• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Sonic Farm/MAS Bass Amp project.

#201
Dave Hill said:
I get what you're saying, but, I can't see using a "baseline" anything as an analogy for the Tantra.

Everyone please take the Mo' comment out of my previous post... My point was there is a lot of "stuff" to get right on that head. And if it's not "right" for me I'd rather not pay for a vestigial feature on my amp.

And I'm NOT saying they didn't get it all right. They may have. I dunno. For the coin they better have.
Click to expand...

Totally. I didn't mean to imply that the Tantra was any kind of baseline, just trying to somehow convey (as much respect as I i have for SWR) the clear delineation in my mind between those types of designs and products, vs something like this, which with all due respect is in another stratosphere. And understandably so, since they come from completely different goals in terms of design and intended market.
 
#203
Just reading the Tantra manual - and hugely surprised to learn that this amp will only accommodate a 4 ohm minimum load!
Then I looked at the shot of the rear panel, and the info printed there also indicated a 4 ohm minimum load.

I thought this was supposed to at least handle a 2.67 ohm minimum load (three 8 ohm cabs)?
Is the Tantra truly a 4 ohm minimum, or is the manual information and printing on the rear panel all wrong about this?

If it IS correct - this is quite a disappointment.
 
Last edited:
#204
It'll handle 2.67 no problem. Well get the graphics changed on the next run of cases. Same with the manual. We were so busy getting stuff together that I'd missed that. The Sonic Farm guys were going off the stock Icepower sheets. They say 4 ohm minimum but that is conservative. It's if you were doing no additional heat sinking. We used a steel case because we found that directly coupling the heat sink to the case gave the best heat dissipation. That's what Ice Ice recommends.I've slammed it at 2.67 and slammed it without even turning on the fan. No problems. JGR had also found that it was very happy into 2.67 sorry about the confusion. Details,
 
  • Like
Reactions: GregC, tombowlus, peterpalmieri and 2 others
#205
BTW--the engineers at Ice concurred that with the proper heat sinking they do OK it for 2.67. I've run it at 2 but if I slammed it it would eventually heat cycle. I couldn't get it to shut down at 2.67. This module is a very durable beast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tombowlus
#213
I can't imagine the reasoning for buying a pre-only tantra. There is literally no better power option out there, IMO. Unless its purely an affordability issue, or you are in love with your VTHF300M or DB728 or something loony like that. The mating of the Tantra pre with the 1000w module is just stoopid good.
 
#215
staccatogrowl said:
Know what you mean, except that maybe one could use all the pre-only Tantra goodies in the context of a very cool DI to FOH? Sort of like the 2di4 with more tone shaping and fx?
Click to expand...

I could see that. It would just be a shame to not have the magic of the full package. Having run my 2di4 into the puma 900 fx return, a QSC powerlight 1.4, a CA9, and the 1000ASP, the ice module is a match made in heaven for the tone profile of the Sonic Farm, IMO.
 
#216
J.Wolf said:
I could see that. It would just be a shame to not have the magic of the full package. Having run my 2di4 into the puma 900 fx return, a QSC powerlight 1.4, a CA9, and the 1000ASP, the ice module is a match made in heaven for the tone profile of the Sonic Farm, IMO.
Click to expand...
I'd expect most of the preamp customers to be recording studios.
I don't know how much the price difference is between the two units, probably some folks who already have a power amp they're happy with & prefer rack rigs would go for the preamp. Options are good.
 
#217
I would think a recording studio would prefer a 2Di4 feature set, as they'll likely have all the parametric and compression that they would want in house (not addressing OD and the harmonic generators of course). And typically IMO they want to track bass 'raw' and process later, so they're not hogtied if they want to make a timbral change during mixing. But yeah, options are good, for sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: John D Harris
#218
J.Wolf said:
I would think a recording studio would prefer a 2Di4 feature set, as they'll likely have all the parametric and compression that they would want in house (not addressing OD and the harmonic generators of course). And typically IMO they want to track bass 'raw' and process later, so they're not hogtied if they want to make a timbral change during mixing. But yeah, options are good, for sure.
Click to expand...
+1
Somewhat ironically, all the "studio-ness" of the Tantra makes it more geared towards live application, IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stu_Bass
#219
J.Wolf said:
I would think a recording studio would prefer a 2Di4 feature set, as they'll likely have all the parametric and compression that they would want in house (not addressing OD and the harmonic generators of course). And typically IMO they want to track bass 'raw' and process later, so they're not hogtied if they want to make a timbral change during mixing. But yeah, options are good, for sure.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I see what you're saying.
There's still a few powered cabs around, I guess it would work for those people as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stu_Bass
#220
John D Harris said:
Yeah, I see what you're saying.
There's still a few powered cabs around, I guess it would work for those people as well.
Click to expand...

Now that is certainly true. Either way, I can't wait to get my hands on a Tantra! I had such a tease checking out the prototype briefly, I think it's gonna be a game ender for a certain type of tone goal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stu_Bass

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back