CONS: Limited speaker connectivity.
PRICE: $679 (head only)
Since the earliest days of the electric bass guitar, players have desired a balance of portability and sound. Genz Benz’s Shuttle 6.2 captures those qualities in a modern package.
It’s quite small, about 3/4 the size of a rack unit, and weighs in at under four pounds. Its Class D design is very efficient, meaning high audio quality with a small size. There’s plenty of power; at 8 ohms, it’s pushing out 375 watts, at 4 ohms, 600 watts. A 12AX7 is in the preamp stage warming up the signal.
The front panel features a mute switch, gain and volume controls, while a 4-band active EQ provides sound sculpting. The two center mid frequency controls are parametric, and can perfectly adjust the mid frequencies that can make or break a bass sound. There is also a “shape” selection: low frequency boost, a mid scoop or a high frequency attack selection. The rear panel has an effects loop, aux in, tuner out, headphones, and a footswitch connection for the signal shape controls. The XLR DI out has plenty of options with a pre- or post-EQ out, and line level or mic level output, giving it plenty of flexibility in a live setting or in the studio.
With a flat EQ setting, there’s plenty of fullness, and adjusting the EQ for the room, type of music, and bass, is easy. It’s hard to get a bad sound out of it. Even an inexpensive bass sounded high-end through this unit. There’s a great balance of warmth and clarity, and plenty of useful low-end frequencies. The shape controls are a great feature, eliminating the need for external boosters or EQs to get a low-end sound to stand out in the mix.
The only downside is the choice of speaker connections. While the Neutrik connections are lockable, which is nice, forgetting or losing a specialized cable, especially when you need it, with the inability to use a regular 1/4” speaker cable is also a bummer.
Overall it’s a very nice, modern bass system. It’s quite portable, size and weight wise, and delivers a fantastic sound. Highly recommended for any live or studio bassist.
FEATURES
Weight: 3.75 lb.
Power Output: 375W/8 ohms; 600W/4 ohms
Preamp: Analog 12AX7 tube
EQ: Active w/parametric mids
Speaker Output: Speakon
Direct Out Interface: Full XLR
Footswitch: Available (not included)