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Gallien-Krueger MB2-500
- Thread starter deekay911
- Start date
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to answer the questions why i would want a the boost and mute a foot switch....
yeah, it'd be nice to have nothing in my signal chain.
why not hit the mute button? for one, i hope to mainly use a 1x12 which means bending over every time. also, i pretty much only play in praise and worship settings where there are bits of talking between songs. i use my tu-2 more as a mute switch than a tuner because of the amount of times i need to mute everything. even though there will be a mute button, i'll still have to use my tu-2 as a mute switch. there are also the times where i get a bad cord or something like that i need to quickly mute so as not to take away from the mood of the situation. i'm not going to use the mute button on the head.
i'm sure i could figure out a way to make it work, and many of you will, but for my situations i need a mute foot switch.
i'm know i could write a better argument but i have a 2 year old jumping off the walls while i'm typing so it's pretty dificult to get my thoughts together.
yeah, it'd be nice to have nothing in my signal chain.
why not hit the mute button? for one, i hope to mainly use a 1x12 which means bending over every time. also, i pretty much only play in praise and worship settings where there are bits of talking between songs. i use my tu-2 more as a mute switch than a tuner because of the amount of times i need to mute everything. even though there will be a mute button, i'll still have to use my tu-2 as a mute switch. there are also the times where i get a bad cord or something like that i need to quickly mute so as not to take away from the mood of the situation. i'm not going to use the mute button on the head.
i'm sure i could figure out a way to make it work, and many of you will, but for my situations i need a mute foot switch.
i'm know i could write a better argument but i have a 2 year old jumping off the walls while i'm typing so it's pretty dificult to get my thoughts together.
Totally understandable. If you like the functionality of the TU2, but are looking for something that won't interfere with your signal chain, check out the pitchblack. I think the strobostomp is also true bypass, but as far as I know they're the only ones.
For some excellent articles on this, I've found this site extremely helpful: Invalid Link Removed
Check out the list at the bottom of that page.
I have one of these and I can personally vouch for it.... and I'm VERY particular about my chain... I hardly ever even have effects in the effects loop of an amp.
I won't affect you tone at all. Not one bit. The radio frequencies that are being filtered out are so far beyond human hearing.
You want the ferrite choke to be right at the end of the cable near the amp. If you have it in the middle, the piece of cable after the choke and before the amp will still act as an antenna.
I keep one in my gig bag, but I haven't had to use it in years.
I've had no RFI issues with my MB2-500.
Ah, but you have had to use it in the past? This is just super weird timing for me. First show with the MB-2, just so also happens to be the first show that I ever hear this... though years ago I used to get some pretty interesting sounds out of my old Ibanez... but that's a story for another day.
Hopefully it's just coincidental. I'm glad to hear that this has happened to other people with other amps, makes it seem like more of a fluke. Also glad to hear you haven't had any RFI issues with your amp. I'm really enjoying the sounds I'm getting out of the amp; I think I'd be pretty heartbroken if I found out something was wrong with it.
I've had radio interference in the past with various amps. Just under certain conditions. It's not confined to GK.
kap'n kro--
These are the clamps I mentioned in another thread. I got the idea from some clamps that were supplied, but never used, with another amp. I leave the clamps on, no tone loss. $5.50 at Radio Shack.
I am seriously considering an MB2. How can I make sure that I get one that has the new voicing? Bob mentioned they would be shipping in mid-November, but there is a stock of the original models already out there.
+1
But... I think the amp is also a component of the RFI problem. When I had RFI situations, it was with one particular amp. Not every amp in the building. The signal would get picked up by any cord/amp, but the MB2-500 is rectifying the signal somehow, and that's the weird part. I'm no electrical engineer (mechanical actually), but I'm pretty sure your amp isn't supposed to rectify the signal. If it is built properly I believe that there is supposed to be a capacitor somewhere that bleeds that RFI off to ground.
Maybe RAG can comment on this?
