WorkingPro 700 Head
In the past I’ve used a number of SWR heads and cabinets on tours and although they’ve all done the job properly, I really can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan. With an impressive array of A-list bassists endorsing SWR, they certainly have a pedigree that can’t be argued with – let’s see if this new rig can change my mind…
Out of the box and all with manuals, we’re off to a good start. First off, let’s look at the WorkingPro 700 amplifier. This head was a little heavier than I was expecting, but comes with two super-sturdy metal handles on the front for carrying. The chrome, black and white colour scheme creates a look of professionalism – no need for flash or gimmicks here. The build quality is faultless all round, with a good pull on the control knobs (usually a trouble spot) showing no signs of weakness.
Unfortunately, this head is a flightcase-only option. You can’t really set it on its side, front or back without real danger of it toppling over, popping out the fuse or damaging the knob. Rackmounting is always a good idea anyway, but I prefer to have the option, if I’m pushed for space at home or in the car. (Which I often am…)
The front panel of the WorkingPro 700 includes a variety of features and I can honestly say that every single knob and switch included is well worth having – there’s nothing here that feels unnecessary or gratuitous.
The front panel has a standard jack input, with a ‘-10dB Input Pad’ and a ‘Gain’ control knob. This allows fine tuning of the input signal to make sure that you can find that ‘sweet spot’, where you have a hefty enough bass signal to drive the amp properly and reduce noise, but not so much that it clips.
The input pad is useful for instruments that deliver a high output, and a small red ‘Preamp Clip’ LED located just above the gain control lights up to let you know when you’re driving the preamp too hard. By fine-tuning the gain, I was easily able to get a robust signal going in without any unwanted distortion. Of course, if you want some distortion, it isn’t harmful to the preamp, but be aware that the gain knob also controls the amount of signal going to the effects loop and could necessitate some stompbox tweaking….
A mute switch is included, which cuts off all audio output, except to the tuner and headphone jacks. The mute function is always helpful when changing instruments, sparing your speakers from clicks and pops without needing you to memorise and adjust volume levels. It also allows for silent practice if your neighbours or parents aren’t big fans of bass playing. It can also be useful when using the DI – initially, you can use the studio monitors to hear how the bass will sound when recorded. (I find a full rig in the room can be misleading when getting DI sounds.)
Next we come to the ‘Aural Enhancer’ knob – this feature has been included on every SWR amp since the company began in 1984 and is an integral part of their sound. Amps tend to come in two varieties – those that deliver an accurate representation of the sound of your bass (useful if you have a great instrument, but if your bass is pants, it will only amplify that lack of quality) and those that deliver a specific sound, removing something of the individuality of your bass, but adding a brightness/depth that will help mask a poor instrument.
The SWR concept does both – the Aural Enhancer allows you to add (at your discretion) a rich, hi-tech sounding Eq curve, emphasising both the low-end and the ultra-high treble frequencies, while still retaining some low-midrange punch. This tonal enhancement can be very subtle or quite extreme, depending on your taste and turning the control up past the 2 o’ clock position begins to scoop out the midrange, creating a sound that’s reminiscent of Marcus Miller’s slap tone.
Personally, I’ve grown quite attached to the natural sound of my bass and it felt a bit like I was dressing it up – suddenly it had a different character and although it took a little getting used to, this effect can be great for adding a bit of extra bulk and crispness when you really need your bass to sing out.
The Eq is a fairly standard affair, with a +/- 15 dB low-end shelving bass control that adds a full and deep bottom end to your sound. The midrange control is semi-parametric, which means you can choose which midrange frequencies are boosted. I’m a big fan of this configuration, as this allows a much wider variety of tones and means you can ‘tune’ the Eq to suit different situations. The treble control uses +/- 15db high-end shelving, boosting frequencies up to around 14 kHz and adds a pleasing bite to the sound without getting too brittle.
This row of controls is nicely rounded off with ‘Transparency’ (ultra high treble), a ‘Wet/Dry Blend’ control for the effects loop and the ‘Master Volume’ control. The Transparency control works particularly well with the Aural Enhancer if used with discretion and can add a clean, crisp ultra-high zing to your bass sound, conjuring up images of Mssrs Miller and Manring. If too much is added, it begins to sound harsh and far too metallic for my tastes, but by using a little it can really help add definition if you’re struggling to hear the articulation of your notes on a loud stage.
The effects loop blend was useful, particularly for effects like distortion, which can be notorious for stealing bottom end from your sound. By mixing in both a distorted and a clean signal, you can enjoy the wildest, nastiest distortion but still retain a strong and solid bass tone.
