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Jule Amps Monique Part III

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I personally wouldn't put anything in-between Monique and a power amp. Kinda defeats the purpose imho.

I agree....but.... I do have a real need for some grind when I play metal. I just can't get this out of Monique. Also, a clean boost is good to have with 2 loud guitarists. The slap tone is just a nice to have that is infrequently used.


I don't have my Monique yet, but I might try something like this.

Are you running the SansAmp in front, or between Monique and the power amp?

Bass -> Sansamp -> Monique -> poweramp.
 
Is anyone running another pre (or overdrive/distortion pedal) with Monique for grit?

I am having great success with my Sansamp Bass Driver DI Programmable. This pedal sounds great with Monique. I am using one preset for just a bit of boost, the second preset for heavy distortion and the 3rd is the Tech 21 recommended slap tone. I use all 3 at all of my gigs.

I was running my Sansamp before the Monique and it sounded great also. I am only running my pedal board which consist of Tuner, B3k, Prunes and Custard, Carbon Copy, Analogman Chorus, Boss Flanger and Sonuus Whaoo. The B3K is giving me a better overdrive IMO that the Sansamp. I took it out of the chain but the Sansamp is nice for using multiple basses with different outputs and adding some bottom end fullness. Six presets is a good thing to have with many basses.

Here is a rough idea of a song I'm working on for a new project. It's in the lines of The Sword, Orange Goblin and such. Ignore the off timing and slop it's just a rough, this is bass to B3K, Carbon Copy, Analogman, Monique direct into Audiobox USB to StudioOne 2 as is. The B3k is at the end of the intro which is shorter now, but I added it just to give an example. Just a good example how Monique makes everything sound great, even when you plug in to throw some song ideas down[Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
 
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I've said it before, but it is an amazing experience to be able to contribute to all this creativity. And that change at 2.54 is lovely.

Thank you.

I was running my Sansamp before the Monique and it sounded great also. I am only running my pedal board which consist of Tuner, B3k, Prunes and Custard, Carbon Copy, Analogman Chorus, Boss Flanger and Sonuus Whaoo. The B3K is giving me a better overdrive IMO that the Sansamp. I took it out of the chain but the Sansamp is nice for using multiple basses with different outputs and adding some bottom end fullness. Six presets is a good thing to have with many basses.

Here is a rough idea of a song I'm working on for a new project. It's in the lines of The Sword, Orange Goblin and such. Ignore the off timing and slop it's just a rough, this is bass to B3K, Carbon Copy, Analogman, Monique direct into Audiobox USB to StudioOne 2 as is. The B3k is at the end of the intro which is shorter now, but I added it just to give an example. Just a good example how Monique makes everything sound great, even when you plug in to throw some song ideas down[Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
 
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I personally just wouldn't put anything in the chain in-between Monique and the power amp.
I agree with you on that. My Moniques are always directly into my Crown or Crest poweramp.
Would you recommend this for the F-Deck HPF, as well?

I was thinking that (if I needed it) the best place for an HPF would be between the pre- and power-amps. What do you think?

Thanks!
 
By now, I've enjoyed a few sessions with Monique. My extremely subjective thoughts/review of sorts:

This girl is thunderously thick. With fantastic proportions... thick curves in all the right places, trim and svelte where it counts, and not a bit of flab. Soft and supple to the touch, but there's serious muscle in there. Ask her for a kick in the low end and/or a punch in the gut and she could *really* hurt you.

Soft, gentle and sweet on the surface. On all counts a lady. But get her riled up, angry, or just overly exited and she can knock you on your hindquarters.

Her natural character ranges... syrupy sweet and comforting, to fun and friendly, to commanding presence, to a little bit naughty. Turn her knobs just right and she'll even hint at getting dirty. But not a lot... won't get nasty without some prompting. But talk dirty to her, and you may be in for a surprise... she really digs it. Lets totally loose on it, and gives it right back better than she's getting it. Be prepared to get tossed around like a rag doll, and maybe mend some broken furniture. :eek:

And it doesn't matter whether she's playing sweet and soft, or hard and wild... she's really hard to let go of. You wanna keep going till you just can't anymore. Whatta gal! :D

OK, enough with the anthropomorphic silliness. ;) What I was after was tubey thickness/richness and feel. And that's exactly what I got. Lots of it. Can easily dial up more juicy low end than ever needed, while somehow never getting flabby. The thick isn't just in the bottom either, it goes all the way up.

