A Question For Bass Players Using Amplitube

[zulujos]

I'm a guitarist using AT4 as a standalone. Not a gigging musician but I do play AT4 live at home and for jams. My setup is run through the effects loop of a Crate Powerblock 150 into a cab loaded with an Organic Timber 12 in. which is voiced for amp modelling. Basically I want to know if there is anything inherently wrong with this setup for bass or do I need to consider a bass cab. Because the effects loop does not run through the amp tone circuit I can't reason why I can't rub the bass models of AT4 through the same amp.

[carlaz]

Assuming your speaker is the Organic Timbre Rhapsody G12F, I believe that is rated to 300w, and so I would suspect that it may well be OK with bass. (Powerful bass signals with lots of low-end energy can sometimes blow-up guitar speakers, but it's the lower wattage speakers that would be much more at risk.) But I would not take my (rather hesitant) word for it: IMO, best to drop Organic Timbre a line via the contact info on the Web page and ask what they think.

If you end up going for an alternative speaker cabinet to use for bass, I would not actually get a bass cab. Bass cabs, which are (like guitar cabs) intended to color the tone -- and that is what Amplitube models. Rather, I would suggest something like a powered monitor or keyboard cab. They are designed to handle plenty of low end frequencies, but with flat responses. (Really, the best set-up for any kind of amp-modelling is basically a "studio" type set-up: a power amplifier and speakers that can handle a wide frequency range but that minimize coloration with as flat an EQ curve as possible.)

[zulujos]

I did consult Organic Timbre and he found it to be an interesting question. He even offered to replace the speaker if it blows but seeing I carried it over to Europe I'm not inclined to push the speaker. I agree with you about a bass speaker coloring the Amplitube signal. The Organic Timbre works well with my set up for like you said, the Crate PowerBlock is only acting as a power amplifier when run through the effects loop. I may look into a flat monitor at Thomann.