Jule Amps Monique part 5

[LowEndGroover]

I recently purchased a Monique from a fellow TB'r and when I received it, the unit was randomly buzzing. After notifying Jule he provided me with some possible solutions. After I informed him that it's a bamboo unit, his advice was to ship it to him.(All I kept on thinking was thank you lord. I'm not very handy)

Not only is he nice enough to "fix it free of charge. Just pay for the shipping back and forth". But, he was able to fix it and ship it back In less than a week after I shipped it.

Considering I wasn't the original owner, I was amazed that he was willing to fix it for free.

MOMENT OF TRUTH:
So I got to play with Monique this evening at a gig and she absolutely killed. Even the sound guy came up to me after the show and said "your bass sound is sick. That's the best bass sound I've ever heard." Sound guys typically don't compliment us musicians on our tone or playing.

In conclusion, we all work hard to get what we have in life and it's truly refreshing to see someone stand behind his product. Thank you Jule for making a great product and more importantly standing behind your product. I feel fortunate to have such a great piece of equipment to express myself musically.

 

[maisbass]

Jule is definitely one in a million! We are blessed to have him as a part of our bass community.

 

[Baird6869]

Yup. Good dude.

He basically made me send back my old Dovecage to him so he could do all updates to it. Even ones I didn't ask for\know about. I think I had to pay for shipping.

I really don't see myself using any other amp in the foreseeable future. Monique sounds killer, has been rock solid, is easy to use and actually looks pretty damned cool.

 

[chadds]

Gas free because of Monique.

I just had to wait from 1967 until now.

Good thing that, it gave me time to learn how to play.

(& Jule is customer service!)

 

[ThatLowEnd]

Color me extremely excited. Now if i could only leave the office "sick".

 

[SCT1422]

Does anyone else use effects and how does the preamp handle them without an effects loop...

 

[ThatLowEnd]

I will tell you after this weekend. I plan to use my sa ofd, sa orbital mod, and sa manta.

 

[Baird6869]

Does anyone else use effects and how does the preamp handle them without an effects loop...

I used to use a bunch but decided to streamline recently.

Monique sounds killer with a Tech 21 chorus and my envelope filter (MXR Bass Auto Q).

I didn't like Monique with a Darkglass pedal set pretty raunchy. It didn't seem to cut. Pretty good with an octave and a bit hard to control with a Tech 21 bass DI. I found I was adjusting the pedal a lot based on attack.

Monique reminds me a bit of a Fender Deluxe guitar amp. Amazing alone but not the best amp out there if you use a ton of effects.

I am nitpicking as it does most effects well but not as seamless as my old M9 or SVT.

YMMV.

 

[PazzoBasso]

I haven't experimented with effects/Monique much, so I'm looking for info too...

I've run everything in front of Monique & like the extra zing I can add with my Sadowsky outboard pre/DI... Tech 21 Chorus & Aguilar TLC have worked well in-front as well...

Iv'e been running some cheap dirt pedals through one of these:
http://www.carlmartin.com/product_paraloop.htm
basically an effects loop (with blend - I much prefer to blend dirt)...

Wondering if I should put the loop after Monique instead?

 

[nostatic]

Does anyone else use effects and how does the preamp handle them without an effects loop...

I've never really liked effects loops in amps. I'd rather have pedals that have wet/dry controls (when needed). Monique plays well with everything I've got, which includes: Aguilar Agro/Octamizer, Jam Waterfalls chorus, EHX Pog 2, MXR octave/env, TC flashback/ditto, and other stuff in the past.

 

[TimothyGroovy]

Does anyone else use effects and how does the preamp handle them without an effects loop...

This is what I plug into the Monique, so I believe you're all good there...
I just plug everything into that..especially my new pedal test driving, never fail, all just sounded as it should be and simply great!

 

[JvN]

Gas free because of Monique. I just had to wait from 1967 until now.

See Jule - you not only build the best amps around, but also got healing properties. Told you! Plus - nice to meet a fellow patient from that year. My cure is scheduled for this weekend B-) .

 

[Jule Potter]

Does anyone else use effects and how does the preamp handle them without an effects loop...

You will get some good responses from "real" bass players here, but for me, using Monique into an Effects Return always plays better and sounds better than through the front end "Input Jack" of any amplifier.

Going into the Effects Return in almost all cases bypasses the entire Preamplifier and EQ of the amp. We end up with just Monique and the power section of the amplifier.

The reason things get better into the Effects Return has to do with the delay (latency) caused by multiple stages of amplification, and the preampliifer tone shaping that each of us silly builders feel we must add to our work. It is a situation where more is definitely not better. Recently I've seen several long time Aguilar DB 751 players move from the Input Jack to the Effects Return with very pleasing results. I mention the 751 because I feel it is a great amp, even without Monique, but into the Effects Return, the touch and note definition are very much enhanced.

 

[Jule Potter]

This is what I plug into the Monique, so I believe you're all good there...
I just plug everything into that..especially my new pedal test driving, never fail, all just sounded as it should be and simply great!

Hi Timothy.

I still need to visit you. It has been too long.