The sensitivity knob is a combo of "how much tube feel" and "how much Monique". Dialed all the way down there is still plenty of tube feel and harmonics, but it's a lighter/tighter dose. You're very much in control. Turned all the way up, the feel is really deep and springy, and the harmonics thicker and heavier. She's on top of things, having her way with your signal.

The EQ knobs are interesting. Just cranking the knobs around, it is obvious what they do but they seem to be on the subtle side. Start in the middle with the lows and crank them all the way down... you still hear plenty of lows. They're just "out of the way" of the other frequencies. Back to the middle it doesn't seem a lot more, but they are more even with the rest. Bump them all the way up and they get huge, yet not out of control or covering up other frequencies. The other knobs work pretty much the same way. While the knob twirling by itself seems subtle, the range of results somehow isn't. Turning the knobs does what you expect to the tone, but you still everything clear as a bell. (Is that what folks mean by "3D" sound? Dial down highs, and they just move farther away, and to the side. Still there, still clear, just out of the way.) Strangely foolproof, while still letting me get where I want to go. I usually have an innate ability to make anything sound awful, if I put my mind to it. But Monique seems to sound good no matter what I try.

So... yeah. Pretty much what everybody else said already. Aka "Monique rocks".

But so far it's all been only in the bedroom... I have yet to turn her loose in a band context. Both bands were off for a couple weekends. Looking forward to this coming weekend, to give her a go for real. :)
 
As for adding dirt to Monique, I do need dirt sometimes. I have an SA MWBD Pro, which does some nifty stuff, but I just pulled it off my board (needed something with more straightforward OD & fuzz). Now running an Empress Multidrive, set to switch between mild OD (for grit), heavy fuzz, and bypass. Also have a VT Deluxe... mostly keeping it off with Monique, but handy for presets for bits & pieces without time to turn knobs, and to inject a little driven SVT clank/grind on demand. I also have one preset set to somewhat flat/clean/transparent, but with the highs rolled a little. I kick it in along with the fuzz to tame the upper end of it in a "just sounds better" and "nicer to FOH & tweeters" sort of way.

Agreed, everything in front of Monique, she's the last step before power. Though I might try the fdeck in between, I think that's where BurningSkies runs his, and he had some interesting thoughts behind that idea.
 
This is one beautifully written review. To me it reads as a here's-where-you-want-to-be sheet for designing and creating Bass gear.

I thank you.

By now, I've enjoyed a few sessions with Monique. My extremely subjective thoughts/review of sorts:

This girl is thunderously thick. With fantastic proportions... thick curves in all the right places, trim and svelte where it counts, and not a bit of flab. Soft and supple to the touch, but there's serious muscle in there. Ask her for a kick in the low end and/or a punch in the gut and she could *really* hurt you.

Soft, gentle and sweet on the surface. On all counts a lady. But get her riled up, angry, or just overly exited and she can knock you on your hindquarters.

Her natural character ranges... syrupy sweet and comforting, to fun and friendly, to commanding presence, to a little bit naughty. Turn her knobs just right and she'll even hint at getting dirty. But not a lot... won't get nasty without some prompting. But talk dirty to her, and you may be in for a surprise... she really digs it. Lets totally loose on it, and gives it right back better than she's getting it. Be prepared to get tossed around like a rag doll, and maybe mend some broken furniture. :eek:

And it doesn't matter whether she's playing sweet and soft, or hard and wild... she's really hard to let go of. You wanna keep going till you just can't anymore. Whatta gal! :D

OK, enough with the anthropomorphic silliness. ;) What I was after was tubey thickness/richness and feel. And that's exactly what I got. Lots of it. Can easily dial up more juicy low end than ever needed, while somehow never getting flabby. The thick isn't just in the bottom either, it goes all the way up.

