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It's just a midi cable, and you don't need any special drivers for it, so what this tells me is, they're using standard midi comms for this... probably sysex, and the footswitch port has been converted to a midi development port by some special firmware in these test/devel heads.
You could probably get lots of response from this over in the DB forums, but my guess is that these pickups would work fine with a 1M impedance on a preamp. The WAV basses were designed for crossover players or folks who wanted to experiment with upright playing. I know many folks use these slabs directly into bass combos of all types. At the least, email NS Design, or look for Bob Gollihur over in the DB forum as he seems to know as much about the NS basses as anyone.
As far as I know, and despite others' comments here, I'm pretty sure this whole tweaker deal requires special firmware in the RH450 because it's currently only a development tool. If I'm totally wrong, then that means the RC4 is actually a midi device (quite possible, but I was assuming that wasn't necessarily the case). What may or may not precipitate from this in actual product is still way too far off to talk about... it could be a change to the base product based on our feedback here, it could be the whole software tools thing some folks here are talking about, etc (a derivative of the current tweaker). It could be a total change to the product incorporating some base changes and maybe even new hardware features/controls, etc. It could be a combo of multiple of the above. We just don't know right now.
I don't think it's a matter of skimping on memory. Memory is cheap. I'm betting it has more to do with how many buttons they wanted to have on the face of the unit.
Sounds like you bring a TON of gear to each gig, with a lot of it requiring quite a bit of adjustment to compensate for. I understand your quandary, but would suggest you are in a very tiny minority of the bass market as a result, where three presets are plenty. Also, remember, the presets can be used as base points too. Maybe just have one preset "close" to two or more needs, where only one minor tweak of one knob a few clicks either way is all that's needed for some of your varying requirements. That should be totally manageable even for someone with your particularly complex needs.
Actually, you do NOT know that, nor do I... unless you're specifically talking about as it is currently today, in which case I'd agree. What we're working with is clearly not releasable product. As such, all your concerns about what you would or would not have to do to support things, is way premature. I'd simply suggest that TC Electronic won't come out with a product that would be insanely hard to use or cause major inconveniences to the gigging musician. I think a lot of the characteristics of this amp as it stands today, as well as this very research effort, prove they understand our needs and concerns.
Per above, again, WAY too early to even suppose or try to make any decisions on any of this.
I'm more curious about the ability to load/save presets to an external device than the Tweaker software, but I suppose that's still a big unknown.
Perhaps, although it could probably be done without more buttons - maybe using the "shift" button with the preset buttons to allow moving up and down through banks (or does that already do something else?)
Not really, but I travel a lot and it would be great to have an ultralight, convenient setup I could move and still get a consistent sound in several locations with just a few extra cabinets.
Probably true, but I'm not the first one even on this thread to indicate that some standard external control interface (like MIDI) would be a welcome feature.
That's a good point. In any case, it would be much better than zero presets, which is what just about everything else has!
Yep, I was only talking about the potential to connect to a "stock" RH450 and send/receive presets (via MIDI / sysex or something similar), not the Tweaker software.
FWIW, I am rather surprised - and very impressed - that they not only initiated this program, but actually allow y'all to discuss it in public. That in and of itself proves quite a bit.
Um, maybe I'm missing something, but most of what I said was trying to offer suggestions on how to improve the product. Specifically, besides bringing up the limited number of presets, I wanted to reinforce the idea (which others have already mentioned) that some way to remotely control load/save presets on the RH450 would be a welcomed addition, completely independently from the Tweaker software.
Yeah, I can see that. I probably could have worded that better... for me it's not a case of holding off on purchase due to the fear of missing out. It's more that I wasn't even considering the RH450 as an option until I saw this thread. What I really want doesn't exist yet. While the RH450 comes close to meeting my (admittedly atypical, but unlikely unique) needs, if I'm going to accept a compromise I can get by a lot cheaper.
You made some really great points in this post. Let me just say that I agree it would be cool to have some sort of a software product and a compatible interface in the amp productized and available someday, and your idea for using the shift to augment the memory buttons for six total presets is a great one.
. If someone could confirm that the tweakware works on the existing production heads then I'll try to curb the festering excitement and pray it becomes a product. If not, I'd rather take the disappointment now and go back to searching for other high end solutions: graphic eq's, exciter pedals, preamps, new heads, diff. cabs...
An envelope filter does more than a compressor can. A compressor tracks absolute level, whereas an envelope filter is tracking time as well. Some envelope filters have the ability to dynamically adjust their frequency bands over time. The TC compressor can't do this; it simply doesn't do anything in the time domain.
Yes, you can compensate by heavily boosting, but, as you've probably noticed, that boost increases noise. Opening the LPF would certainly simplify your rig.
I don't have much interest in compression more interest in limiting.
I think my terrific preamp and the amazing RH450 don't have hardly any noise, at least not close to guitar amp buzz or PA buzz. I can honestly say I've noticed zero buzz from this system. (Well sometimes around those "green" bulbs or when I'm not touching the bass strings or controls there is a minor fuzz floor but it is REAL minor). Perhaps the combo is just magical.
