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Live with my GK 1001RB-II-I need help!

songwriter21

songwriter21

I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Jul 31, 2005
6,786
9,722
Baltimore-ish, MD
#1
Is there a way I can keep the BOOST knob from affecting the Direct signal and only altering my cab's woofers, while still keeping the EQ set as Post?

My GK NEO210 cab requires me to turn the BOOST down so it doesn't distort, but then there's not enough oomph coming out of the PA. It's really annoying. My cab can handle some serious low end, so that makes me all the angrier.

Should I increase Direct line level, the pre-eq volume (gain), the BOOST, or all three? All I want is for my cab to be loud enough for me to hear it and not distort, while giving the PA more than enough fullness.

Oh, and I really only want to carry one light cab, so that explains the 210.
 
#2
hey man.. set the switch next to the DI to "Pre" not "post".. My advice would be to use the channel strip eq on the desk to EQ your FOH sound (or a good graphic EQ on the channel insert would be even better). If you're EQing your cab to sound good on stage, chances are that same EQ isn't going to work too well for the FOH system.

Hope that helps,
Andy
 
#3
The point of the Boost knob on GK biamp'd heads like yours (and mine) is to cause distortion in the woofer drivers! You are supposed to run it in biamp mode so that the tweeter gets no distortion but you can use the Boost to cause some breakup in the woofers, as it can sound good if you have good speakers!

I would say, if you have good PA equipment (and control over the PA equipment) do what Andy said. If you have no control over the PA (i.e. you are at a random club) just make sure that the PA signal being fed is hot enough (the DI volume knob) and then have the sound guy turn you up?
 
#4
Try turning your volume (gain) level a bit down. By these yo keep`your preamp from clipping after the eq stage. Cause if you set your gain inmediately before clipping and you boost too much your eq, you will be adding more signal.
Don´t know. it works for me from time to time. I own the 700RBII which should be the same amp as yours but with less power.
bless
 
#7
megadan said:
Related question, I'm playing my first gig tonight with my new GK and I'm using the DI from the head.

Am I understanding correctly, "Pre" will take my signal straight off my bass, but "Post" will add in the Preamp EQ including the Boost setting? The boost is crucial to my sound so I don't want the PA to be lacking it.
Click to expand...

It's pretty important that you and the OP realize that your cabinet setup is probably very, very different from the PA you are playing through. Sending POST to the FOH is a terrible idea in most circumstances. The frequencies you cut or boost on stage may or may not be appropriate for the FOH - usually not appropriate is the case IME.

If you are running your EQ completely flat, with the Contour and Presence all the way off - then sending POST would be OK. If you use just a smidge of EQ - you are probably OK too. If you're running the contour up and doing some cut'n boost on the EQ - send PRE...

I typically run my Contour close to noon and hte Boost about the same so it's 'PRE' exclusively for me...

If you need to get a little dirt in your sound to be happy, you really ought to get it into your signal before the EQ and send to the FOH pre-EQ, and in this case Boost. Something like the DHA VT1 sounds great in front of a GK.
 
#8
4Mal said:
It's pretty important that you and the OP realize that your cabinet setup is probably very, very different from the PA you are playing through. Sending POST to the FOH is a terrible idea in most circumstances. The frequencies you cut or boost on stage may or may not be appropriate for the FOH - usually not appropriate is the case IME.

If you are running your EQ completely flat, with the Contour and Presence all the way off - then sending POST would be OK. If you use just a smidge of EQ - you are probably OK too. If you're running the contour up and doing some cut'n boost on the EQ - send PRE...

I typically run my Contour close to noon and hte Boost about the same so it's 'PRE' exclusively for me...

If you need to get a little dirt in your sound to be happy, you really ought to get it into your signal before the EQ and send to the FOH pre-EQ, and in this case Boost. Something like the DHA VT1 sounds great in front of a GK.
Click to expand...

I realize that, of course. I run the preamp mostly flat - slight bass boost and slight treble cut.

The problem is that I bought the GK specifically for that Boost function - with it, it sounds spectacular, and without it, it sounds like lifeless solid state crap - no offense, just my own opinion. If I can't have the boost knob I'd just go back to my tube amps - but then I just end up with a DI from the bass, which is worse. I also have plenty of dirt pedals in front of my amp, but I need them on and off at various times.

Ideally I'd just prefer to have my mic rigged, but we all know that doesn't always happen. I'm not sure what the solution is. I guess the easiest and most realistic is to just set my rig flat, use the post output, and work with the sound guy on the monitor/FOH sound.
 
#9
I know what you mean about it the RB sounding flat, I use a Alembic F1x in front of my RB1001...night and day difference.

and just a quick tech note...when using the pre setting from the RB1001, your signal is still reliant on the GK, it's not like putting a DI box before the amp, which would be your bass signal direct to the FOH console. If the GK fails for any reason, you will not get signal to the house or monitors and you're out of the mix. With a DI before the rig, if the rig fails you can still go on with the show thru monitors, sidefills and FOH.

as far as getting your sound from the amp to FOH, DI and Mic on cab is the way to go.

cheers!
 
#10
The Alembic in from of the GK is a nice setup. I used to do that using an F2B. I have an ART Tube Channel I'm experimenting with in the same way. Having suprisingly good results with that.

A spare DI is always in my kit if I'm relying on FOH support. It's not a lot of cash and if I'm in need, I'd rather not rely on the house 'Behringer' DI if I can avoid it. Truly - more often than not, once a sound guy sees a Radial in my kit he just wants that. I'm OK with that as playing passive basses, fingerstyle - I use a pretty basic mild scoop and most FOH guys can nail that with little effort. If I need the distortion thing - it's on demand and the Radial is in the chain after it. So the GK is a stage monitor for me.*

To the OP - as long as you aren't messing with the EQ and the Contour a lot - go Post, you should be fine. The real concern is when going POST is in realizing that what you do to your stage sound is reflected out front. If you're paying attention to that - you're ahead of most posters here already ... I know what you mean on the GK - my GK sound is entirely the Contour and Boost controls. That sound is what set's GK apart from other SS amps, IMO. I use the 4 band as room adjustment and that's about it.

* truth is that these days my EA Micro 300 goes almost all the time. Lots of low volume singer/songwriter support for me at the moment. Maybe this summer when the tourists come back I can get the GK fired up in anger again :D
 

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