SWR have also thrown in a few extras, the first of which is a ‘Bass Intensifier.’ This circuit creates a much larger sounding bottom end, by combining a low-end Eq boost with a compressor. This allows you to add a substantial amount of bass frequencies without the risk of overdriving the amp. Simply press the ‘Engage’ switch and a red LED lights up to show that the effect is on. The ‘Level’ knob adjusts the amount of signal boost and the ‘Cutoff’ controls the highest frequency at which the intensifier stops working. (I.e. – if you have the cutoff at 80, it boosts everything below 80 Hz; if you have it at 200, it boosts everything below 200Hz.)
This effect is pretty sexy, sounding great for synth-type lines, dub grooves and particularly when using a sub-octave pedal. Using too much will make everyone in the band feel ill, but dialling in a little can fatten things up nicely. It’s an effect I wouldn’t use all the time, but when you need people to feel the bass as well as hear it, it’s fantastic.
Finally, they’ve included a limiter to help protect the power amp and speakers. This circuit limits the master volume to prevent too much signal going through to the power amp stage – it is naturally engaged, although the ‘defeat’ button allows you to turn it off. Two LEDs are provided here – ‘Active’ to show when the limiter is in effect and ‘Power Amp Clip’ to indicate when you’re driving the amp too hard and need to switch the limiter back on.
This limiter is pretty useful for prolonging the life of your rig – it will only become active at extremes of volume and so it shouldn’t affect your sound in most situations. When engaged, it acts like a subtle compressor – you may feel a slight difference as you hit harder and eventually reach a point past which it won’t become any louder, but the listener is unlikely to notice.
As we turn the amp around, the back panel sports an obtrusive fuse cover – this was a bit of a pain – it meant that the amp absolutely refused to balance on its back – a real pain if you need to set it down briefly. (To take car keys from your pocket, for example…) At one point, when I had to momentarily rest it on its back, the fuse popped out and rolled away. If I hadn’t noticed this, I would have arrived at my gig with a pretty serious problem. The obvious answer to this is – put it in a flightcase! Problem solved.
The speaker outs have both jack and speakon options, which is always helpful if you lose a speaker cable or forget to bring one set to the gig and a ¼” headphone jack output is provided, allowing the option of private practice at home or on the road.
The effects loop is quite versatile and aside from its traditional function, it can be used to connect the WorkingPro to other amplifiers, as a recording output or as a line input for accompaniment. (E.g. connecting a cd player or another instrument.)
The loop is extremely useful, not only for keeping noisy effects quiet, but the option of plugging in another bass makes it very effective for teachers who wish to amplify both their student and themselves without switching channels or leads. It’s also a godsend when you’re out on the road – I plugged my Ipod into the loop, muted the speakers, stuck on my headphones and was able to practice along to a few tunes after soundcheck without disturbing anyone.
SWR provide a footswitch that allows hands-free operation of the mute function and the Bass Intensifier circuit. A mute footswitch in particular always scores highly with me – it looks a bit odd having to stride back to your amp between songs, and the footswitch means you can keep your basses next to you onstage and switch them without fear of pops or bangs. This is especially useful to any bassist who sings for a band or has to stay in a spot onstage that isn’t close to their amp.
Finally, we have an unbalanced output, a tuner out and a balanced XLR output. The unbalanced out can be used to send a signal to another amplifier if the effects loop is already in use, or to send another signal to equipment that already includes the effects loop signal. The tuner output is a pretty standard affair, providing output to your tuner even when the amp is muted. (Another reason to love the mute footswitch – no one wants to hear you tuning between songs!)
The balanced XLR output has a number of options provided – a ‘Direct/Line’ switch allows you to send a signal that is either pre or post-Eq, a ‘Ground/Lift’ switch disconnects the output’s ground connection to help reduce unwanted hum, and a ‘0dB/-10dB’ button allows you to reduce the output by – 10dB if you are plugging into a particularly sensitive piece of equipment.
WorkingPro 2×10 & 1 x 15
The two speaker cabinets complimented the head nicely and gave a powerful, full-bodied sound that was rich in detail. Each have front slot ports for a fuller bass response, and the 4 x 10 sounded great alone on a smaller gig, easily keeping up with a hard-hitting drummer and delivering far more in the bottom end than I’ve come to expect from 4 x 10 cabinets. When using the 1 x 15 alone, it lacked a little of the punch in the midrange that the 4 x 10 had, but was still perfectly suitable for small/medium sized gigs.
Both cabs have an adjustable tweeter that handles everything above 5kHz,
with a quick turn of the wheel on the back panel adding high-end bite or smoothing out the tone. When used together, the sound was focused and robust, but the tweeters felt a little aggressive for my fretless. Backing them off left a much warmer sound, while still feeling precise and responsive.
With my fretted Marcus Fender it was slap city, projecting a great combination of lows and highs with a tone that Miller himself couldn’t argue with. For those of you who love a wall of sound, both cabs feature jack and speakon inputs and outputs on the back panel for adding extra speakers to the rig.
