There is an interesting picture over on the BG side of Talkbass. It shows a Monique M2,400 that weighs only 9 lbs.
Ric
Ric
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Double Bass Power Amps for your favorite Preamps
- Thread starter Nathan Levine
- Start date
I once asked one of the "micro" amp makers, why he didn't sell a power-amp-only version. He said that the relatively low sales volume would force him to charge more than for a full amp. Apart from my commercial product, I've played around with DIY preamp designs, and have always just plugged them into the FX return of my main amp.
So after trying out a bunch of these over the years I'm pretty sure the Jule is the winner in the overall sound dept. Very Powerful, dead quiet, and beautifully even with a tight bass response. It's only downfall is that it is a bit bigger than all the rest of these micro amps. I would whole heartedly recommend picking one up used if you find one.
Nathan,
I was fortunate enough to find a M700 here in the TB classifieds. I'm using it as my main amp now in combination with a Grace Designs Felix. This combination is ideal for double bass. It is larger than either of my other amps.
Ric
I was fortunate enough to find a M700 here in the TB classifieds. I'm using it as my main amp now in combination with a Grace Designs Felix. This combination is ideal for double bass. It is larger than either of my other amps.
Ric
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My Acoustic Image Focus R3 had more power than most of my regular bass heads, and with the volume control on the effects return its a no brainer.
+1 for Radbass and the amp he is making with the 1000asp. I've tried many class D amps and have found the the 1000ASP is my fav. We just did a shootout at my house and compared my 800 watt (Ice 250ASX2) Doubler with a new Ice 700 based amp. I'm familiar with the 700 module. It sounds great but doesn't necessarily feel great. Not enough whomp in the lows. The Doubler sounded better.
I've yet to find a class D amp with the slam of the 1000ASP.
I know that Randy (Radbass) has more modules OH. JGR built mine, but I think that he's way to busy with his amps. Randy does a great job and you won't find a better class d power amp out there.
I've yet to find a class D amp with the slam of the 1000ASP.
I know that Randy (Radbass) has more modules OH. JGR built mine, but I think that he's way to busy with his amps. Randy does a great job and you won't find a better class d power amp out there.
+1 for the Radbass also. After taking Mike's advice, I had one of Randy's power-amps built for me a while back. Good clean power and works well with either MAS 4-5 and in combination with2-6 for louder outdoor situations... Great for those The Flex, and Headway pre-amps etc.
I got a Crown stereo power amp for under $200 (xls 1000) recently when they came out with a new model.
Not. Micro its rack mount and 8.6 pounds. But very affordable and lots of power (1100 watts at 4 ohms in bridge mode).
Crown XLS1000 Rackmount 2U 1000 Watt Power Amplifier
Not. Micro its rack mount and 8.6 pounds. But very affordable and lots of power (1100 watts at 4 ohms in bridge mode).
Crown XLS1000 Rackmount 2U 1000 Watt Power Amplifier
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If I had the spare change, I'd get one but I'm very happy with my M700.
Ok so my friend Steve (who is a great working bassist here in the Bay Area) but also worked for Mesa Boogie fixing Tube amps for a long time, did a little power amp line up this morning and for me, I loved the sound of the 1960 something Dynaco Mono Bloc Tube Mark 2 with the Felix front end. I have plugged the Felix into a tube amp a couple times but man a blended signal of mic and pickup into Dynaco and then into the MAS 46 or 16 is just what I have been looking for. Yeah I know it is a heavy little block of steel and glass, but not that bad and man the sound is killing. We went back and forth and just the sweet warm way harmonics play out, but also everything just sounds better To My Ears. He is going to fix it up some and let me gig with it but Im going to buy one, they are pretty cheap. He sent me home with a Dynaco 70 and I am listening to Brad Mehldau right now thru it, and it is colored but in all the right ways.
60 tube watts. I had it cranked...well it does not have a gain knob, but I had it LOUD enough for a loto my gigs and with the Felix front end it had plenty to spare. Compared to the SS amps we tried and the Class D (which were all good and ballsy but lacking that warmth and sheen) the Mark 2 was really sweet sounding. I have done some research and the next model the Dynaco Mark 3 is like a half SVT (pair of 66's)...I'm just learning about what tubes do in a power amp. But that extra bit of warmth is no small thing when there is another instrument playing too. Somehow it just sounds better and more musical to my ears.
Now that I have been to the edge of small bass rigs (MAS 16, AI focus, Contrabassetto) I feel like the little square Dynaco mono bloc wouldnt be much of a pain to substitute for the Focus...Unless some of you cats out there have a better idea for a similar small bass tube amp better suited to gigging?
Now that I have been to the edge of small bass rigs (MAS 16, AI focus, Contrabassetto) I feel like the little square Dynaco mono bloc wouldnt be much of a pain to substitute for the Focus...Unless some of you cats out there have a better idea for a similar small bass tube amp better suited to gigging?
I am very excited to hear about this, it is something I had been researching before getting the M700. The tubes in my Monique are so musical and using acoustic image for power just didn't cut it. I've actually spent a lot of time using the power section of the V4b, for $800 used and 40lbs almost the same dimensions of my 210AV, it is a serious consideration as may be the newer PFs from Ampeg. I looked into getting a McIntosh MC75 but it is really big bucks. I'd bet if it works out you could have a small head box made for a dynaco that would make it gig worthy.
I do feel like my mind is inching back towards a vintage B15, we've slowly moved to lighter and louder and then gadgets are developed to compensate. A light went off in my head a bunch of years ago when I saw Avishai Cohen basically using an SVT and 810 as a standard backline.
I hope the Dynaco works out
I really like the Monique/M700 combo too....if I wasn't so committed to the Felix and mixing with a mic I'd sure be tempted. I already wrote to Jules about a small power amp tube.
BUT for a few years I have had this idea that a baddass SS preamp and a tube power amp would be a better combination for URB then the other way around (mostly because of input impedance issues and EB eq front ends.) So many cats I know dont dig it, too much trouble they say. But then I did a gig with the wonderful bassist KIm Cass (I was on vibes) and he had an old Sunn combo tube amp (I looked for one for a long time) and it sounded so damn good. But yesterdays tests with the Felix just did it for me, I was worried that the mic sound would get flabby and the whole sound would kind of wash out, but it did not. AND the mutherflippin, HPF on the FElix is an amazing dial. How can two HPF filters (AI Focus and Felix) act so different? Maybe once the mud is out the rest of the Felix just sounds better but turning that dial up about half way clears up the tone like focusing a camera lens.
In fact the tube amp reminds me of digital photography in that unlike film with digital you start with this perfect clean image then reverse engineer the warmth back into it with filters and grit...Adding the tubes after the Felix is kinda like that.
BUT for a few years I have had this idea that a baddass SS preamp and a tube power amp would be a better combination for URB then the other way around (mostly because of input impedance issues and EB eq front ends.) So many cats I know dont dig it, too much trouble they say. But then I did a gig with the wonderful bassist KIm Cass (I was on vibes) and he had an old Sunn combo tube amp (I looked for one for a long time) and it sounded so damn good. But yesterdays tests with the Felix just did it for me, I was worried that the mic sound would get flabby and the whole sound would kind of wash out, but it did not. AND the mutherflippin, HPF on the FElix is an amazing dial. How can two HPF filters (AI Focus and Felix) act so different? Maybe once the mud is out the rest of the Felix just sounds better but turning that dial up about half way clears up the tone like focusing a camera lens.
In fact the tube amp reminds me of digital photography in that unlike film with digital you start with this perfect clean image then reverse engineer the warmth back into it with filters and grit...Adding the tubes after the Felix is kinda like that.
