Anyone ever played through a Lab Series bass amp?

[matmosphere]

I know the guitar amps have a great reputation but I never hear people talk about the bass amps. I saw a L2 head and cab at a shop the other day and I can't get it outta my head. It was pretty cheap and looked to be in decent shape.

[aion]

Yes sir. I have an L2 and a L6 bass combo amp, they're great.

Pro tip: the L2 is almost identical to the second channel of an L5, and works great for guitar. The main difference is that the parametric mid frequency is shifted down, and there's no multifilter or reverb. The mid frequency range can be moved back to L5 levels with one or two parts changes, so even if you only wanted to use it for guitar it'd still be a good find!

[matmosphere]

Well that doesn't help, now I want it more..

but do I need it..

more importantly, can I afford it without selling something else..

[Feral Feline]

Yes sir. I have an L2 and a L6 bass combo amp, they're great.

Pro tip: the L2 is almost identical to the second channel of an L5, and works great for guitar. The main difference is that the parametric mid frequency is shifted down, and there's no multifilter or reverb. The mid frequency range can be moved back to L5 levels with one or two parts changes, so even if you only wanted to use it for guitar it'd still be a good find!

I've got the Aion Lab Series Preamp PCB, which eventually will be "L4" spec'd; I'm slowly building my skills with smaller projects (Aion, Madbean and other PCB builds plus some vero & perf) ...

Do you happen to have the info needed for such a L5>L4 swap?

I've been tracking down all the L4/Bass -related info I can (rarer than Hen's Teeth these), and this is what I've found thus far:

L5 para-EQ knob label in Hz:  100 — 200 — 400 — 800 — 1.6 — 3.2k — 6.4k
switches to...
L4 para-EQ knob label in Hz:  50 — 100 — 200 — 400 — 800 — 1.6k — 3.2k


I'm almost at the stage where I may be able to figure out the "DIY" part of changing the EQ out, but after looking at countless resources about EQ — studying schematics, Keen's notes, Hammer's notes, Orman's AMZ info, various forums, online Tone Calcs for simple LPF/HPF and more complex online calcs for Gyrator and Tilt-EQ (these and resistor-code/cap-code URLs are what my browser bookmarks bar is made of, literally) — there is so much I still don't understand. 

[aion]

Yes sir. I have an L2 and a L6 bass combo amp, they're great.

Pro tip: the L2 is almost identical to the second channel of an L5, and works great for guitar. The main difference is that the parametric mid frequency is shifted down, and there's no multifilter or reverb. The mid frequency range can be moved back to L5 levels with one or two parts changes, so even if you only wanted to use it for guitar it'd still be a good find!

I've got the Aion Lab Series Preamp PCB, which eventually will be "L4" spec'd; I'm slowly building my skills with smaller projects (Aion, Madbean and other PCB builds plus some vero & perf) ...

Do you happen to have the info needed for such a L5>L4 swap?

I've been tracking down all the L4/Bass -related info I can (rarer than Hen's Teeth these), and this is what I've found thus far:

L5 para-EQ knob label in Hz:  100 — 200 — 400 — 800 — 1.6 — 3.2k — 6.4k
switches to...
L4 para-EQ knob label in Hz:  50 — 100 — 200 — 400 — 800 — 1.6k — 3.2k


I'm almost at the stage where I may be able to figure out the "DIY" part of changing the EQ out, but after looking at countless resources about EQ — studying schematics, Keen's notes, Hammer's notes, Orman's AMZ info, various forums, online Tone Calcs for simple LPF/HPF and more complex online calcs for Gyrator and Tilt-EQ (these and resistor-code/cap-code URLs are what my browser bookmarks bar is made of, literally) — there is so much I still don't understand. 

Do you have the L4 schematic? That's where I'd start.

http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-1.PDF
http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-2.PDF
http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-3.PDF

Look around A106A and A106B on the first image - that's the parametric mid control. Then cross-reference that with the same location in the L5 schematic:

http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-3.PDF

...which corresponds to A105A and A105B in the L5.

That should get you where you need to be!

[Feral Feline]

Do you have the L4 schematic? That's where I'd start.

http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-1.PDF
http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-2.PDF
http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-3.PDF

Look around A106A and A106B on the first image - that's the parametric mid control. Then cross-reference that with the same location in the L5 schematic:

http://www.ampix.org/albums/userpics/10003/Lab_Series_L4-3.PDF

...which corresponds to A105A and A105B in the L5.

That should get you where you need to be!

Thank you so very much, sir!


I have the L2, but for the life of me couldn't find the L4.

I don't remember where I got the L2 from, but for all I know it may be from the same site hosting the L4.

Where I got the EQ points from is blurry photos of amps off TalkBass. 

I'll cross-reference the L4 with both the L2 and L5.



Now I can give some L 4 to the project!

Mm Goi Sai!

[Feral Feline]

At Matmosphere, have you decided on getting the Lab?

[matmosphere]

I've been meaning to go back and play it. But truthfully I've been so slammed at work I haven't picked up a guitar or bass since that day.