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GK700RB: When to use Volume/Woofer

M

Mola Ram

Jan 18, 2010
260
3
Chicago
#1
I was looking for some slight clarification on the RB series. I'm currently using the 700RB and I have been reading some posts about the GK growl and I'm curious what causes this besides the Boost knob.

I mean, I'm kind of an EQ frown kinda guy (high's and lows cut slightly and mids boosted slightly) and I've also been using quite a bit of the Tweeter volume (probably at around 2 o'clock) with the Woofer knob set to 12.

Now my current settings also have the boost maxed out with the volume around 10/11 and I'm still not really hearing a ton of growl.

Is the boost knob best used in conjunction with the Woofer volume? Should I be turning that up to increase the growl I'm getting? Or am I just looking for a type of growl I'm not going to get just using this amp?

Thanks all!
 
#3
In my opinion, the GK Growl is exactly what Mr. Gallien (rag) describes it to be: how the amps responds when it hits the voltage rails. For that to happen the amp has to be set loud. I put the woofer/master to max, turn the input volume up till it's loud and almost to the point of distortion but still clean, set to 4 strings mode and then listen to the attacks of your notes. Thats the growl. Boost and contour was turned all the way down too. You may suddenly find yourself sounding like Duff in Gun's and Roses. Make sure you have ear protection when trying this. If this is too loud for your band, then you'll need a lower powered GK amp like the 400RB.

In this respect, the GK growl is just like the power tube distortion in guitar amps. You aren't going to get it unless you crank it up.
 
#4
I've got my input gain up pretty high with a hot bass, small amount of boost and woofer to taste (ususally fairly loud). I stay pretty clean, until I dig in and then its growl time. I like this setup because I can have my cleaner sound for more subtle parts, and get growly as hell when I need to all using hand pressure.
 
#6
WingKL said:
In my opinion, the GK Growl is exactly what Mr. Gallien (rag) describes it to be: how the amps responds when it hits the voltage rails. For that to happen the amp has to be set loud. I put the woofer/master to max, turn the input volume up till it's loud and almost to the point of distortion but still clean, set to 4 strings mode and then listen to the attacks of your notes. Thats the growl. Boost and contour was turned all the way down too. You may suddenly find yourself sounding like Duff in Gun's and Roses. Make sure you have ear protection when trying this. If this is too loud for your band, then you'll need a lower powered GK amp like the 400RB.

In this respect, the GK growl is just like the power tube distortion in guitar amps. You aren't going to get it unless you crank it up.
Click to expand...

Ok, I guess this is where I get confused because this is the exact opposite of what I have read.

In the manual for the 700RB-II it states:

Boost: A post EQ gain stage using GK’s exclusive
Valve Effect technology, which adds ‘growl’ as it is
turned up.

So I was under the assumption that the boost cranked = the most growl one can get. Is the manual misleading and this thinking totally wrong?
 
#9
#10
Mola Ram said:
Ok, I guess this is where I get confused because this is the exact opposite of what I have read.

In the manual for the 700RB-II it states:

Boost: A post EQ gain stage using GK’s exclusive
Valve Effect technology, which adds ‘growl’ as it is
turned up.

So I was under the assumption that the boost cranked = the most growl one can get. Is the manual misleading and this thinking totally wrong?
Click to expand...
No, it is correct, it's just not as drastic as you may have been led to believe. It's definitely there, but it's kind of subtle, unless you do really crank the volume. It's not like a distortion effect- it's something else. Harmonics.
Try sliding up into a major fifth double-stop, high on the D and G strings, and it will be more apparent. For some reason chords and double-stops bring it out more.
 
#12
Mola Ram said:
Thanks for the information all. Its much appreciated.

I guess the only thing I need to know is would it better suit my purposes to crank the input volume and keep the woofer master volume low or vice versa.
Click to expand...

