What amplification system are you using with your Alembic?

[bracheen]

Hey Jean & Willie welcome to the group.
You guys must be playing in stadiums with those setups.  You gotta love anything called el whappo.
I think I have a neighbor with one of those in his Accura.
 
Sam

[ajdover]

My rig is pretty simple ... an Ampeg SVT IV Pro with Ampeg BXT 115 HLF and BXT 410HLF cabinets ...
I do the biamp thing with the 410HLF cabinet in full range mode.  Sounds great to me.
 
I use an Ampeg BA-115 for practice.
 
Regards,
 
Alan

[jeffbass4]

 
 
(Message edited by jeffbass4 on November 22, 2003)

[jeffbass4]

It's interesting to read everyone's input on the highly subjective issue.
  After playing my 1985 Alembic Distillate w/Cocobolo through several amps in different gig situations, my rig which suits me best and has been very reliable over tons of gigs is an Ampeg SVT IIP pre-amp into an SWR stereo 800 power amp, into an Ampeg 8x10 SVT cab. I love the punch, clarity and agressiveness of this amp. For added spice I run through a Yamaha rack mount Bass Multi-effects that I use for a little overdrive,EQ and compression. It may be big and heavy but there is no substitute for the sound. A previous poster was correct also. With the rear casters it is easier to move around than a 4x10 cabinet,or similar mid-size cabinets, and it helps to have a van to haul it in.  :-)

[bracheen]

What advantages if any is there to an 8x10 vs two 4x10?  I'm curious about the pros & cons.  It seems the two 4x10s would be easier to move around but a lot of people seem to like the 8x10.  I'm in the research stage of looking for a new rig and there have been several helpful posts here recently.

[jeffbass4]

Bracheen,
   As far as moving around a cabinet, the 8x10 (165 lbs.) has the kick-back casters and the upper rear bar which lets you dolly the cabinet around fairly easily. Weight is only a factor when getting it on or off stage if there are several steps, or when moving it up or down a hill. With a 4x10 cab (generally 90+ lbs.), you'll want a dolly, or a helper. It's certainly tougher to man-handle one by yourself. I've used SWR 4x10 cabs and the Ampeg 8x10. I can't explain why it seems different, only that the 8x10 seems to have more bottom, more girth and punch, (the way you feel it when you get a little volume to the sound), than the 4x10's.  Good luck in your search.

[811952]

I've got a kludge of 3 setups I use, and I swap the pieces around depending on what I feel like carrying around.  For preamps, I have a custom 2-channel dual-showman-ish tube unit with an integrated power supply for the bass, an ART tube preamp with parametric eq and compression (I love the sound of this unit), and a Line 6 Bass Pod Pro.  The Bass Pod Pro sounds great, but could use a low-range parametric and has been back to the factory for problems twice in one year, so I haven't used it nearly as much as the others.  For power, I have a couple of ancient (at least 40 years old) 200 watt mono Bogen industrial tube amps and a Peavey DECA 1200.  The Bogens sound incredible!  The Peavey sounds good too.  I have no complaints there.  I use an Ashley X-over when I choose to biamp, and a cheap Alesis stereo compressor (3630 I think) after the X-over to run different ratios on the highs and lows.  Sometimes I also run the signals through a BBE.  Oh, and I have an old Peavey Mark III bass head that has literally been under water, but it works.  For cabinets, I have an old Lab Series 1-15, and Dr. Fong 1-18 with a Peavey Black Widow in it, a couple of 2-10 cabinets and a MusicMan 4-12 loaded with Black Widows (very, very heavy).  I mix and match depending on venue/genre/weight.  The Dr. Fong puts out the deepest bass, the 4-12 really punches and I can lift the Lab Series.  Mostly I let the P.A. do the work.  People who have never played with a big PA doing the work (and a good FOH engineer) don't know what they are missing.  I love the sound of the bass coming back at me from the front, especially the ringing lows...
I once designed and built a 2-18 isobaric cabinet which put out the absolute deepest bass I've ever felt, but my soundman made me stop using it because it put out too much really, really deep bass... :-(
john

[shakeyeraz]

Quite simple for my Europa 5:
F1x (Korg DTR1 tuner used but not in the loop)
QSC PLX 1602 (bridged)
Eden 410XLT - 8 ohm
Eden 410T - 8 ohm
 
I was using an SWR 750X until I went with the component route - love the sound I have now.
 
BTW - the 750X is up for sale.

[gbarchus]

Here's one of my rigs. http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/1941.html?1033976607 Sometimes I use a Sunn 300T with a couple JBL 15s. I love a tube sound with just a little distortion by attacking the strings a bit harder.
 
gale

[valvil]

I just revamped my rig this last couple of weeks. I love my Ashdown ABM 500 head but I decided to go the bi-amp route. So I got an F1x and a  stereo power amp.
 
F1-x preamp
SF2 Superfilter
Dbx 1066 compressor limiter (which is often in bypass)
Lexicon MPX 500
Behringer EP2500 power amp
2x10 SWR Goliath JR
1x15 Ashdown ABM cabinet
 
I use the crossover to split the signal with the lows going to Ashdown and the highs to SWR, of course.
 
The Behringer really blew me away. Apparently the Behringer EP series is a pretty good copy of the QSC PLX line. The EP  2500 has 750W per side at 4 ohm and 450 at 8.  2400W bridged at 4 ohm.  I only paid about 300$ for it brand new from the store I used to work at.  
 
I've played it only at home so far, and I'm unlikely to play anywhere else soon with that rig, but so far it sounds great.  
 
I loved bi-amping in studio monitors from the get-go, I can't figure out why I didn't try it on bass much sooner. It's soooo flexible...gives you a load more sounds available, just by nudging the crossover or giving a bit more power  to one side...and that's without even touching the superfilter or the bass controls...many days of tweaking ahead...
If anyone is interested in the Ashdown, let me know by e-mail; it's in great condition, never gigged, only about 1 & 1/2 years old. Box & manual included.
 
Valentino

[wally_malone]

I play my Alembic Orion Six through an Eden Metro with an Accugroove Tri-112.
 
Wally

[yggdrasil]

PREAMPS:  
 
F1-X  
SF-2 (seldom used)  
alternate with  
SWR IOD  
 
AMP:  
STEWART 1.2
 
Speaker:  
 
EA CXL-112  
 
Also:  
 
SWR baby Blue II  
 
 
 
(Message edited by Yggdrasil on November 28, 2003)

[bigredbass]

What I really love about the Wickershams is that they are modest and self-effacing to a fault . . . when Mica says that 'they are familiar with a sound system where the band and the audience hear the same thing' . . . well, read this link to fill in what she DIDN'T say:
 
   www.dozin.com/WallofSound.asp#
 
. . . I'd CERTAINLY say they're familiar with the idea !
 
J o e y

[mattheus]

You can say that again, I have a brochure from Alembic which shows a picture from that 'Wall of Sound'.
Now I know what I want..... 18 x 15 speakers; let the battle begin..... shake it baby...
 
Mattheus

[oujeebass]

I have a Roland guitar amp which sounds great for around the house and recording. It has 8 - 8 inch speakers. The wide frequency range of these speakers work great with my Epic. For band situations, I use a GK RB800 with a Eden 4x10. The Roland sounds better.. I use a ART Tube MP as a boost to get a hot signal.