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ADA Preamps => MB-1 => Topic started by: rnolan on July 04, 2016, 09:35:48 AM

Title: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 04, 2016, 09:35:48 AM
So after a holiday with MJMP, my 2 MB1s are now up and going, one has JJs in it the other had some Marshall branded tubes, I had 2 spare Boogie SPAX7s (JJs) which are now in it. I'll try some Mullards soon.  Being a long time MP1/2 user, one thing I had to do was read the manual, the MB1 is similar in some was but very different in others.
Today I picked up a Carvin DCM200L and a Mesa PowerHouse 1x12 (with horn) cab (Chamai's GAS is catching  :facepalm: ). So nice compact rig that has chance of fitting in the car.  So I running it:
Alembic BBSB4> MB1 > Desk (+TC MOne del/rev) > Desk subgroup 4 > DCM200L (bridged mode 200w - 8ohms) > Mesa PH 1x12 cab.  Sounds very nice so far, I'll have to wait until the sun comes up to crank it a bit..
Very much liking the MB1, it's a great preamp  :thumb-up: and goes very well with the Alembic (and vis versa).
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: MarshallJMP on July 04, 2016, 10:52:15 AM
Nice !
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: PrimalScream91 on July 04, 2016, 11:13:25 AM
Sweet!  :thumb-up:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Soloist on July 04, 2016, 03:08:49 PM
Excellent! That Carvin is one transparent power amp! :thumb-up:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 04, 2016, 09:27:50 PM
Hey Soloist, it's a very nice amp (I hadn't heard one before but knew you liked them  :thumb-up: and they looked good on paper etc), and nice and lite  :whoohoo!: . So now to build a bass rack.  I've been toying with the idea of combining the guitar rack and the bass rack, then I just have to plug the MB1 into the mixer.  Also thinking about getting a 1RU line mixer like your Alesis.  Currently I have a small Yamaha AM802 velcroed to the bottom of the rack, works well but isn't ideal space wise, lucky I don't have to get at the knobs very often LoL.

The Mesa PH 1x12 is a nice cab.  Also good size and not to heavy to lug.
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 05, 2016, 01:42:05 PM
@ Richard,

    Sounds good man! Maybe you might look on Evil-bay for a Rane SM-82. That's a great single space mixer, and built like a tank!

                Harley 8)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Peter H. Boer on July 05, 2016, 11:33:12 PM
MB-1 RULEZZZZZ  :banana-guitar:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 05, 2016, 11:39:41 PM
Hey Harley, looks like a nice unit but has no AUX sends, ideally I'd like 3 or 4 sends (6 would be perfect), the Alesis Soloist uses has 1 stereo FX send, I did see a 1 RU line mixer with more but can't remember what it was  :facepalm: .  My AM802 mixer has 3 post fader sends, so I use 1&2 to Quadverb L/R and 3 feeds the IPS 33 Smart Shift (which I hardly ever use these days).  The if I bought a Lexicon MX300 I could probably just use the MP2 FX loop (though you said the loop changes the tone, is that just at higher return mix levels ?, I'd probably set the returns at 25% with FX full wet).
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 06, 2016, 12:12:16 AM
Hey Peter, yes they do, I'm really liking the MB1s  :whoohoo!: .  I got some Mullard long plates ordered, should be here tomorrow or Friday, I suspect they will go well with this setup.
The DCM200L is a good lite clean amp for the (small) rig, 200w into 8ohm in bridge mode.  The Mesa powerhouse 1x 12" is 300w box and seems plenty loud and very nice sound (but has at least a chance of fitting in my car).  I'm working on my right hand technique for the bass, it's destroying my guitar playing fingernails  :facepalm: .
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 06, 2016, 05:12:22 AM
Hey Harley, looks like a nice unit but has no AUX sends, ideally I'd like 3 or 4 sends (6 would be perfect), the Alesis Soloist uses has 1 stereo FX send, I did see a 1 RU line mixer with more but can't remember what it was  :facepalm: .  My AM802 mixer has 3 post fader sends, so I use 1&2 to Quadverb L/R and 3 feeds the IPS 33 Smart Shift (which I hardly ever use these days).  The if I bought a Lexicon MX300 I could probably just use the MP2 FX loop (though you said the loop changes the tone, is that just at higher return mix levels ?, I'd probably set the returns at 25% with FX full wet).

