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QSC K12.2

#162
I bought a used K12 instead, a lot cheaper and works for my purposes. Ive been using it as monitor and stage amp for an Acoustic guitar player/singer I accompany on a Fender J or P. I go into a ToneHammer, than to Channel A, Channel B is Acoustic and Vocal feed. I also use it as a standard stage monitor for a classic rock band. For both scenarios it sounds really good, works perfectly and pretty easy to carry....it was a good investment and I really like the flexibility.
 
#164
bkbass2000 said:
IllI be interested to hear you thoughts when you get your 12.2 and give it a spin
. I have a Helix too and plan on getting a 12.2.
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Have a few gigs on it now.
Good lord that thing is LOUD as hell.

Compared it to my Mesa/SL112 set up and also my VTBass200.
Sounds every bit as good as either when both amps were used as a preamp into it.

Honestly, not sure why anyone would buy a amp and cab anymore. As versatile it is, in either wedge or upright behind you like a regular cab, i don’t think many cabs can compete.
I should add, when using it as a wedge, it doesn’t seem to loose the coupling to the floor like almost every bass cab does.

I’ll just get a good preamp pedal if I ever get away from my Helix. This thing just sounds great and makes way too much sense.

Did I mention it’s loud af?
Buried my VTBass and stepped on my Mesa with a single SL112, and kept up with both SL112’s shockingly.
 
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#165
MikeBass said:
Have a few gigs on it now.
Good lord that thing is LOUD as hell.

Compared it to my Mesa/SL112 set up and also my VTBass200.
Sounds every bit as good as either when both amps were used as a preamp into it.

Honestly, not sure why anyone would buy a amp and cab anymore. As versatile it is, in either wedge or upright behind you like a regular cab, i don’t think many cabs can compete.
I should add, when using it as a wedge, it doesn’t seem to loose the coupling to the floor like almost every bass cab does.

I’ll just get a good preamp pedal if I ever get away from my Helix. This thing just sounds great and makes way too much sense.

Did I mention it’s loud af?
Buried my VTBass and stepped on my Mesa with a single SL112, and kept up with both SL112’s shockingly.
Click to expand...

I’m with ya buddy! I’m running my helix into a pair of K12.2’s and a K-Sub now for everything. That’s in my setup at home and what i would take for a FOH situation, but honestly for a stage amp at a gig I’d probably just take one K12.2. And really the helix is not the deciding factor for taking this route. I first started thinking about it with an Ampeg SCR-DI into my K10’s.

But the Helix cab modelling really did take it to a whole new level and kill any hesitation I had about the setup.
 
#168
I had an opportunity to try one of these (actually the K10.2) at a gig recently when my good ol GK MB150 blew up on a gig-once again. The 10.2 sounded really nice with my Azola UEB.

My question is: with my GK combo I can go into my VT Bass and into the effects Return of the amp to defeat the pre of the GK and only use the VT Bass as a pre. Am I able to do this with the K10.2?
 
#169
mrgoodbass said:
I had an opportunity to try one of these (actually the K10.2) at a gig recently when my good ol GK MB150 blew up on a gig-once again. The 10.2 sounded really nice with my Azola UEB.

My question is: with my GK combo I can go into my VT Bass and into the effects Return of the amp to defeat the pre of the GK and only use the VT Bass as a pre. Am I able to do this with the K10.2?
Click to expand...
I use a VT Bass Deluxe as a preamp to drive a K12 and like the results a lot.
 
#170
mrgoodbass said:
I had an opportunity to try one of these (actually the K10.2) at a gig recently when my good ol GK MB150 blew up on a gig-once again. The 10.2 sounded really nice with my Azola UEB.

My question is: with my GK combo I can go into my VT Bass and into the effects Return of the amp to defeat the pre of the GK and only use the VT Bass as a pre. Am I able to do this with the K10.2?
Click to expand...

The K12.2 and K10.2 are PA speakers - so yes, going into them, you'd essentially be only going into their power stage. They don't really have a "preamp" in the sense that conventional bass amp heads do, with an effects return and send. I own a K12.2 and I'm able to power it via XLR and via 1/4-inch cables from my Helix. You would be able to run the speaker from the output from your VT Bass without coloration if you wish.
 
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#173
I have the older K12, and use it mostly as a stage monitor. However I have ran my bass into it via a ToneHammer on several occasions, its plenty loud, more than fine for home, smaller low volume gigs, etc. However, I discovered that I really don't like Bass through Full Range/Flat Response cab's. So I picked up small GK MB112 for those use cases and use the K12 solely as a stage monitor.
 
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#174
I recently fired up my K10.2 with the "studio monitor" setting to audition a bunch of different XLR signals from various DIs/pedals/preamps I've accumulated. The only real standout from all that testing was the speaker itself! I quite enjoyed playing through it at home at low volume.
I wouldn't buy one just for practicing electric bass but if anything happened to my trusty old GK MB112, I would gladly deploy one of my K10s in its place.
For upright, I've had some of my best tone moments recently, just going through my PA. (David Gage Lifeline pickup -> fDeck buffer/HPF -> Allen & Heath mixer -> K10s.) The upright just seems to speak more naturally through a good full-range setup. (Also seems better without floor coupling - I'm usually already jettisoning some lows electronically.)
After years of restlessness with various bass heads & cabs, I may start doing most of my Jazz gigs through a K10.2 on a pole!
 
