SF-2 settings

[edwardofhuncote]

Here are some SF-2 settings I'm liking for the Starfire. I set it like this with both pickups enabled, both volumes on full, both tone pots on full, baritone (suck) switch disengaged, then I have some local adjustments at the point-of-use.

Note that I have adjusted the F-1X crossover setpoint upward a bit to play with it. Ordinarily I would have this crossed over around 100-125 Hz. Just an experiment. 

[edwardofhuncote]

I've been thinking about how to answer my own question from the other day, about how to bypass the SF-2. This isn't exactly how I want to do it, but someone tell me if I'm thinking the right way or 180° off...

If I select high-pass of Ch A, and set the filter to the lowest extreme of 45 Hz, then select low-pass for Ch B and set the filter to the highest setting of 6 KHz, would that not effectively be passing everything through?  Also in this scenario, I leave the Dampening Ratios all the way down and the Gains even with each other. It definitely sounds 'dry'. Just not sure what I'm doing is really getting me anything useful... it takes too long to get readjusted from zero.

*here, like this:

[elwoodblue]

That sounds right.
You could also drop both the filter gains to 0 and make a couple adjustments on the direct gains for a dry signal.
  I could see real use for a two button bypass footswitch,
that'd be fairly easy to do too.


(My first thought was Phil bombs    )

[edwardofhuncote]

...drop both the filter gains to 0 and make a couple adjustments on the direct gains for a dry signal.


...I could see real use for a two button bypass footswitch,
that'd be fairly easy to do too.

(My first thought was Phil bombs    )

   That may have just set off an a-ha moment, Bro. Elwood. Okay, lemme think about that a while, and try it this evening with Filter Gains at 0.

I can see a bypass button being of benefit right now, maybe only because I don't know yet how to get the most from this wonderful thing. I'm getting there quickly though. The manual advises that you "think backwards" which ironically always came a little bit naturally to me!

I just spent a couple hours building/modifying a set of casterboards to get my speakers up off the floor in an effort to not only de-couple them, but make them easier to move out of the corner of my practice room.

Bombs. Yessir. I can bring 'em now. What few neighbors I have are wondering what the ham-sandwich is going on over here. 
 

[s_wood]

You could also drop both the filter gains to 0 and make a couple adjustments on the direct gains for a dry signal.

That’s exactly what I do. That said, I almost never take the SF-2 out my chain, and when I do it’s to quickly hear my tone without it for reference purposes.

[jazzyvee]

Here are my current settings when using the SF-2 as a pre-amp. At the moment I'm only using this setup for reggae gigs. I tend to make small adjustments if the sound is too boomy in the room or i'm set up on a hollow boxy stage. For this genre I tend to base my sound on the neck pickup which again usually has it's filter fully closed and no Q. The bridge pickup is usually on fully open but I only bring in a smidgen of that pickup using the pan pot in order to keep the clarity if I want to change the tone for a different style of reggae bass line I then close the filter down to between half way and closed and move the pan a bit more towards the centre to bring in the bridge pickup. that seems to work for me. I'm really happy using the SF-2 as a preamp now. I do think i'd find it harder for non reggae genres. In that case I would prefer to use the SF-2 in the send and return loop of an F1-x so I can add just as much as I need, which usually isn't much.


The picture shows the setting I used for my gig this past Saturday night when I was not playing through the PA. My cab is a nice clean honest sounding Barefaced Big Twin II.

[edwardofhuncote]

Been spending some time getting more proficient with the SF-2 controls... I'm now able to dial-in what I want fairly quickly from zero, using music chosen completely at random. Just pick something from the pile and try to figure out how to make the bass sound 'right'. I actually missed having it at a gig last weekend... that can't be good!

I've mostly been using it with the Starfire basses. It's completely turned me around on one of them that has the old 70's Westerly pickups. I always felt that they were kinda' muddy sounding, but they really come to life when fed through this rig. And the Bisonics on my old '67 are positively vicious sounding. I've put a couple passive Gibsons to the test too, and even a couple piezo-equipped Turners. Rounds, flats, picks, fingers, all these different combinations to try.

I've yet to plug any Alembic bass into it though. I'm saving that for graduation day... I still have a lot to learn.

[jazzyvee]

I tried an SF-2 as a pre-amp with my guitar today.... man did it sound incredible.  I was at a friend's rehearsal studio trying out a new barefaced guitar cab and tried the guitar through the F1-x, then patched in the SF-2 in the send and then tried it on it's own and it sounds fantastic. I was doing everything clean, no effects even my guitar playing band members were impressed by the sound. I used my Alembic powered 84 strat and as it happens my mate's strat is an 84 USA strat so it was good to hear the comparison. He does have a treble boost in his which sounds really good and they both sounded great through my alembic preamps.

[Mark 63]

In Greg’s pictures above, the F-1X volume is all the way to 0. Wouldn’t that setting result in no signal going to the SF-2 or the power amp?

[edwardofhuncote]

For speaker safety, I always, always, ALWAYS, park gain or input volume at 0.    Note there is no cable plugged into the F-1X yet... once there is, I would then increase to something between 7-8.


(But you are 100% correct)