Double Bass Grace Felix users; powered cab or amp

[Jeff Kissell]

I’ve used a K10 in the past and have CP12 now. The CP12 is more related to Mackie Thump type polypro boxes than to the K series IMHO. I definitely appreciate the lighter weight and dead simple DSP but the K series speakers are better sounding and more robust in every way.

 

[Fat bob]

My Felix and Markbass has never sounded better! I turned up the gain on the Felix to about half way, and man she is singing now!!

 

[oren]

I noticed the other day while browsing their web site that GR makes a whole line of powered cabs. Might be interesting to hear those with a Felix.

 

[Ric Vice]

There is a TB member who is doing that. He talks about it in a different thread.

 

[myrick]

I have been using a Felix with a Full Circle and a DPA mic. On the Felix I EQ the PU for lows and the mic for mids+highs, which works great. I also have a nice AI Double Shot cab which is nice, not least because it's clean and powerful, and also small and light and thus easy to move. But I needed a power amp for this pairing.
So I bought an ICE Power ASC board (200W, mono, integrated power supply + Class D amp) and (from a different vendor) a nice little case and connector kit. The ICE Power Class D boards are used in lots of hi-end audiophile amps and powered speakers, and are super clean. I then tried my hand at some soldering, and modified the output connectors so I can use either one or two Neutrik Speakon cables to 1 or 2 speakers.
Still haven't had a need to test with two cabs, but with just the DoubleShot it's proved to be a great combo.
The little power amp has no volume knob at all, just on/off switch, weighs next to nothing, and is the size of a small book. I just sit it on the floor next to the AI cab somewhere behind me, and have the Felix mounted atop a waist-high mic stand just beside me on stage. Great sounding, easy to use setup, and a breeze to transport and setup/breakdown.

 

[koricancowboy]

I have been using a Felix with a Full Circle and a DPA mic. On the Felix I EQ the PU for lows and the mic for mids+highs, which works great. I also have a nice AI Double Shot cab which is nice, not least because it's clean and powerful, and also small and light and thus easy to move. But I needed a power amp for this pairing.
So I bought an ICE Power ASC board (200W, mono, integrated power supply + Class D amp) and (from a different vendor) a nice little case and connector kit. The ICE Power Class D boards are used in lots of hi-end audiophile amps and powered speakers, and are super clean. I then tried my hand at some soldering, and modified the output connectors so I can use either one or two Neutrik Speakon cables to 1 or 2 speakers.
Still haven't had a need to test with two cabs, but with just the DoubleShot it's proved to be a great combo.
The little power amp has no volume knob at all, just on/off switch, weighs next to nothing, and is the size of a small book. I just sit it on the floor next to the AI cab somewhere behind me, and have the Felix mounted atop a waist-high mic stand just beside me on stage. Great sounding, easy to use setup, and a breeze to transport and setup/breakdown.

Can you share the supplier for the vendor of the connection kit and box

 

[Ric Vice]

Interesting, all my MAS cabinets have IcE power boards. They have been very reliable and sound great. As I understand it, Hypex power amps
are used in many of the high end stereo amplifiers. I know that NAD uses them and so does Jule Monique. Mike Arnopol’s final run of powered cabinets used them as well. In order to use any of them in powered speaker applications you’ll likely need a “daughter board’ and convenience. Mike used a daughter board that connects to the IcE module so you can attach AC power cables , Neutrix speaker connections , power switches, indicator led’s, and combo jacks. Those daughter boards were custom built by the company that made Mikes Tantra amplifier. I have no idea what they cost.

 

[Jason Hollar]

For you guys running the Grace into the MarkBass - are you using the 1/4” or xlr in, or bypassing the pre and going into the return?

 

[lrhbass]

I have used the Grace into the return...in several situations in club that had Marc Combos.. Sounds good....

 

[bassmanbrent]

For you guys running the Grace into the MarkBass - are you using the 1/4” or xlr in, or bypassing the pre and going into the return?

I'm pretty sure if you go into the effects return on the Markbass 112 combo, you don't actually bypass the preamp...

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I'm pretty sure if you go into the effects return on the Markbass 112 combo, you don't actually bypass the preamp...

But that would be rather unusual. Typically the effect loop is after the preamp and in front of the power amp. It opens up the connection from preamp out to power amp in.

If it does not bypass the preamp, the loop must be in front of EQ and after the input gain. Then the EQ of the Markbass would be active for an effects return input.
Can anybody verify this or deny by a changing sound turning the Markbass EQ with a preamp in the effects return?

 

[bassmanbrent]

Can anybody verify this or deny by a changing sound turning the Markbass EQ with a preamp in the effects return?

It’s been a while, but I have done this and the preamp was still engaged when using the effects return. It has been discussed on TB somewhere before but I have no idea where.

 

[bassmanbrent]

I dug around a bit and found this from 2020...

 

[DoubleMIDI]

So it is designed like an insert in a mixer input channel (immediately following the input gain control or pre-EQ), not like an effect send/return (which is typically post-EQ).

Strange. I cannot see any reason why an effects loop should be placed there.

That place could be used for a pre-EQ DI if it is switchable to post-EQ too, but the inserts are typically used for dynamic effects like a compressor and signal distortion, maybe a delay, but delays are typically used post-EQ as are reverbs.

 

[Fat bob]

I’ve always ran Felix amp out to Markbass 1/4 input, I read the same about Markbass effects return not bypassing preamp

 

[Ric Vice]

At this point between recent offerings from BareFaced, GR Bass, and used Mike Arnopol cabinets you can now own a powered bass cabinet tuned and ported
for Double Bass and 5 String Electric Basses. I’ll have to do some research but I’m pretty confident that most of the powered speaker from Yamaha, QSC, Mackie et.al. aren’t designed that way
That’s not saying they won’t sound great, but their crossover networks, porting, baffling, and drivers are different than the three I mentioned above and that’s food for thought