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BGRA: SWR SM400
| Manufacturer |
SWR |
Model |
SM400 |
| Reviewer |
Wolfram Winter |
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| Experience |
about 16 |
Item owned |
1-2 years |
| Review Date |
2003-06-04 |
Price paid |
about 450 US$ |
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Dimensions | 2 Rackspaces |
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Weight | 22 (or 24?) lb |
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Power | 2X200W@4Ohms, also works@2Ohms |
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Other | limiter, aural enhancer, variable x-over, fx.loop AFTER master (and DI), no fan, the very old model |
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Seems this is the only review for the original (?) SM400 here - I got it
very cheap at e-bay and thought it would replace my tried and trusted SWR
Bass 350 because of the extra features, which it surprisingly didn't ;-)
So this is the backup-thingie now and has been used as power amp for
vocals and accoustic guitars with a mixer(don't kill me..) a few times
It really works well - no complaints here, but it doesn't give me that
roar, or warm tone, that my 350 gives me when I crank up the bass and the
gain - yes, the speakers do start moving which makes me feel rather
uneasy, and the ground is shakin', too, but the sound is ... different -
very well defined, and different from a trace elliot or staff like that,
yes, more "silky" - so I guess it has that clear tone esp. for slapping
all the guys want (me too sometimes) -but the 350 has that AND that warm
sound; if you love the sound of your bass, the SM 400 is perfect, because
it produces this very nicely; my fav. cabs are an SWR Goliath Junior II
(the older one rated 200W @ 4OHms) and the odd Ampeg 15" (SVT-15, I think,
a little older, too, 200W@8OHms, and with casters, which I appreaciate
very much, putting everything but basses on it for wheeling); and the
basses I mostly play are a Fender Am.Std. JB5 (plus extern Sadowsky
preamp)and a German made Schack 5-string with extra long scale (91")and
ebony fretboard and complex eq.
What else? the FX after MAster Vol and DI (I've checked it) is not very
practical, but for small venues you can use the unit as a stereo power amp
with a mixer and get the DI from the preamp into the mixer (and th e mixer
signal into the FX returns - !last vol. control is on the mixer, so be
careful!) really works ...
The limiter works well, but of course you can't control it like a sep.
unit with controls for attack, treshold, release and so on - but cuts in
clean and gradually, depending on the gain very much; I haven't used the
paragraphic EQ very much, I guess I'm not enough into hi-fi stuff ;-) ...
no, I am sure it works, it does dial in overtones (I've heard that) and
you can notch out frequencies, I think, but I really try not to twist the
original sound too much (except for cranking up the bass ;-)
I traded my old backup and former main amp, an older (again;-) Peavey Mrk
8 in for it (still got almost the same dough, about 400$), which is MUCH
bulkier, but much more solid than an SWR unit without rig (dropped from
the ampeg cab, nothing happened), but can't match an SWR as for sound ..
What I still consider if I find the time one day is trying another preamp
tube, because I think the one in my (warm sounding) 350 is a special one
chosen by the former owner (but, I've played basses through other Bass 350
units in stores and they sounded quite like mine ../ but I haven't played
other SM400s and maybe mine's got a specially clear and cold sounding
tube);
DI can, of course be taken pre or past controls, but watch out! If you
want to create a special sound with the preamp (and if only with more
gain..) you should send the "post" signal to the soundcrew - also if they
start moaning (mainly about the very high level coming from the amp, which
you can't regualate on the amp) ... but then you should also go and listen
through the PA 1. to give the soundcrew your opinion ;-) and 2. to maybe
set your sound a little less extreme in some cases
What I discoverd with both SWRs I own is that their power amp seems to
have an almost linear response over a wide frequency spectrum (as the
manuals claim), which means that for the BASS sound everybody is used to
which also means being the LOW end (of the frequency range;-) of the band,
you have to dial in a lot of Bass on the amp (or the bass guitar, at least
if it's got active EQ) -have fun with it!
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| construction |
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| clarity |
| (98%) |
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| versatility |
| (90%) |
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| volume |
| (95%) |
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| value |
| (95%) |
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| overall |
| (90%) |
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