    I beg to differ with you sir! The SM-82 has Stereo Aux sends with it. I'm probably going to get one for my MP-1/3TM rig, and use the Aux sends to apply the noise gates to both preamps. I could even add a MP-2, and a Classic to that and run the dbx noise gates to all of them, and turn off the built in gates. That might let them breathe a bit more.

    Yes, I have noticed the effect changes especially at a 25% wet mix. The effect(s) seem to dull the tone of the guitar at that low mix. Depending on which effects I have in the loop, I can sometimes compensate by adjusting the effects mix level, and bringing up the MP-2 effects loop;

 At 25% dry mix, I also noticed how the effects would be oppressive, and you really begin to lose the tone of the guitar at that point.

           Harley 8)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 06, 2016, 06:24:57 AM
Hey Harley, it seems I got a different one when I googled it last time  :facepalm: ,  I just checked out the one you mean.  So 1 stereo AUX send, that's quite usable with a decent multi FX  :thumb-up: and it looks like a nice unit. Though just checked the price, $720 AUD here, so a bit expensive.  ART make this one for $500 less (http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/277819-ART-MX822/) worth a look, same features.
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 06, 2016, 06:38:36 AM
   That's crazy Richard :crazy:

    They have been out of production for years now. I've seen them for around $150 USD from time to time on evil-bay. Not too many people have a use for them these days, so demand is low. I'm sure you can get a better deal on one of those.
    You might have accidentally looked at the SM-26. Those are a completely different machine.


       Harley 8)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 06, 2016, 06:50:41 AM
Whatever I clicked on it was the wrong one LoL, sorry for the bum steer. Here's the link to the expensive one (https://www.audiobuy.com.au/rane-sm-82s-mixer-australia), seems to be new ?
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 06, 2016, 07:23:16 AM
Okay, I looked at that, but that one seems a bit different. The ones I'm thinking of don't have the (s) at the end of the model number, and that one seems to have  some kind of built in power supply.

   The ones I'm thinking of use a wall wart, with a plug that goes into the back of the unit, that resembles the old land-line telephone plugs we used to use. They will do everything in the description that this one does, but they cost a heck of a lot less.
    That's one thing I like about Rane equipment on Ebay, unless someone ran over it with an M-1 Abrahms Tank, it's going to work like a Clydesdale! Rane is some of the toughest gear ever made, and you could take it out an play Rugby with it. You won't hurt it.
     I'd let that one go by and let someone with more money than brains have it. There are much better deals out there, and not through music stores. Those guys got stuck with discontinued stock, and want to make their money off of it.

     Harley 8)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 06, 2016, 08:01:23 AM
Another downside here, they only get shipments a couple of times a year.  I got the DCM200L and the Mesa 1x12 at a good price (for Australia) as the Carvin stuff will go up 30% next shipment just because of exchange rate and the cab is discontinued for a new shinier one.
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Harley Hexxe on July 06, 2016, 03:02:11 PM
Richard,

