Author Topic: F1-X with Crown Drivecore XLS1000 (Read 1771 times)

hammer · « **Reply #30 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:32:29 PM »

The Yamaha P2500S is 250 watts stereo and 620 watts bridged into 8 Ohms, while the P5000S is 500 watts stereo and 1400 watts bridged. The latter was purchased for playing in a band that had two guitarists, keyboards, and 4 horns and provided plenty of sound and headroom. The top of the line P7000S is rated at 750 and 1900 watts.

Personally, I love the Yamaha amps, but there are people here who are just are just as passionate about the QSC line.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #31 on:** August 25, 2015, 05:27:04 AM »

My Walkabout with it's recommended 4 ohm minimum load is 300w... most of which isn't used to drive a single Scout 12 or 15. I found that two Scout 12's spreads that out a little better. Like Joey said above, it's not about overkill it's about clean headroom. I don't know... maybe double what power I currently have, and put it out through some neutral sounding cabs.

It's not really more volume I'm after here, (though more available is fine), it's volume without fuzzy-sounding mids. I've tried different speakers, in different cabs and same cabs, so I gotta' think it's a trait inherent to the Walkabout. I think every other bass player in the known universe except me likes that voice, and the only cure I have found is to roll off those low-mids using the Walkabout's onboard parametric equalizer. Which kinda' guts your felt output when 5 dB of 340 hz is missing.

Maybe I'm barking up a lightpole instead of a tree here... but I think a less-is-more approach with a simple bass to pre-amp to power-amp to speakers is going to get me closer. It's just so hard to describe what *that* is.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #32 on:** August 25, 2015, 05:34:55 AM »

FWIW, the F-1X came yesterday but I wasn't home to sign for it... I'll pick it up at the Post Office this evening, and maybe have some time to play with it later tonight. Probably tomorrow. Meantime I'll be reading up on it. =)

I'm told sending it to the effects return is the closest I can get to simulating running it to a power amp... may try it in front of the input too, but if what I think is true, it won't help with the fuzzies.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #33 on:** August 25, 2015, 06:52:41 AM »

wow, I?ve always learn lots from you guys, thanks!

edwin · « **Reply #34 on:** August 25, 2015, 09:05:02 AM »

My impression is that Mesa rigs are always on warmer and fuzzier side of things and it's a sound built in to the gear because of their heritage of tube amps. I get the same issue with Ampeg gear.

Any PA style power amp will be an improvement. I used to be a big believer in the big and heavy amps (Crest CA9 is a great one, but way too heavy). Now I am enjoying (as most know) the Peavey IPR 3000. 8 lbs and lots of power (I don't trust the specs enough to quote them, but it's plenty) and very nice deep, clean, bass. The Yamahas are very nice indeed, but I wouldn't go with them unless you are getting one with at least 500 wpc. What you want is clean headroom and lots of it.

My back up amp is a QSC CX1202V. It's an install 70v amp I've modified for bass rig use. Ridiculous amounts of clean power (2200 watts at full bandwidth bridged into 8 ohms).

What features do you need in a power amp? Aside from the right connectors, there are some that are useful, such as a high pass filter and limiters. The amps with DSP built in can be quite useful and versatile. I wasn't that taken with the Crown versions. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of Crown, but I don't hate them.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #35 on:** August 25, 2015, 08:29:32 PM »

I've been playing with this F-1X...

Only had a couple hours to mess with it, and already it's turned into another one of those, how did I get by for so long without this piece of gear?

Using my Persuader, I first tried the full-range output to the Walkabout effects return, which basically bypasses everything on the front of the head except the power switch. I also tried taking the full-range output straight to to amp's input jack, with less satisfaction than the effects return. Then I got adventurous and used the low-pass x-over with another bass... I LIKE IT! More later...

(Message edited by edwardofhuncote on August 25, 2015)

edwin · « **Reply #36 on:** August 25, 2015, 09:30:57 PM »

The fun begins!

With regard to an audible difference between the F1X and F2B, I found that there is one which I attributed to the F1X having a solid state based gain path. The tube is a buffer. The F2B is all tube. I liked the F1X better, in terms of the tone and in terms of versatility. But I needed a stereo preamp, so that's the one that stayed. I experimented with tubes up and down and back and forth, as well as making sure everything was in tip top shape in both units in order to be sure that I was giving them each a fair shot. Neither is a slouch when it comes to tone. Both sound awesome.

