BOD2

Tapco are a "budget brand" for Mackie. I'm not sure what that means in practice (possibly designed by Mackie, built in China but I'm just guessing). With the Mackie connection I'd be pretty confident using Tapco. Wharfedale also make good no-nonsense gear. I doubt there's any real connection with the old hi-fi company but they've been around in PA for a good few years now and I've never read a bad word about them. I have powered monitor from them which has worked perfectly for me. I think you'd be safe with both of these brands.

Shouldn't cause any damage. Follow the same advice that you should use with ANY amp/cab setup and use your ears to judge if everything is ok. i.e. Start with the volume relatively low, bring up the volume slowly and listen. If you start to hear any unexpected distortion then simply back-off a little. I used a 50 Watt JCM800 guitar head and 4x12 cab for over a year at practices and gigs before getting a "proper" bass rig and then handing the amp and cab over to our guitarist. No damage whatsoever.

A business card usually does the trick. More information here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18034"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18034[/url]

Compression and limiting are very similar. A compressor with the ratio set to inifinity will certainly "limit" the output. Where it all gets confusing is the available controls on your compressor. If you can set the attack to "instant" (some pedal compressors don't have enough user controls to do allow this) and not apply any "make up gain" then this would allow the compressor to work fully as a limiter. So I suppose it depends really on your compressor. But note that true limiting only works at the loud end of the signal spectrum - all it does is stop your signal exceeding a preset level (usually for the protection of equipment or to prevent overload somewhere along the line). Unlike a compressor, a limiter will not bring up the quieter parts of the signal so it has a slightly different application.

It should be okay. To check what you already have, open up the control cavity and have a look inside. If there's a small circuit board in there then you already have an active preamp. Trace the wires that go to the pickups. If they're active then there will be a power wire going from the battery to the pickups somewhere. Trace the power wire from the battery to see where it goes to. You can also tell by the values on the control pots. Passive setups tend to use 250k or 500k pots, whereas active setups (pickups and preamps) use 25k or 50k pots. Aguilar have wiring diagrams on their website [url="http://www.aguilaramp.com/support_wiring_diagrams.htm"]Aguilar wiring diagrams[/url] if you want to see what's involved. Note that the OBP-1 and OBP-2 have two tone controls (treble/bass) whereas the OBP-3 had three tone controls (treble, middle, bass) so you need to bear that in mind depending on how many holes you have in your bass. You can also get "stacked" controls to combine two pots onto one shaft if you don't have enough holes.

The most common combinations are - 1. Passive pickups, passive tone controls (e.g. P-Bass, J-Bass etc.) 2. Passive pickups, active preamp (preamp supplies tone controls) 3. Active pickups, active preamp (preamp supplies tone controls) The active pickups are separate from the active preamp, and an active preamp can also be used with passive pickups. Both active pickups and active preamp will require power from one battery (9 Volt system) or often two batteries (18 Volt system). The same battery or batteries can be used to power both the preamp and active pickups. For more information the the best idea is to identify some real pickups/preamps and check the manufacturers websire for technical information. That will usually show you how it all works together and what options you have for power etc.

Is this the sort of thing you mean ? [url="http://www.neat-ideas.com/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CT=1&Description=UK_SK_Vulcascot+Rubber+Cable+Covers&CatIds=21797,35749,21802,21860,43468&webid=26002231&affixedcode=WW"]neat-ideas.com[/url] Note that this type allows 3 mains-width cables side by side and comes in 1 metre lengths. If, so then most office suppliers (e.g Staple, Viking Direct etc.) should have them.

[quote name='budget bassist' post='187720' date='Apr 29 2008, 12:16 AM'].... i might get a noise gate too.... hmmm[/quote] Make sure you understand what a noise gate can and cannot do before you buy to avoid disappointment. A noise gate monitors the signal level. When the level drops below a threshold value (set by you) the gate "closes" cutting off the signal from your bass. When you play a note the level rises above the threshold and the gate "opens" letting everything through. In practice a noise gate will only remove noise when you stop playing notes. As soon as you play the gate opens and it's as if it wasn't there. So, if you're hoping the noise gate will remove noise WHILE you are playing, it won't. In a live setup it only really makes a difference in between songs (i.e. when you stop playing). In recording it can help to reduce noise in quieter passages when you stop playing. You also have to be careful setting the threshold to avoid the undesirable effect of the natural decay of sustained notes being killed off as the signal level drops below the threshold and the gate closes.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='187251' date='Apr 28 2008, 02:36 PM']Worms.[/quote] As in "Can of".... ?

First of all you should always have an RCD protecting you and your equipment. It won't necessarily stop the problem of small shocks but it will prevent potentially lethal shock caused by faulty wiring or faulty equipment. If possible, connect equipment to the same electrical circuit - usually that means using sockets in the same room and not running a long extension from another room. If that doesn't work check to see if there are any "ground lift" switches at the rear of any equipment. If so, engage the switch to see if that fixes the problem. If that still doesn't work use Huge Hands' suggestion of an XLR lead with the ground disconnected from one end only. You could make up a couple of short 1metre lengths of XLR cables with the ground disconnected at one end and just attach one.

+1 BigRedX I think that sums it up perfectly.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='184512' date='Apr 24 2008, 01:56 PM']Instead we were each expected to stand on the bits of machinery and balconies like museum exhibits.[/quote] Don't you just love these "artistic type" event organisers.

Just before leaving school, our school band hired a venue for a gig and disco. All looked well until we arrived in the afternoon and discovered a massive sklight above the dancefloor. This being June meant that it wouldn't get dark outside until after 11 - no darkness = no atmosphere = crap gig. We managed to blag a tarpaulin from the school janitor but there then followed the farce of three clumsy 17-year-olds mucking about on open roof with an antiquated skylight and tarpaulin. How we didn't end up falling through the glass I have no idea as we didn't have a clue waht we were doing. But it worked and the gig was a success. We couldn't understand the strange looks and comments we were getting, though, until someone pointed out that the venue was also the official Gay meeting place for the city !

