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My New Ashdown Superfly...

#41
billfitzmaurice said:
The EQ on the Superfly also offers possibilities for controlling room boom. One is to use the software in parametric mode, saving eight presets, with all the filters set for their default frequency, gain and Q save one, which you configure with a .2octave bandwidth, -15dB gain. Starting at 160 Hz save a preset with that filter set at 20 Hz intervals up to 300 Hz. At the gig if there is a boom scroll up through the presets until you find the one that kills the boom. Then adjust the levels of the remaining 'sliders' for your tone. If you find a consistent good setting for the other sliders you can save all of those as well, so that they remain constant while the only change in those eight presets is the boom cut frequency.
Click to expand...

That is what I planned on doing. I already know of three rooms we play regularly where I need to control "room boom", and it will be nice to play gigs at the same places and have a preset saved specific to the room. It's nice that on the Superfly you can set it up with both parametric and graphic equalization.
 
#42
OK, Ive spent 2 days reading what everyone has said about this amp.

What I hear is, you take a gamble on getting a good one, or a lemmon.

Your ganna have hum

For 300, I dont see how you can go wrong. If nothing else, just use it as a pre amp. Most preamps start at 300.

I need something for low volume, in my bedroom, pushing two 8 ohm cabs. It shouldnt get that hot pushing 8 instead of 4
 
#44
billfitzmaurice said:
The EQ on the Superfly also offers possibilities for controlling room boom. One is to use the software in parametric mode, saving eight presets, with all the filters set for their default frequency, gain and Q save one, which you configure with a .2octave bandwidth, -15dB gain. Starting at 160 Hz save a preset with that filter set at 20 Hz intervals up to 300 Hz. At the gig if there is a boom scroll up through the presets until you find the one that kills the boom. Then adjust the levels of the remaining 'sliders' for your tone. If you find a consistent good setting for the other sliders you can save all of those as well, so that they remain constant while the only change in those eight presets is the boom cut frequency.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna take that well to heart, Bill. Thanks. I've always liked the idea of making EQ patches for certain rooms that I can engage on the fly (bad pun). My initial impression of the Superfly was that it was just another modeling amp, which the world could use less of IMO, so now that I'm a little more enlightened on the head, I'm totally pleased to know that it's way more practical than that :)
 
#45
XtraLongScale said:
I'm gonna take that well to heart, Bill. Thanks. I've always liked the idea of making EQ patches for certain rooms that I can engage on the fly (bad pun). My initial impression of the Superfly was that it was just another modeling amp, which the world could use less of IMO, so now that I'm a little more enlightened on the head, I'm totally pleased to know that it's way more practical than that :)
Click to expand...

Been using my V-Bass to make EQ changes and preamp changes ever since I got it ages ago. I'd say the biggest problem with modeling is the users expect the factory presets to be practical. And they themselves are usually too lazy/ignorant to figure out how to use modeling with practicality themselves.
 
#47
greenboy said:
Also, the Superfly really isn't modeling by most definitions, it's merely something that's able to save multiple states of control settings.
Click to expand...
+1. Unlike a modeling amp it doesn't try to imitate other amp/cab combinations, but rather like a digital console or outboard digital EQ it has the ability to easily come up with good tones that you can save, which beats trying to remember two months later what worked the last time you were in a certain club. You will be seeing much more of this type of EQ in the future.
 
#48
billfitzmaurice said:
You will be seeing much more of this type of EQ in the future.
Click to expand...

Well, most people will become familiar with this very useful concept soon, if not through bass rig manufacturers, through PA. But I've had various units since probably the late eighties that saved EQ presets, some of them also incorporating RTA. The biggest change to me is that these units were mostly analog units but now DSPs are able to do it so well that comprehensive and repeatable-state speaker management can be done better in less rack space and for less money.

Of course it does require some understanding of grounding issues and gain structure to make the best of things, just as it has always been if you expect to have hum-free and hiss-free operation and good dynamic range.
 
#49
greenboy said:
Also, the Superfly really isn't modeling by most definitions, it's merely something that's able to save multiple states of control settings.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I gathered as I looked into the head. My initial impression from it's appearance was that it was yet another modeling head and upon actual investigation I was pleased to find that it wasn't the case at all. I've been aware of eq presets since the dawn of the Line 6 POD (or automated mixing boards if you want to go further back). It's just a nice bonus to have considering that I bought the head as an emergency backup while my main head's getting warranty work. If it can approximate the tone of my Eden then I'll have a killer backup at the ready. All speculation & wishing until the head finally shows up at my door, of course.
 
#50
On the heat - don't worry about it. Class-d is efficient. Even if it feels hot it's still minimum dissipated watts, and will not get much hotter at higher volumes. 8ohms may not feel any cooler since it reaches most of it's dissipation low in it power curve.

On the hum/buzz - I sure like to hear it. The thing has a switching power supply, but the preamp electronics may have a conventional power supply. The hum may be grounding problem, or coming from the pre-amp electronics. If it's a buzz, it may be the output choke. Class-d forums are full of people trying different coil values, open coils, different cores, etc. It's like the tubes of class-d.
 
#51
Right on guys...it is NOT a modeling amp. Nor does it use effects. Just a very good amp, with a great EQ.

I have a Zoom Pedal that I can do modeling if need be, but the Superfly just has a simple interface...and by that I mean SIMPLE. It is just a very substantial EQ (both graphic, and parametric via the USB software interface).

