartke amp users!

#24
I mostly play reggae so I dont need access to alot of different tones, and when I do, perhaps a little tweaking with the pu.'s and a change in playing technique does the trick.....

LAKLAND 55-01 running into:

Hartke 4000 ( my main setting which I call Hi-Fi Thunder)

shape at approx. 325
Intensity : 7
D bass: +4
Low:+4
Mid-low: +4 Freq.: :354 Bandwith: about 3 o'clock
Mid High: +4 Freq.: 1.1 Bandwidth: about 3 o'clock
Highs: -15

Running into a Hartke 2200 2x12 w/ horn ( horn bypassed)

Can't turn the volume up past the first notch without shaking the china from the walls. :eek:

IMO, your sound can only be as good as the weakest link in your signal chain, so use good cables. :smug:
 
#25
I have a Hartke 5000 and Avatar cabinets - a 2x10 and a 1x15. It may be a poor choice in preamp tube, but I find that the SS preamp sounds a bit better on mine. I've also recently switched from running both preamps at ~6 to running the SS at 4 and the tube at 3. I now crank the master much higher to compensate. I think I may be overcompensating now becauwse I've had to turn the master as high as 7-8, but previously I had some distortion that I think may have been an overloaded preamp (all my basses are active). I also used to use a slight wave pattern on the eq, but lately I have been leaving it off. I also leave the compressor off, but since I removed my other compressor from the rack, I may try the Hartke compressor on lightly again. I leave the treble contour flat as well, but reduce the bass a notch as I tend to get too stron of a bass signal with my set-up.
 
#27
{OE} said:
I mostly play reggae so I dont need access to alot of different tones, and when I do, perhaps a little tweaking with the pu.'s and a change in playing technique does the trick.....

LAKLAND 55-01 running into:

Hartke 4000 ( my main setting which I call Hi-Fi Thunder)

shape at approx. 325
Intensity : 7
D bass: +4
Low:+4
Mid-low: +4 Freq.: :354 Bandwith: about 3 o'clock
Mid High: +4 Freq.: 1.1 Bandwidth: about 3 o'clock
Highs: -15

Running into a Hartke 2200 2x12 w/ horn ( horn bypassed)

Can't turn the volume up past the first notch without shaking the china from the walls. :eek:

IMO, your sound can only be as good as the weakest link in your signal chain, so use good cables. :smug:
Click to expand...


I'd agree the Hartke 4000 kicks some serious booty. It is really unlike the other Hartke offerings. Have you tried the dedicated subwoofer out yet? I've tried it once to check it out. You need another power amp and cab dedicated to the sub frequencies (below 100Hz). But with that it really gives some earth shaking bottom end.

I might build a dedicated sub cab with a built in amp for it. I currently use my HA4000 in my custom built 210 (see my SMS Harvey Combo thread) and I'm considering this option for a subwoofer. But even with another 210 cab, this HA4000 cranks and it's built like a tank. I had it matched with a 410 and it was damn loud (easily too loud if I let it be).
 
#28
I own a HA3000 and a HA5500. My setting on the 5500 are as follows; Tube Pre - 12 o'clock, SS Pre - 12 o'clock, EQ section turned off. Bass - 3 o'clock, Treble - 2 o'clock, Gig volume - 10-11 o'clock. On the HA3000, there is no EQ section. I keep the Shape and Contour knobs at 0. My Bass and Treble settings are set the same as the HA5500. A lot of times clipping is caused by folks having the bass frequency settings maxed out. If you need that much bass, buy a sub and another power amp. I even run my active bass' bass knob flat. I have plenty of bottom and have no problem cutting through with a loud band.
 
#29
Tube pre 6
s.s. 0
low contour 11:00
hi contour 11:00
e.q. frown with rolloff below 60 hhz
In the manual you can see that the tube side has been pre-e.q.'d and that is the reason most people need to run a frown on the E.Q or also why they mix in the solid state pre.
I think the reason most people who complain about not enough power should try cutting the extreem low frequencies. In any old tube amp they have a rolloff below 50 hz. to save headroom and clean up mud. That is the big difference between the older bass heads and the guitar heads. Try rolling off the extreem lows, your just wasting that power, its just going to stage vibration and it doesnt project anyways , only sucks up power, and ruins your tone and projection. The sound that projects and that people hear from a bass guitar is in the 100 to 200 hz. region anyways.
 