    All the more reason to find a good deal on Ebay. I can't see paying more than you need to for a NOS piece when a used one will give you the same exact results.
    Another thing I like about Rane, is they will still support all their equipment, even though it's discontintinued. Those people up there are awesome, and they take a lot of pride in everything they make.
    A couple of years ago, I was having an issue with a buzzing noise in my preamps in my large rack which wasn't ground loop hum, this was something completely different. I was mixing 3 preamps into a stereo effects rack using my Voodoo Labs Ground Control, and GCX loop switcher to select the preamp or combination of preamps I wanted to run through the processing chain. I was mixing these with one of my SM-26 Splitter/Mixers.
    I called Rane because I wanted to know if I got one of the SM-82 Mixers off Ebay, would I get better results mixing these preamps into the signal chain? I talked with a man named Carl there, and explained my rig the way I was hooking it up to him. When I told him about the SM-26 I was using, (the oldest one), he told me something I never knew about. They still had the serial number of that unit registered in my name from 1988 when I bought it new! He then informed me that they had a recall on those units because the front panel screws were sub-standard and needed to be replaced because they didn't properly ground the chassis to the front plate. He offered me a RA# to send the unit in to have it upgraded, but instead, I had him send me the screws and I'd change them myself, which he did. They sent me a complete front assembly set and a bunch of extras.
    While we were on the phone, he heard my rig in the background which was on, and asked me about that buzzing, what was it from? I told him it was the rig and I was working on that problem as we were speaking. Carl then asked me to explain my connection path of the preamps to the SM-26, which was three ADA preamps, the inputs to each one was routed through the GCX from three of the GCX loops, being used as amp selectors. He got online while we were on the phone and looked up the GCX loop Switchers, and saw a problem which I never would have found on my own. The way the GCX works in this particular configuration, is that it shorts out the ground in the output of the loop to cut out the send to the input of the preamp.  This was what was causing the buzz I was hearing from my rig!
    I don't know about you, but I think it's amazing that these guys could help with technical assistance in a complicated rig like that over the phone, that involved equipment from other brand names! Because of this, I split my input lines to go direct to each preamp, and just used a "dead" program in each one that I didn't want to use in the signal path, (program 128). A bit of MIDI mapping, and I was able to get the results I was looking for! Those folks helped a lot more than I could have anticipated, so yeah, I swear by Rane gear!

    Harley 8)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 06, 2016, 11:19:24 PM
Hey Harley, great story  :thumb-up: , and good to know there are people who care and can help.  A bit like what we try to do here LoL.
If I can spot a Rane on eveil bay etc I'd be interested, though depends where, as we discussed elsewhere, shipping to Australia kills many a good deal  :facepalm:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Peter H. Boer on July 06, 2016, 11:40:19 PM
Hey Peter, yes they do, I'm really liking the MB1s  :whoohoo!: .  I got some Mullard long plates ordered, should be here tomorrow or Friday, I suspect they will go well with this setup.
Let me know, I haven't tried those ones yet.  8)

I'm working on my right hand technique for the bass, it's destroying my guitar playing fingernails  :facepalm: .
You could try using double bass right hand technique.
Move your neck up to as vertical as you can get, then use the side of your index finger for plucking (I've got calusses on both the side and fingertopes  :lol:), that should save you nails  :thumb-up:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 07, 2016, 06:33:39 PM
Hey Peter, thanks for the tip I'll give the side of the finger a try.  I trimmed my RH nails quite a bit shorter (but still have a little there), seems to be working out.  Also left hand is coping better with the thicker strings, I'm getting a sore neck/sholder though, even with the 3.5" strap.  The Alembic is just the best bass except for being neck heavy  :facepalm: , which surprised me for a bass of this pedigree and price.

I put a pair of Mullard long plates in one MB1 last night, they do the same for the MB1 as they do for the MP2, dream-time, I could hear the difference straight away.  Compared to the JJs that came out, the Mullards are warmer, more open, have lots more depth (particularly low mid and down) and they articulate the low E and F, F#, G much better, I can actually hear those notes properly (more distinctly) now, (probably more important on short scale basses like the SC Brown).
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: vansinn on July 08, 2016, 11:58:34 AM
Peter,
IIRC, you're usually, or used to be, using JJ high-gain tuber in your MB-1, isn't that so?
When combining those with others, like the long plates discussed above, I'm curious about the order: JJ->longplate or the reverse?
I have no long-plates at hand for testing, so..

