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The SWR Marcus Miller Signature M2 Preamp

FreaqyFrequency

FreaqyFrequency

Jan 29, 2008
2,725
17
Virginia Beach, VA
#1
I didn't find any threads on it yet, but I just received word that SWR is going to be releasing a Marcus Miller signature preamp!

Features released thus far:

Compressor, parametric EQ (don't know how many bands), the SWR Bass Intensifier and Aural Enhancer (the latter with some modifications specifically for this preamp), and as far as I can tell pretty much the other standard features on a top end SWR amp.

It will likely have some of his custom voicings built in too, although I don't know this.

Anyone else know anything about this?
 
#2
He's a pic i found

4904.jpg
 
#5
Haha I'll pass. I love the guy and what he does. Heck, I even use his signature bass... but that's more because it's a great bass (CIJ is wonderful) than I'm trying to emulate his sound. I think his tone is great for what he does, but wouldn't work well in any of my playing situations. For the huge MM fan this might be cool, but for anyone else I think it's trying to much to copy his sound. I wonder how versatile it will be...
 
#6
During the recent master class he did online, Marcus said he wanted the preamp to be able to make a passive bass have the same "juiced up" tone that a bass with an onboard preamp would. It has the same frequency boosts as his onboard bass preamp, as well as other frequency points that he chose for high mids and low mids. He played a passive J bass during the class and the new preamp made that bass sound just like the active bass he usually plays.

Marcus also mentioned that he worked hard with SWR to make sure the treble knob didn't hiss. Overall, it may not be the most versatile preamp out there, but it certainly was designed to please Marcus and potential SWR customers who want to get his sort of sound.
 
#7
Hmm... If that's Marcus' actual rig, it looks to me like he's not putting a whole lot of faith in the onboard compressor in the Pre. Then again, I'm willing to put a lot of money on the fact that the onboard comp will never live up to the Distresseor.
 
#11
He was, but he went back to SWR. I have to tell you, though, that I don't see this as a great PR move on SWR's part. This only reinforces the perception that SWR is for slappers and scoopers. On the other hand, Marcus was the main influence behind SWR's designs, so it's fitting that he came back to them, I guess. But SWR needs to get with the times instead of doing new versions of the same 25-year-old designs.
 
#13
JimmyM said:
He was, but he went back to SWR. I have to tell you, though, that I don't see this as a great PR move on SWR's part. This only reinforces the perception that SWR is for slappers and scoopers. On the other hand, Marcus was the main influence behind SWR's designs, so it's fitting that he came back to them, I guess. But SWR needs to get with the times instead of doing new versions of the same 25-year-old designs.
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Yeah, I'm getting rid of my SWR cabs a lot for that reason. With my ray they are just absolutely biting. I don't slap very much at all (probably less than 2 percent of my playing) and I'm going back to some more traditional sounding cabs. I can't quite describe it, but it's definitely not an ideal voicing for my LMII and the sound I'm going for.
 
#14
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#15
SoComSurfing said:
Hmm... If that's Marcus' actual rig, it looks to me like he's not putting a whole lot of faith in the onboard compressor in the Pre. Then again, I'm willing to put a lot of money on the fact that the onboard comp will never live up to the Distresseor.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I thought when I first saw the pic.
Wow. An Empirical Labs Distressor in a live bass rig?!
Must be nice. :rolleyes:

Not only would I not buy any new SWR product but I couldn't care if SWR gave me free gear. I still wouldn't use it. Once Fender bought them, it's been all downhill, IMO. I am still kinda pissed that they dropped the ball on the Baby Blue (stopped offering the OEM 8" drivers). But maybe this new preamp is just the breath of fresh air that they need? I'll admit it doesn't look entirely impressive but if Marcus has it in his rack, it must be doing something half-way decent.

I'm a plug-and-play type of guy these days. I have an old SWR SM-400s and an Epifani Quest/Stewart 2.1 component setup but almost all of my gigs are done with a WWU and I never use the EQ on it. I like the clean, unmolested sound of my bass and I don't think I'd ever use the compressor, the Aural Enhancer or the Bass Intensifier. Instead of offering more gadgets (ie. Mo'Bass), they should re-visit the logic behind the Baby Blue preamp - solid, flexible, simple. Just my opinion of course.
 
#19
Son of Bovril said:
IMO the newish 1500 watt head they released was a step in the right direction, and I can't see how this preamp can be a bad thing either... there are lots of people looking to get that Marcus sound and this will certainly help, plus since they stopped making all their other preamps, it's nice to have an SWR preamp as an option again, even if it is only the M2 version
Click to expand...

Personally, i think a head that big and that heavy isn't really a good move when everyone is developing powerful and excellent heads that weight much less
 

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