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Quilter has something new on the way?

#141
brianrost said:
The XLR output is labeled “Line Out”. Sounds more like something to use with an external power amp than a DI to me.
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But a lot of DI outputs on bass amps (most?) are line level, either solely or as one of two options (the other being mic). The fact that it's a line-level out doesn't make it not a DI.

Also, I can't imagine that needing to hook up an 800W amp to *another* power amp would be more common than just needing to get a direct signal from your amp to the PA. Who knows what the actual numbers would be, but it wouldn't surprise me if for every 1 case of the former, there are 100+ cases of the latter. This suggests that the Quilter's line out is conceived as a DI primarily, and that its ability to drive another power amp is probably a secondary consideration (gravy, IOW). To paraphrase Charles Barkley, I might be wrong, but I don't think so.;)

Besides, if that line out isn't meant as a DI, then the 803 doesn't appear even to have a DI, which would be significantly weirder than not having a pre/post EQ switch. But then, Quilter is indeed quirky sometimes....
 
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#143
brianrost said:
The XLR output is labeled “Line Out”. Sounds more like something to use with an external power amp than a DI to me.
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Another example: the Jad Freer Sisma's D.I. Out (as labeled on the amp) is a balanced preamp out in tandem with the unbalanced 1/4" preamp output, before the master volume. It does offer a ground lift and a pad, but no Pre/Post option.
 
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#144
agedhorse said:
Most DI outputs are mic level with some being switchable to line level as an option.
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I happily defer to your knowledge of the field as a whole. My impressions may be warped by the gear I own. My Mesa and my Genzler are mic/line switchable, my Quilter BB800 is line level only, and my Acoustic Image Clarus appears to be default line level (described in the manual as a +4 dB balanced output with a switchable 10 dB pad).
 
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#146
InkCow said:
Function massively outweighs form on the list of priorities, but I can’t help but admire their determination to make this amp line increasingly uglier.
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Funny, I think the opposite. I like the aesthetics of the brushed metal a lot, I think it retains tge “industrial” look of the previous models that I liked, but in a more refined way.

But on a stage, the legibility is better when the amp is black and the labels are white, like the majority of bass amps. And more importantly, it is completely stupid to put the labels under the knobs, because most of the time the knobs will hide them!

I think the new design is more attractive but less efficient.
 
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#147
gtirard said:
I like the aesthetics of the brushed metal a lot
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I guess I didn’t realize that was brushed metal: it looked like an off white. I also like brushed metal, so maybe I am misjudging the aesthetics a bit.

But totally agree with you on the ergonomics: it’s way more important that the interface be functional and intuitive in situations where it’s likely to be used: e.g., dark stages. Labels under the knobs seems like it would be far less legible.
 
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#150
Bag of Lazers said:
They put the labels under the knobs b/c it's not meant to be sat horizontally/on top of a cab. It's supposed to be strapped to the back of a Bassliner/Bassdock and you look down at the controls vertically. I wish those cabs were a little more affordable (I waited a long time to find a 1/2 decent deal on a 1x12) because they sound phenomenal with these heads.
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Ok then, thanks, at least it explains the strange design choice. I don't agree because I think the large majority will use them with other cabs, but it's their choice.
 
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#151
gtirard said:
Ok then, thanks, at least it explains the strange design choice. I don't agree because I think the large majority will use them with other cabs, but it's their choice.
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I agree. I'm generally opposed to that kind of brand specific/proprietary design that companies like Apple and Nintendo are famous for. This isn't as bad as those companies of course, but it's still a little like 🤨 😒.
 
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#152
gtirard said:
Ok then, thanks, at least it explains the strange design choice. I don't agree because I think the large majority will use them with other cabs, but it's their choice.
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I don't think so either. In fact, the whole make-your-own-combo Block/Dock thing seems like a misstep to me. It seems like the unneeded answer to a question hardly anybody was asking. It's not very good ergonomically. It makes the controls harder to see--especially since they're already on an angled face plate!--and you can't even use a proper SpeakOn cable with the cabs. You also end up with a fairly heavy combo, which matters to some of us. If the amps weren't so good, I'd just chuckle and move on. As I say, I like Quilter a lot, but sometimes I wonder whom they're talking to when they implement some of these ideas.
 
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#153
I've been looking for a small but reasonably powerful amp to use as a power amp with my pedalboard pre. Something that would be easy to take to rehearsals with a small cab, or be throw in my kit as a backup amp / alternative to backline amps. The BB series has been on my radar for a while and fits the bill, with the added bonus that it's a full-featured amp that I can use in the event that my pedalboard fails (something that power amp only solutions like a Sumo couldn't do). It's also got the added bonus that it could easily push my Subway 215 if I needed it to.

I wonder if there are any significant advancements in the power section of the 803 to warrant me waiting for one of those rather than grabbing an 800 or 802. Last I heard Pat used original power amp designs in his products rather than off-the-shelf modules like ICEpower.

I'm also curious whether the FX return drops in after all the non-EQ controls like the Modern/Warm/qTube switch. It would be cool to have a power amp with some voicing options.

The whole post-master DI thing sounds bothersome but also wouldn't matter to me much as I'll take the DI line from my pedalboard preamp anyhow.
 
#155
Verticos said:
I've been looking for a small but reasonably powerful amp to use as a power amp with my pedalboard pre. Something that would be easy to take to rehearsals with a small cab, or be throw in my kit as a backup amp / alternative to backline amps. The BB series has been on my radar for a while and fits the bill, with the added bonus that it's a full-featured amp that I can use in the event that my pedalboard fails (something that power amp only solutions like a Sumo couldn't do). It's also got the added bonus that it could easily push my Subway 215 if I needed it to.

I wonder if there are any significant advancements in the power section of the 803 to warrant me waiting for one of those rather than grabbing an 800 or 802. Last I heard Pat used original power amp designs in his products rather than off-the-shelf modules like ICEpower.

I'm also curious whether the FX return drops in after all the non-EQ controls like the Modern/Warm/qTube switch. It would be cool to have a power amp with some voicing options.

The whole post-master DI thing sounds bothersome but also wouldn't matter to me much as I'll take the DI line from my pedalboard preamp anyhow.
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I guess when the 803 will be out, you'll find lots of 800 & 802 in the classified and their price may go down
 
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#156
Verticos said:
The whole post-master DI thing sounds bothersome but also wouldn't matter to me much as I'll take the DI line from my pedalboard preamp anyhow.
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That post-Master business was a thing with the 800, but IIRC the "Sig Out" was no longer post-Master on the 802. (Also no longer XLR, which was discussed at the time.) I assume they'd have kept that fix for the 803, but who knows? I'm sure Tom B will be able to tell us after the review.
 
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#157
gtirard said:
it is completely stupid to put the labels under the knobs, because most of the time the knobs will hide them!
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It could be because of that Dock concept they keep pushing. If you put the head into one of their Dock cabs, the labels are actually easier to read when they're under the knobs than they would be over the knobs. Still not especially easy--and I still think the Docks are kind of a dumb idea, as mentioned above--but easIER. Or maybe just less difficult.
 
#158
I can confirm that the 803 definitely fits in the Bass Dock!

IMG_3532 (2).jpg


IMG_3533 (2).jpg


IMG_3534 (2).jpg
 
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