I want your advice! Small flat response combo/Poweramp+cab for my tube preamp

I would buy this: GSS 12+6 active cab (powered cab) for guitar, bass and keyboard

2 x 250 Watt - 14 kg

I never played it, but the builder have a good reputation (he makes the Sumo power amps), and he's a really nice person. You can also ask him custom stuff easily.

 

I looked in several websites (Sweetwater, Thomann…) but it doesn't seem to be a specific product category yet. Maybe you should search in the PA category (example "Alto PS 315", I've seen a bassist talking about it here on Talkbass…).

But I'm sure it should become a category of its own in a near future, because as you say, many of us are using preamps now (digital preamp like the HX Stomp or tube preamps like the Olympic). So this market segment should develop IMO.

Anyway, it's an interesting question, I will follow the thread to know, I'm also interested…

 

Ashdown Studio 10 has 1/4" line input 60 watts; E240.00

 

Interesting. I'm a fan and long time user of PHL drivers for some of my domestic designs, and rumours are they've gone under. I intended to wait another week or so before emailing (they're awful at replying) to see whether it may need a redesign. I hope not, they have some excellent drivers.

I talked about using a Mackie Thump 15A briefly a while back as a FRFR type cab and liking it. The plan was to use a small pre and maybe a multiFX to make a whole system. In a few weeks I'm visiting a friend who does a lot of business with one of the JBL dealers and may look to one of their designs instead as he will get better pricing than I. If I do, I'll get a pair and stands so I can multiuse them. Few places really have the need for a large rig off stage any more and something of the form factor and capability of a Mackie type speaker increasingly makes sense to me.
I'll still have the large high power rigs as I already own them, if ever they're needed again.

 

Just a side note: many bass preamps don't sound spectacular through FRFR powered cabs without cab sim. If OP likes his/her preamp with Ampeg combo it will not sound the same through FRFR system.

 

Very interesting. The only thing is that PA systems look ugly IMO compared to bass rigs.

 

The latest version of the Shift Line Olympic have a cab sim option

 

I ended up buying one of the tiny Quilter heads for this purpose. They take pedals very well!

Mine is an older version, but I see that the new-and-improved micro-Quilters even have a FRFR switch now!

 

The audience won't notice or care one jot.
FWIW. I think a fridge 6 or 8 x10 design is both ugly and oversized. Same with many other bass rigs.

 

This is IMO of course but I have noticed that often bass cabs boost and cut desired frequensies where FRFR cabs just sound lame, misses punch and is alone terrible with distortion or overdrive.

 

I like the Warwick combos: en/Warwick---Products--Amplification--Warwick-WA--BC-Serie-Combos--BC-80--Pictures.html.
Solid-state neutral sounding but with warmth and good definition.

 

Rb112

It weighs 25 lbs, is loud enough to play with others, looks great, and sounds great.

 

I love the science experiment that happens but amassing pedals, effects etc. then needing a cab sim to sound like a cab seems like......
Playing bass through some of these plastic cabinets is also.....

I own four powered plastic cabs. Great for voice and guitar with the right mixer/pre/DI. My vibist plays his through my Summit TD-100 and as many of these powered cabs as we need. Generally one. The vibes sound real. The Summit is the trick because through mixers the sterility creeps in. Sometimes for color a Joe Meek will make vocals just amazing through these cabs.

Okay. Plug in a bass and it's a no. I mean I was a young teen player in the mid '60s and things have improved in bass amp performance. Now all aren't great. That depends on their design goals. You still have to use your ears. When the salesman or the brochure says it sounds good what does that mean? It sounds like this cab simulating a bass cab? Wait. Why not a bass cab that can go from pristine hifi to raunch from one measure to the next? Or more reasonably do your work at a semi acoustic coffee house setting and a loud forceful set at a loft later that night.

 

Tech21 power engine is designed for your application (or any preamp). Good sounds, with minimal tone shaping.

 

A good powered PA cab will do. When they target the guitar/amp/keyboard players they call them FRFR - same thing but may have different input jacks to make it easier to use with 1/4" pedal boards.

They sit on the floor in front of you like stage monitors. You hear yourself well. The same signal that gets sent to the cab, w/wo cab sims also gets sent to FOH. Audience hears you well too.

Next step is IEM's. If you typically go FOH then IEM is a good standard way to go.

 

I was in similar situations when I was using the Avalon u5 DI. My solution was to run it into a crown xls power amp and then to some cabs. The class d crown amps are super cost effective and very light. I had the 1500 and it was 1550w at 4 ohms bridged and less than 10 lbs. More than enough power for any gig. What cabs really don’t matter that much. I was using ampeg classic cabs at the time. Because you’ll be running the pre to the PA the cabs are really just there for monitoring purposes. Guitarist I play with does a similar thing. He uses a fractal axe fx and runs a “smaller” class d crown amp into a avatar 212 with vintage 30s. I think his is the 500w but he runs the amp in stereo and only uses one side so it’s not super overkill. For bass with those class d crown amps because it’s not much more money to bump up to a high wattage I recommend at least a 1000w class d amp.