Dang, ask and you shall receive. Thanks! I never thought about mic vs. line level, but I bet that is exactly the problem.
I've always run my DI post-EQ so that my tone comes through on the recording. I'll give it a try and see how it sounds!
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Genzler Amplification Club
- Thread starter Discount Saint
- Start date
Dang, ask and you shall receive. Thanks! I never thought about mic vs. line level, but I bet that is exactly the problem.
I've always run my DI post-EQ so that my tone comes through on the recording. I'll give it a try and see how it sounds!
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
I hope that fixes it for you.. It would be great if it does.. Let us all know..
Discount Saint:
Have you tried to switch the DI to the mic level? Or if the interface has combo XLR/Jack inputs, it could be probably wired that way: XLR connection - expecting mic level, the center TRS connection - expecting line level. So I would try to either switch Magellan's DI to "mic" if you are using XLR-XLR cable, or if you want to stay at line level (and have less impact of that weak interface preamp on your signal), switch to "line", but connect it with XLR-TRS cable..
Edit - I missed that svtb15 already replied. But maybe still that "combo connector" info should be helpful..
Have you tried to switch the DI to the mic level? Or if the interface has combo XLR/Jack inputs, it could be probably wired that way: XLR connection - expecting mic level, the center TRS connection - expecting line level. So I would try to either switch Magellan's DI to "mic" if you are using XLR-XLR cable, or if you want to stay at line level (and have less impact of that weak interface preamp on your signal), switch to "line", but connect it with XLR-TRS cable..
Edit - I missed that svtb15 already replied. But maybe still that "combo connector" info should be helpful..
Last edited:
Thanks for the suggestions - I'm guessing it is the line level that is causing the problem, and as you point out, I am using XLR-XLR, so it is entirely possible the interface is expecting a mic level signal.
I'll post an update once I've had a chance to switch it and try recording again.
Jeff Genzler
Commercial User
- Feb 9, 2007
- 1,819
- 11,893
- Disclosures
- Currently GENZLER AMPLIFICATION / Formerly GENZ BENZ
The Mic/Line level should be the ticket as the Gamps club crew have mentioned.
LOL, I've never seen "Gamps" used as shorthand for Genzler Amps, but for some reason I find it rather amusing
I got hold of an MG350 a few days ago, and here are some preliminary thoughts about it. I play upright and electric basses, so I will describe my brief experience with it for both instruments. I have not yet had the chance to use it in a band situation, so take these impressions with that big limitation in mind. I will try to update my thoughts once I have had more time with it.
First, let me say that I wish I had had the dosh to have purchased a Genzler BA12-3 cabinet at the same time, as the head sounded fabulous with that cabinet in the store. I greatly look forward to seeing what the upcoming BA10-2 sounds like, as I imagine the pairing would be quite satisfying and an extremely good fit for many of my playing situations. For the moment, I paired the MG350 with two different cabinets that I had on hand, a Gallien-Krueger 210MBE-II and a Genz Benz Shuttle STL-2-12T, cabinets that are both now discontinued. Both of these cabinets have neo drivers, with the GK having two 10 inch speakers and the GB having one 12 incher, and they are each rated at 8 ohms. The GK cabinet is generally deeper sounding, with perhaps a slight mid scoop, and the GB is pretty much the opposite. It generally has more midrange clarity and less low end oomph.
I first tried the head with the GK cabinet and a Spector Rebop four string bass. With settings flat on the amp and a little bass boost on the bass, the sound was immediate, fat, and punchy. This is what this bass is supposed to sound like, and I was thrilled to get this sound so effortlessly. The Rebop is equipped with passive EMG HZ pickups and a Spector Tone Pump preamp. This preamp is known to be hot, and it can overdrive some heads, but I did not experience any clipping with the MG350. The amp took what the Rebop offered, and it produced an articulate, full sound. I expect this combination would sit nicely in a band mix, without either poking out too much or getting lost among drums and guitars.