I'm not sure which of the two tubes are set up to be capable of doing the most gain.
While this may be less important for bass, it might matter when used for guitar - and the MB-1 has it's own interesting distinct sound for guitar.
Sound-wise I would expect having the long-plate last-most would yield the best tone; however, there's also this thing called distortion.. ;)
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 08, 2016, 11:46:00 PM
Hey Van.The Mullards are also high gain tubes, similar to the JJs in that area.  I just went for 2 the same but if you wanted to mix and match, MikeB is using the Mullard short plate in V1 and Boogie SPAX7 (JJ) in V2 in his MP1 which is working for him.  In a bass context (MB1) I'd probably consider going the other way around ? I haven't changed out the tubes in my 2nd MB1 yet so I could play with this idea a bit, or use the Alembic stereo out and run one MB1 with JJs and the other with Mullards  >:D (well it's sort of stereo on the bass, you get one PU per channel).  This I'm yet to try, apparently it really opens up the sound (according to some on the Alembic forum).
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Peter H. Boer on July 10, 2016, 11:12:59 AM
Peter,
IIRC, you're usually, or used to be, using JJ high-gain tuber in your MB-1, isn't that so?
When combining those with others, like the long plates discussed above, I'm curious about the order: JJ->longplate or the reverse?
I have no long-plates at hand for testing, so..
Well I'm using 2 JJ high gains in my live rig and never tried combining 2 different types.

The studio rig has NOS Phillips, nut here the MB-1 is used only on the tube channel and only grind and distortion.
My clean sound comes from the TL-Audio VP5051 that has been modified to normal plate voltage (not the stock semi starved plate voltage) which uses 4 tubes (preamp, compressor + 2* EQ)


Sound-wise I would expect having the long-plate last-most would yield the best tone; however, there's also this thing called distortion.. ;)
As stated I do use distortion :). And also in the live rig, as there the SS channel is added to keep a solid bottom  :thumb-up:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on July 11, 2016, 04:34:16 AM
I haven't tried my TL-Audio 5001 (hybrid tube preamp) with the Alembic yet as I've been focusing on the MB1s.  I used it with the musicman sub when I first set it up for our (then) bass player.  Very nice clean tone into the studio monitors.  I also have a Focusrite Platinum Penta stereo compressor which IIRC I also used back then as part of that setup ??

Hey Peter, what tubes are you using in the VP5051 ?
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Peter H. Boer on July 11, 2016, 10:42:08 PM
Hey Peter, what tubes are you using in the VP5051 ?
NOS Mullards
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on September 02, 2016, 05:45:15 PM
So last night I tried an idea I'd been mulling over (egged on by Mike).  Since I have both MB1 and MP2 in my hybrid rack/rig I tried using the MP2 on the Alembics bridge PU and MB1 on the neck (well on the SC brown it's more in the middle than neck). Both Preamps go into the 8 ch mixer -> DCM200L -> 2 x Mesa P112 cabs.  Wow, what an amazing sound.  So the MB1 giving a nice clean bass sound and the MP2 on a medium distorted guitar patch (my rhythm patch).  The Alembic has a "stereo" mode where the each PU goes to one channel (L/R) so it's easy to send the PUs to different preamps.  They then combine in the mixer, add quadverb and midiverb4.  Very interesting sound.  I can control the distorted to clean mix with the PU vols (and/or the channel faders). I haven't played around with MP2 (bass  >:D ) patches yet but the idea worked well.
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: MikeB on September 03, 2016, 04:31:19 PM
Yep. I can confirm that it sounded amazing.  :metal:
When Richard started using the auto wah, it sounded a lot like cliff burton's tone on anaesthesia (pulling teeth)  :banana-rock:
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: rnolan on January 03, 2017, 01:56:48 AM
Well my MB-1 bass rig got it's first loud outing a couple of weekends ago.  Coincided with our drummer buying a new Gretch kit (he's been using Alesis electric kit).  Crap the kick drum is like a cannon  >:D . Also the first loud run with the Alembic SC Brown (seriously nice bass this one).  So all went well, the Messa P112s really move some air (very nice cabs  :thumb-up: ).  I have a Carvin DCM200L in this rack, plenty of oomph for guitar but 100w p/ch is a little lite on for bass.  It coped but I would have liked some more headroom.  I'm thinking my B500B would be better in this rack.  I also need to tweak the MB-1 patches a bit but overall they were fine.
Title: Re: MB1 rig is growing
Post by: Peter H. Boer on January 04, 2017, 11:24:12 PM
 :thumb-up: :thumb-up: