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The Read, Accugroove & Power


Wally Malone

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Well I have the opportunity to try the Read Purity preamp, a Crest Audio Pro 8200 power amp with my Accugroove Tri-112. Got it home tonight and plugged it in and after just some minor tweaking was able to get a great sound from all three of my basses, the Stingray, Alembic six and my Kubicki Factor. Now I really know what "headroom" is. The next two nights I'll get to use it on gigs, the first with Lady Bo using 6 pieces including two horns and the next night with a variety band playing a corporate Christmas party. I give a review after playing the gigs.

 

Willie, you can tell Lady Bo what I want for Christmas. I'll take the Read Purity preamp with a Stewart 2.1.

 

Wally

I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make!
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The Read looks like a great piece of kit - I'm interested in what the emphasis control does. As a general rule, I don't like complex 'enhancement' circuits - I've never liked the Aphex stuff, or the SWR 'enhance' control or whatever it's called.

 

I wonder if Jack would do a version with a sweepable mid instead of the two mid range controls... or stack both knobs and have bass and treble shelving with two para-mids? :)

 

Steve

www.stevelawson.net

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Originally posted by Steve Lawson:

I wonder if Jack would do a version with a sweepable mid instead of the two mid range controls... or stack both knobs and have bass and treble shelving with two para-mids? :) [/url]

Sounds like you want the Demeter HBP-1.

 

The new H-Series Bass Preamp by James Demeter uses the same all tube front end found in his classic VTBP-201 Bass pre-amplifier and combines it with the revolutionary H-Series circuitry found in his professional audio H-Series line. This pre-amp provides the best of both the tube and solid state world. It features high voltage (250V) tube front end (providing all of the pre-amp gain and passive tone controls), a two band solid state fully Parametric Equalizer that is tuned for, bass, a fully adjustable active effects loop with controls up front, a tuner output, a full balanced output with switchable mic or line level, both a balanced TRS line level output and an unbalanced line level output for amplifier connections and a mute switch. As with all Demeter equipment it is meticulously hand wired, using the finest components and assembled in the USA.
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The Read sure does look like it'd be a delight.

 

Steve, the discontinued -- but still widely available via used market -- SWR Grand Prix has two semi-parametric mid bands. Fellow forumite C. Alex is a big fan of his.

 

Originally posted by Wally Malone:

Willie, you can tell Lady Bo what I want for Christmas. I'll take the Read Purity preamp with a Stewart 2.1.

 

Wally

No prob. I'm happy to plant the seed. Although I'm guessing you've already planted the seed, and it would be more that I'd be helping nurture it so it can grow into reality. :D

 

Her e-mail address is on her website, right? ;)

 

When will you have some union business in NYC?

 

Peace.

--SW

 

PS: Do you want me to throw in a plea for a second Tri-112 or maybe even an El Whappo or Whappo Jr.? Might as well go whole hog on this one, don't you think?

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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Willie & tnb, you're both right that another cabinet would be nice. Sometime this "gas" thing has to move in steps. First on the list is the preamp & amp. I'm really looking forward to the next two nights to see how it sounds in a working situation.

 

Wally

I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make!
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Nothing like having power.

 

The last couple of gigs I have been using one Tri 210L through my SM-900 which is 800 watts bridged.

 

It kills.

 

Of course 2 cabs would be better. ;)

But I have the master volume at about 2 with just one cab and I'm still filling the whole room with sound.

 

Wally is going to sound great with that rig, I guarantee it.

 

This past summer I played through one of Jack Read's Purity preamps at Jack's home. It is very smooth sounding and dead quiet. (I mean quiet between the notes. The sound was very loud and clear through Jack's rig which had a Stewart amp and Aguilar cabs.

 

http://members.aol.com/jeremyzone1/j.plays.jack.jpg

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Originally posted by Dr. Sweet Willie:

Steve, the discontinued -- but still widely available via used market -- SWR Grand Prix has two semi-parametric mid bands. Fellow forumite C. Alex is a big fan of his.

I've got an Interstellar Overdrive SWR pre, and have tried the Grand Prix - neither are anywhere near close enough to 'flat' for my ears. The temptation with Jack's pre is all the stuff about being nice 'n' flat. At the moment, my preamp is a Mindprint EnVoice tube voice channel strip - which is great, but has been in the repair shop for months. Yesterday I finally got round to printing out the circuit diagram from the PDF that I have to take to the guy repairing it!

 

So any pre that I got would have to compete with that. I used to use the 'Stellar as a tube overdrive in the FX loop on my Lexicon MPX-G2, which was cool, but not cool enough to be worth the extra half a ton of weight in my rack, and the space which was put to better use with an extra Lexicon MPX-G2 :)

 

soundwise, my fave preamp I've tried is the TL Audio 5051, but it's 2U, I just don't have the space for it. Actually, at the moment I don't even have the space for my Mindprint, but I can use it at home, and use it when I have gigs where I don't need all the toys (if such a gig exists! ;) )

 

cheers

 

Steve

www.stevelawson.net

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Lady Bo and I have played the gig we did last night for ten years. Not only would I say but also the players on the gig agreed that this was the best sound I've had in this room. We played for the inmates of the Santa Rita Jail part of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department which takes place in a gymnasium. I think all of you that have played in gyms no the difficulty of getting a good sound. The main comment from the other players was that I had a distinct defined sound as opposed to the boom I've had in that room in the past. I'm looking forward to using the rig tonight in a more controllable situation.

