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Genz-Benz Streamliner Part 5
- Thread starter Chef
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I think we established that unless you go post-EQ, it's gonna sound like most every other DI
QUICK Review through quality headphones
1. Sure can push 250 ohm headphones
2. RETRACTED: More hiss than I would like, I can get it out but its not easy & it limits me from moving the treble or gain past noon. Disappointed in this but we'll try again 2morrow. I will use this 95% as a headphone amp so it will have to get better
3. Wow does this color your tone. I feel like my Sterling was neutered. That Sterling cut mid punch in the face was greatly tamed, I can get it back but in ways I've NEVER had to before. I always have to boost my lows on my Sterling but I actually have to cut them back even with bass being cut on the SL. I'd like to boost my treble a bit but I get too much hiss for now. This amp is NOT going to sound like a Shuttle and its going to take effort to come close.
4. The EQ is different... it effects my sound differently than what I've seen in the past. When I turn the mid knob on my Eden I know exactly what that will do to my tone. With the Streamliner its different. Its like dialing different versions of tubey warmth. I can change my tone drastically just moving my mids on other amps but not so with the SL. Maybe I'm saying its harder to find diverse tones with this amp, this amp IS tube warmth 1st.
RETRACTED: We will see. I just may be a SS hi-fi lover. I got this amp to be different & that it is.
1. Sure can push 250 ohm headphones
2. RETRACTED: More hiss than I would like, I can get it out but its not easy & it limits me from moving the treble or gain past noon. Disappointed in this but we'll try again 2morrow. I will use this 95% as a headphone amp so it will have to get better
3. Wow does this color your tone. I feel like my Sterling was neutered. That Sterling cut mid punch in the face was greatly tamed, I can get it back but in ways I've NEVER had to before. I always have to boost my lows on my Sterling but I actually have to cut them back even with bass being cut on the SL. I'd like to boost my treble a bit but I get too much hiss for now. This amp is NOT going to sound like a Shuttle and its going to take effort to come close.
4. The EQ is different... it effects my sound differently than what I've seen in the past. When I turn the mid knob on my Eden I know exactly what that will do to my tone. With the Streamliner its different. Its like dialing different versions of tubey warmth. I can change my tone drastically just moving my mids on other amps but not so with the SL. Maybe I'm saying its harder to find diverse tones with this amp, this amp IS tube warmth 1st.
RETRACTED: We will see. I just may be a SS hi-fi lover. I got this amp to be different & that it is.
I didn't own them at the same time, but I briefly gigged an RH450 and now have gigged the S900 and Shuttle9.0. I can say that at gig volumes the S900 out-punches any of them and has way more tube vibe and girth.
I find the 220 setting to add more lo-mid girth where I don't need it - if anything I like to cut at 220 or boost a bit at 600. It depends on the bass though, and it depends on the other instrumentation in the band and how the kick drum is tuned.
Cross-posted from the Rocket board:
Took both the S900 and the Shuttle 9.0 to Steely Jam rehearsal Monday night with one of the Berg AE210s. All P-Bass, all the night. Swapped back and forth between the two heads. Some thoughts in no particular order.
S900 - rolled the bass down to 9:00-10:00. A little treble boost, a little mid at 600 added.
Shuttle 9.0 - dead flat
Gain on both around 1:00-2:00
The S900 is thicker and warmer. In addition the notes had a bit more bounce to them. If your bass has some tendencies towards overly resonant or boomy notes, it'll exacerbate that. The Shuttle is a bit cleaner and thinner - but it isn't thin if that makes sense. I think the Shuttle can sound close to the S900 with some bass added and maybe some low mids. I didn't really try to make one sound like the other. I like that the Shuttle sounds good to my ear flat. I have to admit that with the P-Bass I was happier with the S900 tonight, mostly due to the bounce. It had a more supportive tone at a lower volume.
Sunday night I had the Shuttle at the jazz gig, and I *really* liked the Rob Allen through it. With that bass I rolled down the bass on the amp (or ran it flat and dialed down the bass on the instrument). The P-Bass wasn't quite as thrilling to me - very good, but not sublime like with the S900. So my unofficial score:
P-Bass - S900
Rob Allen - Shuttle 9.0
Not that using either one with either amp would sound bad - those are just what sounded best to me with minimal eq tweaking (which I hate to do).
Do you start with your bass pre flat? I wouldn't get upset if starting with the treble and bass boosted sounded like the treble and bass were boosted.
My experience as well. I also didn't try to get the S9 to sound like the SL900, they just sounded very similar to me when I dialed in the EQ settings that I like on each.
There's a heck of a lot of interest in this amp - my little video has been viewed 300 times in just over 24 hours..!
I'll give it a plug again, as I posted it just before part 4 was closed. I hope that's OK.
