New Product in the Wings!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jason Mendelson

yeah thinking about it more... it is a pre-amp... not an effects box...

My BBE Sonic Maximizer (which I bought like 12 years ago), was a few hundred dollars... and its a rackmount...

A rack mount / studio option would be killer with XLR out

This is a portable version, not a rack mount. Can you practice with a rack mount in the back of a car? Can you throw a rack mound unit in your gig bag and use it easily with any bass or amp, setting it up in seconds?

This is the current version of the Smith 18V BMT circuit that can be used active or passive and has the internal DIP switches as well. Also, you can use it for practice with head phones or use the headphones while you play thru an amp or studio board as a monitor in your ears directly without turning up the amp volume. The Practice amp/headphone function has its own volume control as well.

You can use this for Bass Guitar, Double Bass, elec/acc Guitar.. and just about anything that has a pickup, even horns I guess as well as keyboards. The EQ range with the DIPs is just about endless in range.

Do you know of another product on the market yet as versatile and as portable as this one?

For those of you with non-Smith Basses that have thought about upgrading your circuit, why bother. Get the Box. Use it as long as you keep your non-'S' Bass and when you sell that Bass and get another non-'S' bass, keep the Box for the new bass. If you had spent money to buy a Smith circuit or any other circuit plus the labor to modify and install it, when you sell that bass, there goes your investment along with a possibly de-valued altered xyz brand bass that might have fetched a better price if left original.

This Box has been in the works for years now. We were just too busy to get it completed. The recent slower economy has freed up the time to get it done. I just might have a working unit on display at the ISB show next month. Currently, I just have the test unit in a box about 3x the size it will be when all done.

This will be the unit to get a EQ Smith sound without doing the work to modify your non-Smith bass. We are talking about a size that is less than 4"x5"x2" deep. Less than those numbers.

Yes, there can be many other features added and custom versions made but at what price to the consumer? What percentage of the buyers would want all those extras verses the more portable/transferable unit I have described?

Personally, I am quite excited about it. This is the most versatile user-friendly product we have ever produced.

[Jason Mendelson]

I know exactly what it is you are making.... and think its gonna be grreat I agree with that too! I know its portable and not a rackmount... just saying in the future that would be cool too...

Is it going to have a seperate headphone out as well as a line level 1/4 out?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jason Mendelson

I know exactly what it is you are making.... and think its gonna be grreat I agree with that too! I know its portable and not a rackmount... just saying in the future that would be cool too...

Is it going to have a seperate headphone out as well as a line level 1/4 out?

I thought I just mentioned that above, 2nd paragraph.. no?

Also, you can use it for practice with head phones or use the headphones while you play thru an amp or studio board as a monitor in your ears directly without turning up the amp volume. The Practice amp/headphone function has its own volume control as well.

The answer is yes. Both the 1/4" out to the Amp and the 1/8" headphone outs work at the same time if you wish. I tested this last week and it was like I was in the studio. The Amp for the room and the Bass in my head.

[sam atkinson]

Ken, I want one. My current rig doesn't have a headphoe jack and this would be perfect for my use.

I can't wait to see some sexy pictures and specs of it.

[Jason Mendelson]

Im no good at reading things on my cell phone... sorry I missed that...

Either way, I am going to want one...

curious to see how it will come out and actually really look forward to using it...

I do wonder how marketing it to others than the bass playing crowd.... there are many bass players out there that know and respect the ken smith name... but getting it to guitarists etc is going to be the challenge...

Just let us know when we can start buying!

[Tim Bishop]

Ken, what's the latest on availability of these units?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

Ken, what's the latest on availability of these units?

The first sample batch are still in progress. When I have them in my hands, I will announce it.

[Ken Smith]

Tonight for the first time ever, I used my own PAPA on a gig. It was an outdoor park venue in Philly with a 5-pc combo. The leader emailed me yesterday and said to save schlepping I could leave my amp home and just go through the sound system. I brought the PAPA so I could EQ it to my liking and boost or cut volume or EQ if need be between tunes. I worked out great. I tested it in the office with the bass I was bringing but was surprised how great it sounded live, outdoors and without an amp near me.

By the way, I left the DIP settings on the normal default which is how they are set in the Smith basses. It works just fine with a 3/4 Czech bass thru a portable sound system. They all said the bass sounded good and there was plenty of it as well.

My fingers don't hurt hardly at all after 2 sets in a park without an amp..

[Ken Smith]

At this weeks show in NJ I ran into Jazz Guitarist Frank DiBussolo who was scheduled to do a solo Show each afternoon. When I read on-line that he was scheduled to play I called him before driving down to let him know I would be there with Bass in hand. We had done a few gigs together before getting busy with the local Orchestra work about 5-6 years ago.

Well, there was a sound system set-up on the small stage so I used my PAPA, plugged it into the system (Frank did as well) and EQ'd the bass as needed and just played. The Bass sounded great on stage and according to the audience as well.

Because I had the PAPA and a nice set of head phones, I didn't bother bringing an Amp for the show to demo the Smith basses either. I knew that the PAPA could work just as well if I needed to demo the Basses on display.

The last concert I played I had my 3/4 old Bohemian bass. This time I brought the 7/8 Mittenwald which I have used for some Jazz tunes within a Classical Concert but never thru the PAPA.

I have to tell you that the more I use this PAPA, the more I see how valuable it can be. The EQ is clean and pure sounding.

I had a borrowed AMP in the booth each day but plugged into the sound system direct with the PAPA, the Amp was not missed at all!

When it got loud from all the Guitars blasting their licks, I used the headphones to practice my orchestra music which I had brought along as well. I felt almost like I was in another place..