 

Willie, you are correct you can email Lady Bo from her page but here it is and easy to remember: ladybo@ladybo.com.

 

Wally

 

Wally

I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make!
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Last night I played a corporate Christmas party with a variey band. The system worked out great. On this gig I used my Stingray, on the Friday night gig I used my Kubicki which probably helped in the clarity area due to playing in the gym. On the corporate gig the sound man was surprised to find out at the end of the night that the only cabinet I had on stage was the Accugroove Tri-112. I really like the Read preamp with some real power behind it. The real test will be on New Year's eve since I'll be playing a rockin' blues club with Lady Bo and using an El Whappo with the pre and power setup.

 

Wally

I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make!
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I'm curious because until I joined this forum I had never even heard of the Read Purity preamp (as I've said before, I'm anything but a gearhead)...is it really that far superior to other comperably priced preamps? I wish there was a place I could go to try one out but it doesn't look like it's the kind of thing you'd see sitting around a store. So, until one day when I'm able to try one, I can only go on what I hear from you guys. :cry:

 

Also, I'm not too familiar with the whole pre/power amp setup. Does the make and model of the power amp make a difference in your sound or does it just power the sound you're getting out of your preamp?

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Originally posted by davio:

I'm curious because until I joined this forum I had never even heard of the Read Purity preamp (as I've said before, I'm anything but a gearhead)

There are many preamp (and amp!) makers that are not in your local stores. I spent some time on Harmony Central looking at every manufacturer website and learned about quite a few (but certainly not all).

 

Jack Read is known more for his outstanding luthier work (notice the bass J is holding). But he is something of a tube nut, and will sometimes stop by old electonics joints and shows to see what he can find. He's been building guitar amps for a bit, and thought that he'd like a good preamp. Part of this came from his taking on (selling) the Stewart power amp line (there's your amplification) and from being a bassist himself (there's your "quest for sound").

 

I had the pleasure of stopping in to see Jack when the preamp was still in it's formative stages. How raw was is? It was a bare chassis (not rack shaped) without a bottom. I'd play, he'd listen. Then he'd take out a wire with alligator clips, reach in and alter the circuitry, and I'd play again.

 

He's a frequent contributor to TBL (a mail list forum) and all around nice guy. Search and you'll find other info on our forum about him (including his 10 Ways You Know Your Tube Has Gone Bad).

 

As to other preamps? Keep digging and searching!

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

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I like good preamps.

 

I have two of what are currently considered in the "high-end" preamp realm; a Demeter VTBP-201S and a Kern IP-777.

 

I briefly owned an Alembic F1-X.

 

I've used an Aguilar and an Ampeg.

 

All the preamps are very different. Test some out and see what you like.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Last night for my New Year's gig I used an Accugroove El Whappo in addition to everything used described in the initial post of this thread. It was absolutely incredible. The sound man thought it had the most natural bass sound throughout the whole range.

 

While having this equipment I set it up at home today to try it with my six-string. I tried all the combinations, the Tri-112 by itself, then the El Whappo by itself and then the two together. I then pulled out the two basses I used on the gig last night, my Kubicki and Stingray and played through all the combinations. I actually thought the best sound, with all three basses, was the El Whappo by itself.

 

Thanks to Mark Wright for giving me the opportunity to try this equipment and for creating one enormous GAS attack. :thu:

I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make!
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Originally posted by Wally Malone:

Last night for my New Year's gig I used an Accugroove El Whappo in addition to everything used described in the initial post of this thread. It was absolutely incredible. The sound man thought it had the most natural bass sound throughout the whole range.

 

While having this equipment I set it up at home today to try it with my six-string. I tried all the combinations, the Tri-112 by itself, then the El Whappo by itself and then the two together. I then pulled out the two basses I used on the gig last night, my Kubicki and Stingray and played through all the combinations. I actually thought the best sound, with all three basses, was the El Whappo by itself.

 

Thanks to Mark Wright for giving me the opportunity to try this equipment and for creating one enormous GAS attack. :thu:

Chalk it up to great engineering. When you have one cab which is supposed to sound even in the whole range(whappo) and then you add a cab that emphasizes one part of that spectrum(tri 112) to a greater extent, well then it loses some of that natural quality. OOORRRR...it might have been a lemon :D
Hiram Bullock thinks I like the band volume too soft (but he plays guitar). Joe Sample thinks I like it way too loud (but he plays piano). -Marcus Miller
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