Maybe everyone here already knows this, but I have met a learning experience regarding pedals. Recently, working with the 700 watt amplifier version of Monique, I learned that I can increase the input level going to Monique to such a level that it is going to require some decrease in the overall volume (we have to turn the volume down). By that I mean that with some very aggressive boost in front of Monique it is impossible to keep from clipping. The reason "clipping" is important to monitor is that in a good Class D amplifier we (designers) must watch for clipping and make it stop one way or the other. If we do not, we could damage the amplifier.

It is not the tone shaping of the pedals that is the issue, but simply how high the boosted input signal to Monique is. Monique is very accommodating in that she will pass whatever whatever signal level comes in the front. Amplifiers are less accommodating. This 700 watt amplifier has the capability of doing 1200 watts if pushed, so clipping at that power level is a very nasty thing.

I am told by peers that this is an issue for all Class D amplifiers, but it will certainly be a "pedal" issue to be aware of.

 

[Jule Potter]

I've never really liked effects loops in amps. I'd rather have pedals that have wet/dry controls (when needed). Monique plays well with everything I've got, which includes: Aguilar Agro/Octamizer, Jam Waterfalls chorus, EHX Pog 2, MXR octave/env, TC flashback/ditto, and other stuff in the past.

Pedals are dramatically different in how they appear to the input of any device. There is no standard way for a pedal to "look" when it goes into a pre-amplifier or an Input Jack. Because of that lack, designers of gear must make assumptions that will change how well some pedals work versus others.

The output level of a pedal can vary by a factor of thousands. A common voltage output for a passive bass is -26db. That is about 1 thousandth of a volt. I have seen pedals that put out as much as 18 volts, not thousandths of a volt, but volts. The output impedance of a pedal also varies wildly. This is why a FET pedal as a last device will often heal pedal woes.

My point to the above (in addition to just whining ;-)) is only that I expect experimentation will be required to get the best match-up between the last pedal going to Monqiue and the front end of Monique. It is the last pedal in the chain that has the most effect as far as the device we are plugging into.

 

[pmad_bass]

To those of you who have been using Monique & Mini for higher volume ( R&R loud) gigs, would I be doing myself a disservice if I used that to power something like a Dually T. Just thinking out loud here. Pun intended.

 

[greybeard125]

Think I'll stir the pot for fun. The less junk you have between the input (your fingers, pick, bass) and the output (the sound from the cabinet) the better off you'll be. (Including whatever is in your amp) How can you find your 'tone' with all those variables in the signal chain? Unless you're a technical genius like Steve Morse better to keep it simple. Your sound comes from your software (ie you) NOT the hardware. Are you a bassist or a guitarist?
OK, fire away brothers - I can take it. We grumpy ole farts love a good scrap!!!!!

 

[pmad_bass]

Hi Timothy.

I still need to visit you. It has been too long.

Maybe everyone here already knows this, but I have met a learning experience regarding pedals. Recently, working with the 700 watt amplifier version of Monique, I learned that I can increase the input level going to Monique to such a level that it is going to require some decrease in the overall volume (we have to turn the volume down). By that I mean that with some very aggressive boost in front of Monique it is impossible to keep from clipping. The reason "clipping" is important to monitor is that in a good Class D amplifier we (designers) must watch for clipping and make it stop one way or the other. If we do not, we could damage the amplifier.

It is not the tone shaping of the pedals that is the issue, but simply how high the boosted input signal to Monique is. Monique is very accommodating in that she will pass whatever whatever signal level comes in the front. Amplifiers are less accommodating. This 700 watt amplifier has the capability of doing 1200 watts if pushed, so clipping at that power level is a very nasty thing.

I am told by peers that this is an issue for all Class D amplifiers, but it will certainly be a "pedal" issue to be aware of.

So...question/s in regards to clipping as it may pertain to the Mini in a Mo & Mini situation. 1.) How does one know if they are clipping the amp (assuming they didn't notice anything immediatly perceptable (as it is loud and they are wearing ear plugs) and 2.) Might it be reasonable to think that, barring additional pedals that boost one's signal that this configuration would likely well handle an active Dingwall? Reason I ask is, I recently purchased a used Mo/Mini. Sounded/worked fine in basement. (Just me @ low volume). Used it at an 8 minute rehearsal..and now Mini is enroute to get repaired. I think it was just bad luck....but head might be fried. I'd like to think that I usedit no differently than everyone else...but who knows.

 

[maisbass]

Think I'll stir the pot for fun. The less junk you have between the input (your fingers, pick, bass) and the output (the sound from the cabinet) the better off you'll be. (Including whatever is in your amp) How can you find your 'tone' with all those variables in the signal chain? Unless you're a technical genius like Steve Morse better to keep it simple. Your sound comes from your software (ie you) NOT the hardware. Are you a bassist or a guitarist?
OK, fire away brothers - I can take it. We grumpy ole farts love a good scrap!!!!!

I agree. That's why I use true bypass loops for my effects. I want my regular bass tone as pure as possible, and not lose any tone going through pedals. But when I'm going for an fx sound then I don't care, cause that is the tone I'm looking for.

I wish I could do my gig without using any effects, or even playing keyboard bass. It would make life so much easier for me. But if I did that, I would not have my gig. LOL.

 

[Fat240]

Monique plays better with my pedals than many other amps I have used. It brings out the true effect of the pedals. Adds a little warmth to my delay and chorus, together they can sound quite haunting. Love it.