Author Topic: Finally I'm fully enjoying the Alembic sound! (Read 250 times)

the_mule · « **on:** April 04, 2004, 08:17:04 AM »

When my Orion became part of 'the family' last January, I knew that someday soon I would want a good amp to be able to fully enjoy the Alembic sound. Also I needed a speakercabinet for the 1968 SF Fender Bassman top I recently purchased at a vintage guitar fair. Last but not least I've always been a fan of the ultra-clean HARTKE sound. This all has resulted in my new rig:

- HARTKE HA 1400 top
- HARTKE 2100 Pro cab
- Planet Waves cable

Wow, what a difference this makes! I'm even more impressed with my Alembic than I already was! It may seem strange that I also mention the cable, but that alone also makes a huge difference!

The Bassman connected to the 2100 Pro is a very nice 'sidekick' which I use with my 1977 Fender Precision exclusively.

I have to add that I'm not a performing musician, and that I only play at home. Fot that purpose this rig is powerful enough. I can imagine that other members of the Alembic family - especially those who roam the stages frequently - might have much more powerful rigs. Feel free to join in and show me (us) what you've got!

keavin · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2004, 08:32:13 AM »

hey man!!!cute rig ,whats the 'RMS'(power), and thats a unique set of speakers,and have your neighbors called the cops on you yet?

the_mule · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2004, 08:46:23 AM »

top = 140 watts @ 4 ohms / 80 watts @ 8 ohms
cab = 200 watts @ 4 ohms (2x10 with horn)

(and the neighbours haven't complained... YET!)

bracheen · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2004, 03:40:24 PM »

Very nice rig, Wilfred. I'm a fan of Hartke myself and really like the new Pro series.

Sam

bracheen · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2004, 03:42:26 PM »

BTW, good idea sound-proofing your practice room

keavin · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2004, 04:16:02 PM »

dude !!im way here in chicago,!and i can still hear that alembic! ........ im calling the cops!!!

bassman10096 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2004, 09:04:57 AM »

I really like the color and figure change in your bass toward the bottom! I'm also a fan of Hartke amps. I used to have a 3500 and miss it when I don't want to move my rack. Sounds as if you've found a nice improvement in your ability to hear your Alembic!

Bill

effclef · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2004, 09:32:42 AM »

Mule, how do you like the HA1400 as far as noise goes? I had a chance to try an HA4000 into a Hartke 210TP (light Transporter cabinet with aluminum cones) and the sound seemed very focussed, but there was a fair amount of hiss even with no instrument connected, and the volume up around 9-12:00 or so. Perhaps this is normal. Most times nobody would notice the hiss, especially with actual bass notes coming out (for that matter, I was sitting directly across from the cab).

Anyway, I wonder if an SF2 running into a pair of HA1400s would be a neat setup.

Is that cab a 2x10 or 1-10, 1-15? Hard to judge by the photo.

What do other Members think of Hartkes?

EffClef

keavin · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2004, 09:45:49 AM »

i like hartkes,theyr very 'crispy' sounding,w/ lots of presence,however i love sound of 15s over 4/10 cabs,but i do love that tweeter sound!

the_mule · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2004, 10:59:40 AM »

@ bassman10096 - Thanks! I've never seen a similar looking top on any instrument actually. Makes it quite unique, doesn't it?

@ Effclef - It's true that there is some noise/hiss, but only at certain settings and there's also a noticable difference between passive and active basses. My old Fender Precision is really much more silent than my active DeArmond Pilot Deluxe or in fact the Orion. It's definitely not bothering me personally, but I never use the amp at really high volumes anyway...

BTW: The 2100 Pro is a 2x10 cab with adjustable horn, for full specs click this link:

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1637&brandID=3

effclef · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2004, 01:42:46 PM »

Mule, my question was more - if you have NOTHING plugged into the Hartke amp, and turn up the volume, can you hear much of a hiss in the speaker?

OK, 2x10, great. Interesting they have port tubes there in the bottom - presume the top 10 is closed?

EffClef

the_mule · « **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2004, 08:22:57 AM »

No, not really actually. It's quite silent, in fact. About the cabinet, don't know about the top and/or bottom speaker being closed or not, simply because of the fact that the whole back of the cabinet is closed. Can't see a thing there! The specs on the Hartke homepage don't provide an answer either I'm afraid...

(sorry for being not much of a help, but I'm only a newbie when it comes to separate tops and cabinets, always played with combo amps before)

(Message edited by the_mule on April 07, 2004)

bkbass · « **Reply #12 on:** April 07, 2004, 04:26:40 PM »

Sometimes the noise is from the house/club/store electrical wiring.If the ground wire is not firmly attached to the water piping OR if the connection is old it is probly in need of a cleaning with emery cloth and to be retightened.Just like a car's battery terminal bright and tight.About 7 out of 10 times this will clear up the noise.

effclef · « **Reply #13 on:** April 09, 2004, 09:17:31 AM »

Mule, thanks for the update. OK, I will have to check it again sometime. The specs of the HA4000 on Hartke's website do list a maximum noise threshold on the amplifier so maybe it was in-spec (for that model and power rating, anyway).

Regardless, your HA1400 and cabinet combination seem to be great for a home environment where you don't need a rack of MESA/BOOGIE BASS 400+ amps. :-)

BK, yep, earth grounding is important and people should be aware that their wiring isn't to code if it's not secure.

EffClef

kmh364 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 10, 2004, 05:57:34 AM »

effclef:

Amen for proper grounding! As an Electrical (Power) Engineer, as well as an Electrical Inspector, I can attest to that fact. In addition, the effect a good AC power conditioner (with an isolation tansformer) has on an amplifier's noise floor is not insignificant. As an experiment, I plugged the AC cord of my new Eden WT-550 (w/ 2-210XST cabs) into my buddy's Tice Audio Power Block from his nearby Hi-Fi rack and the noise floor dropped just like that spinning amusement park ride (the Rotor?). Unconnected to an instrument and plugged straight into the wall receptacle, it had a fair amount of hiss...not so after plugging into the AC conditioner. OK, so the Power Block is bigger, weighs more, and costs about the same (i.e., new MSRP) as my bass head. The point is, noisy, poorly voltage-regulated AC mains are a common occurrence: a power conditioner can certainly help in this area. Let your ears (and your wallet) be your guide. Just my two cents.

Cheers,

Kevin

(Message edited by kmh364 on April 10, 2004)