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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

#44,401
Novarocker said:
I will concede that I do use two amps Everytime I gig though haha...but one's a 15w Vox. I'm all for more amps and bi-amping, etc. But since we already help move a bunch of stuff to and from shows, I would wanna limit the big poopie.

The biggest thing about having a clean amp and a dirty amp is how you can get a variety of sounds. I wouldn't be surprised if you could do that with a blend pedal though. And nothing beats a tube amp cranked. Oh man the fullness, sag, and expression you get!
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I don't mind moving gear. As the band's gearhead I put a lot of thought/effort into our sound, which has produced a lot of good feedback and gives us an advantage against our competition.

The big problem I've had with blend pedals is that I can't seem to get the sound I'm looking for. It's always too much or too little, the settings that work in one situation sound terrible in another and if they sound good through the amp I don't like the way they hit the DI (and vice versa). The one pedal that has worked well oddly enough is the BDDI, but I haven't worked with it enough live to feel fully comfortable with it. I'd like to be able to take the time to dial it in through a PA with a soundman providing feedback so I have an idea of what's going to FOH, but that's a luxury I haven't had yet.

I've done a little bit of experimenting with two bass amps and two amps make it very easy to blend, and I can dial in each amp to sound good together. I can also hit the dirty amp with distortion or fuzz and know that the clean amp is staying clean with a consistent volume.

I know I can accomplish a lot of this with a clean DI and a mic on the cab with the soundman controlling the blend... but then I loose the punch/clarity on stage. Plus, we do a lot of gigs in venues where the PA is underpowered and Vox/Kick only.
 
#44,403
If even in the stoner/doom thread we start to speak about class D amp, carrying less gear possible and clean DI because "tone is in the fingers", where's the world going?

There are so much thread for your class D love affaire, please don't make this one another one...
 
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#44,405
DoctorNop said:
If even in the stoner/doom thread we start to speak about class D amp, carrying less gear possible and clean DI because "tone is in the fingers", where's the world going?

There are so much thread for your class D love affaire, please don't make this one another one...
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In fairness, I have a 450w tube head and I want to add a second amp for overdrive.
 
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#44,408
remakes-watching-slide-890Z-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg


haha just kidding though. I have no real world experience with the class D stuff. I am not that old, but still think those little boxes that can get loud are weird. I work with high tech sheeit/nerds all day in silicon valley and think I have developed luddite tendencies.
 
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#44,411
_Some Dude said:
I don't mind moving gear. As the band's gearhead I put a lot of thought/effort into our sound, which has produced a lot of good feedback and gives us an advantage against our competition.

The big problem I've had with blend pedals is that I can't seem to get the sound I'm looking for. It's always too much or too little, the settings that work in one situation sound terrible in another and if they sound good through the amp I don't like the way they hit the DI (and vice versa). The one pedal that has worked well oddly enough is the BDDI, but I haven't worked with it enough live to feel fully comfortable with it. I'd like to be able to take the time to dial it in through a PA with a soundman providing feedback so I have an idea of what's going to FOH, but that's a luxury I haven't had yet.

I've done a little bit of experimenting with two bass amps and two amps make it very easy to blend, and I can dial in each amp to sound good together. I can also hit the dirty amp with distortion or fuzz and know that the clean amp is staying clean with a consistent volume.

I know I can accomplish a lot of this with a clean DI and a mic on the cab with the soundman controlling the blend... but then I loose the punch/clarity on stage. Plus, we do a lot of gigs in venues where the PA is underpowered and Vox/Kick only.
Click to expand...

Hell, if you don't mind moving gear then go for it. I rarely run a two amp set up, but if we're being "******* loud" I will. I normally bring a tube head for my dirty tone and a class D for clean (as said above- they don't overdrive!) just because I REALLY want the power tube section driven on my dirty tone. It helps cover the "brittleness" of the class D. If you already have a 450 watt tube head you're using for clean, I'd maybe look for a less huge dirt head- Sunn Beta Bass maybe? With huge, pillowy tube clean you probably won't miss the lack of lows with that amp.

I like the fact that a class D is SO easy to pack, though, and have started bringing one to gigs even if I'm not running a dual set-up. It'll stay in the gig bag usually, but it's nice to have a back up if needed. Finding a class D that sounds good dirty would be a trick, though. If y'all tune low I find the clanky, growly GK does pretty well for most bands, even if it's not the usual tube-type distortion I like. The Darkglass and Wounded Paw micro heads have pretty good sounding dirt to my ear, but they're both SUPER finicky for the basses they "like." Easier to find basses that sounds bad with those than good, IME.
 
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#44,413
rxdiablo said:
Hell, if you don't mind moving gear then go for it. I rarely run a two amp set up, but if we're being "******* loud" I will. I normally bring a tube head for my dirty tone and a class D for clean (as said above- they don't overdrive!) just because I REALLY want the power tube section driven on my dirty tone. It helps cover the "brittleness" of the class D. If you already have a 450 watt tube head you're using for clean, I'd maybe look for a less huge dirt head- Sunn Beta Bass maybe? With huge, pillowy tube clean you probably won't miss the lack of lows with that amp.

I like the fact that a class D is SO easy to pack, though, and have started bringing one to gigs even if I'm not running a dual set-up. It'll stay in the gig bag usually, but it's nice to have a back up if needed. Finding a class D that sounds good dirty would be a trick, though. If y'all tune low I find the clanky, growly GK does pretty well for most bands, even if it's not the usual tube-type distortion I like. The Darkglass and Wounded Paw micro heads have pretty good sounding dirt to my ear, but they're both SUPER finicky for the basses they "like." Easier to find basses that sounds bad with those than good, IME.
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My current rig is a Mesa Strategy on a Mesa 410.

If I had unlimited money I'd probably use the Mesa for clean and get an Ampeg V-4B for OD.

I'm kind of thinking that a DI and mic'd cab would be a good standard setup. Let the soundman handle the blend, understand that my bass has plenty of punch out front and just deal with the wool on stage. Realistically, the guy is just going to DI my clean head anyway, so it's not like the audience will benefit from the extra effort.
 
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#44,414
kleinenenten said:
No complaints about my GK MB200. Tiny, powerful enough for my backup, and takes dirt well. Then again, my main rig is also GK, so i get no dirt from the amp. All pedal, and both sound great to me.
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My go to micro if the MB Fusion 500. I really like GK in general, and have tried to get away from using a pedalboard (sacrilege, I know.) I find in low tunings it's great on its own. In standard tunings I feel like the guitars don't have enough ass and we end up with this weird sonic hole, and having that tube amp wool really helps show that up. If I were still using a pedalboard board as well I'd likely give that amp most to all of my stage time. The 500 watt GK seems much louder than the other (higher rated) micro heads I've used as well.
As a backup I can't recommend it highly enough!
 
#44,415
_Some Dude said:
My current rig is a Mesa Strategy on a Mesa 410.

If I had unlimited money I'd probably use the Mesa for clean and get an Ampeg V-4B for OD.

I'm kind of thinking that a DI and mic'd cab would be a good standard setup. Let the soundman handle the blend, understand that my bass has plenty of punch out front and just deal with the wool on stage. Realistically, the guy is just going to DI my clean head anyway, so it's not like the audience will benefit from the extra effort.
Click to expand...
My "little" rig is usually a Sunn 300T or Fender Super Bassman into a Dually 2-15. Which is honestly plenty for most applications. But it's sometimes fun to go totally ridiculous and run both heads into the Dually and an Ampeg 810. Total overkill. Super fun!
 
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#44,416
I picked up an Electronic Audio Experiments peavey cvlt f800b preamp pedal that I'm not going to hold on to. I was really just curious about it & I have wayyyy too much other dirt. If anyone is interested, shoot me a pm. mint condition, no velcro, black. I'll post it up in the classifieds in a few. Looking for 140ish.
 
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#44,417
How do you like that strategy?
I was really interested in it but the voicing control chooses between flat and FOUR different kinds of mid scoop ! Who the hell needs that?!
***?!


_Some Dude said:
My current rig is a Mesa Strategy on a Mesa 410.

If I had unlimited money I'd probably use the Mesa for clean and get an Ampeg V-4B for OD.

I'm kind of thinking that a DI and mic'd cab would be a good standard setup. Let the soundman handle the blend, understand that my bass has plenty of punch out front and just deal with the wool on stage. Realistically, the guy is just going to DI my clean head anyway, so it's not like the audience will benefit from the extra effort.
Click to expand...
 
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#44,418
eyeballkid said:
How do you like that strategy?
I was really interested in the mix up for the voice thing is only 4 different kinds of scoop and flat! Who the hell needs that?!
Click to expand...

I like it a lot. All the voicings do a good job of cutting out the mud and forming a pocket for the guitars to sit in. Once I started using it I started being able to hear both the guitars and the vocals clearer. Put it through a Mesa 410 (which is also scooped) and it pounds like a sledgehammer on the low end with an aggressive upper mid attack that punches through the guitars.

I haven't really used the graphic EQ on it. This past Sunday I started trying to find a curve that'll let me kick it up a notch when the guitars go heavy, but I haven't found what I want yet.

When I demo'd it it was between the Strategy and an SVT. I wanted the SVT, but the Strategy had better (IMO) and more aggressive midrange... even with the scoop engaged. Also, the 100/250/456w switch is money if you play in various venues. Used 100w mode through a backline Ampeg 810 this past weekend and it sounded killer (on stage... cab wasn't mic'd so the audience got dry bass... this is the event that lead to me posting in this thread).
 
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