Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

[Snake Aces]

I have gotten back into playin bass and need to buy some new equipment for the new band. Right now my GK 1001RB head just sits on top of the cab, but I've decided to start building a small 4 or 6 space rack...

Funds ARE an issue. I'm lookin for the absolute best quality for the lowest price kinda thing. Buying used gear is NEVER out of the question.

Anyways so I've had this monster of a bass head for years now and it's about time I start adding to it. Here is what I'm lookin for in order of importance to me (all MUST be rackmountable unless you convince me otherwise):

#1: A SWEETNESS COMPRESSOR!! I've never owned anything too sweet for a compressor but I've heard rackmount squeeze is the way to go. Any ideas what kind I should be lookin for? I'd like to stay within the $150 to $300 range on a compressor IF POSSIBLE. I'm so confused by all the choices but have been LEANING towards the BBE MaxCom because of price. Does anyone know if that will work for bass frequencies?

#2: I definitely need a power conditioner/voltage regulator. Is it worth it to spend a lotta money on one or will the $60 Furman Merit Spike Protector do the job just fine?

#3: A solid rack tuner (gotta make sure da jugs bounce in unison). The obvious choice is the Korg DTR1000 (the 2000 is just not needed for my purposes) but it's kinda pricey. Has anyone tried the Behringer BTR2000? I've never owned Behringer ANYTHING but have read some pretty bad horror stories about their guitar/bass amps/speakers. How much could go wrong in a tuner?

Finally how good of an idea would it be to add a BBE Sonic Maximizer to the mix? I'd be interested in the $99 BBE 362 if anyone knows if it'd be worth it.

Also is there anything I SHOULD be considering adding that I left out? What's the best way to keep your rackspace cool during usage?

Thank you to anyone who helps me out. I feel like a noob all over again! I'm lookin to start piecing all this together starting in two weeks (when I start having some of the money I'll need)

 

[baritone]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Compressor/limiter, EQ, tuner- these are the basics I recommend to any bass player. The Korg DTR1000 is awesome. I'm racist against Behringer, so I keep my distance from them.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I'm thinkin it would be wise for me to stay away from Behringer too just from what I've heard.

Any thoughts on what a good compressor would be?

I thought about an EQ but I'm pretty happy with the balance I've acheived on the GK.

 

[baritone]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I am more of a stompbox guy, but Nady, ART, PreSonus, and DBX make some less expensive rackmount gear. Most of it is marketed for home recording studios, but that, and even line-level processors for home stereos would be fine. I think for a start, the Korg tuner, any of the rackmount BBE processors, with your amp's EQ section would rock. BBE also has a rackmount processor marketed for bass. It looks like a monster for creating clean, refined bass tones, but it costs $600. It has EQ, optical compression, and maximizer features in it.

 

[Fresno Bob]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

the best sounding bass rigs Ive heard always had a Tech21 Sansamp bass driver somewhere in the signal chain.

great for whether you want smooth DI or some nice growl.

 

[baritone]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

There are a lot of cool DI/distortion boxes for bass, and they can be used just fine with bass amps, but they are best used when running into a PA. The Tech 21 processors and modelers for guitar are awesome also. Kurt Cobain used to use a Tech 21 modeler as a distortion pedal, which is what I do with my ToneLab sometimes.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Right on guys, thanks for all the input so far and anybody else can feel free to add.

For my guitar equipment I love stompboxes, but for bass I'm ready to switch to the rackmount gear almost all the way (I will be getting the GK Diesel Dawg overdrive pedal as my only exception). I figure I've been playin bass for a long enough time now (almost 10 years) that it's about time I get serious about it...

I'm not into effects for bass, I just want the GK tone and a few things to sharpen/shape it a bit more. I like the idea of that BBE you mentioned, baritone. I will check that out. In fact it might be the ONLY processor I need since it has compression built in. I like BBE too, I have their Orange Squash comp stompbox for guitar and I love it!!

As far as Fresno Bob's input:

I looked at that Tech21 Sansamp almost a year ago but I talked to a sound technician at a semi-major venue I played at and he told me it will not do much for my already superior DI on the GK. In fact he said nobody ever comes through there with a DI as good as what I already have and my growl is already there, I mean c'mon... that's what Gallien-Krueger does!!

 

[J Moose]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Skip the BBE... if you need more top then adjust the amps EQ!

Put money into a better compressor. Aphex, Symetrix and Rane make quality gear that won't cost more then a couple three hundered on the used market and will be WAY better then anything new for the same dough. Something like a Symetrix 501 or Aphex Expressor ROCK on bass and will be under $300...maybe even $150 if you get lucky!

Cheap compressors pinch and kill tone.

Instruments with generous amounts of low frequency information like kick drums, bass, leslie low rotors etc. are especially vulerable to this...

This might be a good all in one solution... it does have an instrument level input.

http://presonus.com/eureka.html

Get a good rack too! Something made of plywood with good latches.

Friends don't let friends buy SKB's.

They just don't hold up... those damn lids!

