• 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.

TC Electronic RH450, RS210, RS212 Review Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
#561
OK... now that I've spent quite a bit of time with the RH450, and have raved about it in previous posts, a couple of comments on areas that need improvement (very minor).

1) Power switch.... small, poorly placed, feels cheap. It is in the same housing as the A-C plug in, and the entire housing moves around just a touch. You really need to reach around and feel around for the power switch. Minor, but needs an upgrade IMO.

2) The master volume knob taper. WAY too jumpy and hard to control. I'm really surprised that, given their studio heritage, they did not go with some sort of smooth, even audio taper on the master (like Glockenklang, EA, TecAmp, etc,). The other controls feel very 'studio board' like and are very even. The master volume pot opens up way too early, and goes from very soft to quite loud in a single jump. Again, not a huge deal, but could be improved for very little cost (I assume).



That's a pretty short and minor list. All in all, a home run IMO.
 
#562
KJung said:
OK... now that I've spent quite a bit of time with the RH450, and have raved about it in previous posts, a couple of comments on areas that need improvement (very minor).

1) Power switch.... small, poorly placed, feels cheap. It is in the same housing as the A-C plug in, and the entire housing moves around just a touch. You really need to reach around and feel around for the power switch. Minor, but needs an upgrade IMO.

2) The master volume knob taper. WAY too jumpy and hard to control. I'm really surprised that, given their studio heritage, they did not go with some sort of smooth, even audio taper on the master (like Glockenklang, EA, TecAmp, etc,). The other controls feel very 'studio board' like and are very even. The master volume pot opens up way too early, and goes from very soft to quite loud in a single jump. Again, not a huge deal, but could be improved for very little cost (I assume).



That's a pretty short and minor list. All in all, a home run IMO.
Click to expand...

Ken

Your comments about the power switch are also relevant to several other micro heads with switches at the back - always tricky to find.

With regards to the master volume - I have nit had this issue on any of the TC heads I have in - they are all very smooth and run all the way up to 10 for max volume very cleanly.

Mark
 
#563
I've been messing with mine for a bit and so far I'm very glad I kicked out the cash for this head. I have a question for some of the other users. Is there a difference between adjusting the tube tone in normal and in shift mode?

And I agree with the remarks about the power switch.

I have to say though that I thought I was done with compressors, but the on-board comp is pretty dang good. Might get back into using a comp live again.
 
#564
poptart said:
Ken

Your comments about the power switch are also relevant to several other micro heads with switches at the back - always tricky to find.

With regards to the master volume - I have nit had this issue on any of the TC heads I have in - they are all very smooth and run all the way up to 10 for max volume very cleanly.

Mark
Click to expand...

+1 on rear switches in general. This one is particularly small and 'non substantial' in feel. Again, minor issue, and I've found that the 'feel' of a switch is not necessarily correlated to its quality or reliability.

On the master, mine has quite a jump right around 9 o'clock, and then smooths out. However, it feels like it really hits 85% of its max at a bit past noon (like Eden, Thunderfunk, and most other heads). I've just grown to really like the totally even audio taper type controls, especially since some of my gigs require very low volumes. Again, minor deal.
 
#565
CrackBass said:
I've been messing with mine for a bit and so far I'm very glad I kicked out the cash for this head. I have a question for some of the other users. Is there a difference between adjusting the tube tone in normal and in shift mode?

And I agree with the remarks about the power switch.

I have to say though that I thought I was done with compressors, but the on-board comp is pretty dang good. Might get back into using a comp live again.
Click to expand...


The 'tubetone' knob changes to a 'preset volume knob' in shift mode, and no longer impacts the tube tone circuit (similar to the pre gain control changing to the compressor level control in shift mode).

+1 on the compressor. The only other on-board compression that I found usable is the wonderful EBS circuit. I understand the TecAmp compressor on the Puma1000 is similarly wonderful, but I've never heard that one. This one is a good one... very subtle and even, with no quash at all at moderate settings.
 
#567
KJung said:
1) Power switch.... small, poorly placed, feels cheap. It is in the same housing as the A-C plug in, and the entire housing moves around just a touch. You really need to reach around and feel around for the power switch. Minor, but needs an upgrade IMO.
Click to expand...
Personally, this would only be an issue if it was in a rack. I just reach behind the unit and feel for the right side of the power cord, and my finger hits the switch easily. Since it's adjacent to the cord it's easy to find IMO without hunting and pecking.

