Useful gear ideas

[MarshallAC50Stack]

In most cases, top mounted controls are also hard to see.

I see. There have probably been plenty of market studies on that.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I think there should be more self-powered class-D speakers with simple high and low pass filters, so we can carry the speaker in one hand, bass in the other, and favorite DI (Mesa, Sansamp, Darkglass, etc.) in the gigbag. One less thing to carry/worry about.

 

[H Nighttrain]

How about a combo amp with an integrated wireless receiver, comes with a fob transmitter that has an integrated tuner and mute, and the fob slides into a storage/charging slot in the amp. Combo has storage for an integrated power cord too.

Goal is to minimize setup at the gig, no separate cords - plug power cord into wall, pop transmitter into bass, switch on, tune up,... downbeat.

Also, a frequency-adjustable HPF should become the standard, de-facto first knob of every amp head's EQ section.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

How about a setup where an amp is attached to a board that is latched to the speaker cabinet so that the amp is stored inside the cabinet for transport, and that then gets flipped over and re-attached with the amp now exposed while in use? You could call it a "fliptop"!

 

[Wisebass]

H folks

like to see many more mini amps with the controls on top

Controls on top of an amp are a bad idea...

In most cases, top mounted controls are also hard to see.

but I always tell the guys who do the stage light

to put a spot on my amp top.

I want to find my beer!

Wise

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

Lots of combos have the controls on top, but I prefer separates. In fifty years I've never put a drink on an amp. Or smokes.

 

[agedhorse]

How about a combo amp with an integrated wireless receiver, comes with a fob transmitter that has an integrated tuner and mute, and the fob slides into a storage/charging slot in the amp. Combo has storage for an integrated power cord too.

Goal is to minimize setup at the gig, no separate cords - plug power cord into wall, pop transmitter into bass, switch on, tune up,... downbeat.

Also, a frequency-adjustable HPF should become the standard, de-facto first knob of every amp head's EQ section.

I have a good reason why this isn't a good idea and also why it's not likely to happen.

For those experienced with wireless applications in pro audio, the lessons learned were painfully costly as band after band of legal frequencies were taken away from our use. This resulted in millions of dollars worth of wireless equipment becoming illegal to use. How would you, or most players feel if they could no longer use or even sell their amp due to becoming , regulatory obsolete?

The second reason is that when a wireless system is added to a bass amp, it changes the regulatory classification to "intentional radiator" which requires additional, very costly certification. Since different regions use different frequency bands, each configuration would require additional costly regulatory testing and certification. The bass amp market is not large enough to support such costs IME.

 

[H Nighttrain]

I have a good reason why this isn't a good idea and also why it's not likely to happen.

For those experienced with wireless applications in pro audio, the lessons learned were painfully costly as band after band of legal frequencies were taken away from our use. This resulted in millions of dollars worth of wireless equipment becoming illegal to use. How would you, or most players feel if they could no longer use or even sell their amp due to becoming , regulatory obsolete?

The second reason is that when a wireless system is added to a bass amp, it changes the regulatory classification to "intentional radiator" which requires additional, very costly certification. Since different regions use different frequency bands, each configuration would require additional costly regulatory testing and certification. The bass amp market is not large enough to support such costs IME.

Well, that dream is thoroughly destroyed....

I suspect adjustable HPFs becoming as common as, say, parametric mid-freq controls... that might be more doable, no?

 

[agedhorse]

Well, that dream is thoroughly destroyed....

I suspect adjustable HPFs becoming as common as, say, parametric mid-freq controls... that might be more doable, no?

I looked into wireless input on a recent project (not related to Mesa/Bass) and I pretty much gagged and choked when I saw the cost of complete regulatory compliance. It was 6 figures!!!

While back at Genz Benz in the late 1990's, I was heavy into the development of HPF's for bass guitar applications. I had extensive experience using them in pro audio projects and knew how beneficial they could be, but at the time players were scared of the concept, thinking it would remove the bottom end from their sound. They just didn't (and because of old school thinking wouldn't) understand just how beneficial they could be. Gradually we worked them into the signal path and in the end the feature was first accepted and then embraced.

This is also true of just about every technological advancement in bass amps and speakers... the myths of "the amp has to be heavy to produce bass", "the amp has to be big to be loud", "switchmode power supplies couldn't produce any low end", "class D amps have no low end", "class d amps aren't reliable", "neo speakers won't work because they have no bass and are too bright", "neo speakers become demagnetized if the get hot", "solid state amps suck, they can't sound good", and on & on. With the benefit of hindsight, it's obvious how preposterous the above beliefs were, and the pro audio industry proved each and every one wrong roughly 10-20 years before.