Thank you very much Tedw! Good to know that, I ll search how much I ll have to pay for importing an item to UK, that's the key point to decide I guess
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Double Bass Series 4 from Acoustic Image
- Thread starter Steve Freides
- Start date
Acousti Image has a UK / Europe representative. Great guy to deal with. You can find it here:
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I’m comparing a brand new s4 with a used s3 Clarus, and am absolutely hearing the differences between the two amps. Does the S4 end up sounding more “warm” like the S3 after a break in period? The S4 is sounding much more harsh and 'digital' (in lack of a better word) through my barefaced one10t, my acme B1, and/or my upshot.
I love all the s4 features, but please tell me the amp is going to break in and warm up, yeah? This is the first AI head I've bought new.
I love all the s4 features, but please tell me the amp is going to break in and warm up, yeah? This is the first AI head I've bought new.
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Dunno. I can say for sure that the Focus 2 flat top I use now is warm and dialed in a way that my 3rd gen Focus (slant front) was not. It was kind of clinical and I used the FX in mostly with other preamps. (Rick DID change the IMP from 1 to 10Mohms for me and that warmed up the pickup but not the eq). The flattop Focus 2 I have now is better sounding and performing then the Walter Woods I owned too. Rick changed things from time to time and also sold to other instrumentalists with different eq needs ...I think when he started the amps were primarily bass-centric.
I wish it was an EQ thing, but I can't seem to dial in a natural bass tone on this amp to save my life. I'm trying really hard not to be hyper-critical and just dig it, but I just don't. The flat top series 2 are the cat's PJs, for sure. It's probably got me spoiled. In it's defense, the microphone preamp and effects section on this series 4 is lightyears ahead, though. I really want to love this series 4 (!!), but my neurotic arse can't hang with this tone. I just sent Gollihurs an email about returning it.
My AI Clarus 2R Series 4 is nice and warm sounding. It truly helps bring the MBOL sound in my head to fruition. I even use a little bit of the delay effect on the slap pickup channel and it gets that old school 50s room delay thing with the click. This is with a Vic’s Model C and a K&K Rockabilly Preamp.
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both inputs on my clarus sl-2 are 1Mohm. i'd like to change one of them to 10Mohm. i don't know how to do it or who i could send it to. any suggestions? i already have an Fdeck, but it would be nice to simplify if possible.
To enlarge the input impedance a resistor inside the amp needs to be changed. You can lower the input resistance (impedance) from the outside, but not raise it without changing the inside (beyond adding an impedance buffer).
An electronic repair person should be able to find the 1 MegOhms resistors close to the input jacks and replace it with 10 MegOhnms types, but he might need to order the right type.
Unless you’re using a Fishman Full Circle or BP-100 you may find the 10 Meg setting to gooey for lack of a better word
Does anyone know if this series 4 uses FET technology similar to the Redeye for its impedance detecting 1/4” inputs in the preamp stage? Sure do wish I could drop ole Rick an email and pick his brain for a minute…
talkbass talked me into buying a single element yamahiko, which has improved my ampllified sound more than anything else. the yamahiko likes the 10 Mohm of the fdeck HPFpre (another fine piece of equipment). the sound is certainly usable into the 1 Mohm input of the clarus sl2, but it is noticeably better through 10 Mohm fdeck HPFpre. i do generally eq the lows down a bit and apply some HPF.
a side note - i notice that later in the night i usually use more HPF. in other words the sound is different at the end of the gig. is this because: the amp is warmer, after 2 hours of sound vibration the bass is more alive, or my ears are hearing things differently, or all of the above?
As far as I know any MegOhms input uses some kind of JFET if it is not a valve. The JFET can be discrete or part of an OpAmp.
The RedEye additionally uses a kind of adaptive impedance depending on the lowest frequency in the signal. At least that’s how I read it.
I doubt that the series 4 uses something similar. If you find a fixed value input impedance in the technical data of the amp it just uses this and no adaptive circuit.
According to this review, the impedence on the "Hi Z (10Mohm)" input of the Clarus SL is actually around 5-8Mohm depending on how it's tested.
In response to the OP, I feel like the EQ points have changed enough between the major versions to probably explain most of what they're hearing. Also the actual build components changing over the years may be contributing as well.
Well, after about 20+ hours of play time, the digital-like sounding artifact in the preamp section of this new Clarus 1 that was driving me nuts has largely abated. I should have known better than to judge a piece of gear by the just first couple hours play-time... I canceled my return request with Gollihur's (bless their patience with my neurosis...) and look forward to breaking this amp in more over the next 20-30 years, should I be so lucky.
That is good. ...The brilliance of Rick is that when you are done obsessing about perfection in amplification (that's rich coming from me) Rick's eq amp and preamp do a fantastic economical job night after night on upright, tough room after tough room in a small little light weight amp box with just the right features and excesses of power.
I am so down with the AI amp into MAS46 since I bought this Focus that I am taking it even to duo gigs. (despite having little speakers for that). No more fighting to get it right and perfectly consistent in any room.
I'm glad it warmed up to you.
I am so down with the AI amp into MAS46 since I bought this Focus that I am taking it even to duo gigs. (despite having little speakers for that). No more fighting to get it right and perfectly consistent in any room.
I'm glad it warmed up to you.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I owned a Series IV Contra which had a removable head and I used the head with a few other cabinets. To my ears, AI heads have all had a midrange emphasis without much low end. I often struggled to get a punchy tone on the bandstand which I believe actually sounds natural on a gig and is what I’m paid for. It may be counter to what many bassists believe, but I don’t think what sounds most natural at home translates on gigs. Not always anyway.
Yea, I tended to use a smiley face EQ.
I still have a series I Clarus and will likely keep it because it’s a cool little amp, but it really doesn’t sound that good. Really, none of the AI amps I owned stayed around for long. A MarkBass Nano 300 works really well with an old Contra EX.
I have done that in the past, especially the the low mid. Lately I’ve bee running a tube pre into the hi Z input and am running the eq mostly flat, just little tweaks for the room or stage.
Yeah, I realize I’ve been leaning on my redeye and tube pre for EQ quite a bit. I think there’s a right hand technique thing at play here, though, which is making me consider rebuilding my whole sound from straight in and the ground up. Thanks for responding, I’m having a lot of second guessing. I played a gig with it last night in a huge room and the BL wanted me to crank it. I wasn’t digging on it at that volume, but the band loved the tone I was getting. So, I’m trying to EQ at crazy high volumes here in my practice room
and am starting to notice the auditory hallucinations kickin’ in. More or possibly less coffee is required, no doubt.
and am starting to notice the auditory hallucinations kickin’ in. More or possibly less coffee is required, no doubt.
I agree, I've chased amp settings a lot and run the AI eq pretty extreme in the past. The epiphany for me was using a tube as a input buffer. I'm sure the Red Eye does the same thing taking the edge off of piezo pickups. In my experiences with tubes so far, I've gotten a much more silky, glassy sound out of the Realists... not microphonic exactly but really much more pleasant and useful than the pickup straight into the amp.
I played a somewhat tricky room last night with lots of brick & hipster steel & an open roof. I left my AI at home and brought out a Raezer's Edge Luna 700 + a GK 210 NEO, mainly for the weight & simplicity of just 4 knobs. The voice of the amp was much different but the evening was success.
In the end it still sounded like me playing bass!
In the end it still sounded like me playing bass!
