question for Mike Brown.

jlsmith48 · From: blackwell ok usa

What is the acual reason that Peavey discontinued the Session 2000 and how hard will it be to get one repaired in the future.

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

I was thinking about this from a consumers point of view the other day and decided that it would be appropriate in explaining what problems were encountered after it had been in production. There were no problems with the parts, but the lack of parts was the problem.

I've heard quite a few rumors concerning the production of the Session 2000, and all of the rumors have been just that.........rumors. So, here's the real story.

When we first showed the Session 2000 at Scotty's International Steel Show in 1996(I believe it was a prototype model at the time. But we felt that we could show this product at that time and feel good about showing a unit that wasn't in production yet. It was well received and attendees were really interested in the possibilities of a programmable amp like this.

However, the time consuming portion of the Session 2000 project was creating 128 different steel guitar presets for use onstage as well as an "in home" player. Room acoustics played a big part in voicing these presets. We spent many hours and a lot of dollars creating these presets. We even assembled the best players(Paul Franklin, Jeff Newman, Robbie Turner, Stu Basore, Mike Johnson, Lloyd Green, Hal Rugg and Johnny Cox) in the industry to provide input, program their own personal tastes in a preset and give the amp an overall test for duribility during a 16 hour two day jam session held at an undisclosed rehearsal facility in Nashville, Tennessee. These sessions produced a total of 30 presets from the pros. The remaining 98 preset locations were created by the folks at Carter Steel Guitar, Danny Hullihen of Harrison Music, other Peavey dealer/players and myself. I spent many Sunday afternoons here at the factory in our amphitheater creating my particular presets to make sure that they had the proper voicing to be used onstage. I even tested my personal presets in the various clubs that I play in on a regular basis.

After all the presets were finalized, then getting the amp into production began. So, a project like the Session 2000 project took quite a bit of R & D.

The problem that arose was that our supplier of the RAM cards and also the RAM cartridge slot had ceased manufacturing of these components. So, we tried to find another source, but was unable to locate a source and made the decision to discontinue the Session 2000 project. However, we still receive and repair Peavey gear that was sold in the early '70's.

I hope that this info provides an insight into the matter. We hated to have to cease production of the Session 2000 as we spent many, many hours in developing the amp. But, it was beyond our control.

Thanks for using Peavey gear.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Mike; A question comes right to mind. Is there a chance the 2000 programming could be used with the Pro and Tube-Fex line ? For those of us who have the RAM cards, I have two myself; could we send them to you to copy the programs if they are transferable ?
I'd hate to see all that effort by you and Peavey and all those Steel Giants go to naught. And there has been a void since Jeff and Jeff (Newman and Peterson) completed their efforts in this area.

Thanks In Advance !! Regards, Paul

Rainer Hackstaette · From: Bohmte, Germany

Mike,
maybe I don´t fully understand this, but if the RAM card and RAM card slot are the problems, why can´t other cards and slots be used? Very many 19" effects units have RAM card slots, why not use one of those? I understand that there would be a compatibility problem with existing Session 2000s, but what about a Session 2002 with new specs? Or forget about RAM cards and have more internal memory and a computer interface (USB or FireWire) to store and exchange sounds via computer?

Ah, so many questions ...

I would really like to see a programmable steel amp - I could leave all those rack gadgets at home: just me and my steel and my Peavey ...

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Remington D 10 8/8, Session 400 LTD

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Rainer, the RAM cartridges and the RAM cartridge assembly are no longer being made. I don't quite understand your question, but please keep in touch with our website for future developements.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics

[This message was edited by Mike Brown on 01 August 2001 at 11:28 AM.]

Bill Crook · From: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance

Mike....

I again,ask:

Why not use the "CompactFlash" Memory card that so many other OEM outfits are useing ??

This card and slot has been in use for many years and and is the Industry standard for just about everything. And then, Peavey wouldn't even have to supply or support the card. It can be purchased worldwide. It seems like to me that a 16Meg card would hold everything you could possibly put into a EFX device/programmable amp.

This way, you can salvage all the work and time your firm has put into the Session 2000 amp. I think that even if you had to put a bit more (time/money) into reviseing the card slot on this amp,it would be a good seller for the "Peavey" Co.

Dennis Wood · From: Savannah, TN USA

I would buy one for sure...I was all set to order a new 2000 when my peavey dealer informed me of the problems.

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Sierra U-12 Crown Gearless, Peavey Nashville 400,
Peavey TransTube Fx,
Peavey Stereo 212,
Peavey TT Bandit w/ex speaker. Tele, Strat, 1970 Les Paul Std.

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

We do have plans for future steel products, but it's too early to announce at this time. As I have stated many times before, Peavey Electronics has been a supporter of the steel guitar community since 1974 and will continue to offer top notch products as long as there is a need.

As for the flash cards, we are looking at the various formats but haven't decided on one single type yet.

One question that I would like to ask is, do you feel that having the ability to save customized presets on say, a RAM card is an essential tool or would you like to see a database with contributions from players all over the world that can be downloaded from your computer? A "cherry picking" type of method.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

Bill Crook · From: Goodlettsville, TN , Spending my kid's inheritance

Mike.....

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

How about a Zip Drive?

Rainer Hackstaette · From: Bohmte, Germany

Mike,

I think for a programmable amp it is vital that the patches can be stored outside the amp as well as in the internal memory, if only for backup reasons. I personally would prefer to do that in a computer via MIDI system exclusive data.
The amp would, of course, have to have a MIDI interface. There also should be an OEM version of some kind of editing software (e.g. emagic Sounddiver) included with the purchase of the amp. If one can see all the different parameters at the same time on a screen - as opposed to the step-by-step process with an LCD display - it would make creating new sounds so much easier. Add a database on Peavey´s website where users could exchange patches, and I´d cannibalize my bank account to buy that amp.

The above scenario is basically what Line 6 did with its POD, and it seems to pay off.

Not having a RAM card/flash card or whatever non-computer hardware storage would IMHO not be a drawback. Most of the newer digital amps like Line 6, Johnson, Yamaha, Roland or Fender´s CyberTwin don´t have cards. But most of them have editing software. IMO that´s the way to go.

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Remington D 10 8/8, Session 400 LTD

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Mike; Give me the ram card any day... When I'm playing and a lightning strike flicks the power or the drummer knocks the power plug out of the rear wall and then plugs it back in before I get a chance to shut down; I'm dead. I keep a back-up card for my Tube-Fex the same way I keep a memory back-up for my computer.

I can't go to the house for a download if I'm on a gig and I can't take my computer with me. I re-intialize, put in my back-up card and download it to the user bank and I'm back in bussiness. If there is anything faster than that, I'm not aware of it. And yes, if I've made any significant changes to my user bank like I did by recently adding some Jack Stoner presets, I bring my back-up card up to date as needed.

Still would like to know if the 2000 data is useable on Tube or Transtube-Fex units.

Regards, Paul

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

This is the type of input that we are looking for from players on the Forum. Are there any other ideas on this subject? Your input is valuble to us when designing future products for the steel and I do "hear" your ideas and will pass them along to appropriate product managers for consideration. Specific reasons of why we do or don't use a certain format over another is determined when our product managers and engineers evaluate input that is received from our dealer network, endorsement artists and players such as yourself.

My toll free number here at Peavey is 1-877-732-8391.

Mike Brown
Peavey Electronics Corporation

Rainer Hackstaette · From: Bohmte, Germany

Paul,
do you mean to say that all your user presets are gone when someone pulls the power plug on you? I have a Line 6 AX2, a POD and some Roland and Ibanez 19" effects and reverb units (all that used for guitar, for steel I only use a Peavey Session 400 LTD), and NONE of these units erase their presets when the power is unplugged. Don´t get me wrong, it´s not that I don´t believe you - I just never experienced it. I just switch the amps and effects on when the power comes back, and everything is exactly as it was before.

But be that as it may, I still think additional editing software would make it a lot easier to create new sounds AND exchange them with other players. If there is only a small green or amber LCD display with its cryptic abbreviations and step-by-step mode then editing is definitely no fun. I do need the LCD to name the presets properly. Just numbers (as on the Line 6 stuff) is not enough, because I keep forgetting what they stand for.

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Remington D 10 8/8, Session 400 LTD

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Sorry for not answering your question, Paul. The presets of the Session 2000 amp are unique because they were created on the Session 2000. One of the distinct differences between a Session 2000 and say, a Tubefex is that the "mode" select switch on the Session 2000 amp switches allows you to select "preamp" four different frequency curves, ie; Modern, Classic, Nashville, and Session. The Tubefex and Transtube Fex do not have the curves programmed in ROM.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Mike: Thanks for the answer. I had thought that might be the case but really wanted to be sure.

Rainer: When I first started using -Fex units years back, someone told me this could happen but I ignored the advice. Then it happened to me on a Tube-Fex. It isn't just a random on/off thing. If it is more than once and fast as well, it will dump everything including the card if you have one installed.

I keep two cards in case that happens. The drummer incident was such that he tried three times to get the plug in correctly. It was a Hubble twist lock plug and he hit the power three times before actually locking it
ON. And storm lightning has the same effect if it is a line overload that drops out momentarily and then comes back on in a series of flashes until the overload passes.

I'm not pretending to know what happens in the -Fex units or why. I do know that it does it because I lost a whole night trying to figure out the recovery process I described earlier.

Regards, Paul

Ernie Renn · From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA

Mike;
How about something very simple: A booklet to be included with the amp of pro player pre-sets? The RAM cards are kinda cool, but the more you add, the more there is to go haywire.

Myself, I'd like a re-issue of the original Session 400. Fender made a re-issue Twin Reverb, (and countless others.) So why not Peavey, too? I know Peavey did the Session 400 LTD, but it's just not the same. I wouldn't trade my LTD 400 for anything, (except a Session 400, maybe.)

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Mike Brown · From: Meridian, Mississippi USA

Hello Ernie,
The Session 400 Limited was a reissue of the older Session 400 of the 70's, only we added patch points. A major reason why we prefer not to "recreate" an original Session 400 is largely due to component advancements and labor costs involved. The design characteristics and architecture has changed rapidly since the '70's with wide commercial use of IC's integrated into electronic products. Returninng to point to point wiring increases the retail costs. I'm sure that there are players out there who will argue that point to point wiring is a lot better than today's methods. BUT, many of the companies who specialized in "custom", hand-wired amps have closed their doors because they either couldn't sell enough of their product to stay in the business or have SO much business that customers would have to wait years to receive their "paid in advance" product. I can't think of any of the latter type componanies, though.

Usually, when a product(Peavey, Fender, Marshall or whatever product) is reissued, it never has that "magic" like the original. More innovative things are yet to come.

Paul Graupp · From: Macon Ga USA

Ernie Renn · From: Brainerd, Minnesota USA

Me 2.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Ann Fabian · From: Mesquite, Texas, USA

We just received a brand new Peavey Session 2000.

See my posting here if you are interested in coming by to check it out.

Ann Fabian
Carter Steel Guitars
[url=http://www.SteelGuitar.com]www.SteelGuitar.com[/url]

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