#30
I don't have much of a Hartke, just the 1415, so I don't know if i'd be much help for you, but if you get up to Lansing I will try and listen to your sound and how it fits in with your music.

My Hartke was set pretty much flat ,pulling back on the mids a touch. I found if I drove the lows tow hard it sounded muddy -15inch speaker and all.

my .01999 $
John
Click to expand...

I know this thread is old but here's my $.01999... Run the EQ and contours flat, if it's bi amped (I run a H7000) start with the subs, Turn the balance all the way to the subs and turn both the preamps down to 0, bring the master up to about 8... Start by bringing the tube side-up till yopu reach about 5, if you need more, bring up the solid state side a little.... Until you have enough rumble without distortion, then bring up the top cabinet until you have some clarity in your notes... you can use the Bi amp balance as a virtual voume knob

huhuhh uuuhuhuhuhuh ...I said "knob"

....And change your strings for every show (or at least once a week) That will get rid of most of the muddy sound
 
#33
I also use a 3500 and have had intermittent clipping when the volume is at or less then 1. I don't use a lot of bass on the EQ and the low pass set on 0. I'm using a Hartke 2x10 cab. loaded with emminence 350 watt speakers and a Genz Benz 1x10 with horn cab. I can't complain about the sound. But the clipping is frustrating. Any ideas??
 
#34
Gray Hebb said:
I also use a 3500 and have had intermittent clipping when the volume is at or less then 1. I don't use a lot of bass on the EQ and the low pass set on 0. I'm using a Hartke 2x10 cab. loaded with emminence 350 watt speakers and a Genz Benz 1x10 with horn cab. I can't complain about the sound. But the clipping is frustrating. Any ideas??
Click to expand...

Some ideas :

Active bass in the passive input ?

Preamps running too hot (what are your settings) ? You can check this by setting the compressor to +/- 10 o'clock. If the led occasionaly turns red on the loudest notes, you should have a clean input signal. If it turns red below 10 o'clock, your input signal is too hot (this works for me in any case).

30 kHz slider below 0 ?

Have you tried with one of your cabinets solo ?

Are your cabinets powerful enough ? If you connect them serial, the 3500 outputs 240W. If you connect them parallel it outputs 350W.

I don't have my 3500 anymore, but I think there was a switch at the back to eliminate sub frequencies. Maybe give that a try ?

Peter.
 
#35
Lots of useful settings here !

I use a 5500 + VX810. These are mine :

Tube : 3 o'clock
SS : 12 o'clock
Compressor : 10 o'clock
EQ : used to have a smiley but nowadays it's off
Bass : 2 o'clock
Treble : 2 o'clock
Master : never above 10 o'clock (depending on the venue)

Peter.
 
#37
Mine, I play a lot of rock and classical (some bach solos) here are my settings

Passive Bass
Amp: 3500a
Tube pre-amp: 4
Solid State: 0
Comp: Off
EQ: all flat, turned off
Low Pass: + 5
High Pass: -10

This gives you a pretty good acoustic "classical guitar" sound which I really like, sounds natural and not electric ampy kind of sound :) (ok, my ears)
 
#38
I have a 3500a and a VX410.
tube pre-amp is usually like 3-4 o clock.
solid state pre-amp is like 7-8 o clock.
compression is set to noon. maybe less depending on the size of the venue.
my graphic eq is a frown. love those mids.
my master is at the most ever - 3. out of a 1-10 scale.
bass output was noon.
treble was like 3 o clock.
I had a loud band. <.< i do wear ear plugs though. very handy at practice.

but i've had the same situation. everyone telling me my tone was all wrong. I'm a beginner when it comes to heads and cabs but after sitting in my room for weeks and tweeking and reading up on good eq's its very frustrating to hear.
"hey that's not right." everyone i know just goes for some bland slap eqs. and its not the tone i like at all.
 
#39
Hey guys

Played for some years in a pop/punk band and changed lately to a hardcore/sludge band and bought myself a Hartke 3500A. But I'm not able to control the settings.

At this time i'm searching for some advice on the 3500A amp setting! The bass settings that i'm searching for are in line with a band like :Link Removed

So if anyone could give me some usefull tips or concrete info please don't hesitate!

Regards
 

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