The sensitivity knob is a combo of "how much tube feel" and "how much Monique". Dialed all the way down there is still plenty of tube feel and harmonics, but it's a lighter/tighter dose. You're very much in control. Turned all the way up, the feel is really deep and springy, and the harmonics thicker and heavier. She's on top of things, having her way with your signal.

The EQ knobs are interesting. Just cranking the knobs around, it is obvious what they do but they seem to be on the subtle side. Start in the middle with the lows and crank them all the way down... you still hear plenty of lows. They're just "out of the way" of the other frequencies. Back to the middle it doesn't seem a lot more, but they are more even with the rest. Bump them all the way up and they get huge, yet not out of control or covering up other frequencies. The other knobs work pretty much the same way. While the knob twirling by itself seems subtle, the range of results somehow isn't. Turning the knobs does what you expect to the tone, but you still everything clear as a bell. (Is that what folks mean by "3D" sound? Dial down highs, and they just move farther away, and to the side. Still there, still clear, just out of the way.) Strangely foolproof, while still letting me get where I want to go. I usually have an innate ability to make anything sound awful, if I put my mind to it. But Monique seems to sound good no matter what I try.

So... yeah. Pretty much what everybody else said already. Aka "Monique rocks".

But so far it's all been only in the bedroom... I have yet to turn her loose in a band context. Both bands were off for a couple weekends. Looking forward to this coming weekend, to give her a go for real. :)
 
I've tried running a verellen meat smoke preamp in front of Monique as a drive pedal, with the line setting (low output). The verellen is a great high gain unit, but it doesn't deliver the big low end that Monique does. I thought combining them would be great and it is pretty cool. However, I really don't want to overload or potentially hurt Monique. As such, I'm considering running 2 separate channels - Monique as the clean and the verellen as the gain. Is there a limit to the signal that Monique can take? Has anyone tried running separate channels as an alternative? Jus wondering. Thanks
 
I've tried running a verellen meat smoke preamp in front of Monique as a drive pedal, with the line setting (low output). The verellen is a great high gain unit, but it doesn't deliver the big low end that Monique does. I thought combining them would be great and it is pretty cool. However, I really don't want to overload or potentially hurt Monique. As such, I'm considering running 2 separate channels - Monique as the clean and the verellen as the gain. Is there a limit to the signal that Monique can take? Has anyone tried running separate channels as an alternative? Jus wondering. Thanks

I personally won't run seperate or multiple channels as Monique is quickly becoming "my sound" and I just love playing thru it. If you are careful with the Meat Smoke, it should be fine into Monique. Ask Jule if you are unsure.

I run a Sansamp BDDI into Monique and it sounds great.... and gives me lots of raunchy distortion if required. I recently bought a Way Cool Angry Troll and it sounds terrible thru Monique. So bad that I might just donate it to my guitarist. IME, Monique does take pedals quite well though generally.
 
Nomatic,

What cabs, basses, poweramp, etc. will you be running Monique with?

Congrats BTW!

Thanks!

I am running a composite Thunderchild 115 with the power section of my TH 5OO till I am finished with my own power amp based on a amazing sounding module.....
As for basses...
Erizias 33" single cut 6
Alien Audio Lunar 5 P/J
Reynolds 5 string fretless
Dipinto Belvedere with flats
Fender P
Fender J

Got my Tracking number today.......:hyper:
 
I've tried running a verellen meat smoke preamp in front of Monique as a drive pedal, with the line setting (low output). The verellen is a great high gain unit, but it doesn't deliver the big low end that Monique does. I thought combining them would be great and it is pretty cool. However, I really don't want to overload or potentially hurt Monique. As such, I'm considering running 2 separate channels - Monique as the clean and the verellen as the gain. Is there a limit to the signal that Monique can take? Has anyone tried running separate channels as an alternative? Jus wondering. Thanks

You aren't going to hurt anything with a high level input signal going into Monique. You will hear the tube reach a point where more signal will give you nothing but nasty distortion. That still does nothing to damage the front end. Tubes don't really care about too much input signal. They just refuse to sound good with too much input. Different from the solid state world where we can blow the front end out.

She can take it.
 
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