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Genz-Benz Shuttle MAX 9.2

#42
Ryan L. said:
Well, all packed up and ready to head out. This weekend will be the first couple gigs with the 9.2. And it just happens to be at one of the wildest places we play. Needless to say, it'll really get put through its paces tonite and tomorrow night..........
Click to expand...

Have fun -- looking forward to your notes from the gigs!!!

I'm not much of one for tinkering with settings on a gig, but if I were, I probably try optimizing each preamp during 2 sets (1st set tweak tube preamp; 2nd set tweak FET preamp) and then tweak a mix of the two preamps during a third set.

There are at least a couple of ways to approach the mixed preamp tweakage.
1. Just leave each preamp set as they sound optimum individually and adjust the mix between the two (by far the most simple).
2. Base the EQ settings on what each preamp does the best -- for example, if you like the low end of the FET channel, use the EQ to adjust the balance between the lows (& possibly low-mids) & the higher frequencies on that channel and do the opposite with the Tube channel, cut the lows and EQ the mids & highs to taste, adjusting the channel mix between the 2 channels to where it fits in with your tone goals.
Since the 2nd method sounds like a lot of knob fiddling, I doubt you'd want to try that during a gig.
Maybe work out the general settings at home and then tweak a little on a gig.

Just some thoughts for you and anyone else getting a 9.2 to kick around.
Of course, this would work with any 2 channel preamp that allows mixing the preamps (or someone using two rigs on one gig could do as well).
 
#47
:D

Well, first off, this head is loud---through my Eden 410XLT, I had the master volume at around the 9:00 mark (just a few clicks up from being off), and it was honkin' pretty good. The channel volumes I had set around the noon mark, with the FET slightly higher as I had the gain a bit lower on that channel.

Using the FET channel was like someone had removed a wet blanket that had been covering my amp. I haven't had this kind of clarity in a LONG time (probably since I sold my GBE750;)). I just made a few minor tweaks to the EQ, and I had the bright, punchy, clear sound I was after. The slap tone was out of this world, even with my 6 string, which is a little darker sounding bass than my 5 is. IMO, very modern, hi-fi, clear sound.

Using the Tube channel, I was able to dial in a VERY nice classic rock tone. I set the gain high enough so that when I really dug in, it would break up just a little bit. I messed with the EQ on this channel until I had more of a lower mid grunt to the tone. The tube channel is obviously not a replacement for an all-tube amp, or even an Aggie DB750, but it can, IME, with the right EQing, get close enough to a more old school sound to make me very happy.

I didn't mess with mixing the two channels. Not once. I was too happy with what they were doing individually to even bother with it.

I did use two of the global tone controls--the low boost and the high boost. I turned them up so the effect was fairly large on the overall sound, and it killed to have on a couple songs where I have short slap solos.

To me, this amp doesn't "feel" like a lightweight amp, like so many others I've tried have. I don't know if it's due to GB's new power amp technology or what it is, but my low end didn't feel at all anemic like so many other light weight heads (including most of the Shuttles I've tried) have. That was one of my major worries when making the switch from heavier amps to this one, that I'd feel that loss. Granted, this is no DB750, but then, what is? My notes on stage carried enough "heft" to keep me plenty happy---as well as my band mates. All three were very impressed with it.

The DI sounded great out front, and the amp itself and the DI were dead quiet. No buzzing of any sorts was noticed either on stage or through the PA.

One complaint I do have, however, is with the footswitch---the switches are just close enough together that I really have to be careful when switching things on or off (and no, I don't wear clown shoes, I wear size 12 Doc Martins on stage:p). A pretty minor gripe, though.:)

Other than that, it's a complete winner for me for now. It's gonna see a bunch more gigs in the next few months (hopefully with an Uber410 under it in the near future), so I'll keep updating if I notice any issues, problems, praises, or other noteworthy things worth mentioning.
 
#49
I thought that I'd bump this thread for the Rocket man to say that I'm totally digging my new Max 9.2! Absolutely a killer head with plenty of headroom!
I guess with all of the hype on the Streamliner heads the Max 9.2 went a bit under the radar of everyone but that doesn't change the fact that IMO it's a great move by GB to greatly enhance the Shuttle max 9.0 idea.
I really love the 2 channels (FET/Tube) and the ability to foot switch them along with the variable bass boost/mid cut/treble boosts features.