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

#2: I definitely need a power conditioner/voltage regulator. Is it worth it to spend a lotta money on one or will the $60 Furman Merit Spike Protector do the job just fine?

It depends on where you're playing and what you want it to do. I played bars with dodgy electricity wired up, no doubt, by patrons looking to settle their bar debts. Little doubt they were wonky and probably messed up and we usually had to share one decent plug that had ground off of a power strip because there was no way the "Coors Light" sign could get unplugged.

I didn't go top of the line but I did go big enough to be sure that my gear would be protected.

#3: A solid rack tuner (gotta make sure da jugs bounce in unison). The obvious choice is the Korg DTR1000 (the 2000 is just not needed for my purposes) but it's kinda pricey. Has anyone tried the Behringer BTR2000? I've never owned Behringer ANYTHING but have read some pretty bad horror stories about their guitar/bass amps/speakers. How much could go wrong in a tuner?

I had the Korg. I wouldn't pry it open, dump out the guts and **** in the thing. It was terrible; took forever to get signal and by the time it got it I had about a half second before it lost it. If I hadn't bought it used and sold it for ten bucks more than what I'd paid for it I would have said I got ripped off.

Behringer stuff is generally cheap and with something like a tuner which you NEED I wouldn't skimp. Don't worry about the best out there, but get something that has a proven track record.

You did mention GK and I would mention taking a look at the RB800's. The old ones are reliable and get plenty of thump. I own one and the thing has been to hell and back again, and that was before I got ahold of it. Great head, I'll never unload it because I know it has that timeless quality of always being there and being solid when I need it.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I've had my SKB rack for around 7-8 years, and the latches are starting to go. My only issue with getting a plywood rack or something of that nature would be the weight.

A regular Rack Rider power supply would be fine. The only time I ever had any kind of power issues was with an outdoor show with a generator.

I have the Korg DTR-2. I'm not all that impressed with it. It's fine as far as getting the signal and determining the note- my issue is that it's "too accurate." It's impossible to get "on" with it, it's always bouncing flat/sharp. I just ballpark it so the green light is on, but if the light on either side of green is on- it's all good for government work.

I can't help you with effects or compression.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I've had my SKB rack for around 7-8 years, and the latches are starting to go. My only issue with getting a plywood rack or something of that nature would be the weight.

Yaaaaah...

Plywood racks DO weigh a good deal more and that sucks unless you chomp your Wheaties every morning...

Every SKB that me or a friend has bought over the years starts to get wonky after even just a year or two of being knocked around. I have ONE six-banger rack left and I swear I'm gonna put an M80 or something in there and blow the fukker the apart soon with some incindary device and post the video on Utube!!!

I can't even move that rack from the basement to the car (about 500 feet) without a lid falling off and that's if I can get 'em to fit on in the first freakin' place!

Really man... move 'em and beat 'em enough and those lids and the whole deal will bend, loose shape and fall apart.

They just WILL NOT hold up to 'standard' road use.

That whacky clip system is for the damn birds too! I'd rather be hung by my ballz from the highest point in the building then be forced to deal with those for the rest of my motral life on this planet!

On the flip side...

Every "real" rack I own has held up and protected my gear through TREMENDOUS amounts of abuse including $15,000 worth of tube EQ's getting dropped 7 feet off a loading dock onto the concrete below.

In that kinda light hauling another couple three pounds around isn't such a big deal for that piece of mind...

Not to mention that the cost of entry is about the same for an SKB or something "real" that'll most likely outlast you or I.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Wow so much info, thanks again!!

I almost DID go with an SKB rack... I guess not. Moose, ya know where I can look at a "real" rack (I don't know much about them, this will be my first) and about how much I should spend for either 4 or 6 spaces?

Also J Moose, thanks for the advice on the compressors!! I definitely DO NOT need more top end either. I have plenty of that!! I just am lookin to smooth out the snaps caused by an active bass with my strong attack as well as fatten up my lows EVEN more than the GK already does (think hip-hop bass meets reggae basslines/riddims blended with some funk/soul influence). I know the only way o do that is with a good compressor so your input is INVALUABLE!!


In response to Skarekrough:

I definitely want my amp to be protected. It was not cheap and GK's are really picky with voltage. I already popped the damn thing three times since I bought it in '01 due to faulty power situations. Basically I never want it to happen again... What should I expect to pay for something halfway decent for a smaller rack? (I hate using that word when not referring to...)

Also what brand tuner should I get then if the Korg is not all that great?

The 800RB is an amazing amp!! I like my 1001RB because of that famous low end GK thump!!

Thanks Golden Boy for your input too. I'm about to check out a rack rider...

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I can't think of the name of the company that makes the racks similar to the SKB stuff, but the walls are thicker, the whole thing is much more robust. I want to say there's shock mounting in them as well. My brother in law owned an amp repair place- I saw one of those racks in- it belonged to a currently touring 80s hair metal band-

Again, it weighed a ton.

