All,
I wanted to give you an update on something. First off, FMR Audio's superb customer service. I bought a Really Nice Leveling Amp (RNLA) on approval, since I've used some older, vintage leveling amps for color on bass before. I definitely was pleased with the coloration the RNLA added...a different flavor than the RNC's Supernice mode. I also had a hunch that it would be a great compliment to the mwaahh of a fretless. I was right!
But then there was a similar distortion artifact that I'd experienced in some settings on the RNC. I contacted FMR Audio, and Mark McQuilken got right on it. He hadn't heard this with the RNLA, so I sent him some wav files with the distortion and without.
He tweaked some things, and sent me the unit to try out. Distortion is gone. There is now a VERY wide range of usable and useful settings for bass in the revised RNLA. You can go from subtle compression with little coloration and a slow attack to fast attack and release with complete squash, all without distortion even on a low B. The coloration is maybe slightly reduced relative to before, but it is still there enough to make me question my own ears about that difference.
As another example of Really Nice Customer Service (RNCS, trademark), Mark agreed to make the specifics of the mod available to this group. If you are handy with a PC board soldering iron, you can likely do this yourself. If not, or if you want to keep your factory warranty, you may be able to contact him directly and have him do the mod for you for a fee. No, the same mod does NOT apply to the RNC, but again
try the Supernice mode on that unit and you may be happy. Here is the RNLA mod as he described it to me:
**NOTICE**
Performing this modification will invalidate your factory product
warranty. We suggest that you do not attempt this simple modification unless you're skilled in electronic repair and/or assembly techniques.
Did I mention that doing this modification will void your factory
product warranty?
**DA MOD**
Replace C6 and C7 with one each of (both C6 & C7 should be of the same value) a 0.1uF, 1206 capacitor. The cap could be either a ceramic or film type, but should have at least a 16WVDC rating. A couple of specific, suggested manufacturers and distributor part numbers:
* Capacitor, Panasonic, 0.1uF, 50V, Ceramic X7R, 1206, P/N: ECJ-3VB1H104K (available from Digikey, Digikey P/N: PCC104BCT-ND)
OR:
* Capacitor, Panasonic, 0.1uF, 16V, PPS film, 1210, P/N:ECH-U1C104GX5 (available from Digikey, Digikey P/N: PCF1189CT-ND
OR:
* Capacitor, Murata, 0.1uF, 50V, Ceramic X7R, 1206, P/N:GRM319R71H104KA01L (available from Mouser Electronics, Mouser P/N: 81-GRM426X104K50L
**ALTERNATIVELY**
If removing C6 & C7 makes you squeamish, you can "piggyback" the above replacements with the existing C6/C7. The existing C6/C7 are so much smaller (electrically) that the new value of 0.1uF will be the predominant value after piggybacking.
So, once again I am really impressed that an already high-value company like FMR Audio is willing to go the extra mile to help out a relatively small subset of their end users. It is in our best interest to support any company that does this kind of thing, particularly when their products are so good and at such a fair price. (No, I am not affiliated with FMR Audio in any way).
