Hey fret grinder, when playing a gig what do you have to run the volume on to keep up with the drums and guitar?
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Lab Systems
- Thread starter bassman454
- Start date
how to explain ... the knob's zero point's about 7 o'clock, halfway's about 12 and full is about 5 o'clock on a clockface, clockwise being louder... with the preamp set so the light blinks when i play hard, I usually gig with the master volume within an "hour" of 9 o'clock, depending on the gig ... don't think i've ever turned it past 12 except for about 3 seconds to see how loud it could go (I never got to 1 o'clock). So that's about 1/4 to 1/3 of full.
It's pretty ****ing brutal past 10 o'clock ...
forgot: it's not a cafe jazz band (which is good cause I can't play jazz). We do a couple of 'quiet' songs and we do lots of *loud* ones (most of the quiest ones get loud anyway) ... two guitarists and drums ... the rig's never broken a sweat. Pretty sure my ears would bleed before it started clipping.
It's pretty ****ing brutal past 10 o'clock ...
forgot: it's not a cafe jazz band (which is good cause I can't play jazz). We do a couple of 'quiet' songs and we do lots of *loud* ones (most of the quiest ones get loud anyway) ... two guitarists and drums ... the rig's never broken a sweat. Pretty sure my ears would bleed before it started clipping.
When I first got my rig finished, I turned it up to 6-7 once, and literally my ceiling started falling. Certain parts of the tiles were rattling, and you could see particles falling down.
That was pretty insane.
I usually just start playing bass at new years.
Hey... when else can you play bass that loud at midnight?
well thats good because i play in a loud band, and i will most likely get a lab systems head for my lab systems 410hp. i was standing beside a guy who had a lab systems VP600s and it was on 4 so about "11" o'clock, and it wasn't very loud but maybe he had the volume on the bass down low, and/or because in the shop they get switched on and off a lot so maybe the valve in the pre-amp was in need of replacing?
but bloody hell if at a gig you only run it on about 3, thats a lot left isn't it, lol
but bloody hell if at a gig you only run it on about 3, thats a lot left isn't it, lol
Yeah, like i said up there, I walk with a slight limp now .. but they're both the same, right? No point being greedy ..
I get the feeling that a LAB 1-12 cab and a 1-15, both with EV speakers for 175 (the both of them together) would be a good deal? I saw a classified ad.
Great amps, but way way way overpriced. If they came down $500 or so, id consider buying. ive gone on a 'persoanl' tour of their factory here in Melbourne (My uncle did the electrics in the factory, and had to go back in to fix something) and wow, there about about a dozen guys that work on the floor. not too many considering how much they pop out!
Fret Grinder - Hows the 6x10?
Did you compare it to anything else. Ive got my eye on the Lab pre-amp and a cab setup of some kind. The only problem is that i change my everyday. I was leaning towards the 2x12 and then adding another cab later, but boy that 6x10 looks tempting!
Did you compare it to anything else. Ive got my eye on the Lab pre-amp and a cab setup of some kind. The only problem is that i change my everyday. I was leaning towards the 2x12 and then adding another cab later, but boy that 6x10 looks tempting!
I used to have a Labsystems VP300S head and a 400watt box.
Gigged with it for two years , it sounded good and it wasn't too heavy to lug around. Only problem for me was , that I needed the 600watter , I nearly killed it. Problems arose after I sold it and it was eventually destroyed in a flood.
I saw some ripoff selling it on ebay for $1200AuD and I feel sorry for the poor bastard who bought it for that.
It was a great little amp.
I'd like to buy a 400B or a 600 if I can find one for the right price.
I've found the VP5 preamps to be gutless and don't seem to put out much gain.
All the cheap arse eminence drivers in the box desintegrated and were replaced with even cheaper P Audio drivers , a slight improvement in tone was noticable (surprisingly).
Labsystems also used EV speakers in some boxes , which sounded incredible , I think these were used in 600w and 800w boxes.
I've also used a labsystems overdrive pedal which sounded quite good.
Gigged with it for two years , it sounded good and it wasn't too heavy to lug around. Only problem for me was , that I needed the 600watter , I nearly killed it. Problems arose after I sold it and it was eventually destroyed in a flood.
I saw some ripoff selling it on ebay for $1200AuD and I feel sorry for the poor bastard who bought it for that.
It was a great little amp.
I'd like to buy a 400B or a 600 if I can find one for the right price.
I've found the VP5 preamps to be gutless and don't seem to put out much gain.
All the cheap arse eminence drivers in the box desintegrated and were replaced with even cheaper P Audio drivers , a slight improvement in tone was noticable (surprisingly
).Labsystems also used EV speakers in some boxes , which sounded incredible , I think these were used in 600w and 800w boxes.