Other than that, it has compression and Input and Output Gain knobs. Of course, once you find what you like, you also have the Preset buttons for saving or recalling settings. It is so-o-o-o easy to use.
 
#52
Kinda reminds me what I liked about the defunct ADA product. EQ. Compression. Gain structure. Presets. And what makes a good presets product for tech-weary musicians? Probably (besides performance) a good interface.

Really though, all modeling is when it comes right down to it is another metaphor for getting lots of different sounds easily, and it came along when the power was there to do it, which followed somewhat after the obvious conclusion that most gear buyers were hopelessly inept at making their own sounds using multieffects preamps.
 
#53
greenboy said:
...which followed somewhat after the obvious conclusion that most gear buyers were hopelessly inept at making their own sounds using multieffects preamps.
Click to expand...

You got that right! I have yet to come across anyone who complains about the factory presets of an amp modeler or multi-effects pedal, but also knows how to program their own sounds.

Most who complain, don't take any time to figure out how to program their own presets. Factory default presets might sound just fine, if you used the exact same gear they used to create them. But short of knowing what that gear is, most factory defaults sound terrible. I've found a few that are decent on my own multi-effects pedal, and about three or four on the Superfly itself.

But really, in order to get the most out of these devices, one needs to sit down and play around with it and get to know what it all does.

Once you figure it out, it is a lot of fun making your own presets, knowing they are tailored to YOUR bass, cabs, rooms and playing style, not someone else's idea of what sounds good. That is the purpose isn't it...to get YOUR sound?
 
#54
Oh man I'm SO disappointed. I just unpacked my Superfly and set it up with a pair of Aggie 112s. I'm getting a really annoying high pitched whine, which can only be eliminated by turning off the tweeters in the cabs (perhaps Sundogue doesn't have the whine as his cabs don't have tweeters?). But more disappointing than this is that one output channel is completely dead. So back it goes for replacement, which I can't get til next week. Oh well....
 
#55
Cochise said:
Oh man I'm SO disappointed. I just unpacked my Superfly and set it up with a pair of Aggie 112s. I'm getting a really annoying high pitched whine, which can only be eliminated by turning off the tweeters in the cabs (perhaps Sundogue doesn't have the whine as his cabs don't have tweeters?). But more disappointing than this is that one output channel is completely dead. So back it goes for replacement, which I can't get til next week. Oh well....
Click to expand...

Well, there is obviously something wrong with the head if one channel is dead.

As far as the "whine" (hum?) it could be possible I don't notice it because I don't use tweeters...but then again I have tried my Superfly with my 210 combo I built and it does have a tweeter. No "whine" with that though either. But I don't particluarly care for tweeters, and I prefer 15's to any other kind of speaker.

Let us know if the replacement has issues too. Though I started this thread, we might as well all log our likes/dislikes, praises or complaints here so others can read them and hopefully gain some insight into the Superfly to make a more informed decision if they are thinking of purchasing one.

I could have very well bought a lemon, but thankfully I got a great amp. It's been through about seven gigs now and has passed with flying colors (knock on wood).
 
#56
FWIW, I bought a Superfly when they were being 'blown out' for around $499. It sounded okay (no unreasonable hum/whine), but not great, and after a while I sent it back.

After the price dropped to $279 or so, I decided to give it another go. The first unit I got seemed to actually sound better than the one I tried before (though this is really impossible to to quantify), but it has a definite high frequency whine. So, back it went to zZounds.

zZounds took great care of me, though, and got another unit out ASAP, though I have not had a chance to try it yet. I'll report back when I have had a chance to check it out.
 
#57
Sounds like I'm gonna have problems. I hope the superfly that I'm ordering doesn0t have any esxtraordinary defects, I'm sending it to my aunt in Colorado and she's sendind it to Valencia in Spain where I live, if I get problems I'll have to send it allt he way back to Zzounds...
Problem is the SUperfly in Spain is at about 700€ (850$?)
 
#59
"High Frequency Whine" is this the "buzz" everyone is talking about with the superfly?
Whine could be the class-d amp doesn't have a high enough switching frequency, and/or it has a bad design in output filter. Or the switching power supply has some filtering issues. Ashdown should pull these and not blow-them-out. Their designs issues are going to leave a bad taste for class-d in general.
 
#60
seamonkey said:
"High Frequency Whine" is this the "buzz" everyone is talking about with the superfly?
Whine could be the class-d amp doesn't have a high enough switching frequency, and/or it has a bad design in output filter. Or the switching power supply has some filtering issues. Ashdown should pull these and not blow-them-out. Their designs issues are going to leave a bad taste for class-d in general.
Click to expand...

With an inherent design fault I would have thought that all amps would behave the same. This seems more hit and miss. Some amps whine, some don't, some do it as soon as they are powered up, some are fine for a period of time before the noise begins. Maybe there's a batch of dodgy components in there somewhere. Don't forget, at least some of Ashdowns' design team were behind Trace Elliott. I only live 45 minutes drive from Ashdown HQ in the UK. If my replacement has issues I'll call them and see if they'll let me take it directly to them for assessment, and see if we can all get this sorted once and for all. I know from previous experience that they are super helpful both pre and post sale. My new amp is due to me on Aug 13th so I'll post back shortly after that and update everyone.

Peace
 

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