Quilter Bass Block

[TrevorOfDoom]

pull the XLR cable from the existing DI and then plug it into the line out on the BB 800.

I've been told that using my BB800 as a DI at church sounds good but it makes for too cluttered an area on stage. Too many wires and power cables. They have standards on stage cleanliness.
(yes, i think that's silly, but they pay me a good deal to keep showing up, so...)

 

[hennessybass]

I've not had an issue with using the Line Out as a DI, but sounds like that's not the issue and it's not an option for you anyway. When someone else is paying you, sometimes you have to do the way the boss wants. Just the way it is.

I've not heard any talk of a BB DI pedal, and I kind of doubt quilter will do that. Seem to me like the power amp thing is kind of their bread and butter... and I think the way their pre-amps interact with their power amps is where all the magic is for the Quilter Co.

I'd more expect a kind of BB+ amp down the road that will include a true DI... although you never know. The BB pre-amp section is very simple, easy to dial in, and sounds great. Would make a very nice pre-amp pedal / DI.

 

[basscapes]

I just (and finally) pulled the trigger on ordering one this past Saturday!

It should be here Thursday, pending that the UPS-gremlins don't F things up!

Had a few questions, so I emailed Quilter.

Pat (THE MAN) replied pretty promptly too! Got quite the conversation going with him (besides the amp, about Carl Staling too)!

We'll soon see what 4 pounds of Canned Monster through an SVT810E sounds like...

Yes, I know- this is my THIRD post about this bloody thing in the last few days. Can't help it! I'm super stoked to get this thing powered up and rawkin!

 

[redstrand]

I just (and finally) pulled the trigger on ordering one this past Saturday!

It should be here Thursday, pending that the UPS-gremlins don't F things up!

Had a few questions, so I emailed Quilter.

Pat (THE MAN) replied pretty promptly too! Got quite the conversation going with him (besides the amp, about Carl Staling too)!

We'll soon see what 4 pounds of Canned Monster through an SVT810E sounds like...

Yes, I know- this is my THIRD post about this bloody thing in the last few days. Can't help it! I'm super stoked to get this thing powered up and rawkin!

Four pounds of canned monster sounds glorious through the 8x10, the local shop I demo d it through made the walls move

 

[bdplaid]

I've been told that using my BB800 as a DI at church sounds good but it makes for too cluttered an area on stage. Too many wires and power cables. They have standards on stage cleanliness.
(yes, i think that's silly, but they pay me a good deal to keep showing up, so...)

Well I can tell you what I would do... make sure the DI can accept a guitar cable input and use an Xvive wireless. If they're that picky I'm going to make it easy on myself.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

I've been told that using my BB800 as a DI at church sounds good but it makes for too cluttered an area on stage. Too many wires and power cables. They have standards on stage cleanliness.
(yes, i think that's silly, but they pay me a good deal to keep showing up, so...)

As a longtime stagehand and backline guy this sounds like some kind of excuse for something (although I'm not sure what exactly). If the techs can't neatly dress a few essential cables with gaff tape (it comes in many colors) and/or cable mats that's a serious gap in their education and imagination. Making cables disappear is stagehand 010.

 

[Mushroo]

I've been told that using my BB800 as a DI at church sounds good but it makes for too cluttered an area on stage. Too many wires and power cables. They have standards on stage cleanliness.
(yes, i think that's silly, but they pay me a good deal to keep showing up, so...)

Wouldn't a hypothetical "BB DI" have the same number of wires (3) as your current setup? Guitar cable from bass to DI, XLR cable from DI to sound board, power cable from the outlet to the DI.

 

[Al Kraft]

Wouldn't a hypothetical "BB DI" have the same number of wires (3) as your current setup? Guitar cable from bass to DI, XLR cable from DI to sound board, power cable from the outlet to the DI.

While I agree with you 100%, I guess an argument could be made that many DI's need no power cord (passive, battery, phantom power all come to mind). To be clear though, I'm with Jeff Bonny in that there's something else going on with stage and sound support folks who see one extra power cable as a deal breaker.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Wouldn't a hypothetical "BB DI" have the same number of wires (3) as your current setup? Guitar cable from bass to DI, XLR cable from DI to sound board, power cable from the outlet to the DI.

While I agree with you 100%, I guess an argument could be made that many DI's need no power cord (passive, battery, phantom power all come to mind). To be clear though, I'm with Jeff Bonny in that there's something else going on with stage and sound support folks who see one extra power cable as a deal breaker.

If it's a Pre with DI, then it can be pedal powered. No extra power cable.
It's the fact that the amp is a large(r) box and an extra light on stage.

 

[Mushroo]

While I agree with you 100%, I guess an argument could be made that many DI's need no power cord (passive, battery, phantom power all come to mind). To be clear though, I'm with Jeff Bonny in that there's something else going on with stage and sound support folks who see one extra power cable as a deal breaker.

Ooooooh, phantom-powered "Quilter DI" is a nice concept, great idea!

 

[Jeff Bonny]

This is going waaaay off topic but it seems to me that if the artistic visionaries don't want to see cables on the ground dumping them through ports in a simple system of low risers would be the ticket. And suggesting it would probably get you fired....

 

[basscapes]

Four pounds of canned monster sounds glorious through the 8x10, the local shop I demo d it through made the walls move

I like the sound of that!

Only One More Big Sleep!!

 

[basscapes]

I also have always played a mix of old and new gear, so I use 1/4-> speakon cables.

