Ampeg Svt 7 Pro

[Bombom]

Honestly having read many comments about this amp and watched all those useless youtube clips i'd like to throw my two cents worth.

Yes, sure this amp will sound great with the mid selector set at any number, ditto the midrange and treble, playing solo or doing slapping party trips for your mates, but when the drums and guitar kick in, in a live situation if you DONT engage the Ultra Low, this amp is pretty much useless.

In bars and clubs ( without p.a. support ) playing anything from the Black Keys, Maroon 5 to Chic, engaging the Ultra Low - the audience will actually hear what you are playing, you definetly wont be lost in the mix.

So if you want a thumpy, ballsy ( non boom ) gindy versatile sound that will sit great on stage, just on top of the drums and guitar ( where the bass should be to hold everything together ) and you want to sound like a bass player out the front, try the following nominal settings. ( will vary between venues of course )

Note - Finger playing using Fender passive jazz 4 string -  with an Ampeg svt 6x10 cab.

Ultra Low - in,       Ultra high - out

Gain ( input ) - 2 o'clock

Bass - 12 o'clock ( varies )

Mid selector - position # 2

Mid - 2 to 4 o'clock,      Treble - 1 to 3 o'clock

Compressor - if you must, nothing past 9 o'clock.

Cheers

[quickie1]

 

---

Bombom wrote:

 

Honestly

having

read

many

comments

about

this

amp

and

watched

all

those

useless

youtube

clips

i'd

like

to

throw

my

two

cents

worth

.

Yes

,

sure

this

amp

will

sound

great

with

the

mid

selector

set

at

any

number

,

ditto

the

midrange

and

treble

,

playing

solo

or

doing

slapping

party

trips

for

your

mates

,

but

when

the

drums

and

guitar

kick

in

,

in

a

live

situation

if

you

DONT

engage

the

Ultra

Low

,

this

amp

is

pretty

much

useless

.

In

bars

and

clubs

(

without

p.a

.

support

)

playing

anything

from

the

Black

Keys

,

Maroon

5

to

Chic

,

engaging

the

Ultra

Low

-

the

audience

will

actually

hear

what

you

are

playing

,

you

definetly

wont

be

lost

in

the

mix

.

 

So if you want a thumpy, ballsy ( non boom ) gindy versatile sound that will sit great on stage, just on top of the drums and guitar ( where the bass should be to hold everything together ) and you want to sound like a bass player out the front, try the following nominal settings. ( will vary between venues of course )

 

Note - Finger playing using Fender passive jazz 4 string -  with an Ampeg svt 6x10 cab.

 

Ultra Low - in,       Ultra high - out

 

Gain ( input ) - 2 o'clock

 

Bass - 12 o'clock ( varies )

 

Mid selector - position # 2

 

Mid - 2 to 4 o'clock,      Treble - 1 to 3 o'clock

 

Compressor - if you must, nothing past 9 o'clock.

 

Cheers

---

 

Subjective. Bass IMO...always should be in the 3-4 o'clock position. Treble 3 also. Mid, around position 3-4. Ultra low boost in (on) as well as high boost. I had the SVT 3 pro. Not enough power. Now the SVT 7 has a class "D" (switching) amplifier vs the SVT 3's mosfet output devices but the preamp's are similar. I have read many stories about these amps going out within a few minutes of playing when they were relatively new. Also, they were very noisy. Hopefully these bugs have been worked out.I also have read that they have a similar tone to an original (all tubed) SVT.

 

I wish you years of playing with yours.

[Bombom]

Yeh, cheers mate - had it for six months and no drama.Not sure what all that god {censored} was about but I think we'll leave him out of it hey.

Can't comment about similar tone to the SVT as I have never owned one - no one in there right mind would carry around a 40 kilo amp unless you have a roadie.

I generally use an Ashdown ABM 500 ( made in UK version ) - got the SVT 7 pro as I've never used ampeg before. The Ashdown is very enjoyable to use, it has heaps of personality and body. It takes a little time to find the right sound on the Ashdown but once found, so worth it - plus it looks like a bass amp.

But the SVT 7 pro is a good amp also, as long as the ultra low is engaged - it's not noisy - it's called a little fan noise - no drama in a live situation.

As far as reliablity - just like any other amp - could go in the first week or after 10 years.

cheers,  bombom

 

 

[frunobulax]

 

---

Bombom wrote:

 

 

 

 

...with an Ampeg svt 6x10 cab...

 

 

well of course.  the SVTs are killers with the fridge cabinets.  about 10-15 feet (3-4 meters) out in front and it's the sound of pure sex.

except.  i'm not humping around gear that big anymore :robotsad:

settings are subjective. and there's no single setting that works in every environment. are the guitars playing through stacks with the mids scooped or through a Twin with a tele?  is the room dead or live?

generally i don't like a lot of highs in my sound, but i do like punchy mids.

[Bombom]

Point taken man - I agree settings are subjective i.e.bass, mid treble - but with this amp I'd like to reiterate - in a LIVE situation unless you engage the Ultra Low dont bother with this amp - I cannot understand why it's not the default sound - I mean we are talking Ampeg here - if you want hi fi go for Gallien K.

cheers

[SGDLutherie]

By the way, the Ultra Lo does NOT boost the lows. It cuts the low mids (about 250Hz). The SVT was made with the lows rolled off on purpose so it wouldn't be boomy in a big stadium. So the Ultra Lo simulates a low end boost.

I've never liked the EQ on these amps. You can't get it set flat if you wanted, and to me they never sound like my bass. Very boxy sounding.

I like my Hartke LH500 a lot better.