Some bassists have experienced low end sonic issues with this GK cabinet, reportedly due to poor (or no) internal dampening and bracing, but the MG350 paired quite well with it and did not seem to impose subsonic rumbles. I tried rolling off the bass EQ knob just for giggles, and I suspect that if rumbling were a problem in certain rooms, this would tame it without sucking the life out of the sound. I tried messing with the other EQ settings, but I really had no need to adjust them. In my rehearsal space, I took an immediate liking to the sound this combination produced and could see gigging with it quite happily.
I then tried pairing the MG350 with the Genz Benz Shuttle cabinet. This combination offered a more articulate, mid frequency forward sound with the amp controls set flat, which is what I would expect. I don’t use this cabinet much with electric bass, as I tend to use it more for upright gigs, especially in smaller rooms and on tight stages. I toyed with the contour knob, and it helped round out the sound in the A setting. I could certainly use this pairing for rehearsals and lower volume gigs.
The amp’s Contour knob is reminiscent of the Timbre knob on Thunderfunk amps. The Timbre knob is neutral in its center position, and it provides two different tone shaping abilities by turning it clockwise or counterclockwise. However, on the MG350, the Contour knob is flat in the full counterclockwise position and kicks in as you turn it clockwise. The different tone shaping circuits are changed by pushing an A/B switch. This circuit is described elsewhere, so I won’t elaborate here, but the default A curve tends to fatten up the low end, providing warm to thick tones, and the B position provides more of a midrange enhancement, with burpy to chirpy sounds resulting. With the A setting turned up, I could easily see fitting into a roots or reggae type situation, as the sound was big, round, and warm. This would be particularly helpful for passive basses that don’t tend to have big bottoms. The B setting provides a sound similar to the bridge pickup on a Jazz bass. Even if playing a bass with pickups in more modern positions, like the Rebop, you can quickly get in Jaco sonic territory by turning just this one knob. I can see this being a convenient way to get a wide range of tones from one instrument or easily adjusting sonic qualities between tunes. It is truly a one knob wonder.
You may be asking if I tried connecting both cabinets at the same time. Well, I did. And it was loud! I don’t generally play in situations where I would need so much sound on stage, but I had no doubt that at full power, this little head packs a wallop.
As to upright bass, I play a big English 7/8 size bass, made by Paul Bryant, based on a Matteo Gofriller design. The acoustic sound is powerful, fast, and clear, with solid fundamentals and resonant harmonics. I’ve been using a bridge mounted K&K Bass Max pickup, which is nothing too fancy, but it works for me. Happily, the MG350 took the pickup straight and played nicely, without the need for an external preamp. When paired with the GK cabinet, the sound was warm and clear, but there was a little too much finger-on-string noise. I rolled off the high frequency EQ knob, and it cleaned up the sound without losing any of the positive qualities. With upright, the GK cabinet responded well to the B contour setting at about 9:00 to help give just a tad more detail in the midrange.
With the GB Shuttle cabinet, the upright was well balanced, with more midrange clarity than the GK cabinet, but it lacked some low end warmth. Here, I used the A contour, again at about 9:00, and it fattened up the tone right away without getting boomy. I kept the high EQ knob rolled off some to eliminate string sound. With either cabinet, the upright sound was generally faithful to the sound of the instrument, albeit with the usual shortcomings of a bridge mounted pickup. However, with minor tweaking, I could get a sound I was happy with.
These days, I play mostly jazz, blues, fingerstyle funk, and Brazilian music, and I have played a lot of musical theater, casual gigs, weddings, recording sessions, and worked on cruise ships. I could see being very satisfied in any of these settings with the MG350 and the appropriate cabinet for the situation. Further, I could see being quite happy using this head for both upright and electric basses. For electric bass, I thought the sound with the GK neo drivers was quite pleasing, and I suspect that for those for whom the new Genzler cabinets are out of reach financially, the GK Neo series might present a more cost effective alternative. For upright, I liked the overall balanced quality of the GB Shuttle cabinet.
Now here I’m dreaming a bit. In future iterations of the head, I would like to see a footswitch that could mute the input and switch between the A and B contours. Also, it would be nice to have additional frequency indications on the face panel for the midrange selector knob, as only the extremes are marked, with 150Hz at one end and 3Khz at the other. These, of course, are minor quibbles. What matters most is the sound, and this thing sounds fabulous.