I'll give it a plug again, as I posted it just before part 4 was closed. I hope that's OK.
Great clip! Great sound quality and playing. That P just sounds totally killer...fat, articulate, growly... perfect.
Cheers, Ken!
The action is a bit low on the J (it's set up for flats), hence it's a bit clattery...
J sounds good to me also... there is just something about this amp and a P that really works for me. Nice pairing with the HS210 also.... that line of cabs, even more than the AE's I use, seems very 'tube friendly'...that nice round low end without a ton of deep extension, and that smoothness up top. That is a great 'medium size' rig IMO!
I find this to be very useful information since I already have the S9 and was contemplating switching to the SL900.
thanks for re-posting this. I missed it on part 4.
ah! and great tones and playing.
I think we established that unless you go post-EQ, it's gonna sound like most every other DI
EXACTLY .... and I have tried it both ways (pre-EQ and post-EQ).
QUICK review part II with Epifani NYC 310 my favorite cab vs the Eden
1) About the hiss & the underlying 60 cycle hum that REALLY disappointed me last night: Its my Sterling HH, used my Sterling H & it was gone. Anybody have any ideas why a bass would suddenly start to do that? Its loud
2) With a quiet bass its quiet
3) What warmth! Wow... My sterling H finally sounds full! I love my Eden Nav but it can't get as full as this. The SL900 also has MANY more warm tones than the Eden. The Eden does hollow hi-fi better but the SL900 does hi-fi with meat... its cool. Fantastic compliment to the Eden, just what I wanted, just like the videos show. My Eden Nav can do a Shuttle all day long but not the Streamliner
4) Loud as hell... Winning duh? Pushes the 750w 5.3 ohm 310 NYC to its limits. I easily could have chosen the SL600. What a great combo by the way. These old NYC cabs were the best. Maybe thats why the the Berg fans left their 10s & went to 12s? These NYC 10s are fat. I was scared I'd have too much of a good thing like death by quadruple chocolate ice cream with the SL & the Epifani but no.
5) I ALWAYS had to boost the bass on my Sterling, PERMANENTLY. This is the 1st amp where I cut my lows & liked it, EVER. I've had this bass a long long time with many amps so thats saying a ton.
6) My EQ test from last night was the same... these knobs act differently than what I've had in the past. When I boost or cut mids on my Eden the change is drastic & I know exactly what I'm going to get. Its different with the SL, not as drastic & a variation of tube tone vs mid cut\boost if you follow me. It also makes my EQ on my bass different. If I leave the amp flat & move my mids the tone goes from harsh to fairly warm. With the SL its warm either way.
7) Happier today especially finding out it was the bass last night. Any thoughts on the bass problem? DI review coming, gotta take care of the baby & work to pay this bad boy off! If anybody has questions about the amp, feel free to PM me, I love talking about this stuff. The videos by Ed are REALLY accurate
1) About the hiss & the underlying 60 cycle hum that REALLY disappointed me last night: Its my Sterling HH, used my Sterling H & it was gone. Anybody have any ideas why a bass would suddenly start to do that? Its loud
2) With a quiet bass its quiet
3) What warmth! Wow... My sterling H finally sounds full! I love my Eden Nav but it can't get as full as this. The SL900 also has MANY more warm tones than the Eden. The Eden does hollow hi-fi better but the SL900 does hi-fi with meat... its cool. Fantastic compliment to the Eden, just what I wanted, just like the videos show. My Eden Nav can do a Shuttle all day long but not the Streamliner
4) Loud as hell... Winning duh? Pushes the 750w 5.3 ohm 310 NYC to its limits. I easily could have chosen the SL600. What a great combo by the way. These old NYC cabs were the best. Maybe thats why the the Berg fans left their 10s & went to 12s? These NYC 10s are fat. I was scared I'd have too much of a good thing like death by quadruple chocolate ice cream with the SL & the Epifani but no.
5) I ALWAYS had to boost the bass on my Sterling, PERMANENTLY. This is the 1st amp where I cut my lows & liked it, EVER. I've had this bass a long long time with many amps so thats saying a ton.
6) My EQ test from last night was the same... these knobs act differently than what I've had in the past. When I boost or cut mids on my Eden the change is drastic & I know exactly what I'm going to get. Its different with the SL, not as drastic & a variation of tube tone vs mid cut\boost if you follow me. It also makes my EQ on my bass different. If I leave the amp flat & move my mids the tone goes from harsh to fairly warm. With the SL its warm either way.
7) Happier today especially finding out it was the bass last night. Any thoughts on the bass problem? DI review coming, gotta take care of the baby & work to pay this bad boy off! If anybody has questions about the amp, feel free to PM me, I love talking about this stuff. The videos by Ed are REALLY accurate
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