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The Tube Challenge
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
Alright, most of the regulars have had a chance to vote. So let's do it...
The voting is:
AMP 1: 53
AMP 2: 68
That means a small majority thought number two was the tube amp. Well, guess what?
AMP 1: Markbass Little Mark II
AMP 2: Ampeg B-15N
I'd say that means the Markbass amp held its own pretty well against one of the two most legendary tube amps of all time. Obviously it's not a dead-on match, but it made a lot of people think it was a tube amp. Power amp overdrive still separates the men from the boys, but at least now you wisenheimers might not goof on me when I say the Markbass has a tubey sound
And once again, if you didn't vote and state an opinion during the poll, I don't want to hear from you now, you Monday morning quarterbacks!
damn i guess i was right
Well I got it right and I've never actually heard a fully tube bass amp in person...
Edit: On listening the first time I thought that amp 1 had more extended and obvious high end than amp 2 which I thought had a slight grit to it. On listening again they both sounded exactly the same. I have a cheap set of fostex studio monitors for pc speakers which would be better than your average set of PC speakers. So I don't know what that means at all.
Edit: On listening the first time I thought that amp 1 had more extended and obvious high end than amp 2 which I thought had a slight grit to it. On listening again they both sounded exactly the same. I have a cheap set of fostex studio monitors for pc speakers which would be better than your average set of PC speakers. So I don't know what that means at all.
i got it right, but i couldnt really tell. i havent played a decent solidstate bass amp anyway.
It means nothing as far as your hearing. People hear things differently at different times of day, with distractions, different frames of reference. I think you're right about amp 2 having a tiny bit more of a gritty tone, but it wasn't by much, and in a mix nobody would have ever noticed the difference.
I think I may try this test again when I get a better mic. I'm going to get a Heil PR 40 today, and I think I'll try it in a different cab. I've got a Markbass 12" combo, a couple different B-15 cabs, and an 80's Tube Works 410. I'm leaning toward the Tube Works because it's the most neutral.
I still aint heard the samples- dang slow PC's!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrr. But I would've got it right tho! ;-) Sure???
IMO/IME there are LOTS of S.S. amps that sound good to me when played by 'emselves, but then in a band setting they just seem to disappear, then U have to turn 'em up way too much to be heard/felt. I've found the exact opposite with all tube amps-even the 'little' V4BH sounds powerful & punchy & doesn't need to be THAT loud to be heard & felt etc... BUT The LMII is ONE S.S. amp that DOES "do it" for me!! It seems to be OK in a band setting- doesn't drift away & seem insignificant, & U DON'T have to have it too LOUD to be able to feel/hear it onstage(& in the audience) !!!! I tried MANY S.S. amps too(Eden, Mesa, Ampeg, Peavey, Ashdown, T.E., Fender etc...) & while some seemed to do this job better than others(Hybrid amps included in the S.S. realm here) NONE except the LMII has actually enabled me to be a "normal" stage level & still be able to hear/feel it! This goes for gigs w/ F.O.H. support as well as gigs with just vocal PA's. Audiences said the SAME thing as what I've just said too- funny Huh?
BTW I'm NOT dismissing ALL S.S. (or hybrid)amps here,
this is just MY experiences & things my bandmates & audience members have relayed to me!
As I said SOME of the S.S. amps I tried did ALMOST do it for me- ASHDOWN, Fender & a cuppla others went close , but for ME, none warranted me keeping them- I went back to all tube. I DID, however, keep trying S.S. amps & found the same results usually, but the LMII was the only one that really made me want to keep it - after the "new amp" vibe wore off!! ;-)
Interesting poll too!