Overall, I found the amp to be faithful in sonic qualities to both the instruments and cabinets in use, yet there was plenty of tone shaping ability if needed. I like amps that I don’t have to fiddle with much to get my preferred sound, and this one gave me that. I especially like the Contour knob. I understand the MG800 has an extra drive circuit, but I didn’t miss it in the least on the 350. I think this amp is going to be quite popular with gigging musicians, whether they play professionally several times a week or just on weekends for fun. Heck, it would be great just to keep in the basement for a sublime practice experience, something to get you practicing more just because you love the sound you are hearing from your bass. It won’t break your back or your wallet, and I suspect it will pair nicely with just about any cabinet you have, at least until you can scrape together enough jack to get one of the fancy new Genzler cabinets. All in all, I can see the MG350 being a fine tool for making music. And once the initial enamor wears off, you’ll be left with a great sounding, easy to use, lightweight head that can fit in the pocket of your gig bag. For me, this one’s a keeper.
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings. I hope these impressions help at least some of you out there. Forgive me if I'm a bit long winded or sound like I'm gushing. I'm just thrilled with this amp. Cheers.
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” --Mary Oliver
First, let me say that I wish I had had the dosh to have purchased a Genzler BA12-3 cabinet at the same time, as the head sounded fabulous with that cabinet in the store. I greatly look forward to seeing what the upcoming BA10-2 sounds like, as I imagine the pairing would be quite satisfying and an extremely good fit for many of my playing situations. For the moment, I paired the MG350 with two different cabinets that I had on hand, a Gallien-Krueger 210MBE-II and a Genz Benz Shuttle STL-2-12T, cabinets that are both now discontinued. Both of these cabinets have neo drivers, with the GK having two 10 inch speakers and the GB having one 12 incher, and they are each rated at 8 ohms. The GK cabinet is generally deeper sounding, with perhaps a slight mid scoop, and the GB is pretty much the opposite. It generally has more midrange clarity and less low end oomph.
I first tried the head with the GK cabinet and a Spector Rebop four string bass. With settings flat on the amp and a little bass boost on the bass, the sound was immediate, fat, and punchy. This is what this bass is supposed to sound like, and I was thrilled to get this sound so effortlessly. The Rebop is equipped with passive EMG HZ pickups and a Spector Tone Pump preamp. This preamp is known to be hot, and it can overdrive some heads, but I did not experience any clipping with the MG350. The amp took what the Rebop offered, and it produced an articulate, full sound. I expect this combination would sit nicely in a band mix, without either poking out too much or getting lost among drums and guitars.
Some bassists have experienced low end sonic issues with this GK cabinet, reportedly due to poor (or no) internal dampening and bracing, but the MG350 paired quite well with it and did not seem to impose subsonic rumbles. I tried rolling off the bass EQ knob just for giggles, and I suspect that if rumbling were a problem in certain rooms, this would tame it without sucking the life out of the sound. I tried messing with the other EQ settings, but I really had no need to adjust them. In my rehearsal space, I took an immediate liking to the sound this combination produced and could see gigging with it quite happily.
I then tried pairing the MG350 with the Genz Benz Shuttle cabinet. This combination offered a more articulate, mid frequency forward sound with the amp controls set flat, which is what I would expect. I don’t use this cabinet much with electric bass, as I tend to use it more for upright gigs, especially in smaller rooms and on tight stages. I toyed with the contour knob, and it helped round out the sound in the A setting. I could certainly use this pairing for rehearsals and lower volume gigs.
The amp’s Contour knob is reminiscent of the Timbre knob on Thunderfunk amps. The Timbre knob is neutral in its center position, and it provides two different tone shaping abilities by turning it clockwise or counterclockwise. However, on the MG350, the Contour knob is flat in the full counterclockwise position and kicks in as you turn it clockwise. The different tone shaping circuits are changed by pushing an A/B switch. This circuit is described elsewhere, so I won’t elaborate here, but the default A curve tends to fatten up the low end, providing warm to thick tones, and the B position provides more of a midrange enhancement, with burpy to chirpy sounds resulting. With the A setting turned up, I could easily see fitting into a roots or reggae type situation, as the sound was big, round, and warm. This would be particularly helpful for passive basses that don’t tend to have big bottoms. The B setting provides a sound similar to the bridge pickup on a Jazz bass. Even if playing a bass with pickups in more modern positions, like the Rebop, you can quickly get in Jaco sonic territory by turning just this one knob. I can see this being a convenient way to get a wide range of tones from one instrument or easily adjusting sonic qualities between tunes. It is truly a one knob wonder.
