[sfx] Micro Thumpinator test and survey

[monkeyfinger]

I just ordered the mThump. I am really looking forward to it. I know it seems pricey, but I also know that a very high quality analog filter with steep roll-off and few artifacts are difficult and expensive to make. Why do you think some studio eq's cost thousands of dollars?

Question: Where is the best place to put the mThump? My effect chain goes like this:
Bass
OD
Env Filter
comp
oct
eq
dist
fuzz
chorus
pre-amp
amp

The pre-amp has a series effects loop after the first gain stage.

I assume I should put the filter as close to the source as possible. I am thinking after the eq. What do you think?

 

[garythenuke]

I contacted Max to order a Micro-Thump but he's out of stock. Dagnabbit..

Anyway I'll be prowling for any indication that he has some ready to ship in the very near future.
To me this thing is totally worth the price. If not for the ability to hear the difference, then for the ability to save my gear.
My thinking is that this should be the first piece of gear the signal sees right out of the bass. That way nothing else has to deal with the ultra-low frequencies.
I'm going to run active bass--> Micro Thump--> anything else-->amp -->speakers
I don't use an eq pedal. I do have an ocatve pedal, and my amp also has an octave switch that I plan to use the heck out of....

 

[Bob Coldwell]

If the MB500 has a hpf it isn't very effective, it blew apart my main cab. Admittedly it is quite old and needed to be re-glued.
The mThump made a significant difference at medium and higher volume levels and my small combo, Polytone MBIII is much happier with the mThump in the chain.

Hmm. I just emailed GK that same question after reading a newer TB HPF thread. No answer yet. So, I started searching old threads, and landed on this one. Any updates from MB 500 users, with or without thumpinator? I'm completely in favor of saving my speakers.

 

[bassbrad]

I can tell a difference between using the mThump and not, especially w certain efx.

 

[Bob Coldwell]

I got my email reply from Gallien Krueger. They stated that all their amps have a 40 Hz roll off built in to avoid wasting power on unheard and unwanted frequencies, thus also aiding in speaker longevity. They didn't say specifically that it was an HPF or what the slope or cut was.

I suppose this should be posted in the "amps" forum, but the ultimate question is whether I still need this unit (micro thumpinator or any HPF box) with my current amp setup.

 

[Dark Barn]

I got my email reply from Gallien Krueger. They stated that all their amps have a 40 Hz roll off built in to avoid wasting power on unheard and unwanted frequencies, thus also aiding in speaker longevity. They didn't say specifically that it was an HPF or what the slope or cut was.

I suppose this should be posted in the "amps" forum, but the ultimate question is whether I still need this unit (micro thumpinator or any HPF box) with my current amp setup.

Sounds like you already have a filter there to protect your speakers and your power amp, but ask yourself, when was the last time it had a break?

You've been working it mercilessly, unaware that it even existed. But if you had a Thumpinator that GK filter could maybe take a holiday, hit the spa. See Europe.

 

[Hector_G]

I've had the mThumpinator for a few years now and I can say that I'm absolutely satisfied with its performance. I put it on the underside of my Pedaltrain as it's an always-on device which I don't have to worry about. I put it absolutely last in my chain. My thinking is that the signal coming from my bass needs to be unadulterated in order to feed into my multiple pedals. Every single nuance from my playing affects the way my overdrives and dynamic filters react. I think of it as any "thump" that my bass produces activate my dynamic filters. Also any "thump" really kicks in my overdrive pedals. So you know how much speaker destroying subharmonic frequencies can be produced by things like dynamic wahs such as the Digitech envelope filter. All of those feed into my MXR compressor to tame any crazy spikes. Anything that gets through that is further tamed by the Thumpinator. I think of it as just extra insurance to make sure my speakers don't get fed any signals that can really strain them.

You're not supposed to notice it's there and that's the amazing thing about it. It does NOT affect your tone. It does NOT affect your dynamics. It simply eliminates the things you can't hear that your speaker tries to reproduce, but shouldn't.

 

[Matt Morgan]

I don't need to write anything about the mThump because Hector G already did it for me. I use it in the exact same fashion, with nearly the exact effects and have the exact same level of satisfaction with it. Thanks Hector! I would never consider playing without it.

 

[Mosfed]

I have found I like a micro-thump at the start of my chain. It definitely makes my octaves track better.

 

[Wfrance3]

Sorry to violate the dead on a 1 year old post...
Sorry again if this stirs up something we more or less put to bed...

Now that is out of the way, I wanted to contribute something from yesterday morning at Church. I am a fan of and have been using my Micro Thumpinator for maybe a year+ and have always had it at the end of the chain. Yesterday morning It ended up second to the last just before my DI. Had a cable go on me at the last minute and what I had that would reach landed it where I just said. It definitely felt like there was more mojo. Later that day I went back during my kids choir rehearsal and played with Thumpinator original position vs. new position vs. not at all. Of the 3 options, this is what I'm doing now b/c (to my ears) it sounded best:

Nose vol. /on-off
Zoom B1on (limiter and a little eq bump at and around 800 Hz)
Thumpinator
Tech 21 Para DI
Out to the mixing board.

Not knowing all they sonic math involved in how to support this little revelation, I feel a little like Theodoric of York explaining what I think is going on:

I'm guessing whatever digital-i-ness is involved with the tone coming out of the Zoom is being gobbled up by the Thumpinator and then the DI is doing it's thing with a better quality of input.

At any rate, thought I'd share in hopes that this might help someone!

 

[bassbrad]

Well it is Halloween after all. Still digging my mThumpinator, one on my board and the other in my studio go kit.