Jule Amps Monique part 5

[g4string]

Just received a desktop Monique 700 a few days ago. I quickly ab'd it against my Thunderfunk TFB550B, I was hoping the Hypex module would have some of the same heft as a SS amp with a big'ol transformer. Sadly, the 550 just hits harder than Monique. IMO, nothing can really replace that big *** mosfet transformer found in SS class AB amps. I know there are some guys here who are way more technical/smarter than me who will argue that the big difference is in the preamp and not the power amp. I am not saying they're wrong...I'm just saying my experience doesn't correlate with that. I have yet to come across a class D amp that has the same umph as class AB with a big'ol mosfet transformer. I'm not here to argue about class D -vs- AB.....there are plenty of threads about that. Just here to say that the Hypex module doesn't have the punch I was hoping it would. Now onto the good......

At the end of the night (from last night's gig), the sound guy said my bass tone was the best he's ever heard, ever. People in the audience were coming up asking him about the bass mix. He said he was flat on the board and the tone from the mix was all Monique. This was pretty cool. Very seldom do sound guys really compliment a bass players tone. It's either good or it's bad. So for him to say it was the best tone he's ever heard, and for him to say people in the audience recognized this as well is a true compliment to how the good Monique really sounds. FWIW, I had full FOH support. I was using a Lakland Dual J (EMG equipped) > Diamond Bass Comp JR > Monique > pair of Berg REF112's. From where I stood in the stage, the bass sound coming from the rig was really good, like really good. In the mix, I felt it had more punch/heft than what my normal Aguilar TH500 would be capable of producing. The high end was a little subdued. But I did have the tweets at 25% on the REF's. I'll bring them up to 50% next time. I have an outdoor gig tomorrow. I plan on using a pair of NV212T's and Monique. The NV's seem to need a little more power to get them to open up. So I might have to engage some db boost on either the line level or sensitivity controls to get the NV's to thump. I'll report back after the weekend to let yall know how Monique performed with the sealed NV212's on an outdoor....this will be a really good test.

 

[peterpalmieri]

I had the pleasure of making a new friend this week, “the Admiral”, a great hang with a Jule brother. In the process I found the gig rig which lives outside my music room visiting the rest of the family. Along with the IP rig which is usually in the closet as I’m pretty satisfied practicing with Monique into my studio monitors.

Im enjoying just the right amount of slammy heftyness. Along with all the other wonderfully undefinable terms used to describe tone.

Personally I want hear every nuance of my bass on stage, I want it to be loud and I still want to be able to hear the amp on the other side of the stage that’s pointing away from me and I want to hear the singer and I don’t want to fill the stage with low end that starts the volume creep wars.

that all begins with my bass, the strings, my hands. Flows through Monique and a choice of power and speakers. Sometimes requires a gramma pad under the rig, or moving the amp different distances from a side or back wall. Then I just gotta show up and play the right notes.

Way too much emphasis on slam and heft at home in an ideal or maybe unrealistic space. It’s all a lot like taking that studio mix and listening to it in the car. You’ve just got to figure out that magical combination that allows you to translate what you’ve spent countless time on at home to work in a small little bar or when you are just giving yourself some stage volume and your audience is hearing you from the house.

I’ll show up anywhere with my bass of choice, the dove cage and I’ll figure the rest out.

 

[g4string]

Id love to hear Monique through those NV115’s. I had a NV215 that I restored from a warehouse fire. I regret selling that cab. It was a beautiful sounding cab. Sometimes, the modular version just doesn’t have the same mojo as its bigger brother. So I’m curious if 2 NV115’s I had the same magic is the 215.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Id love to hear Monique through those NV115’s. I had a NV215 that I restored from a warehouse fire. I regret selling that cab. It was a beautiful sounding cab. Sometimes, the modular version just doesn’t have the same mojo as its bigger brother. So I’m curious if 2 NV115’s I had the same magic is the 215.

I also owned an NV215 years ago, it was prior to my Monique days. And I didn’t own it at the same time as the pair of NV115s. So I obviously never did a side by side with them. My sense is that the low end is more controlled and focused with two separate boxes. For me that’s a positive, for someone else maybe not. And definitely not worlds apart but enough that it’s not just a choice of packaging. I think the 215 has additional volume in the cabinet and the drivers share the same space, I believe, so that would make sense.

That being said they both sound great, the NV115s are my favorite and certainly lifting two smaller cabinets can make things easier at times. The option of just using one or pairing it with an IP112 make it more versatile.

I do have a backup IP112 and maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to run the two IP112s on top of the two NV115s with Mo. if Oteil or Pino ever need a sub I’m ready to go, at least gear wise.

 

[g4string]

I also owned an NV215 years ago, it was prior to my Monique days. And I didn’t own it at the same time as the pair of NV115s. So I obviously never did a side by side with them. My sense is that the low end is more controlled and focused with two separate boxes. For me that’s a positive, for someone else maybe not. And definitely not worlds apart but enough that it’s not just a choice of packaging. I think the 215 has additional volume in the cabinet and the drivers share the same space, I believe, so that would make sense.