My only problem with the sound of the GK800 is the lack of depth in the bottom end of the amp. The 1001s sound so much better.

If you're thinking about a voltage regulator, talk to a repair guy who doesn't have a stake in what you buy. Call a few. That sounds goofy to me about the thing popping due to "bad power." If you're not on a generator or something wild and fluctuating- that just doesn't sound right. Seriously, I used to rehearse in a 150 year old building with wiring that had probably last been looked at in the 50s- never had a problem.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Yeah, sometimes these 1001's can demand a lot of juice at once under heavy usage of the lows. Luckily the circuitry is designed to be protected if an irregular spike in the current occurs. The drawback is that protection shuts the amp down and can only be "reset" by GK. It hasn't happened to me in almost 4 years now though...

I guess I'm just paranoid and want to make sure I am doing everything I can to protect it.

I know what you mean about the 800RB's lack of bottom end depth. However, that's not to say they don't still have their uses!! I'd say for the money, at least back a few years, you couldn't find a better option than the 800RB if you were a gigging bassist. It seems these days something new and better is always around the corner and the "boomy" bass era caused by the current influenced by hip-hop pop culture has left amps like the 800RB and ESPECIALLY the warm all tube bass amps with all their classic rock glory in the dust. Fortunately Ampeg is bringing that sound back with their new line of all-tubes (just cuz it's not the sound I like using, doesn't mean I don't like it).

Of course, add the right compressor and maybe an Aphex Exciter to an 800RB and you'd be in a tomb of boom like you had the 1001RB!!

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I know what you mean about the 800RB's lack of bottom end depth. However, that's not to say they don't still have their uses!! I'd say for the money, at least back a few years, you couldn't find a better option than the 800RB if you were a gigging bassist. It seems these days something new and better is always around the corner and the "boomy" bass era caused by the current influenced by hip-hop pop culture has left amps like the 800RB and ESPECIALLY the warm all tube bass amps with all their classic rock glory in the dust. Fortunately Ampeg is bringing that sound back with their new line of all-tubes (just cuz it's not the sound I like using, doesn't mean I don't like it).

Of course, add the right compressor and maybe an Aphex Exciter to an 800RB and you'd be in a tomb of boom like you had the 1001RB!!

I had a mid/late 80s 800RB, and that was my first "pro" bass head. It never gave me any problems, but my issues with it were the lack of depth of the bottom end, and it was designed as a biamp head- I think we talked about this. It was split so that the 300w go into 4 ohms and 100w going into 8 ohms, and it was sensitive to that load restriction as it was a passively cooled amp. I never had a problem with it, but I can see where the problems would come. Somewhere in the mid-90s I came across the Seymour Duncan 300x300 amp- that is an awesome amp- especially to have come out in the 80s. And it smokes the GK. It's got loads more depth and a lot more power in a package a little bigger than the GK. What I really like about it is that it's functional as a 300x300 Bi-Amp head or running 300wx300w dual mono or 600w in bridged mode, much more flexibility than the GK, and you don't have to worry about running a 4 ohm load on one side and 8 on the other. I don't have a pic of my "stock" head, this one's been monkeyed with- but it's probably the better sounding of the two. This one has been set at bridged mode, so it's not technically a 300x300 amp anymore.

The blanked out controls from the right are high master, low master, crossover, bridged on/off, bi-amp on/off.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

How much did that Seymour Duncan head set you back?

I did not know SD even made bass heads ever?!? Why did they stop?

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

How much did that Seymour Duncan head set you back?

I did not know SD even made bass heads ever?!? Why did they stop?

I got the one above for (I think) $150 and the other one for $200. These were made prior to 1988- in the 1988 Guitar World Buyers Guide they were replaced with the 400x400w amp, and the 300x300 was no longer available. I "spoke" with Evan about it, and unfortunately there's no one around at Duncan that worked on these things. I've never seen a 400x400 in person, although the only documentation Duncan has is for the 400x400 head, and I think they were in production longer... But think of that- no one was putting out amps with this kind of power (6 or 800w @ 4ohms) and that much low end at that point in time.

If you can find one, they're total sleeper amps.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

I would love to have one someday as a solid back-up at least and you never know, it could come out ahead in the end if I like it enough.

Especially if I can find one at the right price when I have the dough. That's the kicker... it always is.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

Wow so much info, thanks again!!

I almost DID go with an SKB rack... I guess not. Moose, ya know where I can look at a "real" rack (I don't know much about them, this will be my first) and about how much I should spend for either 4 or 6 spaces?

My main 6-banger rack was about $170 or so... 3/8" plywood and massively overbuilt hardware all around w/ recessed latches & handles. An "ATA 300" style case.

I haven't seen one of these Carvin cases but they look pretty good on paper and in pics. At the least I'm sure they'll hold up better then an SKB!

http://www.carvin.com/products/group.php?CID=CSS

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Attention BASSPLAYA'S!! Need advice on rackmountable gear...

That Carvin sounds good, I always forget to look at Carvin when thinking about new equipment for some reason...