The cabs look great, with sturdy metal grilles on the front and simple black cloth covering throughout. My only (slight) grumble is that I’ve always been a fan of recessed handles and these feature side-mounted metal snap-down handles. I got my hand trapped in one many years ago and hurt a few fingers, but I’m pretty sure they used these handles to keep cab size and weight down and in my opinion, that’s a better option. (Just be careful with those fingers!)
A lot of the rigs that I play and review contain a host of ‘special features’ I wish they hadn’t included – gimmicks to make the gear seem more attractive to the uninformed buyer. I have to be honest, there’s nothing included on this amp that feels superfluous – everything is here for a reason. The tone shaping possibilities are extensive, with semi-parametric midrange, the Transparency control, Aural Enhancer, Bass Intensifier and tweeters allowing you to sculpt a wide variety of bass sounds with a high level of precision.
When I plugged my bass in with everything flat and cranked up the amp, it delivered a strong and solid sound, and although it was a little harsh for my liking, a few EQ adjustments solved all problems and further tweaks
delivered a wide range of usable tones. On a gig, the rig was great – it really cut through the sound of the band and was far punchier than any SWR amp I’d used before. Because it’s so compact I was expecting some kind of sonic compromise, but was pleasantly surprised with the deep, full tones.
In the studio, the DI sound was strong, with a healthy amount of signal and the various ins and outs provided were all very useful. The limiter and mute functions are a considerate inclusion, helping to prolong the life of your rig, a concept I’m sure everyone is a fan of.
All in all, the WorkingPro rig is an extremely strong contender – this setup has a lot to offer to the working bassist. While it may not be as massive sounding as, say, a Hartke rig, it has far more versatility and is capable of much more precise delivery – kind of like Mr T fighting Bruce Lee – both are pretty dangerous, but each with an entirely different approach.
This rig may be out of the financial reach of many hobbyists, but for pro and semi-pro players, it’s well worth a test drive. The price tag is appropriate for all that the rig delivers and it manages to achieve a great balance between identity and versatility. SWR have always been a highly respected name in the bass world and with this new line, this reputation is sure to continue.
Specs:
WorkingPro 700 Amplifier
Price: £ 629
Made in: Mexico
Power output: 710W RMS into 4 Ohms, 440W into 8 Ohms
Preamp type: Solid state
Output stage: Solid state
Dimensions: 3.5” H x 19” W x 13.5” D
Controls: Bass, Semi-Parametric Midrange, Treble, Transparency
Extras: Bass Intensifier, Aural Enhancer, Limiter, Mute, FX Loop, Footswitch, Headphone out, tuner out, unbalanced line out.
Weight: 25lbs (11.25kg)
WorkingPro 4 x 10
Price: £499
Made in: Mexico
Speaker config: 4 x 10” Custom designed SWR drivers, 1 Custom designed SWR Tweeter
Power handling: 400 Watts RMS
Frequency response & SPL: 100dB SPL @ 1W1M (-3dB@ 50Hz and 18kHz)
Dimensions: 25.25”H x 23”W x 18.375”D
Weight: 97 lbs.
WorkingPro 1 x 15
Price: £299
Made in: Mexico
Speaker config: 1 Custom designed, stamped steel frame 15” SWR driver, 1 Custom Designed SWR Tweeter
Power handling: 200 Watts RMS
Frequency response & SPL: 100 dB SPL @ 1W1M (-6dB @ 40 Hz and 18 Khz)
Dimensions: 23.25”W x 20.25”H x 18.5”D
Weight: 45lbs
Ratings
Build Quality: 17
Great – the head is a little heavy, but the speakers are surprisingly light (esp. the 1 x 15) and overall it’s a very compact rig. Everything included feels robust and built for serious professional use.
Features: 20
The Aural Enhancer, Bass Intensifier, Eq, FX loop, multiple outs and adjustable tweeters make this an extremely versatile rig.
Sound: 18
I must say, I’ve changed my mind about SWR – the key to getting great sounds from it is blending tones and experimenting with the various extra features. It takes a little time, but eventually yields pleasing results.
Value: 17
Okay – this rig is not cheap, but for what you get, it’s by no means outrageously expensive. The whole rig comes in at just under £1500, which I feel is very reasonable. The truth of technology is that if you pay good money, you get good gear.
Wow factor: 17
The metal grille on the front of both speakers looks almost military and adds to a feeling of strength and quality. Nothing here is flashy or cosmetic, but for the pro player that won’t matter. Even my girlfriend (who doesn’t really care much for bass amps) remarked that it was a ‘cool looking little rig’ – praise indeed.
Total: 89
A great sounding setup – versatile and feature-packed. Not the most powerful rig I’ve ever used, but quite possibly the most adaptable. It’s not cheap, but quality costs and this rig would be money well spent.