I've also used a labsystems overdrive pedal which sounded quite good.
How about 12 years playing through a Labby 400RB?
They're a discontinued model now, but it was a sensational amp. I bought it when no-one had even heard of Labsystems so it really was quite inexpensive. Pretty soon after, people started realising how good they are and I watched as the price steadily climbed to nearly double what I paid for it.
It eventually died after 12 years hard labour which included some touring. I got it repaired a couple of times before I eventually decomissioned the poor bugger. I did think about replacing it with another Labby buy I nearly fainted when I saw the current prices. And these things are Australian made....... I can understand why high-end US gear costs so much over here given that shipping costs have to be factored in to the final price. But this stuff is made in Melbourne - as are the Ebony amps and look at the price difference there????????? Supply and demand at work I guess.
In Victoria, I'm affraid I have no idea. In Sydney, "The Bass Player" in Annandale seems to have some sort of exclusive deal on them, so I wouldn't be surprised if a similar thing is happening in VIC. They're made by "Audio Assemblers Australia". Maybe look them up, give them a ring, and ask them for a dealer in your area.`ash said:
i find this funny... this old thread of mine popping up 2 and a half years after i started it, ha ha
well to complete wat has happened.. i got a lab systems vp5, rack mount valve pre-amp, a phonic max 2500, and a sabine rack tuner in an skb case.. i still have my beutiful laby 410.. had trouble with a speaker, the coil came apart from the diaphram..but it was covered with warranty, and was fault of eminence wasn't glued properly..
but i love that cab, i think i need to give it a little more power, as at the moment cause its an 8 ohm cab it is seeing 500 watt rms, cause i am only running one channel from the phonic into it, but i am thinking of bridging the phonic to 1500watt @ 8 ohm.. and then just be thoughtful with my gains..
i too think the rack mount pre amp is gutless in the gain area, as i am running my phonic gain at full, and the pre amp master at about 3 o'clock, and that is just getting/or just below clipping the phonic..
but good to see there are some more lab systems folowers out there...
well to complete wat has happened.. i got a lab systems vp5, rack mount valve pre-amp, a phonic max 2500, and a sabine rack tuner in an skb case.. i still have my beutiful laby 410.. had trouble with a speaker, the coil came apart from the diaphram..but it was covered with warranty, and was fault of eminence wasn't glued properly..
but i love that cab, i think i need to give it a little more power, as at the moment cause its an 8 ohm cab it is seeing 500 watt rms, cause i am only running one channel from the phonic into it, but i am thinking of bridging the phonic to 1500watt @ 8 ohm.. and then just be thoughtful with my gains..
i too think the rack mount pre amp is gutless in the gain area, as i am running my phonic gain at full, and the pre amp master at about 3 o'clock, and that is just getting/or just below clipping the phonic..
but good to see there are some more lab systems folowers out there...
bassman454 said:
I worked briefly for the Aussie importer of Phonic. Some of their products were better than other but those power amps were much better than their price would suggest. I don't think I ever saw one come back with a problem. 750w per side for under $1,000 Australian is hard to argue with.
I have been using my Labsystem VP600S heavily since 2000, with absolutely no trouble at all, its stood up to countless km's touring and been dropped out of a truck.... these things are bullet proof, more than i can say for my 2 previous amps.... The cabs are well built and sound great too.
Yes, it was expensive but considering the reliability over the years....well worth it. Plenty of sounds guys comment on how great they are when they see it.... a good sign in my book!!
Yes, it was expensive but considering the reliability over the years....well worth it. Plenty of sounds guys comment on how great they are when they see it.... a good sign in my book!!
For what it's worth, eight years since my last post here and the only trouble I've had were a few crackles that lead me to take the head in for a service 6 months ago.
The engineer proclaimed, as he handed it back to me: "That thing's built the way things are supposed to be.", charged me a hundred or so for the resoldering it'd needed after its rough life. It's been playing like mint ever since.
It's the one constant in my signal chain I never wonder about replacing - my only grumble is that the 610 format is too large to fit in most cars, which can be a pain in the arse. If I was doing it over I might have gone 410 + 212 ...
The engineer proclaimed, as he handed it back to me: "That thing's built the way things are supposed to be.", charged me a hundred or so for the resoldering it'd needed after its rough life. It's been playing like mint ever since.
It's the one constant in my signal chain I never wonder about replacing - my only grumble is that the 610 format is too large to fit in most cars, which can be a pain in the arse. If I was doing it over I might have gone 410 + 212 ...
