My pleasure! I'm glad it helped you decide. Next time, I'm coming to your place to A/B those fEARful cabs...
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The Alembic F-1X Megathread
- Thread starter Michael Vee
- Start date
OK, so the only used SF-2 for sale in the country or the world (at least according to the google man) is not responding to queries.
So... I want to get a good standard eq to work with for now.
I'm going to post this query in the general fx area too, as I'm hoping for a quick answer, but I wanted to make sure this group could weigh in.
So far I'm looking at some rack-mounted units:
Rane PE-15 (5 bands, two switchable to shelving!)
AudioArts 4100 (possibly nicer sounding)
Furman PQ3 or PQ4 (some people like this one)
And the Empress ParaEQ, which is a pedal and only 3 bands, but maybe (maybe) is more transparent?
So... I want to get a good standard eq to work with for now.
I'm going to post this query in the general fx area too, as I'm hoping for a quick answer, but I wanted to make sure this group could weigh in.
So far I'm looking at some rack-mounted units:
Rane PE-15 (5 bands, two switchable to shelving!)
AudioArts 4100 (possibly nicer sounding)
Furman PQ3 or PQ4 (some people like this one)
And the Empress ParaEQ, which is a pedal and only 3 bands, but maybe (maybe) is more transparent?
I had an Empress Para EQ, great pedal. I sold it as it was rather large and I am forever trying to shrink the amount of gear. Very transparent and great control.
Yeah, I was looking at that but I found an Ashly PQX-571 for about the same money. Very similar design, possibly better fidelity... We'll see when it gets here.
I haven't played a gig with it yet (next weekend), but the F-1X/Ashly/Pro-Lite rack sounds amazing through the 15/6/1. The low end thickness from this setup sounds so big and to my ears "tubey". I have 5 bands of parametric eq, so I can set up a few different "presets" that I can switch between (via front-panel buttons).
Just pulled my F-1X/QSC PLX1602 out of mothballs after a relatively long affair with the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0. Weight notwithstanding, I had forgotten how great this rig sounds through my Bergantino HT322. I REALLY need a Superfilter to pair with it for some additional tone shaping. I've already decided that the Shuttle is now serving church and rehearsal duty and the rack is back in service for my bigger gigs.
One of my favorite new pedals has been the EHX MicroPog, but it takes on an all new character when that sub octave hits the ultra buttery lows of my Alembic pre. Amazing!
One of my favorite new pedals has been the EHX MicroPog, but it takes on an all new character when that sub octave hits the ultra buttery lows of my Alembic pre. Amazing!
Buttery, I like that. It's got the smooth character of a scooped tone, even when there are lots of mids.
Modulator, that is my rig EXACTLY! I don't own the Aphex BTW.
I would like a solid state pre like a Tech 21 for the quick dry slap stuff. I do love the Alembic on everything but there are times I want that sound as well.
Not as " smooth & buttery " I use it for my Moog Taurus III's . I have since upgraded to an XLS 2000
I used to use the same Ashly parametric as Smeet does...it worked great but I ended up selling it off when I shelved the F-1X and I'm really going to hold out for the SF-2. You'll definitely like it though. Just watch out for sending frequencies that your cab can't handle. I actually took out three horn diaphragms on my Berg cab before I got a handle on what I was doing wrong.
I can't take credit for the "buttery" reference, I'm pretty sure that I read it somewhere on this board.
I do really like the clarity, I just need some extra tone sculpting now and then. I'm actually going to use the F-1X tomorrow night at a gig for the first time in about 4 years. We have house sound and a competent sound tech so I know that I can get an honest and informed opinion.
Hyper-sloth, I also have a Tech 21 RPM that I've owned for a while now and I've never been able to get a sound out of it that worked for me. I also broke that out last night and messed with it for a while, both on its own and integrated with the F-1X, and it never really got me where I wanted to go. It might just be operator error, though.
I can't take credit for the "buttery" reference, I'm pretty sure that I read it somewhere on this board.
I do really like the clarity, I just need some extra tone sculpting now and then. I'm actually going to use the F-1X tomorrow night at a gig for the first time in about 4 years. We have house sound and a competent sound tech so I know that I can get an honest and informed opinion.Hyper-sloth, I also have a Tech 21 RPM that I've owned for a while now and I've never been able to get a sound out of it that worked for me. I also broke that out last night and messed with it for a while, both on its own and integrated with the F-1X, and it never really got me where I wanted to go. It might just be operator error, though.
Wasn't there a B-Max T version with a tube that was supposed to basically be a copy of the F-1X with a mid control and a sonic maximizer?
Funny to see "mid control" and "sonic maximizer" in the same sentence, referring to the same unit.
Lonnybass
I really love the SF-2 for adding EQ options to the F-1X, but if you can't find one an excellent alternative is the Ashly MQX-1310 mono 31 band graphic equalizer. The Ashly sounds great, and is readily available used (for much less than the cost of an SF-2).
svtb15
Inactive
- Mar 22, 2004
- 13,004
- 4,741
- Disclosures
- I play it all. Whatever works for the gig. Q+
In the early 80s i used my Alembic F2B into an Ashley Parametric and Crown amp.. Sounded great The Alembic F2B was just recapped and sounding great. Its going out with me today on a few gigs
First return gig was a winner. Big room, big stage, house sound. While I was dialing in at soundcheck the sound engineer said, "that sounds amazing and I would totally leave it the way it is, but I have a bunch of subs here that I'd like to use and it might also be good to bring the stage volume down a bit."
My rig was Stingray 5 > F-1X > QSC PLX1602 > Bergantino HT322. Settings on the head were something close to 4/9/3 and it sounded like a slightly more hi-fi B-15, if that makes any sense. Had the volume up to about 8 and got just a very small touch of drive with some tube compression when I really dug in, but still lots of clarity up high.
The drummer had me in his wedge, and when I stepped over I could hear some nice upper midrange that was coming through that I wasn't able to dial in...thinking the Superfilter could totally make it happen. That upper midrange and just a slight amount of additional punch and I would have been 100% happy...as it was I was at about 95%. I've been experimenting with effects a lot lately and brought a small board out to do some experimenting, but I liked my straight tone so much that I ended up putting the board on top of my rack and just feeding the tuner from the high pass out on the back of the F-1X and didn't use any of the other effects.
My Shuttle will always have its place in my collection, but the F-1X is definitely back in service. My wife finally asked me to stop talking about it yesterday because I kept raving about it over and over again.
My rig was Stingray 5 > F-1X > QSC PLX1602 > Bergantino HT322. Settings on the head were something close to 4/9/3 and it sounded like a slightly more hi-fi B-15, if that makes any sense. Had the volume up to about 8 and got just a very small touch of drive with some tube compression when I really dug in, but still lots of clarity up high.
The drummer had me in his wedge, and when I stepped over I could hear some nice upper midrange that was coming through that I wasn't able to dial in...thinking the Superfilter could totally make it happen. That upper midrange and just a slight amount of additional punch and I would have been 100% happy...as it was I was at about 95%. I've been experimenting with effects a lot lately and brought a small board out to do some experimenting, but I liked my straight tone so much that I ended up putting the board on top of my rack and just feeding the tuner from the high pass out on the back of the F-1X and didn't use any of the other effects.
My Shuttle will always have its place in my collection, but the F-1X is definitely back in service. My wife finally asked me to stop talking about it yesterday because I kept raving about it over and over again.