You ought to try to play one. I got an early production MB2-500 and it has no issues what so ever. There isn't too much low end on mine. It doesn't sound like a 700/1001 with the string bass button engaged.
I'm not sure if GK has been doing some selective tweeking on certain amps, but other have described their MB2's
in ways that don't resemble what I hear from mine.
Yes, I've had it happen on a gig with only one amp of all of them on stage picking up RF. However I'm talking about actually picking up a radio station or sound from a TV stationthat sometimes came through loud enough to sound as if there was a receiver plugged into the amp. Apparently a combination of instrument, cord, and the amp input combined to produce a tuned circuit in the radio band. Technically that's about as far as I understand it and I may even have that wrong. I don't know if this is actually the case with the new MB 500 or not.
At any rate I'm sure it's a very easy problem for GK to fix if indeed there is even a problem inherent to the design.
I have been in communication with Bob G and they are working on the RFI issue - he is confident they will have a fix in a few days and he will trade my unit for a modified one to test when it is ready. The new EQ-modified unit they sent me last week suffers from RFI just like the first one I had. These guys are proving to be more responsive and customer focussed than anyone I have come across.
As for the tone - they have definitely fixed that issue. I used it on a loud practice tonight and it was sitting perfectly in the mix. Never having been a GK user in the past I am starting to prefer this tone to the Shuttle now
This thread (or more so the responsiveness of Mr. Gallien, in such a customer centric way) has helped cement my new brand of choice (other then actually sounding great). Just thought I would let the GK guys know their hard work/effort doesnt go unnoticed!
Just wondering, would the choke also help cut out noise from neon beer signs? Last gig I had, the back wall of the stage was loaded with neon beer signs and making my cab sound like a buzz saw! I wound up turning most of them off and it went away.
I have been in communication with Bob G and they are working on the RFI issue - he is confident they will have a fix in a few days and he will trade my unit for a modified one to test when it is ready. The new EQ-modified unit they sent me last week suffers from RFI just like the first one I had. These guys are proving to be more responsive and customer focussed than anyone I have come across.
As for the tone - they have definitely fixed that issue. I used it on a loud practice tonight and it was sitting perfectly in the mix. Never having been a GK user in the past I am starting to prefer this tone to the Shuttle now
I'm glad it's getting sorted out. GK is a very good company. I've never had an issue with any GK that required customer service but it's nice to know that you can actually get in touch with someone and get it taken care of quickly.
Yes, I love that GK sound too. I'm looking forward to trying the MB2-500 myself when one shows up here in Hamilton. It's way more than I need these days but I still would like to try it through a speaker cabinet capable of handling it.
I can only say try one and see. I have noticed many of my adapters for cameras and some of my USB cables come with these filters built onto them, so I'd say try one and find out. But, your beer sign problem may require a power conditioner; if you play out a lot you probably need one of those anyway.
Is the MB2-500 designed to play through headphones without speakers attached?
The headphone output on mine was nice and clear last week when someone posted this question and I answered that I could hear both of my basses just fine through the headphones without speakers attached. I have not been able to duplicate that feat since, regardless of which bass I plug in or which cable I play through.
There is a headphone switch on the back; one position is for line out and the other sounds like something wants to ... happen.
As reference, both basses play just fine through my Peavey Max110 with little gain required, regardless of cables. The headphones are ProFormance P6000 and Sony 7506 cans.
The headphone output on mine was nice and clear last week when someone posted this question and I answered that I could hear both of my basses just fine through the headphones without speakers attached. I have not been able to duplicate that feat since, regardless of which bass I plug in or which cable I play through.
There is a headphone switch on the back; one position is for line out and the other sounds like something wants to ... happen.
As reference, both basses play just fine through my Peavey Max110 with little gain required, regardless of cables. The headphones are ProFormance P6000 and Sony 7506 cans.
It should work fine without any speakers connected. The old MB series amps and combos could do this too (except they didn't use a switch).
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