That being said they both sound great, the NV115s are my favorite and certainly lifting two smaller cabinets can make things easier at times. The option of just using one or pairing it with an IP112 make it more versatile.

I do have a backup IP112 and maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to run the two IP112s on top of the two NV115s with Mo. if Oteil or Pino ever need a sub I’m ready to go, at least gear wise.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the 215. But from what I can tell, the NV212 isn’t the same either. The NV212 almost seems like a ported 212 with a hpf @ 50-60hz. The NV215 was just big, low, and punchy af. I’m hoping I can juice the pair of 212s with Monique tomorrow on this outdoor gig. I want to feel that sealed cab punch. Something you can’t replicate in the bedroom. You really need to be on a stage.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

I had the pleasure of meeting @peterpalmieri for the first time in person this week, as he graciously had me over to his home and got to play his fantastic Drake basses in his gorgeous studio!

Not only that — but Peter set up his 2 X NV115 rig, topped by Monique(!) — and my goodness gracious did that rig sound fantastic with active/passive/fretless/4/6 string basses. Heft and authority are what came to my mind playing that setup!

It was so much fun to hang with a guy who can play bass really well and has fantastic ears and taste when it comes to gear. Peter has gushed about Monique throughout most of the length of this 249-page thread, and I must say he was right all along regarding Monique!

 

[Admiral Akbar]

Inspired by my recent hang with bass brother Peter, I brought my new to me Monique out on our first date together: a rock gig in a notoriously tough room sound-wise.

Well, let’s just say that Monique and I will share a LONG and fruitful relationship together, because my lord does the Monique sing! Without saying anything after a few warm-up notes, our notoriously picky guitarist/BL came right over and said “that bass sounds FANTASTIC!”… After the show the lead singer, who doubles as our sound guy said, “what did you change? Was that a different bass today? Your bass sounded so full and CLEAR out in the audience!”

So : to anyone who may be lurking around this thread and who is considering a Monique preamp, let me go on record as saying the Monique is a HELLUVA preamp! I’m beyond impressed — I only wished I had her sooner!

 

[peterpalmieri]

@Admiral Akbar, I’m caught halfway between I told ya so and freakin yeah man. If I was 20 years old Monique would be the perfect mash up of Pam Anderson and Martha Stewart.

It’s really hard for me to believe there isn’t a 6 month wait list and insane price tag associated with Monique. Every major touring bassist should own one and it should be a standard item in every studio like a 1073.

That all being said, I married a supermodel that loves baking cookies and doing laundry. There really is no reason to brag, but for those lurking around and kind of on the fence…she has a sister, she’s single and she thinks you’re cute.

 

[peterpalmieri]

@Admiral Akbar, as far as the hang goes. Just awesome so happy to have you. I thought it might have been a bit to geeky to wear my Star Wars T shirt but it was a missed opportunity.

As a super passionate bass player and all things bass, we should all be doing these kind of things more.

So for the benefit of the group, this guy is very sneaky. Comes in my house all polite puts his gig bag in the corner. And we go about talking and me playing show and tell all excited to share my toys like we are 3rd grade school boys. He’s a phenomenal player BTW. So wrapped up in my own little world I finally ask what’s in the bag…well it turns out Indiana Jones just happens have brought the holy grail.

Good times my friend, enjoy your Sunday.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

@Admiral Akbar, I’m caught halfway between I told ya so and freakin yeah man. If I was 20 years old Monique would be the perfect mash up of Pam Anderson and Martha Stewart.

It’s really hard for me to believe there isn’t a 6 month wait list and insane price tag associated with Monique. Every major touring bassist should own one and it should be a standard item in every studio like a 1073.

That all being said, I married a supermodel that loves baking cookies and doing laundry. There really is no reason to brag, but for those lurking around and kind of on the fence…she has a sister, she’s single and she thinks you’re cute.

Hilarious! I just spat out my morning coffee!

But you speak the truth Peter — the Monique is ALL THAT. I’ve been a loyal Noble player for close to 5 years (gigs, recording sessions), and man, I have no idea why the Monique isn’t more popular and sought after amongst bassists.

Is it size? Price? Not enough of a wait time? No Midas-like endorsement by Tim Lefebvre?

 

[chadds]

This IP + Monique talk is just Whew!
It's what I love.

Will we note on the calendar when TB started emphasizing slam?

Jule/Monique and Jim/Bergs talked to each other way back in the day to be sure their respective kit played well together. They both called me back to talk about the other Wizard. They both care that we have success in our music adventure.

One more Monique comment. Live you can just turn a pre control just a hair and get exactly what you want. The adjustment is musical.

 

[peterpalmieri]

This IP + Monique talk is just Whew!
It's what I love.

Will we note on the calendar when TB started emphasizing slam?

Jule/Monique and Jim/Bergs talked to each other way back in the day to be sure their respective kit played well together. They both called me back to talk about the other Wizard. They both care that we have success in our music adventure.

