AER Amp One

The AER Amp One is a 29-pound 200-watt bass amplifier with a 10-inch speaker and a plethora of I/O options. This is a brand new product from Germany; I'm told that there are only a few dozen of these in the USA at the moment.

The Amp One has a single input with a pad switch (to accomodate high-output active pickups), a gain control and a clipping indicator. The EQ section has active low, mid and high controls. The mid control is semi-parametric with a frequency control and a bandwidth switch. The EQ is supplemented with switches for bass boost and contour (mid-scoop) and a two-knob "tone balance" section which acts over the entire frequency range. The top-panel controls are rounded out with a two-knob compressor (threshold and ratio, plus an activity LED) and a master volume control.

The rear panel bristles with connections. Ten 1/4" jacks provide for pre- and post-EQ inserts, a parallel FX loop, an auxilliary input, a headphone jack, a tuner output, a subwoofer output, a line output and a dual footswitch (mute and FX loop). The I/Os are completed by an XLR output with level control, pre/post EQ switch and ground lift.

Also on the rear panel is a large heat sink that gets quite warm during operation. I've read some speculation that AER reduced the weight by using a Class D amplifier. This is clearly not so: a 200 watt Class D amplifier would not need a large heatsink. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if AER has used a switching power supply. The weight budget would be blown by an iron power transformer large enough to support this amp.

The spatter-covered cabinet measures 15 by 12 by 13 inches: about one-and-a-third cubic feet. AER includes a carrying bag with a single front pouch large enough to carry cords and other gig essentials. A cutout in the top of the bag allows access to the amp's leather handle.

A neodynium-magnet speaker contributes to the low weight of the Amp One.

When I researched this amp a comment about its "old-school" sound caught my interest. I'm not a fan of the modern extended-range bass sound: leave some of the audio spectrum open for the cymbals, for gosh sake... The Amp One has only the 10" woofer. Bassists who expect that hyped transient response for their slapping and popping histrionics will be disappointed by the Amp One.

In practice the Amp One sounds very, very good. Its default sound is a bit midrange-intensive. This may not be especially satisfying in isolation, but it does sound great in the mix. Fans of big low-end rumble will not be disapointed if they engage the bass boost switch. The rear-ported cabinet moves a surprising amount of air regardless of its size. I've played through larger, heavier 200 watt production bass amps that would not be able to keep up with the Amp One's solid low end. As always, physics will impose some hard limits. Extreme low end response at extreme volumes is going to be impossible with an amp of this size and power. But for most players' realistic needs in a club setting, this little amp is a giant-killer.