Author Topic: I love technology!!!! (New Amp/Genz Benz content) (Read 259 times)

smalls · « **on:** March 31, 2011, 09:10:41 PM »

So I just traded my state of the art circa 1996 Eden rig (WT300 and D210XLT, basically high school me's dream rig) for a thoroughly modern Genz Benz setup. Shuttle 6.0 and matching GB neox212T cab. While the Eden rig took up less space (2x10 cab vs 2x12) the Genz setup is 3X more powerful, AND WEIGHS 25 LBS LESS!!! I dropped 15 lbs from the cab, 10 from the head, and the sound is awesome! I love that the head is so portable and light I can throw it in the gigbag pocket and have a full featured headphone/practice amp when I travel (which is alot!) I had been looking at the PJB Bass buddy for the same purpose, but now I don't need it!

benson_murrensun · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2011, 08:29:43 AM »

I hear that! I have been looking at the Gallien-Krueger MB200 head - it's only 2 lbs! Anybody know any pros/cons about this unit?

alembic76407 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2011, 09:57:13 AM »

I got a Genz Benz 6.0 A few month ago and retired my Mesa-Boogie 400+ to the practice room, I did buy a 4-10 box,I.m so happy with my new rig.
I still love my Boogie BUT the Benz is the best

sir David T

smalls · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2011, 12:38:05 PM »

I was playing with different settings today. Wished I had more usable range on the preamp gain. Seemed to only break up when it was cranked. Not enough gain i guess. Then I remembered I had the internal gain trim pot on my bass set at midway. Opened her up, cranked that sucker, and WHOA!!! Now that little red light flashes at 12 o clock! The amp is VERY responsive to dynamics now. Me likey. Really opened up the usable range of tones I can get from the amp. I still keep a fairly clean Hi fi tone, but now I can set the gain high enough that when I push it the natural compression of the tube being overdriven kicks in. Works pretty well for slapping and popping. I'm really digging this sucker.

melancholy_mechanic · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2011, 07:34:13 AM »

I love how light the Shuttle 6.0 is! People are always amazed when they pick up my gear.

bsee · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2011, 11:02:16 AM »

I'd like to swap my Schroeder 21012L and four space rack for an under 40lb 1212L or 1210L and a Shuttle 9.0. The 6.0 is certainly enough, but I really like headroom. It's a very nice amp layout, but I would have to do something different than the tone switches onboard and on the footswitch if I were the designer.

I really love the idea of one trip for all of my gear. As much as I'd love to gig a Mesa 400, I just don't want to carry it.

lembic76450 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2011, 04:44:09 PM »

Bob,
I have been using a 9.0 for a couple of months now. I have used so far, an Acme B-2, 2-1x12 Bag Ends, 2-1x15 Bag Ends and a house 8-10 SVT cabinet at The Met down this way in R.I. You would not be disappointed.

alembicman · « **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:01:13 PM »

For years I have played thru a rack with 2 GK 400 RB's in a stereo set up, an aphex 204, an alesis 3630 compressor and a yamaha emp100 effects processor, thru several cabs, a sunn 18 & 12 cab, an ampeg v6b cab with two 15 ev's, a swr gollith jr 2x10 with a horn.
Recently I decided I wanted more headroom and a crisper sound. Also decided to go back to a mono set up. I went to Bass Gallery in Atlanta and found a GenzBenz GBE 750 head and a Uber 4 x 10 cab with horn. Man this is a nice sounding rig. I still use the Aphex 204, and for now the Yamaha processor. The 4 x 10 is a 4ohm cab, so is the 2 x 10, and I wired the 2 x 15 to be 4ohm also. Any combination of these three cabs is wicked. I'm about to add a dbx 160a or 166x compressor to my rack. The alesis robbed too much tone so it didn't make the cut to the new rack. The GBE750 has two channels, one ch is solid state, one is tube. I came up with a mix of the two channels that I really like so that's pretty much set in stone. Anyway that's pretty much where I'm at rig wise.
By the way if your in the Atlanta you should check out The Atlanta Bass Gallery, Jim Rubio has a very nice store with lots of fine equipment. The last time I was in there he had three Alembics for sale. Lots of nice instruments and pretty much nothing but bass equipment. BASS HEVEN SWEET.

hb3 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:25:47 PM »

Still loving my Shuttle 6. Sounds great and made in USA.

alembicman · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2011, 07:26:12 PM »

