Ashdown Triple Shot
Launching in September 2023 Ashdown is proud to announce the NEW Ashdown Triple Shot blended drive pedal.
Bass guitar distortion is an effect that is often compromised due to lack of control. The Ashdown Triple Shot is a super high-gain bass overdrive offering ultimate control and versatility over your overdriven tones.
In essence, the Triple Shot is three individual distortion pedals in one! The signal from the instrument is split into three distinct frequency bands (āDarkā, āMediumā and āLightā) and fed into three distortion generators. Each band has its own level (āRoastā) control before being recombined to create a full signal. It is therefore possible to retain and enhance the low-end frequencies of your bass sound with a thick and chunky overdriven tone, enrich the top-end with high-gain trebles ā or take the two extremes and mix them together to harvest a vast selection of distinct sonic qualities.
With all of the āRoastā controls set all the way to the left, itās a simple, independent EQā¦ but using each of the Roast controls in harmony with its corresponding Dark, Medium, or Light control, then you can vary the drive from a light little tickle in the mid-range to a full-on overdriven bass sound.
āWith all the controls at 12 oāclock, you get a rich driven bass sound that cuts above the mix in a live āalternative rockā situation, whilst retaining the bottom end over your original bass signal. The pedalās rotary controls are extremely sensitive, and a slight adjustment can mean a major characteristic change in sound. As a result, you have the ultimate control over your drive sound.
The pedal requires a minimum of 9v with 45ma draw center pin negative (power supply not included).
The Triple Shot VU will be shipping via a dealer near you in September 2023. Affordably priced and engineered to last a lifetime, responsibly designed to be repairable down to a component level for the next 25 years. The Ashdown Triple Shot VU comes with the Standard 5-year manufacturer warranty as applicable to all Ashdown products.
Ashdown Pro Di
Launching in September 2023 we are proud to introduce the Ashdown Pro Di pedal. A preamp pedal designed to meet the needs of the NEW touring bass player. With simple useable features engineered to last.
The Ashdown Pro Di features a 5-band EQ section with an appliable Ashdown Shape option for that scooped tone if required for additional shaping options. The EQ has been taken from the basis of our ABM preamp and subsequent variations, such as the MAG and ROOTMASTER series making this a very professional product for people unable to rely upon a backline being provided.
The on-board valve emulated overdrive features with a drive mix and level to ensure you donāt lose any volume or gain when engaging the drive, used in conjunction with the input and output controls and the provided Ashdown VU meter to balance your levels to ensure unity to the output. There is also a passive and active input sensitivity pad provided with a -3dB cut for use with active instruments.
āAs mentioned the Ashdown Pro Di features everything you might expect from a touring Bass Pre-Amp pedal, including its own transformer-isolated Di output providing perfect balanced output for front of house or a monitor feed. With an optional ground lift for use when required. The transformer is hand-wound in the EU and has been designed by us to ensure quality. There is also a link out for connection to another monitor feed or alternative output for front of house. Both the Di and Link Outputs are post-EQ and are set at a nominal output of 0dB.
āThere is a line input with its own dedicated Line Mix level control on the top on the pedal for when you need to learn a part you can plug in an audio device to play along toā¦ Or a feed from a monitor mix and blend the amount you want to hear in your own headphone mix via the dedicated headphone output on the rear of the pedalā¦ So you get the sound you know and love directly to your earsā¦
The pedal requires a minimum of 9v with 45ma draw center pin negative (power supply not included).
The Ashdown Pro Di will be shipping via a dealer near you in September 2023. The Ashdown Pro Di is the perfect tool for bass players looking to reduce the amount they carry. Affordably priced and engineered to last a lifetime, responsibly designed to be repairable down to a component level for the next 25 years. The Ashdown Pro Di comes with the Standard 5-year manufacturer warranty as applicable to all Ashdown products.
Ashdown CTM-15
āLaunching in September 2023 Ashdown is proud to announce the NEW Ashdown CTM-15 all-valve desktop bass amp.
The re-introduction of a classic Ashdown Tube Magnifier, the low-wattage powerhouse that is the CTM-15. 15 Watts of beautifully rich valve tone in a tiny package, now with built-in load and headphone output for silent use. With the on-board Line Level Di, this makes the CTM-15 a perfect studio companion.
āPlug in and lay down a few bass lines through the Ashdown CTM-15 tube amp, and you won't be the first to wonder "Wow, is that really only 15 watts?". The CTM-15 delivers deceptively large tones from its dual EL84 power stage, and its low wattage means itās easier to get red-blooded overdrive by driving it hard ā all without shaking the foundations.
Whether the session needs big fat clean tones or growling, overdriven bass, the CTM-15 will have you covered.
Like all similarly equipped Ashdowns, the CTM-15's analog VU meter isn't just there for show. Giving an instant accurate display of your power amp's output the CTM-15's VU meter lets you quickly find your ampās sweet spot ā where the magic really happens.
With 4 and 8-ohm speaker outputs, the CTM-15 is ready to plug into your bass cab and rock. The CTM-15 also comes with a custom-fit gig bag, making it easy to transport safely to every session.
