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Jule Amps Monique part 5

#481
Groove Doctor said:
Maisbass.... whats your gear on this? are you using the Monique?
I Feel For You.
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No this is not Monique. This was recorded live post eq DI on my EBS Neo Gorm 210 combo (which I am presently selling in the classifieds). Killer combo for slap with simple, great onboard compression.

To be honest, I love my Monique but have not been able to achieve the slap tones with it as I do with the EBS and my Read pre. I think it's due to the fact that Monique is a darker pre while the EBS and Read are more hifi. I like a darker sound so I am happy with Monique, but if you are looking for more of a hifi slap tone, it can be harder to achieve with Monique IMO.... Obviously this also depends on the cabs and bass you are using with it as well.
 
#483
Baird6869 said:
I play a Fodera thru Monique/Minnie and 2 Berg AE210 cabs and really like my slap tone. I am not a huge slapper and am currently mainly playing 70's funk and slap covers like RHCP, Lenny Kravitz, etc.

Definitely not the best slap sound I have ever had, but still pretty damned good IMO.
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I was quite surprised at how 'modern, clean and hi fi' the Monique (DeMonique in my case) sounded with a 'modern, widely voiced bass' (in my case, a Roscoe with Barts). Warm, round, fat, with a beautiful 'tubelike' top end that extended all the way up. Nice impact down low (no compression), and a sweet, present top end when slapped.

In my many A/B's with the Glockenklang Blue Soul with that modern, active bass, the tonality was more similar than different. Quite a chameleon, since with the passive P Bass, it snarled and grunted up nicely also (which the Glockenklang can't do).

Zero issue for those who want it clean and full range, as long as you have a cab that can reproduce it.
 
#484
I've got to disagree a little with Ken about the top end. Mo has very bright dark sound. Weird, I know. But side by side against a bright amp like my Mesa Buster, the darkness is noticeable. However, on her own, you'd probably not find anything lacking at first blush. However, I can't get the same glassy top zing as with my Buster. I think folks who are particular about "that" tone quality might be mildly disappointed.
 
#485
Again this is such a subjective topic and is totally dependent upon the gear you are using. I agree that I find mo to be generally dark sounding as well.

With that being said, I've come to this conclusion using my Fodera rosewood neck, Monique Minnie, Baer ml112.

When I use this setup with my Nordy p bass with maple neck, everything gets brighter, expectedly so.

So this is obviously a matter of taste, opinion, ears, equipment, etc.

The only thing I can add is that I cannot duplicate the slap tone I get out of my EBS with Monique. EBS is more hifi, Monique is meatier, thick, and a little dark. Excellent for that old school slap tone.
 
#487
monsterthompson said:
I've got to disagree a little with Ken about the top end. Mo has very bright dark sound. Weird, I know. But side by side against a bright amp like my Mesa Buster, the darkness is noticeable. However, on her own, you'd probably not find anything lacking at first blush. However, I can't get the same glassy top zing as with my Buster. I think folks who are particular about "that" tone quality might be mildly disappointed.
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Bright is quite different from treble extension. +1. I was strictly responding to the slap tone question from the OP. Most of the great 'modern' slappers' actually cut upper mids around 1K significantly to get that 'open airy extended treble snap' with no upper midrange gank and clank.

The Glock is VERY smooth up there, with a treble extension that is all the way up (the treble control shelving starts at 12K). I was able to almost exactly match the baked in neutral tone of the Glock with the Monique... deep bass, warm but clean mids with some lower mid 'meat' to the tone, relaxed and uber clean upper mids, and a nice extension of the treble all the way up to the upper treble.

The Mesa heads like the M6 and M9 are very bright in the upper midrange/lower treble, and I agree that is a totally different thing that the Monique is not voiced for.
 
#488
maisbass said:
Again this is such a subjective topic and is totally dependent upon the gear you are using. I agree that I find mo to be generally dark sounding as well.

With that being said, I've come to this conclusion using my Fodera rosewood neck, Monique Minnie, Baer ml112.

When I use this setup with my Nordy p bass with maple neck, everything gets brighter, expectedly so.

So this is obviously a matter of taste, opinion, ears, equipment, etc.

The only thing I can add is that I cannot duplicate the slap tone I get out of my EBS with Monique. EBS is more hifi, Monique is meatier, thick, and a little dark. Excellent for that old school slap tone.
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+1 also. The EBS tone is classic 'scoop and sizzle' (IMO and IME), with the sizzle going WAY up into the stratosphere (I gigged a TH350 and 650 for a very short while.... way too much of a good thing, even back in my MTD slappity tappity days!).
 
#489
KJung said:
+1 also. The EBS tone is classic 'scoop and sizzle' (IMO and IME), with the sizzle going WAY up into the stratosphere (I gigged a TH350 and 650 for a very short while.... way too much of a good thing, even back in my MTD slappity tappity days!).
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+1. I used to own an old EBS pre and that thing was built for slapping. Monique, not as much, but I agree with Ken if you've got a bass that sounds great for slap, Monique will translate. I find Monique really just adds a nice amount of warmth to a very clean, hi-fi sound of whatever bass you put in.
 