You may be asking if I tried connecting both cabinets at the same time. Well, I did. And it was loud! I don’t generally play in situations where I would need so much sound on stage, but I had no doubt that at full power, this little head packs a wallop.
As to upright bass, I play a big English 7/8 size bass, made by Paul Bryant, based on a Matteo Gofriller design. The acoustic sound is powerful, fast, and clear, with solid fundamentals and resonant harmonics. I’ve been using a bridge mounted K&K Bass Max pickup, which is nothing too fancy, but it works for me. Happily, the MG350 took the pickup straight and played nicely, without the need for an external preamp. When paired with the GK cabinet, the sound was warm and clear, but there was a little too much finger-on-string noise. I rolled off the high frequency EQ knob, and it cleaned up the sound without losing any of the positive qualities. With upright, the GK cabinet responded well to the B contour setting at about 9:00 to help give just a tad more detail in the midrange.
With the GB Shuttle cabinet, the upright was well balanced, with more midrange clarity than the GK cabinet, but it lacked some low end warmth. Here, I used the A contour, again at about 9:00, and it fattened up the tone right away without getting boomy. I kept the high EQ knob rolled off some to eliminate string sound. With either cabinet, the upright sound was generally faithful to the sound of the instrument, albeit with the usual shortcomings of a bridge mounted pickup. However, with minor tweaking, I could get a sound I was happy with.
These days, I play mostly jazz, blues, fingerstyle funk, and Brazilian music, and I have played a lot of musical theater, casual gigs, weddings, recording sessions, and worked on cruise ships. I could see being very satisfied in any of these settings with the MG350 and the appropriate cabinet for the situation. Further, I could see being quite happy using this head for both upright and electric basses. For electric bass, I thought the sound with the GK neo drivers was quite pleasing, and I suspect that for those for whom the new Genzler cabinets are out of reach financially, the GK Neo series might present a more cost effective alternative. For upright, I liked the overall balanced quality of the GB Shuttle cabinet.
Now here I’m dreaming a bit. In future iterations of the head, I would like to see a footswitch that could mute the input and switch between the A and B contours. Also, it would be nice to have additional frequency indications on the face panel for the midrange selector knob, as only the extremes are marked, with 150Hz at one end and 3Khz at the other. These, of course, are minor quibbles. What matters most is the sound, and this thing sounds fabulous.
Overall, I found the amp to be faithful in sonic qualities to both the instruments and cabinets in use, yet there was plenty of tone shaping ability if needed. I like amps that I don’t have to fiddle with much to get my preferred sound, and this one gave me that. I especially like the Contour knob. I understand the MG800 has an extra drive circuit, but I didn’t miss it in the least on the 350. I think this amp is going to be quite popular with gigging musicians, whether they play professionally several times a week or just on weekends for fun. Heck, it would be great just to keep in the basement for a sublime practice experience, something to get you practicing more just because you love the sound you are hearing from your bass. It won’t break your back or your wallet, and I suspect it will pair nicely with just about any cabinet you have, at least until you can scrape together enough jack to get one of the fancy new Genzler cabinets. All in all, I can see the MG350 being a fine tool for making music. And once the initial enamor wears off, you’ll be left with a great sounding, easy to use, lightweight head that can fit in the pocket of your gig bag. For me, this one’s a keeper.
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings. I hope these impressions help at least some of you out there. Forgive me if I'm a bit long winded or sound like I'm gushing. I'm just thrilled with this amp. Cheers.