One more Monique comment. Live you can just turn a pre control just a hair and get exactly what you want. The adjustment is musical.

When Jim came out with the IP there really weren’t a ton of options in the preamp world. There was Jim’s illusive line driver, the Summit Mod and the millenia TD1.

With the popularity of powered speakers at the time I really wish that would have become the new standard. That being said I’ve found my perfect match so I guess it doesn’t matter.

 

[chadds]

When Jim came out with the IP there really weren’t a ton of options in the preamp world. There was Jim’s illusive line driver, the Summit Mod and the millenia TD1.

With the popularity of powered speakers at the time I really wish that would have become the new standard. That being said I’ve found my perfect match so I guess it doesn’t matter.

The two Alembics, Kern, SWR Grand Prix, Glockenklang, Read, two Demeters and a few I've forgotten were around at the time. I tried them all. My rabbit hole journey was into everything that had an XLR which was a fools errand. DI boxes, channel strips, computer interfaces which unknowing folks would assure would work. Work and WORK not yelling were two different things. Plug bass into PJB bass buddy or those other devices and you'd hear bass about as loud as an acoustic guitar. Wrong line impedance and or voltage. Put a real pre on an IP and it has seamless huge volume. (I'm the impetus for the Summit Mod. Great people at Summit.)

Me too. Very satisfied with perfect match.

 

[peterpalmieri]

This IP + Monique talk is just Whew!
It's what I love.

Will we note on the calendar when TB started emphasizing slam?

Jule/Monique and Jim/Bergs talked to each other way back in the day to be sure their respective kit played well together. They both called me back to talk about the other Wizard. They both care that we have success in our music adventure.

One more Monique comment. Live you can just turn a pre control just a hair and get exactly what you want. The adjustment is musical.

AND ANOTHER THING

The other happy accident on my rack Monique and also works with the separate M700 etc.

Since Demeter power was added after the fact I have both a line level and volume control as well as the balanced level on the front panel.

I really like to drive that line level output between 10 & 2. And I can do that without driving up my actual volume. On the IP rig I will use the bergs output trim so I can live in that range in any particular room.

a couple other nerdy points is EQ is more subtle out the line level and more apparent out the DI. In the studio it doesn’t matter but when you are feed a FOH it is something to keep in mind.

last but not least (super nerdy content) is the sensitivity knob, dialing it in and using the push pull on it and the one on the line level. Part of the magic of it is that it impacts the phase and saturation. I’m guessing part of that is how it could impact the negative feedback circuit.

while it’s best to just call it magical and enjoy it what is real is how that phase cancellation can change your low end if you are running a separate parallel DI.

I often run into the Reddi, through the Monique and I flip the phase on the board of one of the two but if I push in the sensitivity knob I have to flip the phase on one back.

again most folks just like to think of it as magical and I apologize to the real engineers who are shaking their head out how poorly I explained all that.

 

[peterpalmieri]

The two Alembics, Kern, SWR Grand Prix, Glockenklang, Read, two Demeters and a few I've forgotten were around at the time. I tried them all. My rabbit hole journey was into everything that had an XLR which was a fools errand. DI boxes, channel strips, computer interfaces which unknowing folks would assure would work. Work and WORK not yelling were two different things. Plug bass into PJB bass buddy or those other devices and you'd hear bass about as loud as an acoustic guitar. Wrong line impedance and or voltage. Put a real pre on an IP and it has seamless huge volume. (I'm the impetus for the Summit Mod. Great people at Summit.)

Me too. Very satisfied with perfect match.

Very cool, since that time I’ve learned a lot about pro audio and have some stuff around the house. A reddi, tube and transformer mic pre, pultec EQ and an La3 compressor, 1176. Not capable of setting that up for a gig but some great tones at home. In theory you could build a compact little 500 series channel strip to drive the IP rig too. You’ve got to go pretty deep into pro audio gear to match Monique and way deeper into the wallet.

 

[juledude]

Is it size? Price? Not enough of a wait time? No Midas-like endorsement by Tim Lefebvre?

As to why aren't we bigger, more well known?

"Ya gotta wanna."

We work with gifted, creative, talented people. We are busy. Have been for years.

It is enough.

 

[peterpalmieri]

As to why aren't we bigger, more well known?

"Ya gotta wanna."

We work with gifted, creative, talented people. We are busy. Have been for years.

It is enough.

That’s the best answer, knocking it out of the park and having the right work life balance is a lot more difficult than it appears.

 

[g4string]

It sounds as good as it looks

 

[peterpalmieri]

It sounds as good as it looks

View attachment 5271196

That’s a great looking rig, do wish I had a desktop instead of a rack and keep it in a pelican case and then put in the open air when in use.

 

[gtirard]

As to why aren't we bigger, more well known?

"Ya gotta wanna."

We work with gifted, creative, talented people. We are busy. Have been for years.

It is enough.

I could say exactly the same about my own company, word by word.