The CTM-15 will be shipping via a dealer near you in September 2023. Affordably priced and engineered to last a lifetime, responsibly designed to be repairable down to a component level for the next 25 years. The CTM-15 comes with the Standard 5-year manufacturer warranty as applicable to all Ashdown products.
For more information, please visit ashdownmusic.com.
Combining the classic tone of valve amps and the modern technology of amp modeling, the LB 30 2.N. delivers a one-stop solution for all modern-day bassists.
A familiar sight in the backline of some of the worldās biggest bands, Ashdown bass amps have a global reputation for delivering solid, bottom-end tone with just the right features required by the busy, working bass player.
āOn stage, the micād cabinet emulations can be sent direct to the PA, while the cabinet on stage acts as a monitor. And in the studio, the LB-30 2.N can be used without a cabinet, with the speaker emulation output connected directly to the recording console.
Cabinet emulations are selected by a rotary control on the front panel, and program changes and more sophisticated editing of mic placement, etc. are facilitated by MIDIand USB ports round the back.
AshdownĀ LB 30 2.N Bass Head
Combining the classic tone of valve amps and the modern technology of amp modeling, the LB 30 2.N. delivers a one-stop solution for all modern-day bassists.
For at least a decade, the classic Ampeg SVT was the dominant bass amp for power and tone.
From the giant, hefty beasts of yore to their modern, ultra-portable equivalents, bass amps have come a long way. So, what's next?
Bassists are often quite well-informed about the details of their instruments, down to the finest technical specs. Many of us have had our share of intense discussions about the most minute differences between one instrument and another. (And sometimes those are interrupted by someone saying, "It's all in the fingers.") But right behind our backs, at the end of our output cables, there is a world of tone-shaping that we either simply ignore or just don't want to dive into too deeply. Turning a gear discussion from bass to amp is a perfect way to bring it to an abrupt end.
Since the beginning of our instrument's history, bassists have faced the fundamental and existential problem of trying to be heard. It's solved now, but too many players don't seem to be interested in how we got here. And it's not just bassists. Even some amp manufacturers haven't been concerned with the details. A few readers might remember that in my September 2019 column, I discussed class-D amp technology. As part of my research, I called a very respected amp manufacturer to get his insight into class-D technology. His stunning response was: "We simply checked some Asian-made modules and chose the one we thought sounded best, but I don't know and never cared how they work." Even the offer of a short technical introduction was met with blissful ignorance. So, if anyone thinks they don't need to know how their amp works, at least you're in good company!
Over the course of the last 80 years or so, the fundamental technology used in our amps has been replacedāand not just once. The technological changes came in several waves and another might be on the way.
Here we are now after this last wave of amp-tech: down from 300 watts at 40 kilograms or 88 pounds in the 1970s, to 500 to 1000 watts at 1 to 3 kilograms or 2 to 7 pounds today.
For the greater part of the last century, bass amps relied on tube circuitry, and it took until the middle of the century to make decently powerful, but heavy and fragile, amps. Unfortunately, guitarists used the same technologyāand sometimes even the amps that were initially made for us. (Remember that our low-end needs about 10 times the power of a guitar amp to cut through!) So, as their volume increased, our need for more power just became greater. Our problem remained until the 1960s when amps like Ampeg's B-15 Portaflex and SVT entered the scene. High-output amplification manufacturers sprouted everywhere, enabling loud rock bands to move from clubs to stadiums.
Though the transistor quietly altered the landscape of radios and small solid-state amps during the early 1950s, it took until the late '60s before this technology made it into our rigs. The first companies to make solid-state amps were those who possessed a higher engineering background. Vox, for example, released one of the first solid-state bass amps, thanks to their prior experiences with solid-state circuits from their organs. Many smaller companies soon followed, although most earned a reputation for unreliability. But the technology developed at a breathtaking pace.
This Ashdown Little Giant is more powerful than the mighty SVT at less than 1/10th the weight!
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Photo courtesy of wikimedia.com
During the 1980s, clean and powerful hi-fi-esque synth sounds became trendy. This benefitted bassists with the development of clever tone-shaping options, hybrid circuits with tube preamps, bi-amping, internal DIs, and even more power.
Once we were sure to be heard, it was time to look for other advantages, like reduced weight and size, and along came another wave of new amp technology: class D. (See my column "Signal Processing in Class-D Amps," September 2019.) The basic principle behind class-D technology is pulse width modulation (PWM), which sounds as if those with higher engineering skill would once again be in the lead. Instead, there are just a few manufacturers building class-D power modules, and amp builders can use those as the foundation of their own amps. Just get one of the modules, which come in different power ratings, add a power supply and a tone-shaping circuit, and you're done. With several competing manufacturers offering identical power amps, the individual strengths have fully shifted to the qualities of their tone-shaping circuitry and other add-ons or gimmicks.
Here we are now after this last wave of amp tech: down from 300 watts at 40 kilograms or 88 pounds in the 1970s, to 500 to 1000 watts at 1 to 3 kilograms or 2 to 7 pounds today. What could be the next move? It looks as if the power-to-weight ratio has reached an end for quite some time, but tone-shaping capabilities in preamps might shift from classic circuitry to profiling or modeling amps as a fourth wave. And this time it's clearly engineering competence that will make the difference. Can you imagine what instruments we'd be playing today if our basses had made similar progress?