• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

I drew a thing-- would anybody buy it?

#21
Rackmount stuff is very passè at this point. Unless some retro fad comes around, I see little practical use or marketability in it. As others have articulated, current class D offerings are modular, lite, and reliable. The next step may well be ampless bluetooth setups, but I'm sure that @agedhorse has a much more attuned opinion than I.
 
#22
calypsocoral302 said:
This is constructive feedback, thank you!

Let me pose the following hypothetical, though-- if some dastardly fellow were to steal your head and leave in its' place a power amp head and an EQ pedal roughly equivalent to that on your head's pre-amp, would you find yourself frustrated (aside from the understandable frustration of having your equipment stolen, of course!) by the different physical location of the EQ\tone stack?

Follow-up question-- did you already own the head when you bought your tube pre? If so, is it likely that familiarity with that head is factoring into this particular setup preference?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...
As I do have the Boss Bass EQ7 I actually considered this when I was looking for a more powerful amp just 4 weeks ago. BUT:
1. Sometimes I want a simple bass->amp->cab rig, so I prefer a head with EQ
2. My Nano Board is full (without the EQ) and I don't want a seperate pedal
3. I could not find a power amp with a better size-weight-power ratio than current bass heads.
So I ended up with the new Markbass Little AG 1000. 1000W@4Ohms/600W@8Ohms and 5 Band EQ, that's it. Works fine so far!
 
  • Like
Reactions: lomo and calypsocoral302
#23
While not exactly what you’ve described… the Straight Ahead power amp is pretty close.
I’ve got one as a backup amp and small venue rig. It’s smaller than my EA Doubler… like significantly smaller… and so far I’ve been impressed.

it’s just a power amp and a single knob. About as simple as things can get.

49918D5A-E4D9-480D-8038-B71C4C72F30A.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nuage420, yodedude2 and calypsocoral302
#25
I am probably not your audience, but I wouldn’t buy.

I used to do all the rackmount/power amp stuff. And now I’m down to either a rumble 500 or a GR head and small cab.

Why? Because access to all that “tone” doesn’t really matter to me, because if it’s a stage mix, it’s going to sound like crap in the audience anyway, and if it’s into a FOH system, I’m at the mercy of a sound guy.

At the end of the day, I just need to sound like a bass and so I travel light.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matthias, backin82, mdogs and 1 other person
#29
S-Bigbottom said:
I just plug into a "regular" head.

View attachment 4745672

If you do not want the EQ in front... plug into the AUX IN, now it is just clean Power Amp.

Heads are just Power Amps with a FREE PreAmp/EQ and even a Free DI Box included.*

*If they have an AUX IN and/or Effects Loop.
Click to expand...

I like effects loops for exactly that-- effects.

If I'm using a preamp pedal as the primary tone shaper-- utilizing drive, EQ, and compressor functions-- then I would rather go direct-in, as an effects loop, as I understand it, does not bypass the head's preamp. Thus, you have to reconcile the tonal color of your pedal preamp with that of the head preamp.

If I'm using a preamp pedal, I'd rather bypass the head preamp altogether-- which, as you pointed out, an aux-in does, and I forgot about those, so thanks for pointing that out! And yes, aux-in and DI-In's are beginning to show up on more amp heads nowadays, slowly but surely!
 
#30
Count me as another who sees no advantage of a small power amp with minimal features over a small integrated head with a lot more features that may (or may not) cost only a bit more. The small, light form factor and functional capacity/versatility of many of today's integrated heads are truly remarkable. I believe the parallel FX loop on my Quilter is post eq.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matthias, S-Bigbottom and calypsocoral302
#32
calypsocoral302 said:
I like effects loops for exactly that-- effects.

If I'm using a preamp pedal as the primary tone shaper-- utilizing drive, EQ, and compressor functions-- then I would rather go direct-in, as an effects loop, as I understand it, does not bypass the head's preamp. Thus, you have to reconcile the tonal color of your pedal preamp with that of the head preamp.

If I'm using a preamp pedal, I'd rather bypass the head preamp altogether-- which, as you pointed out, an aux-in does, and I forgot about those, so thanks for pointing that out! And yes, aux-in and DI-In's are beginning to show up on more amp heads nowadays, slowly but surely!
Click to expand...

Aux inputs and effects returns have been on a good number of heads for well over 20 years FYI. Both generally feed the master bus.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Luke the Fluke, calypsocoral302 and S-Bigbottom
#33
calypsocoral302 said:
I like effects loops for exactly that-- effects.

If I'm using a preamp pedal as the primary tone shaper-- utilizing drive, EQ, and compressor functions-- then I would rather go direct-in, as an effects loop, as I understand it, does not bypass the head's preamp. Thus, you have to reconcile the tonal color of your pedal preamp with that of the head preamp.
Click to expand...
Effects Return is bypassing the EQ/PreAmp on all but a few.
 
#34
ELG60 said:
Rackmount stuff is very passè at this point. Unless some retro fad comes around, I see little practical use or marketability in it. As others have articulated, current class D offerings are modular, lite, and reliable. The next step may well be ampless bluetooth setups, but I'm sure that @agedhorse has a much more attuned opinion than I.
Click to expand...

Yeah... not having to schlep a rack around was kind of the whole point of the concept!

Ampless NFC setups-- I can actually see that!
 
#36
calypsocoral302 said:
would you find yourself frustrated (aside from the understandable frustration of having your equipment stolen, of course!) by the different physical location of the EQ\tone stack?
Click to expand...
Yes. any pedals I use are always set and forget not adjusted at a gig. I'm too old to be bending over to do that :).

calypsocoral302 said:
I just get a little uneasy at the thought of combining multiple potential points of failure into a single enclosure.
Click to expand...
Multiple enclosures just gets you more potential failure points so no real benefit.

calypsocoral302 said:
If I'm using a preamp pedal as the primary tone shaper-- utilizing drive, EQ, and compressor functions-- then I would rather go direct-in, as an effects loop, as I understand it, does not bypass the head's preamp.
Click to expand...
If you go into the effects return then on most(all?) amps you completely bypass the preamp and go into the power amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: calypsocoral302
#40
I use a pedal preamp that has directable loops, 4 band EQ with sweepable mids, effects balance and switchable boost going into a small 800 watt Class D power amp. This has been my main rigs for 4 or 5 years now.

The proposed scheme seems less flexible that what I have now. I don't see the point. Is it just a different colour for the wheel?
 
  • Like
Reactions: calypsocoral302

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back