I always found it interesting when someone would love my tone and then get a non-Alembic tube pre thinking it would deliver the same sound. Demeter, etc., just don't have that tone. The only one that is in the same ballpark for me is the SMS Classic Tube Pre, which is Brad Sarno's homage to the Alembic work on the Fender preamp coupled with some things he learned designing preamps for pedal steel.

It's a great time to be a bass player!

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #37 on:** August 31, 2015, 11:20:30 AM »

I've had almost a week to play with this setup, just running the F-1X into the effects return of the Mesa Walkabout I usually use, and I'm SOLD. Love it... definitely want to build a power-amp rig in the near future, rack up this F-1X with it, and find some cabs capable of handling the extra power. Those Mesa Scout cabs are great when used for their purpose, but they'll never do long term if I start pushing them with 500w.

A couple observations... using the low-pass output with my Alembic seem kinda' redundant, I like the full-range much better, and besides that, my bass already has a low pass filter on it. =) That said, I *really* like using the low-pass output of F-1X with a couple other (non-Alembic) basses. It's the next best thing to Alembi-cizing them. Wow, what a difference! At this juncture, I have to pause and thank you fellas who counseled me to forsake not the filter.

Now, dumb question... what's the purpose of the high-pass/crossover output? Stereo amping? What's it usually intended for?

edwin · « **Reply #38 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:07:59 PM »

Actually, both those outputs are designed to be used in conjunction with each other as an active crossover in a biamp situation. Using the filters creatively as tone shaping tools was not part of the primary intention, but is a cool idea. Just be aware that the tone coming out of the DI will not have the same tone shaping. But, don't let that discourage you from experimenting. Sometimes the coolest discoveries are when we repurpose tools. If you like that tone, just put a DI in between the low pass out and your amp.

Carry on!

Edwin

elwoodblue · « **Reply #39 on:** August 31, 2015, 12:20:24 PM »

The high and low outputs have matching phase (meant to be used together).
It's shifted not quite 180 degrees(maybe 165 averaged) from the full range output.
Keep that in mind as you explore.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #40 on:** September 08, 2015, 11:20:40 AM »

Got an open-box deal from MF on a Crown XLS 2000 to pair up with this F-1X... should be here later this week.

I'm guessing my next adventure is going to be shopping for suitable cabs.

bigredbass · « **Reply #41 on:** September 11, 2015, 12:30:21 AM »

Wolf, as a fellow fan of the old P-series Yamaha amps (we once salvaged a rack of them from a total-loss fire damaged club: Cleaned them out and up, and 4 out of 5 still ran like a train!!), while cruising thru Yamaha's Commercial Sound website, well, we're in trouble:

http://yamahacommercialaudiosystems.com/product_detail.php?prodID=1039

. . . . don't even look at the pics of the innards of this beast. Separate power supplies, dual fans, 2-ohms, oh my. At LEAST they left off the VU meters . . . .

Joey

sonicus · « **Reply #42 on:** September 11, 2015, 01:21:08 AM »

Joey ,
Yes , as you know I ran in to a few of the P2200's over the years that I picked up and still use daily. One of them had been stored under a house in Marin , California for years .I took some bench precautions powering it back to life and it was still quite swell . Those things are really tuff ! That new line that you posted is likely to become another marathon winner like the P2200's. Years ago I thought big VU meters were the BEES KNEES on an amp, but that has changed for me as well ( except on a nice old vintage higher end mixing board ) Thanks for posting the link , I like to keep aware of the new stuff as well .

Wolf

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #43 on:** September 11, 2015, 09:30:56 PM »

P-Series brethren, let us rejoice!

Peter (Who wants the VUs, demmit!)

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #44 on:** September 28, 2015, 07:19:43 AM »

Hey Fellas, any thoughts about these cabs?

http://avatarspeakers.com/home/product/sb126/

I've been kinda' shopping around for some cabs capable of handling the higher output of this Crown XLS 2000, and ran across a pair of lightly used ones, loaded with the 500w/8ohm model speakers, and with the upgraded 1.6k crossover. The cabinets are also mirrored. (meaning baffled opposite each other, whatever that means) They look to be made very well, from a construction standpoint, but I've never tried any.