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#175
Bob Lee (QSC) said:
It works well, and the voicing in the bass amp preset is a pretty good starting point. It's capable of pretty decent volume even on my low B string.

The Hi-Z setting on input B gives an input impedance of 250 kΩ, which is acceptable for a passive instrument like my Yamaha BBN5. The EQ has high and low shelving along with two parametric filters. The shelving frequency points are adjustable, and they are all cut-only. I cut the very low freqs by a couple dB to take out some of the boominess I was getting and cut above about 8 kHz as well and then tweaked a couple other points to get the sound I liked best. It takes patience to work with controls and an LCD panel that are on the rear panel, so if you don't mind that inconvenience you can easily use the speaker as a stand-alone combo amp. You can save the settings as a scene or snapshot. I haven't tried it with a preamp yet, but I should think it'll be a good match. I might do that this weekend.

It might not be as easy to use as my A rig, but it's a hell of a lot more portable and easier to load in and out of my car.

I'm at the point where I'm torn between two approaches for my own personal use:
  • Retire my PLX1602 from my A rig, put my BBE pre and dbx comp/limiter into a 2RU rack case and run it into a powered loudspeaker such as the K10.2 or K12.2.
  • Get a Quilter Labs Bass Block 800 and run it into either my current A rig cabinet (an EV B1150M) or a Quilter Bassliner cab.
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Hey Bob... what did you decide on between the k12.2 or the Quilter BB800 and Bassliner cab?
 
#177
I recently picked up two K12.2's with two mini stands. So far, I'm very impressed but yes... it doesn't have the big full bottom as a dedicated bass amp (don't it expect to be) but they are no slouch for sure. I'm having a little bit of trouble dialing it in as balanced as my cans or IEM's with the Helix. It's not bad bad but I've noticed more "fizziness" out of K12.2 with my Helix when using some drives on bass that I normally don't experience in my DAW, cans or IEMs.

Also, I've rolled through many of the presets looking for the best balance. Default setting seems to work decently but a little boomy and the bass amp setting is ok. The bass amp setting gets a bit mid scooped and can get lost in the mix. That said, the k12.2 really booms/resonates loudly on the B notes (mainly 123hz <A string 14th fret> and low B 12th fret). If I put it in the studio monitor setting it is a little more tamed but losses a lot of other live goodies.

Any setting recommendations that are working from you all and why? Any EQ cab setting suggestions?
 
#178
carbonfold said:
I recently picked up two K12.2's with two mini stands. So far, I'm very impressed but yes... it doesn't have the big full bottom as a dedicated bass amp (don't it expect to be) but they are no slouch for sure. I'm having a little bit of trouble dialing it in as balanced as my cans or IEM's with the Helix. It's not bad bad but I've noticed more "fizziness" out of K12.2 with my Helix when using some drives on bass that I normally don't experience in my DAW, cans or IEMs.

Also, I've rolled through many of the presets looking for the best balance. Default setting seems to work decently but a little boomy and the bass amp setting is ok. The bass amp setting gets a bit mid scooped and can get lost in the mix. That said, the k12.2 really booms/resonates loudly on the B notes (mainly 123hz <A string 14th fret> and low B 12th fret). If I put it in the studio monitor setting it is a little more tamed but losses a lot of other live goodies.

Any setting recommendations that are working from you all and why? Any EQ cab setting suggestions?
Click to expand...

I don't own K12.2's but I have other brand. With full published measurements like the K12.2 have.

One thing to watch out for is audio illusions. That is because you hear the mids and highs better than with a run of the mill bass cabinet, your mind will full you into thinking there's less bass. It's a common thing that FOH and recording engineers know. The other illusion is that with any amp/cabinet it takes a while for your brain/hearing to adapt. Some people mistake this for an amp/cab break-in period, but it is really your own break-in period.

Since these cabs are full range and flat frequency as seen on their published measurements, then yes you can EQ them to match that of a bass cabinet. The onboard EQ can do some, but it's only meant for light touch up EQ. You will probably need an external weighted/colored bass type pre-amp. Your Helix should be able to provide all the EQ you need. And you'll get suggestions for adjustable HPF - if the helix doesn't have one built in. Cutting out frequencies causing the boom leaves more unmasked room for what you do want to hear.
 
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#179
I’m mainly meaning more in the K12.2’s dsp vs the Helix. The Helix can do whatever I want it to but I want to avoid tweaking it just for this speaker or I’m pretty much in the same boat as hauling around a bass rig and having to split my signal (one for FOH and one stage speaker). The Helix is already where I want it as it always shines in the DAW and FOH.

Tomorrow I’m going to get in a room with them and start working on some settings within the K12.2. I’m not saying it doesn’t have bottom end but it isn’t near the same as all my bass rigs but I think it will do fine. I just need to fine some good tweaks within the dsp and setting it up not to push the driver too much but I do want it to thump loudly.
 
#180
Two things I noticed worth mentioning. Currently I’ve been jamming on two of them on short stands in a left room and right room setting. I decided to turn one off and run only one. To me, it sounded and felt much better so I’m thinking the room and setting them up in a left and right room sides was giving me some possible bass phasing issues.

This evening I’ll get my first chance to set it up more live and loud. Try it out in a handful of different figurations.
 

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