Quilter Bass Block

[Lowendtech]

Your guarantee means less from over here where "favoured" is correctly spelt (spelled?).

Spelt is a grain which has its own flavour.
The peeps that built Stonehenge prolly made bread out of it.

Sorry ‘bout that. I couldn’t resist.

 

[kasbrey]

prolly

Wonderful to see how far the mother tongue has evolved......

 

[BigEarl]

Guys, a question to you BB800 owners. Yestarday (better late than never) during the sound check I realized that BB800 has no balanced DI out? How do you manage with that if you need to connect it to mixing console of PA?

I've been using a Tech 21 Q/Strip as my tone controls (BB800 is set flat) and it has a DI XLR out. Best of all worlds!

 

[Lowendtech]

Wonderful to see how far the mother tongue has evolved......

It evolved very differently in a relatively small area there too though. My Dad’s a Brit. Having been over a few times, there’s probably some interesting colourful differences in local lingo that I’ve enjoyed learning about there.

 

[PhatBasstard]

Your guarantee means less from over here where "favoured" is correctly spelt (spelled?).

I was going to change it because the spell check actually didn't like it.
But then I thought...those silly Canadians.

 

[Lowendtech]

I was going to change it because the spell check actually didn't like it.
But then I thought...those silly Canadians.

Burp!........ That bloke’s over the pond a bit.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

The Master knob controls the dual-stage limiter, so when it’s at its 40 watt setting, it pushes back much like a 40 watt tube amp.
So yes, the Master is a HUGE part of the tone of the amp.

 

[bdplaid]

That's basically why there are individual input gain controls and/or pads on each channel on pro sound boards.
And also why many forward thinking amp manufactures also include a control of some kind for the DI out that is unaffected by the master volume and does nothing to the amps tone....because it's not supposed to....

But that means there is the amp... and then the DI.. each with a different sound, one of which in uncontrolled by the player. To me, the DI isn't really part of the amp unless it has some special emulation that will send a signal to the board that sounds just like the amp. But that means the signal is post everything, because you want it to emulate your amp.

Perhaps we've come a bit too demanding in what we require in an amp. It's nice to have a DI in the back of the amp, and methinks we've gotten spoiled by having that. But amps like the Quilter are all amp, meaning the XLR out is part of the amp, a feed to drive slaves, not a DI per se.

For me, the cab is such an important part of the equation that the soundman should mic it. Otherwise, it's a heck of a lot easier to not use an amp at all and just an emulator and in-ears.

 

[bdplaid]

I can guarantee you, most pro sound engineers are on my side of this.

And of course, the reason why we are all there is to please the sound engineer.

 

[anton72]

Guys, don’t get me wrong, I love this amp and it’s a keeper BUT yesterday I had to use my backup Aguilar TH350 JUST because it had DI and BB800 didn’t. We’re not here to please sound techs okay, but making all things easier for everyone involved is normal for any gear in 21st century. I also read Quilter feedback on it and hopefully these guys will fix it in next generation of BB800.

 

[Frank77]

We’re not here to please sound techs okay, but making all things easier for everyone involved is normal for any gear in 21st century. I also read Quilter feedback on it and hopefully these guys will fix it in next generation of BB800.

I agree with your point.

For me, though, the maybe-less-than-ideal DI of the BB was never a dealbreaker: It sounds so much better than other class D offerings that I would've bought one even if it had no XLR out at all. I have always carried an external DI box in my gig bag anyway, a safety net for the unlikely event my amp craps out on the gig.

So in my case it really doesn't matter, but could it have been better? Yes.

 

[kasbrey]

Guys, don’t get me wrong, I love this amp and it’s a keeper BUT yesterday I had to use my backup Aguilar TH350 JUST because it had DI and BB800 didn’t.

Just to be clear for anyone new to the BB800 reading this, it does have a DI (and a good one too) but it doesn't have a pre switch or an independent level control.

 

[Agosix]

I am happy with my BB800 as is. I love the DI on it cause it always worked for me. Reading through all the over analyzed DI comments I stumbled across one comment as to adding a bright switch which actually would be a good idea for ya happy slappers out there. For me it’s great as is. The amps minimalist design, function and great tone is what sets it apart from the rest. One can always add a pre, eq, pedal etc which is many do any way.