Don't crank the input vol. First, it's kind of a mis-leading thing.... it is not really doing anything to your input gain. It is actually preamp gain. And the GK's tend to get very brittle sounding when the pre is distorting. I try to keep mine lower than noon..... actually, I try to keep it below 11:00. If you're looking for some flat out distortion/overdrive, then a pedal will be a much better sounding bet.
 
#13
Mola Ram said:
And what do you have the boost knob set to if the woofer master is cranked all the way?
Click to expand...

I set the boost ' to taste' for the necessary overall volume level...>>
I will set the woofer all the way up and blend in a little tweeter ( maybe 20%). Then my input level up a ways without clipping, then after all that, the boost level will control the final volume level adjustment.
I don't care if that is what anyone else likes to do, these are my settings, for what it's worth. ;)
 
#14
vail_bass said:
I set the boost ' to taste' for the necessary overall volume level...>>
I will set the woofer all the way up and blend in a little tweeter ( maybe 20%). Then my input level up a ways without clipping, then after all that, the boost level will control the final volume level adjustment.
I don't care if that is what anyone else likes to do, these are my settings, for what it's worth. ;)
Click to expand...

When you say, " blend in a little tweeter ", I take it you are talking about the tweeter level control and using a GK cab ?
 
#15
jnewmark said:
When you say, " blend in a little tweeter ", I take it you are talking about the tweeter level control and using a GK cab ?
Click to expand...

The 700RB, 1001rb, 2001rb and the Fusion heads have the HMS.... Horn Management System....... the heads have a low wattage amp for just the tweeter..... caveat..... you have to be using a HMS wired cabinet. In the RB series stuff it's killer, because the boost affects the woofer signal only, keeping your signal to the horn clean. Some will debate it's usefullness, but I find it pretty nice to be able to ajust my horn level without crawling around the back of my rig on a cramped, dark stage.
 
#18
ljazz said:
Don't crank the input vol. First, it's kind of a mis-leading thing.... it is not really doing anything to your input gain. It is actually preamp gain. And the GK's tend to get very brittle sounding when the pre is distorting. I try to keep mine lower than noon..... actually, I try to keep it below 11:00. If you're looking for some flat out distortion/overdrive, then a pedal will be a much better sounding bet.
Click to expand...

+1. I do not run the gain or volume knob past 10 oclock. It starts to distort and sound like a blown speaker somewhere around 12 oclock.

I tend to set the woofer or master at 12 oclock (I actullay have a MB500 but same relative gain structure). Set the Boost to 12 oclock (or your prefered taste) and tweak the input volume knob between 0 and 10 oclock to set the overall volume output. I will use the input pad if I am playing at low volume.

If I am playing really loud, once I get the volume knob at 10 oclock and the pad in the off position, I will increase the master volume or woofer. And increasing boost has the same effect on output volume as increasing the master or woofer.

The problem with this approach is that the DI if you are going post is effected by both changes in volume and boost. So changing these setting mid gig could mess with the FOH sound. If that is an issue, you should operate the amp with a fixed boost and volume setting, and use the woofer or master to set the stage volume. In other words disregard the middle two paragraphs.
 
#19
It's funny, because if you don't play a GK, it probably sounds like a big hassle to sit there and knob fiddle with all the gain structuring you have to do....... but once you play it for a bit, you just kinda "feel" it, and know where everything has to be. I'll start with my master at about noon, with the boost up to 3:00..... but as I come up on the master, I come down on the boost. Tweeter is done to taste, but I rarely have it over 10:00.

Once I had that down, and understood the "sweet spots" I do more "volume" control by my cabinet configuration for the evening. I've said this in other threads, but I'll say it here as well..... I try to take as little cabinet as possible. If I can get away with just a 112, then that's what I do...... it allows me to hit the sweet spot without blowing everyone else off the stage. I guess it helps that I always run FOH, even if it's just a small place..... It gets me a little more "spread", and gives the band a much smoother sound. It also allows us to maintain consistant stage volume from gig to gig.
 

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