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” --Mary Oliver
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
You bring about a good point with this amp about your word LOUD. I think a lot of us have come to think we all need a minimum of 800 watts. But in reality, many times we don't need even close to that amount of power, depending on the cab. I used a 212 cab at rehearsal the other day and set the amp with limiter at about 160 watts - not my regular stage amp MG800; I was checking out a different setup for a customer. The drummer is heavy handed and there are two guitarists using 412 cabs. At one point the drummer and one guitar player asked me to turn down.
Jeff Genzler
Commercial User
- Feb 9, 2007
- 1,819
- 11,893
- Disclosures
- Currently GENZLER AMPLIFICATION / Formerly GENZ BENZ
Thanks Erik for your detailed review of the MG-350. Regarding your findings when using your upright, we spent considerable development time with the input circuitry so that the MG-350 would work very well with pickups like your K&K Bass Max (and others) but yet worked very well with electric passive and active basses. Because of space constraints we don't have the Input Pad switch on the MG-350, like we do on the MG-800. This means our range of gain and clean headroom has to be completely controlled by the single Input Gain control.
I need to give big cudos to our engineer Scott who did an excellent job designing this circuitry to react just as you found it to be.
As well, we have been hearing from several upright players that really enjoy the B Slope Contour for their instruments.
Thank you again for your detailed observations.
Jeff
How does the input circuitry of the MG-350 compare to that of the MG-800? Specifically, for upright use.
You are very welcome Jeff. It's been my pleasure to get to know the amp. While I didn't know what kind of inner alchemy was going on, it was obvious that this amp was designed with upright players in mind. It strikes me as a terrific head for those who double on upright and electric basses. I look forward to getting to know it better in the near future.
Jeff Genzler
Commercial User
- Feb 9, 2007
- 1,819
- 11,893
- Disclosures
- Currently GENZLER AMPLIFICATION / Formerly GENZ BENZ
They are the same. The differences being the MG 800 offers an Input Pad switch and the MG 350 offers the ability to handle a wide range of input levels through the single Gain control. They both offer a 1 Meg input impedance.
Hope this helps.
I would assume so, but I don't have any way to verify that. With flat settings, the amp is pretty neutral, but in a musical sort of way. I found it to be faithful to the sonic qualities of the input source.
Quick MG 350 question - Looking at that back panel I don't see a "tuner out". I'm quessing one would use the Phones output for that purpose?
Sorry if this post is not in the correct. I have searched all over, and have come up empty.
I am buying back this amp that I foolishly sold to @chuck3 years ago, and was wondering if anyone knew of a source for this cover? I've searched and this has been discontinued years ago. Maybe @Jeff Genzler or @agedhorse may know of some laying around.
I need a line on an AMP-SAC-SM cover for a Genz Benz 3.0-8T.
I am buying back this amp that I foolishly sold to @chuck3 years ago, and was wondering if anyone knew of a source for this cover? I've searched and this has been discontinued years ago. Maybe @Jeff Genzler or @agedhorse may know of some laying around.
I need a line on an AMP-SAC-SM cover for a Genz Benz 3.0-8T.
Got a little Genzler 1x10 pre-ordered from Gollihur and got a notice that it's going to be shipping soon! Cool beans!!
I'm already scheming about a 2 x BA10-2 stack!
I'm already scheming about a 2 x BA10-2 stack!
I'm not the expert, but about the headphone jack, the user manual says, "Do not connect this output to anything but headphones." As such, I would not suggest connecting a tuner here.
Sorry if this post is not in the correct. I have searched all over, and have come up empty.
I am buying back this amp that I foolishly sold to @chuck3 years ago, and was wondering if anyone knew of a source for this cover? I've searched and this has been discontinued years ago. Maybe @Jeff Genzler or @agedhorse may know of some laying around.
I need a line on an AMP-SAC-SM cover for a Genz Benz 3.0-8T.
This kind if stuff pops up on Ebay from time to time. Just need to be patient.
I had a cover made for my SWR Baby Blue by LeCover. They were great to deal with. They no longer had dimensions for this combo. I measured and sent the info. Got a cover a week later with a perfect fit.
Good luck with your quest.
Thanks @davel66. I'm trying not to break the bank as this combo is about 10 years old I think. I will have to keep my eyes open I guess. I was hoping that Genz had a pile of unsold ones that they would sell me one.
