TC Electronics BQ500

[Redbrangus]

In my practice space -- a moderately dry room -- I have mine at ear level, 6 feet away, and have never even been aware of it running. Presumably, if you're playing louder, the fan runs faster and louder, but my own assumption is that if you're playing louder, fan noise isn't going to be an issue. Some folks have complained of noisy fans, I think, but that hasn't been my experience -- I bought mine as an open-box from Banjo Center two years ago and couldn't tell it from new.

 

[SunByrne]

The fan is very quiet. I have a Peavey MiniMAX that I don’t use in my home practice space because the fan is too loud. No problem whatsoever with the BQ500.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Is the EQ on the BQ500 similar to the one on my BH550? Each knob boosts a different frequency than it cuts. I thought that would be a pretty useless gimmick, but after messing with it a while I'm a believer. It makes each knob have a more usable range in it. Like with most EQs, you're turning the Low knob from about 10 to 1 o'clock and everything else is crap. Not so with this EQ.

 

[Redbrangus]

Is the EQ on the BQ500 similar to the one on my BH550? Each knob boosts a different frequency than it cuts.

No

 

[scottfeldstein]

No

Must just be the BH models. My BH250 had it.

 

[RoyA]

It does have some EQ knobs. The Hi-Mid (peaking-type) EQ seems to be centered about 1k and the Treble (shelving) EQ starts at about 2.5KHz. In fact, I had to bump the Treble knob back a smidge to get the flat over-all response. But I get it -- if you're looking for an amp with a baked-in characteristic tone, this would not be it.

Edit: For the record, TC spec's the EQ points as 80, 400, 800, and 10K. I'll buy all that, except that 10K one seems awfully high compared to the response I measured. But the range is remarkable, I think -- +/- 15 dB. I would say that HF shelf is at least that, maybe more.

You mention that the EQ of the 500 is relatively flat. What would the knob settings be at to bring the EQ to a flat response ... All straight up (in the middle), one or two at other clock settings to achieve this? I'd like my BQ to be flat because I have additional EQs in my multi-effects pedal and my active bass guitar.

 

[DWBass]

Referring to the one I had, turning the treble knob did nothing. Bad pot? Dunno! Pot not properly connected to the circuit board? Dunno. It was also very sterile sounding. I ended up selling it.

 

[Redbrangus]

You mention that the EQ of the 500 is relatively flat. What would the knob settings be at to bring the EQ to a flat response ... All straight up (in the middle), one or two at other clock settings to achieve this? I'd like my BQ to be flat because I have additional EQs in my multi-effects pedal and my active bass guitar.

In a previous post, I had said this:

I just put my BQ-500 on the spectrum analyzer and found it to be pretty much razor-flat out to 16KHz and about 4dB down at 20KHz.

The HF shelving EQ has a 10KHz knee, so it wouldn't be particularly helpful in restoring that roll-off above 16KHz without introducing a different response anomaly. Personally, I can't even begin to hear frequencies above 16KHz in the first place, even if I possessed a bass that produced them or a speaker that could reproduce them. If you imagine that you really need that last bit of an octave above 16K to be really flat, I suspect this isn't really the amp for you -- you need a boutique amp from an obscure maker with an improbable or unpronounceable name and costing at least 6-10 times as much.

 

[basss]

Referring to the one I had, turning the treble knob did nothing. Bad pot? Dunno! Pot not properly connected to the circuit board? Dunno. It was also very sterile sounding. I ended up selling it.

Nothing like the one I have. You must have got a lemon.