Class D amps vs traditional amps

[ctmullins]

I really enjoyed this thread. Thanks everybody!!

 

[Killing Floor]

It does not happen often, but I must disagree on that statement. My barefaced cabinets have the cloth grille, which is silver and the sides are black.
My aguilar Tonehammer has a silver face and black sides. This is a really classy match.
I let go of a Markbass head which sounded and performed good, but the yellow and black color scheme did not really work with the vintage style of the barefaced cabinets.

However, as someone who played live before the first class D amps came out and who has done the schlep,
I've also done the blind test and was unable to discern between a lead sled power amp and a class D one.
Put me into the 'happy with class D' camp.

So true!!!

My 2X12 cabinet is orange Tolex, it really pulls the room together. My Subway 12s are fine, they sound good and everything goes with black. But orange is my favorite color. My PJB practice amp is white. If it were black I'm not sure I could get away with keeping it on my desk. White makes it look more "office like". Try that with an SVT.

My favorite guitar amp is tweed. And it's tube driven but that's not relevant, tweed looks classy. All that matters.

 

[Markb]

I don't know if Miketron75 is even able to see this thread anymore, but in case he is, or reactivates with another account name like "UselessReply75" or something...

I think the info you unintentionally got from this thread is much more valuable than an amp review. You need to work on your social skills, my man. To insult so many people who were weighing in on a question that YOU ASKED is so low class and weak-minded.

Can you imagine what a nightmare it is being in a band with that guy? I'm glad he got banned. Talkbass is fantastic, and so are the people on it and running it.

 

[el murdoque]

So true!!!

My 2X12 cabinet is orange Tolex, it really pulls the room together. My Subway 12s are fine, they sound good and everything goes with black. But orange is my favorite color. My PJB practice amp is white. If it were black I'm not sure I could get away with keeping it on my desk. White makes it look more "office like". Try that with an SVT.

My favorite guitar amp is tweed. And it's tube driven but that's not relevant, tweed looks classy. All that matters.

My PJB D4 is red because my U-Bass is red and they match up nicely.

 

[tvbop]

Amp showed up this morning, sounds amazing.

Really?? How big is that room? Man your a clever dude being able to determin the output tone of a stage amp in a tiny room.

 

[lug]

Well I miss the guy, like the desert misses the rain.

 

[Killing Floor]

My PJB D4 is red because my U-Bass is red and they match up nicely.
View attachment 4497119

That's what it's about. You've got to coordinate. Same reason I put red onions in my guacamole.

 

[baxter_x]

Well I miss the guy, like the desert misses the rain.

Hahaha, he was a funny prank, I agree.
However its the first time I see such an arrogant disrespectful person here. Some od his inputs have been deleted and it was simply priceless!

 

[red_rhino]

Rotary phones were so intuitive...

Absolutely! Plus, they have the “heft” and “slam” that you just cannot get from a smartphone. This is something you would know if you’ve ever dropped a rotary phone on your foot.

I’ve been making phone calls my whole life. I’ve used land lines, party lines, conga lines. I even worked as a telemarketer once, so I guess that makes me a “professional” phone caller. I know everything, so please don’t bother me with useless replies.

More seriously, have you ever watched someone born after 2000 try to use a rotary phone for the first time? It’s hilarious.

 

[LBS-bass]

 

[LBS-bass]

Did a guy just throw a stink bomb and then run away?

There's only so much trolling you can do around here before someone figures it out.

 

[arbiterusa]

Class D uses transistors (could also be tubes, in theory)

Tubes in practice. The first class D amp topology was patented in the 1930s, so tubes, and it was for radio.

The mind reels.

 

[Standalone]

I am buying a Traynor SB500H and I’m used to the Classic solid state amps, weight differences aside, how do you think I will feel about a class D amp? Some people say the power just isn’t there or something is missing, others say they are amazing. It seems that a lot of people that are blown away with Class D amplifiers are younger people that have never really used solid state or tube amps, opinions? Also I like to run my analog pedals directly to the front input of the head, does a class D amp react or sound differently with pedals than I should expect from solid state? Thanks in advance.

I find that my tone is in part shaped by what happens with a class A/B power amp is pushed a bit. My GK amps were specifically designed for this. The genre of music I play is within the "jam band" vibe, and stage tone is important to communicating in the improvisational segments and transitions -- some say that stage tone isn't important in a land of DI's on gigs. But for me, it is.

I don't look down on those who get sounds they love out of Class D amps. There have been some of those that I have really liked in the store. The Ampeg Portabass when they came out. Some of the Markbass stuff. But I returned my Little Mark -- it just didn't quite "have it" live. I'm ok with an 18 pound 480W amp.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Carrying a heavy stack up the stairs for the 'heft'? No thanks.

 

[Pings Bass]

Back on page two we got what, in a rational universe, would be the final word on this topic:

I have built up exactly the same amp with a class d power amp and a class AB power amp just to confirm that it could be done with nobody able to correctly identify which was which.

But in our irrational TB universe, long after the inciting troll has been banished, we still have bassists logging on to Al Gore's internet to declare there is something missing with a class D power section.

It's all good; it reminds me of the eighties, before we could settle such questions quickly and definitively, and at any given time 25-50% of the received wisdom circulating at rehearsal halls, venues and shops was unadulterated hogwash.

(My favorite bit of this folklore was that you shouldn't use an 18 on stage because the sound waves it produced were too long to hear at close range.)

 

[Gluvhand]

The experience and expertise that user agedhorse brings to the table is well known here on TB. His background in sound reinforcement and bass amps is wide and varied. In fact he designs them for a living. Namely MESA, Genz Benz, and others. There isn't any post he does that can be called a useless reply. If you have indeed played for decades and toured worldwide during the 2000's chances are very high that the commercial sound reinforcement companies hired to provide sound for your band were all using high wattage class D amps. Especially since class D has been used in PRO sound for decades now. Have you been to the movies lately? I can't even think of a theater that's using analog amps anymore.. The tremendous low end levels at concerts and theaters are all class D and there's no shortage of punch there at all.

agedhorse member stats
Member Since: Feb 12, 2006 Messages: 35,802 Likes Received: 95,933

Your member stats
Member Since: Nov 28, 2019 Messages: 28 Likes Received: 26

Based on the above stats, who do you think is more credible when it come to posting?

In closing, only you can tell if a class D amp will give you the punch and hit as hard as you want it to. I hope you find the amp that works for you regardless if it's class. Also I certainly hope you don't find this reply "useless".

Please stop. The Horse can speak for himself. And post counts? Really?

 

[Hasty]

Rotary phones were so intuitive...

Possibly… but who wants to use a rotary phone for texting? That would take forever!

 

[Deleted member 165050]

I noticed this thread when it started up and thought "That will go the way of all such threads". It did.

After the commercial break there will be a live studio debate on who invented the bass guitar, followed by this week's science special analysing exactly how much of the fundamental you can really hear.

Tune in next week for "How much difference does your guitar's body wood make?".

 

[Gluvhand]

There's only so much trolling you can do around here before someone figures it out.

You really think he was trolling? He was obnoxious and impolite but he had a legit question and stuck around to answer for himself.

 

[LBS-bass]

You really think he was trolling? He was obnoxious and impolite but he had a legit question and stuck around to answer for himself.

Didn't look like he was answering for himself to me. Just creating additional opportunities to kick up more troll dust. That's how trolls work. Act just legit enough to create confusion so you'll divide the group into antagonists and defenders.

But even if he actually had a legitimate question, his social skills were pretty poor and he didn't seem much interested in informed opinions.