2) The master volume knob taper. WAY too jumpy and hard to control. I'm really surprised that, given their studio heritage, they did not go with some sort of smooth, even audio taper on the master (like Glockenklang, EA, TecAmp, etc,). The other controls feel very 'studio board' like and are very even. The master volume pot opens up way too early, and goes from very soft to quite loud in a single jump. Again, not a huge deal, but could be improved for very little cost (I assume)
Click to expand...
I completely agree with this one. The master volume on my rh450 seems very faint and muffled a bit below 9 o'clock, then with a minor turn it jumps considerably in volume. After that it's pretty smooth all the way up, but something is strange in that one little spot. If the preset volume is full up, then the effect is pretty darn drastic such that at a couple of lower volume gigs I could not adjust the volume low enough using the master alone. Instead I had to drop the preset volume all the way down to the minimum setting so that I had less gain going into the master. Then I could turn it down low enough while staying above that quirky 9 o'clock position. Hope I'm explaining that well enough.
 
#569
CrackBass said:
I've been messing with mine for a bit and so far I'm very glad I kicked out the cash for this head. I have a question for some of the other users. Is there a difference between adjusting the tube tone in normal and in shift mode?
Click to expand...
In shift mode, you aren't adjusting Tubetone, but Preset Volume. Basically this controls that amount of volume of the current Memory Preset, and the gain it puts into the power section. This allows you to have a different Preset Volume for each memory setting so that you can even out any volume differences that might occur from using different EQ/Compressor/Tubetone settings.
 
#571
dkb said:
+1 on Ken's comments on the volume. It is a pretty big jump from nil to 9 O'clock, and then smooths out after that. Probably not a big deal for most playing situations, but I've noticed it too.
Click to expand...

Yep - I see what you mean now, however I like the 12 - 6 zone as it does not get much louder but the whole tone seems to thicken up in a tube-like way. I had a customer in the shop today who was playing some great Rocco lines through the head and the AE410, if you get a more old school passive/vibe with a bit of passive tone and keep it percussive the '51 really comes alive!

M
 
#572
clarksouter said:
Depends on your gain structure.....because the hotter you go in the earlier your volume wil jump in the gain curve of a volume pot. I tend to go in hot and huge so I find this happeniNg on most amps I have owned.
Click to expand...

I've never found that to be true on any amp I've ever owned. Most solid state amps, like the RH450 have an 'optimal gain setting' that is indicated by a clip light. There is no reason a volume taper can't be totally even at any pre gain setting, much less the 'recommended pre gain setting' by the manufacturer:smug:

Yes, a hot gain will constrict the range of some poorly designed master tone pots, but there shouldn't be any 'jumps and starts' like on the FH450.

IMO and IME.
 
#574
John Wentzien said:
I hear the "jump" also...BUT
It happens way before the volume I normally use..and seems to smooth-out as I increase the master gain.

I find it much more "even" than an SVT for instance.

MUCH more forgiving than a tube amp..
Click to expand...

+1 Again, more of a nit than a real problem, and as you point out, for most who play at reasonable loud volumes on all their gigs, it's a total moot point.

I like to really dig into a piece of gear when I'm evaluating it, and if all I find to complain about is the master taper and the on/off switch, I think they've done a pretty darn good job with this unit:)
 
#575
KJung said:
+1 Again, more of a nit than a real problem, and as you point out, for most who play at reasonable loud volumes on all their gigs, it's a total moot point.

I like to really dig into a piece of gear when I'm evaluating it, and if all I find to complain about is the master taper and the on/off switch, I think they've done a pretty darn good job with this unit:)
Click to expand...

I agree.
I still think the master works better than almost any amp I've used in "real-world" apps.;)
 
#578
John Wentzien said:
I agree.
I still think the master works better than almost any amp I've used in "real-world" apps.;)
Click to expand...

As with anything, it depends what your 'real world apps' are. For me, I do gigs with an umic'd acoustic piano and sax player on occasion. In that situation, the audio taper masters like the TecAmp or Glock are just a dream. From zero to 'on full', you get predictable, subtle, even volume increases at all levels, regardless of the pre gain setting.

Again, for the RH450, if you never run below that 9 o'clock level, you wouldn't even realize there was an issue. Minor, but IMO they need to fix that. It can't be that hard, and my guess is, a pot with a more even taper wouldn't cost any more for them on the production side of things.
 
#580
KJung said:
As with anything, it depends what your 'real world apps' are. For me, I do gigs with an umic'd acoustic piano and sax player on occasion. In that situation, the audio taper masters like the TecAmp or Glock are just a dream. From zero to 'on full', you get predictable, subtle, even volume increases at all levels, regardless of the pre gain setting.

Again, for the RH450, if you never run below that 9 o'clock level, you wouldn't even realize there was an issue. Minor, but IMO they need to fix that. It can't be that hard, and my guess is, a pot with a more even taper wouldn't cost any more for them on the production side of things.
Click to expand...

Yeah.
I did run into an issue with it when I was recording in my studio.

I wanted to hear my tone thru the amp...and to tame it down to match the monitors, I had to really touch it gently..
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back