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need some GK advice

J

johnthedj

Aug 1, 2006
1
0
#1
Bought a backline 600 head (300w @ 4ohms/ 175w @ 8ohms)
and a 410 blx II CAB AND a 115 blx cab to complete the stack
both cabs are 8ohms but when I practice with the band I have to push it to the specified limits just to be able to hear it @ all. and then it's far too distorted. any suggestions are appreciated
 
#2
either your band rehearses insanely loud (and that is a bad thing and to be changed in case) or you are doing something wrong. your gear should easily handle band rehearsals and gigs.

make shure not to overdrive the input stage. essentially set input gain to match the instrument and then set volume with the master. avoid the boost if you want clean tone.

you may also want to try a compressor in front of your amp. that creates a more steady signal with less peaks that both cuts through better and distorts less.
 
#4
You might have too much scoop in the midrange. If you're contour is set fairly high, back it off to at least 10 or 12 oclock and use the high mid to scoop instead. I would also recommend starting with the boost at 12 oclock and adjust from there.

a scoop in the mid sounds nice when you're playing by yourself, but in a band setting, it doesn't work as well.
 
#5
Try trimming the bass a bit and boosting the mids. It will probably sound lousy when playing by yourself, but in the band mix it will cut through better.

TB'er FDeck did an in-depth analysis of the GK BL600 that includes EQ settings for a true-flat tone. When I was using a BL600, I found that these setting were a good place to start.

Read this...
Invalid Link Removed
 
#6
well John, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you have purchased the dregs of the GK line. The Backline series is a joke compared to the pro line. It does not have the highs, sensitivity, or fidelity of the pro line. I have played on 3 different Backline amps and they have their limits before farting out.
Also, to compete with a loud rock band, 300w is going to be somewhat like a practice amp! If you are going to stick with your current set-up, have your bandmates turn it down. If you're going to be gigging with this band, it could forshadow what it's going to be like on the stage.

Sorry man.


BTW, I have a GK 1001 RBII and a 700 Neo 112 combo and they both SMOKE!! Lots of output and EQ control.
 
#8
I'll have to disagree with Basso a bit here. Yes, the Backline series is the bottom of the GK line. However, it does share a lot of parts with the RB-series amps (as Daniel Elliot has informed us in previous threads on the subject) and is capable of sounding pretty good. The BL600 head has a lot more potential then the BL combo amps. Is it a great amp, no. Is it a decent amp for the money that has enough balls to hold it's own in a band setting, yes.
 
#10
I also disagree with Basso Gruvitas... the Backline heads, especially the 600 compete with the older, lesser powered heads, and frankly, I almost replaced my 400RB-III with a Backline 600 and was still satisfied with it's quality. I've used GK Artist Series Equipment for years and would have no problem using GK Backline gear in case.

To the OP, how do you have your amp EQ'ed? What about your contour knob?
 
#11
I have the same rig as you. Great boom for the buck. Some good advice above. The contour knob can be your enemy in a band setting. The higher it goes the more you disappear. I'm usually between 9-12 o'clock. Bass frequencies hog a lot of power so go easy on that knob too. I believe fdeck's research found about 10 o'clock on the bass knob to be flat; that seems to be the happy spot for my knob. I had gain and master at about 10 o'clock and boost about 1 at a gig on sat and still had to turn down due to a crying guitard on the other side of the stage...:crying:
 
#12
Daniel Elliott said:
You might have too much scoop in the midrange. If you're contour is set fairly high, back it off to at least 10 or 12 oclock and use the high mid to scoop instead. I would also recommend starting with the boost at 12 oclock and adjust from there.

a scoop in the mid sounds nice when you're playing by yourself, but in a band setting, it doesn't work as well.
Click to expand...
But the BL600 still has a scooped contour, even with the contour knob turned down. That only makes the amp more difficult to use, especially with lower priced cabs that are prone to bottoming out.

What was the rationale behind that design?

Note that I am not dissing the amp, as you can see from my glowing review. But it seems that the BL600 is a good amp if you know the secret EQ settings.
 
#13
The Backline cabs are cheaper because they're made with MDF instead of plywood and the assembly is done overseas. The speaker itself is the same as the SBX except that the surround is different so that it resonates at a slightly higher frequency than the SBX. I've done the A/B testing personally and I know what they're capable of. One thing to keep in mind is that they are sealed cabinets and respond differently than ported cabinets. The low frequency rolloff starts sooner but is more gradual. A ported cab goes lower then drops sharply. Also, a sealed cabinet will have a lower SPL rating.
 
#14
Just a wild shot in the dark. Please make sure you didn't get your cables mixed up and that you are using speaker cables between your head and cabs and not instrument cables. This mixup has driven more than a few players bonkers over the years trying to figure out what was wrong with our setups.

Peace,
S
 
#15
Daniel Elliott said:
The Backline cabs are cheaper because they're made with MDF instead of plywood and the assembly is done overseas. The speaker itself is the same as the SBX except that the surround is different so that it resonates at a slightly higher frequency than the SBX. I've done the A/B testing personally and I know what they're capable of. One thing to keep in mind is that they are sealed cabinets and respond differently than ported cabinets. The low frequency rolloff starts sooner but is more gradual. A ported cab goes lower then drops sharply. Also, a sealed cabinet will have a lower SPL rating.
Click to expand...

That's what I tell everyone who complains about the Backline and SBX series cabs. They're great cabs, but must be treated different than your equivalent ported cab to get the best tone out of them.
 

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