Help with DC-5 bottom end.

[chris osborne]

Hey everyone. Just got my DC-5 combo a week ago and have been loving the very Mark like tones this thing can provide. The one thing I would like to get some advice on is if there's a way to get more thump or low end punch at lower volumes? I have the c90 speaker in mine and have had that speaker in both an Electra dyne and a rectoverb. Bottom end punch was enough in both to harm children and small animals. While the overall tone in the DC is fantastic, I would like a bit more felt bass at lower volumes if possible. I've been running the bass control around 3 to keep things tight but have the graphic set very high on the 80hz. Also have an mxr eq in the loop. Have considered getting a 412 cab to run it through as I've heard that changes things quite a bit with this amp. Any help would be appreciated.

Chris

 

[jediguitarist]

I have the DC-5 (a) Revision combo. I usually adjust the Master between 3-5 depending on the stage size and the Output around 3. Live, I keep the amp on a mover's dolly to get it up a few inches and at stage volume, there's plenty of thump.

At home it's easy to get usable tones at low volume but the low end disappears even if I keep the amp on the floor/carpet. A 4x12 will help. I've plugged it into a Greenback loaded closed-back 2x12 and there's a noticeable difference in low end response. You can feel it a little more but bedroom volumes maintain the tone more or less, but the low end stays pretty subdued from a feel perspective.

I have a few attenuators so I'll plug each one in and see if it helps beef up the low end and keeps the gf or neighbors from bitching. :lol:

Check this vid if you haven't already. It's a Rev. (B) head and guy has it going into a 4x12 with v30s. Some pretty impressive tones out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5HYR7EQmSE

 

[chris osborne]

Thanks jedi, you gave me just the info I needed to know! Going to take my amp to the store today and try it on a few different cabs! 8)

Would definitely be interested in what kind of results you get with the attenuators also!

 

[jediguitarist]

I plugged in the attenuators. One of them is an off brand DIY passive attenuator that can handle 60 watts and has a volume control.

I got a pretty good volume without it and then dialed down the volume until it was about the same volume as a loud conversation.
The tone was pretty good. Best I can describe it is if you were 25-30ft away from an amp on stage. As far as low end, it was tighter but
you couldn't feel it physically. It was more playing articulation feeling instead of chest thump or low chug air movement.

The other one is a Two Notes Captor with -20db attenuation. This one sounded better. I should have recorded them but I didn't think about it.
I'm not sure how this one works but I could feel the low chug a little. Think of the heavy riff during the intro of Dream Theater - Pull Me Under.
It could have been psychological but I would swear it was pushing more air even at lower volume.

Not really conclusive but I think because the tubes were working harder, it had an affect on the speaker response even at lower volume. I don't know. I'll have to experiment a little more

How'd it go at the music store?

 

[chris osborne]

If you can believe it, neither guitar center nor the other store in town had a 4x12 cabinet for me to try. I'm betting though that a combination of some attenuation and a cab might just give me enough of what I'm after. Probably try the attenuator first as what you described sounded good. I really appreciate your help man! If you have any other promising results I'd love to hear it. :mrgreen:

 

[chris osborne]

It's funny that you mentioned John Petrucci. His mark series tones are what I'm trying to approximate. The lead tone I'm completely happy with. A bit more girth and I'll be close on the rhythm tone. I read that the DC amps have a rectifier flavor in the lead channel but I don't hear it at all. To me they sound much closer to my old Mark IV than the rectifiers I've had.

 

[jediguitarist]

Haha, I know what you mean. There is a GC less than a mile from my house. They don't have a lot of 4x12 cabs. Maybe 3 the last time I went. Only one with decent speakers, though. There was a rectifier 4x12 but someone was spending all day on it. Hahah The Marshall there only had 3 of the speakers working. Who knows? Lol

I've played a few rectifiers at various rehearsal studios. Maybe a dozen hours at various times. I don't really hear it in the DC series myself, but maybe it's the settings I use.

Hopefully I can get to it sooner than later, but I'll try recording some quick chuggy parts. Amp with/without eq, with attenuator and through a closed back Celestion Greenback 2x12. My 4x12 cabs are in storage so I'm only able to use the 2x12.

I should be able to get it done by Tuesday as I'm curious to see how it translates to being recorded. I work evenings so lunchtime will be a really awesome time to push the amp. Gf is at work and neighbors are day workers so I should be able to make some well deserved loud noise..err...fun. :lol:

I'll keep you posted :mrgreen: This will be fun and hopefully helpful

 

[chris osborne]

Awesome! Thanks my friend and I look forward to hearing your results. 8)

 

[chris osborne]

Got a chance to crank the DC up today for the first time. Good grief! It sounded amazing! There seems to be this in between volume just above a low bedroom level that sounds really muddy, buzzy, and kinda bad all around that had me worried about if I had made the right choice with this amp. Once I tried your live settings though with channel volume around 4 and the output on 3, everything tightened up, buzzyness went away, and it sounded like a Boogie! Wish that just above bedroom level was better but perhaps the attenuator will help sort that out.

 

[jediguitarist]

Hey Chris and anyone else. I managed to do a short video with the volume somewhat acceptable in the middle of the day. Nighttime would have cops at my door in a second.

I was only able to do the combo speaker since I couldn't find a speaker cable long enough to reach my 2x12. I have a crapload of cables somewhere, just need to find them.

My conclusion was that with the -20db attenuator and turning up the output to similar volumes, there was definitely some extra low end especially on the chugging parts. Must have something to do with the tubes cooking at good playing volumes.

https://youtu.be/Rv6fLb_bpWY

 

[chris osborne]

Thanks so much for doing that, I'm sure the results will be helpful to others also! And you've got a great tone there man. It's just amazing that these 20+ year old DC's sound this good. Mine sounds better to me than my Mark V did. Crushing rhythm and same smooth, liquid lead tones too.

 

[jediguitarist]

It was fun to do. The sound in the room was pretty huge. The db meter might be a little deceptive. It's reading 100 db but it's less than a foot away. The room volume was loud but it wasn't ear piercing. You could have a loud conversation with someone in the same room while the loop was running, so it wasn't gig level.

I had never recorded the amp, but I'll be using it at some point. I was pretty happy about how it translated to being recorded.