 

[PhatBasstard]

FWIW, I never said or thought it wasn't a great amp, as an "amp".
Just that in the real world of live, pro sound reinforcement, the limitation of the DI
being strictly post everything, was ill conceived. Especially when the options with this feature,
that almost all other modern pro heads offer, are so easy to incorporate.
And the fact that Quilter themselves have realized this, and have said they are changing it,
makes all who are trying to rationalize it's current state, just look silly.

Incorporate the same options for the DI out that most other heads smartly possess.
Then everybody can set it the way they want.
Those of you that enjoy torturing your FOH engineers can continue to do so.

 

[Col Pruse]

FWIW, I never said or thought it wasn't a great amp, as an "amp".
Just that in the real world of live, pro sound reinforcement, the limitation of the DI
being strictly post everything, was ill conceived. Especially when the options with this feature,
that almost all other modern pro heads offer, are so easy to incorporate.
And the fact that Quilter themselves have realized this, and have said they are changing it,
makes all who are trying to rationalize it's current state, just look silly.

Incorporate the same options for the DI out that most other heads smartly possess.
Then everybody can set it the way they want.
Those of you that enjoy torturing your FOH engineers can continue to do so.

Cool story, man.

 

[kasbrey]

Just that in the real world of live, pro sound reinforcement, the limitation of the DI
being strictly post everything, was ill conceived. Especially when the options with this feature,
that almost all other modern pro heads offer, are so easy to incorporate.
And the fact that Quilter themselves have realized this, and have said they are changing it,
makes all who are trying to rationalize it's current state, just look silly.

Just to be clear, the list of ideas I put up there are not guaranteed features that will be added. That is the start of our working compiled list of all of the feedback we have received so we have something to go to when we sit down to make a plan.
Cheers,
Peter

Having pointed that out I'd be amazed if uncoupling the DI from the master wasn't on the list for the deluxe version in a couple of years. Peter also said that the original BassBlock is going nowhere.
As for "the real world of live, pro sound reinforcement" I have a Basswitch DI EQ I can offer, as the most discerning sound guys tend to turn their noses up at DI's in these types of amps anyway (rightly or wrongly).

 

[PhatBasstard]

As for "the real world of live, pro sound reinforcement" I have a Basswitch DI EQ I can offer, as the most discerning sound guys tend to turn their noses up at DI's in these types of amps anyway (rightly or wrongly).

Oh absolutely (as I mentioned this earlier). Certain sound guys have their preferred toys and insist on playing with them.
If they want to do the extra work of hooking up the extra gear, its no problem for me as I run the DI of my amp pre EQ (because I have that option built in.....) anyway. They get my bass through my effects board only, either way.
I've had more than a few techs decide my amp feed was fine once I assured them they weren't going to get a post EQ feed.
This concern is very often the reason they "turn their nose up".

One of the big reasons the FOH guys often insist on this, is your amp's EQ (and changing volume levels) is exactly what
they don't want happening in their feed off the bass. When you see a bass rig mic'd at a pro show, it's very rarely the main source. It's typically for flavoring on top of the direct (box or off the amp) signal.

 

[SickAura]

Oh absolutely (as I mentioned this earlier). Certain sound guys have their preferred toys and insist on playing with them.
If they want to do the exrtra work of hooking up the extra gear, its no problem for me as I run the DI of my amp pre EQ (because I have that option built in.....) anyway. They get my bass through my effects board only, either way.
I've had more than a few techs decide my amp feed was fine once I assured them they weren't going to get a post EQ feed.
This concern is very often the reason they "turn their nose up".

One of the big reasons the FOH guys often insist on this, is your amp's EQ (and changing volume levels) is exactly what
they don't want happening in their feed off the bass. When you see a bass rig mic'd at a pro show, it's very rarely the main source. It's typically for flavoring on top of the direct (box or off the amp) signal.

Dead Horse

 

[PhatBasstard]

Dead Horse

Flat Earthers.
Whatta' ya' gonna' do?

 

[Lowendtech]

The last reason I bought a BB8 for, is the DI.
I have other good DI options for that which are always with me anyway.
I picked it up because it did what I wanted it to do. I have no qualms about how it functions. It’s excels at what it does. (Don’t get me wrong. Everybody has their own wish list).
If I want a different way of doing things, I bring a different amp. But it’s usually not necessary.