DR problems

[dan2804]

I bought my DR 100 head new in 2007, its been great apart from a few issues.

when I change channel for the first time after switching it on, every channel pops really loud regardless of the volume of the amp, is this normal?

Also, when I play live to me where I stand sounds amazing! but the news from out in front is that there is no bass and that my sound is very tinny, I can't hear this so is it something to do with guitar or amp? I have installed mesa EL34 valves and I use a standard Caparison Horus and the pedals I use are Maxon od-808, boss octave, and a boss compression sustainer, these make up the integral part of my sound, if you have any ideas that would be a great help as I'd like to have an idea before I take it to the shop.

cheers

 

[screamingdaisy]

The pop is normal. It has to do with static charge building up on the relays and gets dissipated when you change channels for the first time.

Tinny sound out front can be a number of things.

What cab/speakers?

Is your cab being mic'd dead on the centre of the cone and at a 90 degree angle? Or is it being mic'd slightly off centre and pointed around 30 off axis?

Are you cutting your bass in an effort to tighten your tone?

Is your OD808 on all the time?

 

[domct203]

Welcome to The Board.

As mentioned, what cab/speaker are you using?

How old are those EL34's?

Dom

 

[plapnab]

When I first bought my DR stock I had the exact same issue. Sounded great when standing beside it but, stand in front of it and the high mids cut your head off. Micing it was a nightmare too. I would have to use noise cancelling isolation head phones with my personal monitoring system to position the mic where the sweet spot was...too close to the cone, too brash and tinny...a little far to the right to much bass. My solution was to retube the thing. Went from 6L6's to EL34L's and that totally cleared up the problem. Additionally switched from active pickups to passive in my guitar and added a MXR 10 band EQ to my effects loop. Both helped as well.

BTW...mine pops too when you start it up. Mostly when I switch to channel two the first time. Then thats it...one and done.

 

[dan2804]

heyy thanks for the responses, and for the welcome

I use a rectifier flat face 4x12 cab, but for this gig I was using an unmarked house cab, as for being mic'd up I was. The mic always tends to be at 90 degrees to the centre of the bottom left speaker, I had -about 10 minutes earlier- been told to crank the amp to nearly full volume on the main output (the PA wasn't boosting the level, just making it "surround sound"), as a temporary solution I turned the treble almost all the way down and boosted high frequencies through the desk. The cab was farting like nobody's business, and I know that this isn't right at all.

Could it be my guitar? Not many people like the Caparison pickups due to their weak power. Also the Maxon is on all the time: drive is at 9:00, Balance is at 12:00 and tone is 9:00.

The EL-34's are only about 6 months old but I did install them myself, also I've read a lot about getting the amp re-biased as the factory settings can be easily improved upon.

Either way, I've had the amp for 4/5 years since new so I'll get it serviced and get the bias sorted, hopefully that'll fix it.

 

[screamingdaisy]

IMO, it's a bad idea to judge your overall tone by the results of a single gig. It's quite possible the cab was the culprit, in which case you'd be chasing your own tail trying to fix a problem that you don't actually have.

Honestly, I'd forget about it for now and maybe ask some people at future gigs where you're using your own cab how it sounds.