Awesome head! :bassist:
 
#51
I'm contemplating getting the 9.2 and selling my SL900. While I love the streamliner, I wish I could have that crisp clean sound of my F1 along with the tube goodness of the SL900 on the same gig. Can any 9.2 users talk about the tube channel and it's capabilities of coping a good warm sound?
 
#53
DirtPoorRobins said:
I'm contemplating getting the 9.2 and selling my SL900. While I love the streamliner, I wish I could have that crisp clean sound of my F1 along with the tube goodness of the SL900 on the same gig. Can any 9.2 users talk about the tube channel and it's capabilities of coping a good warm sound?
Click to expand...

I ordered a Streamliner and the Max 9.2 to help me make up my mind. I loved the sound of the SL head but in the end I found that the Max 9.2 can produce some nice warm tube sounds too and it gives you the aweome sounds of the FET channel too. The Max 9.2 can even produce a nice slightly overdriven sound that sounds fairly tubey but it's nowhere as warm as the voice of the SL.
In the end though, the Max 9.2 can come much closer to the SL sound than the SL can come to the Max 9.2 sound.

Of course the perfect head would be a Max 9.3 with a 3 tube pre and FET channel!:D
 
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#54
FWIW, I still love my 9.0...and consequently, I'm a big fan of the Max 9.2 as well. The Steamer is, IMO, a way-cool amp, but it only works well with certain cabs. Using Berg as a baseline (bass line?), I really dig it through the AE line, but don't like it through the HT or HS.

While the 9.2 (or 9.0...but you gotta' love the power stage on the 9.2) won't get you the whole way there in terms of tube gooey warmth (that'd be the technical term), it'll get you close, and is amazingly more versatile.

I hope that helps...
 
#55
VroomVroom said:
FWIW, I still love my 9.0...and consequently, I'm a big fan of the Max 9.2 as well. The Steamer is, IMO, a way-cool amp, but it only works well with certain cabs. Using Berg as a baseline (bass line?), I really dig it through the AE line, but don't like it through the HT or HS.

While the 9.2 (or 9.0...but you gotta' love the power stage on the 9.2) won't get you the whole way there in terms of tube gooey warmth (that'd be the technical term), it'll get you close, and is amazingly more versatile.

I hope that helps...
Click to expand...

So if you were buying today, would you choose the 9.2 over the 9.0?

:D

God Bless, Ray
 
#57
The 9.2 won't fit on top of my AE210 (run vertical) so I'd pick (and did) the 9.0. I would however like two channels, but one solution is to run a direct out with some eq (Sansamp Paradriver, MXR DI/distortion, etc) and get a "2nd channel" that way.

I have both the S900 and 9.0. Different amps. The 9.0 won't get the gooey tone of the Streamliner, especially if you like to venture into higher gain. I just find the 9.0 more neutral and is a little easier to use in a tough room. The P-basses sound downright sick through the S900 though...
 
#59
I am still using and loving the sm9.2. I've always thought that the eq points list weren't quite accurate so, last night I ran it through the Freesa program and mapped it out. The Bass control is actually centered around 125hz, the lowest low mid is about 180hz, the high mid tops out about 4khz, the sweep on both mids starts of small but as you turn the frequency know clockwise it starts moving more. Just something to know.
 
#60
kringle77 said:
I am still using and loving the sm9.2. I've always thought that the eq points list weren't quite accurate so, last night I ran it through the Freesa program and mapped it out. The Bass control is actually centered around 125hz, the lowest low mid is about 180hz, the high mid tops out about 4khz, the sweep on both mids starts of small but as you turn the frequency know clockwise it starts moving more. Just something to know.
Click to expand...

I was popping over here to say hey to Greg and my Rocket Music buddies and saw your post.

FYI, most semi-parametric (and parametric) tone controls are calibrated based on octaves, which have a non-linear relationship with frequency. Every octave up is double the frequency. So, the frequency ranges become much wider as you go up toward higher octaves.

Interesting on the bass control, which does seem to impact a lot of upper bass/lower mids (which IMO is a good thing!).
 

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