#490
It depends on the cabinet a lot. Running Monique into a Thunderchild, I could get upper treble extension (though sweet, not harsh). I don't find it dark. Instead I would describe it as "warm" and not hyped or harsh through the upper mids and highs. A lot of the more "modern" sounding heads often have what I'd consider a rather stark and clinical treble response. Combine that with a cab with a tweeter and you'll get that what has become to be "slap" sound, but not my thing.

Last night I sub'd a rock/funk gig running both Baers and cranking Monique/Minnie pretty damn hard. Sonically closer to Geddy than Marcus tone, but the dance floor was full and the drummer was thrilled. The upper mid grind was part of the formula, and slap tone was awesome with hair but not glassy. So depends on what you want. One man's dark is another man's "dude, can you make our next gig?" :D
 
#492
Anyone playing/played Monique&Minnie into Aguilar DB112 ?

I need to get something more traditional sounding then my Thunderchild 115af and 2 x DB112 is what I'm most probably gonna buy. I played a Fender Bassman 100T trough DB210 once and it sounded fantastic with passive P and J.
 
#493
Baird6869 said:
Interestingly enough, my favourite two amp tones of all time are from Monique and the M9.

I would still have a M9 if I didn't have 2 different ones cack out on me at gigs.
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Yeah, the Monique is very different from the M9 to my ear. If you dig the M9 tone, and don't want to deal with the reliability issues and weight, get ye a GKMBFusion800. Quite remarkable, and quite similar in performance if you like that 'super deep bass/super bright grind' sort of thing.
 
#494
Michelsen said:
Anyone playing/played Monique&Minnie into Aguilar DB112 ?

I need to get something more traditional sounding then my Thunderchild 115af and 2 x DB112 is what I'm most probably gonna buy. I played a Fender Bassman 100T trough DB210 once and it sounded fantastic with passive P and J.
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You might consider a Baer ML112. To my ear in the same tone universe, and way easier to schlep. Plus it is a bit more open sounding than the DB, with a bit more bite in the upper mids.

I like the sound of the DB cabs (hate the GS, found the SL a bit anemic, ymmv), but they are a pita to gig.
 
#495
nostatic said:
You might consider a Baer ML112. To my ear in the same tone universe, and way easier to schlep. Plus it is a bit more open sounding than the DB, with a bit more bite in the upper mids.

I like the sound of the DB cabs (hate the GS, found the SL a bit anemic, ymmv), but they are a pita to gig.
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+1 Either the Berg CN112 or the Baer ML112 would put the OP in the same tone universe as the very nice DB112's in a lighter and 'less unusual' (i.e., short and deep with rear ports, pushing them way out from the wall and way below your knees!).

ML112 has a bit more volume capability and a bit more brightness. CN112's have a bit more absolute low end, and a sweeter, smoother more extended top end. Both are great.
 
#496
I used to work for Aguilar, and spent a lot of time playing my (old) Fodera through my Monique/Minnie into all different Aggie cabs. IMO, the GS112 sounded the best with it, allowing a lot of room for those nice warm lows, followed by the DB112 (wasn't crazy about the mid-hump going on), and then the SL112 which I REALLY didn't like. Light as hell and looks cool, but sounded like crap IMO. Haven't played through any Baer cabs yet, but IME, the older Epifani UL112 sounds incredible with it! The Bergs seem to get a lot of love as well....
 
#497
KJung said:
Yeah, the Monique is very different from the M9 to my ear. If you dig the M9 tone, and don't want to deal with the reliability issues and weight, get ye a GKMBFusion800. Quite remarkable, and quite similar in performance if you like that 'super deep bass/super bright grind' sort of thing.
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Yup. Not to sidetrack but my 3rd favourite amp was the GK MB Fusion 500. VERY similar to my ears to the M9 and cheaper, smaller, lighter and didn't break on me. Again, completely different from Monique but not necessarily in a bad way.

My 2 Moniques are all I play these days anyways, but the MB Fusion anps really are fantastic.
 
#500
Just wanted to clarify... I have been able to achieve great recorded slap tones with Monique. The problem I have been running into has been playing live. When playing alone my slap tone sounds great through my cabinet. For some reason, on stage playing with the band, I seem to be getting lost in the mix when I slap. This is what I was referring to in my earlier posts. I never seemed to have that problem with my EBS.

I'm using Fodera, Monique, Minnie, Baer ml112 combination. Perfect combination IMO. It absolutely kills and cuts through the mix for lines, but have been having a harder time when I slap.

I added an empress para eq/boost just to kick on when I slap which has helped a bit. I wind up just using it as a boost with a dash of boost in the upper mids to help cut through. The only missing link which I had on the EBS is compression. So now I'm thinking perhaps I should add a compression pedal to kick in just for slap. Perhaps that would help.

Any similar experiences? Suggestions? Thanks.
 

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