kingbee

Thanks guys. This in fact has answered a third question (well, not so much a question - more a "duh?"): I couldn't understand why the LED lights would come on while the pedal was cabled up, but remained inactive when no cables were attached. Now I know, so thanks JimBobTTD for that. See, in all the years I've played bass I've never once used a pedal of any kind, so I know literally f-all about how they work. Only reason I'm employing one now is, I'll be going through PA using the Hartke's DI-Out XLR. I think the manual - like many typical manuals - assumes too much prior knowledge on the part of the reader. Anyway, thanks again - most helpful, as always. What a great forum this is.

I've just acquired a Hartke Bass VXL Tone-Shaper Pre-Amp (second-hand, but in excellent condition, with original box and instruction manual). What's not clear from the manual, though, is: (1) if I use a DC supply, can I use any old DC supply or do I have to buy the ("optional" = rip-off) Hartke version? (2) if I use a 9v battery instead, can I leave this in when the pedal's not in use - in other words, will I drain the battery if I don't remove it between playing sessions? Having to remove the battery after each gig would be a royal pain, but I'll bow to the wisdom of others. Any and all advice most welcome. Many thanks.

Bought a bass pedal from this young man, everything went very smoothly, pedal was exactly as described and arrived promptly, securely packed. Good guy to deal with, no fuss, no probs, just great service!

Noting all that's been said, and very grateful for all comments to date, a guy in a music shop in Edinburgh today suggested that the [url="http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?id=58&cat=1&type=79"]Art Tube MP Studio v3[/url] would serve my needs well. I can get one for £50 or thereby. Anyone know if it will do the trick, for what I want it to do? Just curious. It looks like a nice piece of kit.

Sorry (told you I was thick), but I just want to make sure I've understood the options here. I had assumed that all I have to do is to go straight from the bass's 1/4" jack out to the 1/4" input on the pedal, then via the pedal's XLR output straight to one of mic inputs on the mixing desk. However, the scenario below (lifted from the blurb for the Radial JDI Passive DI box) suggests an intermediate stage involving an amplifier of some kind. [i]# A 5-string active bass connects to the JDI's ¼" input jack [b]# The JDI's ¼" thru jack is connected to the amplifier input[/b] # The JDI's XLR output connects to one of the mixing console mic inputs[/i] Is this 'amplifier input' stage required in every case or is it just a feature offered by the Radial box? Could someone kindly set me right here? Mean to say, too (as indeed Nottswarwick suggests), that I am not looking for an 'effects' pedal [i]per se[/i]: I usually like my sound 'straight'. Nor do I want to compete with the guitarist! No, I simply want to leave my combo at home whenever possible - that's really what I want the pedal for, as an amp 'substitute'. Mind you, some of these pedals cost a damned sight more than I paid for my combo (s/h off Basschat)! Thanks again.