I actually HAD to rummage through two carry on bag's worth of cables and crap last night- my BB800 had just arrived, but my Speakon connector that I ordered didn't (supposed to show up today- thanks Sweetwater for sending it USPS again- but at least it was free shipping. Sense the sarcasm there?).

So I went on the rapid hunt to find a 1/4" to 1/4" speaker cable so I could at least try out the amp (I am almost needlessly paranoid of using 1/4-1/4 cables now, being pampered by the Speakon connectors on the back of my 810!)!

BTW, I DID notice some hiss through my 810 (sitting about 2ft right in front of it!), but not enough to matter (and certainly it will be quieter than anyone else's tube amp in a rehearsal or gig situ!)...

 

[basscapes]

It's alive!

for all the hot poop on this thing, see my review elsewhere- NAD- Quilter Bass Block 800! Finally! Or, somewhat veiled attempt at humor to mask my insecurities.

 

[The Rage]

Try turnin up the master and leaving gain low. At least with my bass is plesaing even with Master full or almost at full and gain at 0. Literally 0...

 

[basscapes]

Try turnin up the master and leaving gain low. At least with my bass is plesaing even with Master full or almost at full and gain at 0. Literally 0...

I kinda like that "just gettin' a bit of edge" power amp tone that I get running it like that (high-ish input GAIN, low MASTER)... So far.

Of course, I've only had the better of 2 hours last night to try things at a rather conservative (and nowhere near gig-approved) volume...

 

[hennessybass]

Try turnin up the master and leaving gain low. At least with my bass is plesaing even with Master full or almost at full and gain at 0. Literally 0...

I like this. I've had my gain in the 2-4 for a while, and adjust the master for volume. I like the feel of the amp (the way it responds to touch) better with the gain low.

I've tried the Gain high method at home and on a few gigs. It's OK. When I get to about 5 or 6 the amp seem to stiffen up. Usable but you loose some touch feel IMO. Good tone for a more straight forward rock oriented sound. One I get to about 8 on the gain, it starts to "break up", but (IMO) it's not really a usable or natural sounding beak up. In fact, I'd say it's more of a clipping than break up sound.

I don't really get a tube amp vibe from the quilter. Maybe a big supper clean tube amp like a Hiwatt DR201 or something. I get more of big-ole SS vibe - reminds me of my old Thunderfunk 800. I think of the BB800 as part of that whole Acoustic, AMP, Thunderfunk family tree.

 

[basscapes]

I like this. I've had my gain in the 2-4 for a while, and adjust the master for volume. I like the feel of the amp (the way it responds to touch) better with the gain low.

I've tried the Gain high method at home and on a few gigs. It's OK. When I get to about 5 or 6 the amp seem to stiffen up. Usable but you loose some touch feel IMO. Good tone for a more straight forward rock oriented sound. One I get to about 8 on the gain, it starts to "break up", but (IMO) it's not really a usable or natural sounding beak up. In fact, I'd say it's more of a clipping than break up sound.

I don't really get a tube amp vibe from the quilter. Maybe a big supper clean tube amp like a Hiwatt DR201 or something. I get more of big-ole SS vibe - reminds me of my old Thunderfunk 800. I think of the BB800 as part of that whole Acoustic, AMP, Thunderfunk family tree.

That's an interesting take on things! Hr201? Oh for sure. Lots of apparent volume on tap with that one (my friend/guitarist used to have one! LOOK OUT!).

Of course, bear in mind that my major experience with tube power (in the last ten years) has been hi-fi power amps and that whole audiophile thing. The BB800 reminds me somewhat of the vibrancy of a REALLY GOOD audiophile tube power amp (JFGI- Audio Research, VTL, Sonic Frontiers). Guess that is an extreme complement to Pat and his crew! While my first exposure to tube amps came with my first two bass amps (Ampeg V4B and V2), hi-fi amps are what my ears have been calibrated too for a long time.

Lets just RAWK our respective monsters!

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

I like this. I've had my gain in the 2-4 for a while, and adjust the master for volume. I like the feel of the amp (the way it responds to touch) better with the gain low.

I've tried the Gain high method at home and on a few gigs. It's OK. When I get to about 5 or 6 the amp seem to stiffen up. Usable but you loose some touch feel IMO. Good tone for a more straight forward rock oriented sound. One I get to about 8 on the gain, it starts to "break up", but (IMO) it's not really a usable or natural sounding beak up. In fact, I'd say it's more of a clipping than break up sound.

I don't really get a tube amp vibe from the quilter. Maybe a big supper clean tube amp like a Hiwatt DR201 or something. I get more of big-ole SS vibe - reminds me of my old Thunderfunk 800. I think of the BB800 as part of that whole Acoustic, AMP, Thunderfunk family tree.

Yeah, the HiWatt comparison is one of the best explanations of the BB800’s tone.
One could do pretty well running a Tech21 Leeds or Catalinbread WIIO into this amp.

 

[Cuniliguns]

Just came from a Blues Festival in Portugal and I'm so pleased so have this sweet sounding MEGALODON amp + Barefaced speakers. It was in a central square park for 100+ people, high stage with open back. The sound man told me "You got no bass on the P.A. your rig is all that is needed"
Guitarist was using a Deville 60W (valves) and the drummer was pretty loud but the bass was everywhere so....I was at home. This is the most important part, I could listen everyone in the stage, I could be heard by everyone at the stage ( + audience) I only had to focus on playing.

Great experience, great event, great sound.

Congrats Quilter and Barefaced.

Spoiler: Pictures