Ernie Ball Turns up the Volume with Audiophile
Bass Systems
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HD-500 Front Panel
(Click for a close-up) |
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HD-500 Back Panel
(Click for a close-up) |
January 18, 2001Ernie Ball keeps the sound up for bass players with the HD-500
Bass Amp and four different speaker cabinets. The pro-quality system is lightweight,
with plenty of clean, usable power.
The HD-500 will provide warm, punchy mids, bright, clear highs and a rich
bottom end. It features a tube pre-amp section with active and passive inputs,
adjustable gain from zero to 45dB, separate series and parallel effects loops,
and two foot-switchable four-band EQ channels. The exclusive Loudspeaker Variable
Response (LVR) circuit provides an adjustable high-frequency cutoff control, allowing
today's full range speaker enclosures to emulate the warm sound of vintage speaker
cabs. The power amp section of the HD-500 is designed specifically for bass guitar
output and delivers 500 watts of clean power into 4 ohms. It includes a built-in
limiter with selectable release time. The HD-500 retails for $1,299.
The Audiophile Bass Systems speaker enclosures include:
- D-210 Speaker Cabinet (two 10" speakers, one super tweeter) $799
- HD-212 Speaker Cabinet (two 12" speakers, one 6" midrange driver)
$1,050
- HD-410 Speaker Cabinet (four 10" speakers, one 6" midrange driver)
$1,199
- HD-610 Speaker Cabinet (six 10" speakers, one 6" midrange driver)
$1,650
The ported cabinets are built from 18mm high-grade plywood using sturdy rabbet
joint construction and durable carpet covering. They are loaded with proprietary
B&C cast frame drivers, with Neutrik Speakon™ connectors and ¼"
phone jacks provided on the rear. Each enclosure is rated at 8 ohms, except for
the HD-610, which is 4 ohms. The HD-210 includes a 1" super tweeter, while
the HD-212, HD-410, and HD-610 include a 6" midrange driver for full, smooth
response throughout the sonic spectrum. The HD-410 and HD-610 are unique with
B&C Neodymium magnet structures specifically designed for bass instrument
reproduction. Neodymium magnets significantly improve the power to weight ratio
of the HD-410 when compared to competing 4 x 10" bass speaker designs. These
enclosures can be used individually or together for the ultimate bass speaker
system.
A full spread of Audiophile Bass Systems gear can be seen at the January 2001
NAMM show in Anaheim. Available to order are the HD-500 amplifier and the HD-210,
HD-212, HD-410, and HD-610 speaker enclosures. On the horizon for Ernie Ball Audiophile
Bass Systems is a 210 Combo, to be shown in prototype form at the NAMM show. Still
in development, the 210 Combo has a unique vertical style speaker arrangement,
with a built-in amplifier featuring a tube compressor and 4-band semi-parametric
EQ. For more information, visit their web site at www.ernieball.com. |