Well I picked up a DBX 160A for my rig. When I had a DBX years ago, I ran straight from my bass to the DBX and then to my amp input. I ran my effects processor in the effects loop on the amp. I was wondering if I was placing everything in the right chain order.
At this time I'm using a GenzBenz GBE750 that has seperate effects loops for the FET, and tube channels, and another effects loop which is global. This is my chain: Alembic to a Yamaha EMP100 effects processor to the imput of the amp. I'm running one side of the Aphex to the tube ch effects loop, and the other side to the FET ch effects loop. Is this good, bad, wrong or right, and where would you guys suggest I place the DBX 160A in this rig.
I would realy like some feedback on this, both how to order the chain, and how to adjust the DBX, it's been awhile and I'm not as young as I use to be. Not quite as tech savy as back then, and definately not as patient with gear tweeking as back in the day.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #10 on:** June 08, 2011, 10:58:05 AM »

I always try to use effects in this order:

- Gain (overdrive and fuzz)
- Eq
- Compression
- Modulation (Chorus, Flanger)
- Time (delays)
- Ambience (reverbs)

Reverbs and Delays always at the end of effects chain, it never works good compressing or equalizing a reverbed sound, so using it at send/return is a basic set up.

Sometimes I put Compression before Eq, depending on what I want to do. But using Eq before Compression is a good way to avoid some frequency unexpectedly triggers the compressor, that way I can cut off any frequency excess or offending ressonance before squashing bass signal.

Compressor in first can tame down bass peaks before input Amp's pre and Eq section, allowing me to push overall signal level up, but I prefer using it after Eq. One exception could be the Aural Exciter, that I would probably use just before Reverbs.

So if I had that gear, I would put in this order:

Bass > Amp (input gain + Eq) > (send) Compression + Aphex 204 + Yamaha MultiEffect (return) > Amp (power section) > Cabinets

Or:

Bass > Compression > Amp (input gain + Eq) > (send) Aphex 204 + Yamaha MultiEffect (return) > Amp (power section) > Cabinets

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #11 on:** June 08, 2011, 11:35:02 AM »

I would only use a Compressor just before entering the Amp if it were set as limiter, just to smooth down transients and to obtain a better dynamic range going into the Pre.

To do this you must use a high ratio and short attack and release (any Compressor is a Limiter, it is just a matter of how you set its parameters). But as I said, I'd rather use it after EQ section to compress the entire signal that will go to the Power Amp. And remember that those Tubes in your Pre slightly compress peaks that pass through it because they can't respond as quickly as those transients occurs (so you already have some kind of compressor in your input).

One other thing is that I tend to not Eq my tone a lot, because I just can't trust my ears (they can only show me how my Amp sounds with those Cabinets and the particular place where I am in that room). There is a lot reflections and stationary waves contributing to how I perceive my direct sound and I can't equalize my tone being faked by room's accoustics. That's why I choosed Alembic, my tone comes from my fingers and Bass, and Amp's Eq is just to compensate room's response curve.

So I would probably use that Aural Exciter that way, just to complement thin sounding room.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #12 on:** June 08, 2011, 12:14:55 PM »

This way of thinking allows us to make any adjustments needed to get a good Bass tone where we are at stage without sacrificing the sound audience will hear. We can tweak our amps at our will and let a clean signal to sound tech adjust according to audience position at room and sound reinforcement response curve.

It is diferent to think your Amp as a monitor or as part of your signal chain.

This is a point to observe...

If you are by your own you can choose one of those settings, but if you need your yamaha or aphex to be part of your tone in a sound reinforcement situation, you'll need to put them all before Amp input (or even before DI if you use a direct box instead amp's direct out). You could sent signal after Eq (pos) or Mic your cabinets, but this prevents you to change your amp settings during performances. It would be bad send your signal through a pos-Eq line out, because you couldn't modify your Amp's Eq during the show without changing your entire tone going to audience.

So, to freely adjust your tone at stage, you need to send your signal before Amp's Eq (pre). But that way, if you need those effects to be part of your tone, they need to be set before input like this:

Bass > compressor > aphex > yamaha > DI > Amp

or

Bass > compressor > aphex > yamaha > Amp (using direct out to send signal to Console).

precarius · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2011, 02:42:30 PM »

??

I've got the Genz Benz Neo-Pak 3.5 and it weighs about 8 lbs. It's replacing a Trace Elliot AH150 (50 lbs) and a AH250 (50 lbs). I wish the Genz Benz had a cool blacklight though.

(Message edited by precarius on June 08, 2011)

hb3 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2011, 03:47:08 PM »

The only thing I don't like about my Genz-Benz are those incredibly piercing blue LEDs.