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Prototype "Dream Rig"
Sennheiser Wireless --> Boss TU-2 Tuner --> EH POG --> Zoom BFX-708 multieffect/Boss LS-2 line selector --> Dunlop MXR M-80 DI --> PA and/or power amp & 1 or 2 Avatar B112 cabs |
I'm "putting my money where my mouth is" in regards to the "dream rig" I came up with. I'm trying to put all
my signal processing/tone shaping on my pedalboard and just run that into a power amp (for standalone use) or
into the PA if I can get away without a separate rig. The M-80 works a touch better than a Sansamp PBDDI in this
situation (the "main" channel is easier to tweak live than the 3 presets of the BDDI and it has the stompable
drive channel). I like the M-80 into a PA but haven't liked it as well into a power amp. I need to verify whether
it can drive the Carvin fully and may need to add another gain stage in there to get the full benefit (maybe use
mic pre w/phantom power so basic amplification using the M-80 only (no effects) doesn't require a power supply
for the M-80).
Tried this out last rehearsal and had my usual gripe. I don't like the M-80 as a pre into a power amp/cab setup. Don't know what exactly it is but it doesn't sound good to me that way. So for a pedalboard-based setup I'd have to find something different (scratch BDDI, scratch M-80 - maybe try a BBE Acoustimax?). This doesn't bode well for the pedalboard-based "dream rig". I'm now thinking either the "ultralight rig" or separating tone generation from power in the rack (or bite the bullet and buy a PLX-1804 power amp). |
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Prototype "Ultralight Rig"
Sennheiser Wireless --> rack tuner (future) --> Yamaha BBT-500H (OTW) --> 1 or 2 Avatar B112 cabs |
This will be nice and light, and pretty low powered. But that should work with my quiet group (my main group
these days). For louder uses I can use a power amp.
If this config wins out I will probably drop a rack tuner in with the head and wireless to make it completely self-contained for normal use. If it wins out I will have to decide whether to keep the Bmax as the "dream rig" will be moving to the "ultralight" configuration for primary tone shaping. If this rig wins out then I may also look at getting some 4Ohm cabs to take full advantage of the power that the BBT does have. Maybe move the Avatar SB-112 to be a 4Ohm Neo (drop a new speaker in it) and get an Avatar Neo 2x10 in 4Ohm to add to it. Those cabs are a bit heavier than the B112s so I may be better off finding different 4Ohm 12s to drop in the B112 boxes (or getting other 4Ohm 1x12 or 2x10s). The one MF sent me had a faulty headphone out so I sent it back for exchange. They wouldn't send the new one before the old one arrived and now they've had the old one for 4 business days and haven't sent out the new one. That bites. |