Ohh, I see...yeah ok, I guess that about answers my question then. lol Too bad, I'd like to have a cheaper model with less power, as I won't ever need 900 watts of power, also 700 is crazy haha
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Darkglass Microtubes 900 Class D Amp
- Thread starter Spector2112
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Ohh, I see...yeah ok, I guess that about answers my question then. lol Too bad, I'd like to have a cheaper model with less power, as I won't ever need 900 watts of power, also 700 is crazy haha
If it gives you the sound you want it's all good.
The 900w is all about the ability to give lots of clean volume if needed.
The M900 is small and light enough to carry to each practice. The alternative is to have some less great amp and carry a VMTU or B7K.
I know, but I either have to go to practices directly from work or with my bass, and I neither travel by car or tram/bus, so I have limited options.. I want to sell my combo and then I could probably go for some lightweight amp, as I still have two cabs left over.
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Darkglass website [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] has this info:
"Min-Load
Press when using a 2Ω load. You can use this control to lower the output if your 4Ω cabinet is not able to handle more than 500W (you can also get 350W with an 8Ω cabinet in this configuration)."
And quoting the manual available from that same page I linked above:
"The standard mode will deliver 900W RMS at 4 Ω/500W at 8Ω. If you select the 2Ω Mode via the rear panel switch the amplifier will deliver 900W at 2Ω/500W at 4Ω and 350W at 8Ω."
So I am back to the drawing board on a cab. The clean sound of the M900 sounds utterly amazing through the Audiokinesis Thunderchild 212, but unfortunately the Microtubes channels are less than stellar, mainly do to not being able to attenuate the horn more I presume. Needless to say, I didn't buy the DG amp just for its phenomenal clean tone. What cabs are you using yours with? Feel free to share pics so I don't have to wade through this entire post for the (I lost count) time...
Shameless self promotion: Hit me up if anyone wants a killer Thunderchild cab.
Shameless self promotion: Hit me up if anyone wants a killer Thunderchild cab.
TC Electronic RS series cabs. In particular the 410 and 212. Phenomenal cabinets.
Does the tone control in the Microtubes section not attenuate the highs enough for you? For me it was the most important control on the whole amp!
I does help some. I am able to get a somewhat decent drive sound with the use of the tone control and some pretty drastic EQ'ing. To the point where when I switch the Microtubes off the clean sound is no longer very pleasing.
I send mine into an ampeg fridge at my rehearsal venue. I believe it's probably the classic series.
Do you guys have issues with noise? I'm thinking of packing a noise gate pedal just in case. I don't know if it is the overhead lights or power but I'd guess at around 20% of my gigs I turn the amp on and immediately get complaints from the sound guy about noise or radio interference when they're using the DI. I'm using the VMT signal path with modest gain, around 9 or 10 o'clock. I use a well shielded P-bass so I'm not adding much noise there, it seems to come directly from the amp. I can flip the microtubes button in and out and hear high end hiss immediately when it is engaged. The amp has no noise with microtubes disengaged, as you'd expect.
It really isn't a problem in the mix but it gets pretty aggravating having to explain to sound guys that my DI signal won't be completely dry/clean. I've started just asking for a mic from the beginning but you know how that can go on festival gigs. I'm going to guess most everyone else's amp is dead silent?
It really isn't a problem in the mix but it gets pretty aggravating having to explain to sound guys that my DI signal won't be completely dry/clean. I've started just asking for a mic from the beginning but you know how that can go on festival gigs. I'm going to guess most everyone else's amp is dead silent?
One of the things I really like by my M900 was the fact that it was less noise than using my B7K, so not sure I have anything useful to tell you.
I had a weird noise problem that I finally ended up tracing to an instrument cable. What made it weird is that the cable was fine everywhere else - no noise, no connection problems. But when I used it with the Darkglass I had a very noticeable hiss.
I'll try swapping cables but I'm pretty sure the noise is present even if nothing is plugged into the input. The amp is much noisier than the B7K but I was running that into an Aguilar head so not exactly a direct comparison.
So I lucked out I feel... I had to drive 3.5 hours each way but I was able to trade my B3K for this Mesa Powerhouse 215 cab, and I get to keep the Audiokinesis cab too!