IMO/IME there are LOTS of S.S. amps that sound good to me when played by 'emselves, but then in a band setting they just seem to disappear, then U have to turn 'em up way too much to be heard/felt. I've found the exact opposite with all tube amps-even the 'little' V4BH sounds powerful & punchy & doesn't need to be THAT loud to be heard & felt etc... BUT The LMII is ONE S.S. amp that DOES "do it" for me!! It seems to be OK in a band setting- doesn't drift away & seem insignificant, & U DON'T have to have it too LOUD to be able to feel/hear it onstage(& in the audience) !!!! I tried MANY S.S. amps too(Eden, Mesa, Ampeg, Peavey, Ashdown, T.E., Fender etc...) & while some seemed to do this job better than others(Hybrid amps included in the S.S. realm here) NONE except the LMII has actually enabled me to be a "normal" stage level & still be able to hear/feel it! This goes for gigs w/ F.O.H. support as well as gigs with just vocal PA's. Audiences said the SAME thing as what I've just said too- funny Huh?
BTW I'm NOT dismissing ALL S.S. (or hybrid)amps here,
this is just MY experiences & things my bandmates & audience members have relayed to me!
As I said SOME of the S.S. amps I tried did ALMOST do it for me- ASHDOWN, Fender & a cuppla others went close , but for ME, none warranted me keeping them- I went back to all tube. I DID, however, keep trying S.S. amps & found the same results usually, but the LMII was the only one that really made me want to keep it - after the "new amp" vibe wore off!! ;-)
Interesting poll too!
Ha! I just managed to leave PC on at work & get the MP3's at last! -cant usually do this at work!! Have to be VERY sneaky!!
Wow they do sound close! the 1st has ali'l bit more 'zing' in the slap bit at end. Dunno what I woulda said. Prolly 2-tube,1 S.S. hindsight tho hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Wow they do sound close! the 1st has ali'l bit more 'zing' in the slap bit at end. Dunno what I woulda said. Prolly 2-tube,1 S.S. hindsight tho hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Rod, I think in the next test I'm going to record the 4 amps I have in the Tube Works cab and see how many people pick the two hybrids. My feeling is that the differences you hear when you take a SS amp into a band context are apparent when you hear the cabs soloed as well, and I doubt if many people will mistake the sound of them for all-tube amps.
So other than the recording methods (I should have a better mic later today and I'll use a more impartial cab), anyone have any suggestions for improvement and making this next go-round more impartial? And don't suggest boosting the levels. I'll try to get them up a little hotter but don't expect miracles...I have DC offset and I have no idea what it is other than it cuts down on headroom.
So other than the recording methods (I should have a better mic later today and I'll use a more impartial cab), anyone have any suggestions for improvement and making this next go-round more impartial? And don't suggest boosting the levels. I'll try to get them up a little hotter but don't expect miracles...I have DC offset and I have no idea what it is other than it cuts down on headroom.
Great idea- fun too!! I dunno re recording tho! I'm a total noob when it comes to home recording- I play 3 gigs/week, but do one recording every 2 yrs!! & then in a Pro studio! ;-( Go 4 it! I'm sure you'll know how to do it. Just be as even as U can re the levels, eq etc... & I'm w/ you re the levels- don't go going for power tube OD... but THAT'd make another good A/B test!! ;-)
I wouldn't worry about normalizing your levels. The noise floor was very low. It's better to hear recorded hiss and know what it is than to hear hiss and wonder if it's part of the recording. The DC offset is also relatively low and probably comes from the connection between your soundcard and the computer, but it could be your ART or even the mic cable. It also possible it is introduced by the A/D converters. Lower end converters can be bad to do that.
It won't be accurate to the playing because the output impedance of his recording setup will be much lower than that of his actual bass. None of the amps will sound like they do when he's actually playing through them.
Not necessarily true, if he has a dedicated reamping tool then it matches the impedance. I think JDI do one?
I use a B15 and found it hard to tell.....
I thought that both had distortion to it (reply #23 , page 2)
Are MarkBass always like that or is it the cab? ( or the gain in your ART)
If you do another test , you should also post a DI track as reference , and maybe use a cab that wouldn't add color.
I thought that both had distortion to it (reply #23 , page 2)
Are MarkBass always like that or is it the cab? ( or the gain in your ART)
If you do another test , you should also post a DI track as reference , and maybe use a cab that wouldn't add color.
Ya, really! Isn't it enough that I'm getting a PR 40???yep; Invalid Link Removed
hefty investment just for test