[quote name='dabootsy' post='184350' date='Apr 24 2008, 10:35 AM']Is it because they follow the myth that a bass player is someone who wants to play a guitar but is not good enough which of course is a load of bo####s[/quote] I was lucky in that I didn't have that problem in my last band because I used to play guitar and the guitarist knew I was better than he was (of course I was well out of practice on guitar after 5 years on bass but he didn't know that and I wasn't letting on !). Annoyances .... Drummers that hit their cymbals every time you start to speak.... Keyboard players who are always reprogramming their keyboards are rehearsals looking for that "elusive sound" when everyone else knows that the subtle differences they are making will get totally lost in the mix anyway... Guitarists that play the intro notes to every song to make sure they have it right just before the song starts (yes, even at gigs)...

Of course the (as yet unmentioned) advantage of fitting a proper shim that changes the neck angle (as opposed to a "plate" that raises the whole neck) is that no one can see the damn thing unless they take off the neck ! I'm sure many people would be very surprised with what they might find in the neck pocket of their wonderfully sustaining bass if they removed the neck (i.e. fag packet bits, old business cards etc. etc.).

A bad solder joint somewhere, or a stray strand of wire shorting something out ? If you moved the wires to see the pot values or turned the pots slightly then this might have "fixed" the problem. Check all the solder joints for loose or "dry" connections (good solder joints are bright and shiny not dull/grey) and make sure there are no loose wire strands of any debris lying around. You should try to fix this now otherwise it'll likely come back to plague you later !

An overview at the link below - [url="http://www.prosoundweb.com/install/church_talk/iem.php"]Prosoundweb.com[/url] There are two parts - the transmitter and the receiver. Think of the transmitter like a wedge monitor - it takes a feed from your monitor mixer but instead of playing it through a speaker it sends a wireless signal to the receiver. The receiver is usually a belt pack which then has ear-pieces attached. Yes, you can still use wedge monitors. Depending on the type of ear-pieces used you may or may not still be able to hear wedge monitors close to you. One consideration is, do you have the facility to send different monitor mixes ? You might not want to hear the same mix as the drummer. This has nothing to do with the in-ear system specifically but, since the sound will be clearer when delivered straight to your ears, it's worth thinking about.

Check out the information on the webpage below. It should help you identify it. [url="http://www.marshallamps.com/heritage/jcm800/jcm800_01.asp"]Marshall JCM800 Range[/url]

The link below shows standard wiring for a 2-pickup volume, volume, tone Jazz bass. [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=std_jazz_bass"]std jazz wiring[/url] Copy the wiring from this. You can use 500K or 250K audio taper pots.

[quote name='Jobiebass' post='181927' date='Apr 21 2008, 03:59 PM']on my bass I had bass full, mid-mid, treb off, then couldnt figure out why none of the dials on the amp made any noticable diffrence.[/quote] With treble off there's no treble going into the amp so the treble controls on the amp won't be able to do much. With bass full there's max bass going into the amp - the amp might not be able to produce much more bass so the bass controls might seem ineffective. That might explain the problems with the amp EQ ? For someone starting to tinker with EQ I would always recommend starting with all the EQ at a "halfway" point - that way you can cut and boost to see what works for you. Again I'd advise not using any EQ control full on (for an actve bass) to avoid possible overload problems and also it gives you nowhere to go if you want any more. Generally (although there will be exceptions) if you need to use excessive EQ in your setup there is a problem somewhere. Make a note of your settings, then go back to that "middle position" and start again. Excessive EQ can also introduce noise into your rig which is another reason to avoid it.

The only tips for EQ I can think of is as follows - 1. EQ-ing the bass itself If it's a passive bass then start with the volume and tone fully on (maximum). This gives maximum output. Roll back the tone control to cut the treble as required. You can adjust the volume by playing more gently or rolling back the volume (although this often changes the tone slightly too). There's not a lot a variation in the tone controls of a passive bass - it's usually all on or all off. If it's an active bass then start with the tone controls as the middle position (often there's click-stop on the tone controls at this point). The EQ is "flat" at this point - neither boosted nor cut. Make small adjustments to the tone controls at a time and remember that you can CUT as well as boost. It's generally best not to max out the tone controls on an active bass as this can introduce distortion. 2. EQ-ing the amp This is trickier as the EQ varies from on amp to another. If you can try to start at a "flat" EQ position this is good. With a graphic EQ that means the sliders should be at the "0" or middle position. With rotary tone controls it varies from one amp to another. A middle position for the tone controls might be a good starting point. Again - don't just boost to change the EQ. Try cutting to see what that does to your tone. Avoid excessive cutting or boosting if possible. Don't turn ALL the tone controls up full - that has the same effect as simply turning up the volume control and that's what the volume control is for. EQ is all in the relative positions of each tone control to each other. There is no "perfect EQ". A good EQ is what gives you the sound you want to hear, but it's often said that a lot of the tone of a bass guitar lies in the "mid" EQ range so make sure you investigate here.

I think this has been brought up before and similar conclusions reached. But here are a few points mentioned. 1. WATTS are a unit of power and not loudness, so it does not actually make any sense to use the Wattage of an amplifier to predict it's "loudness". 2. The volume of a rig is hugely dependent of the efficiency of the speakers used. It is not valid to compare amplifiers unless the same identical speakers are used. 3. As you suggest, the position of the volume control(s) is not an accurate measure of the power output. Half on the volume control does not mean that half the power is being used. 4. Apparent volume (to a listener) will be frequency dependent so the "tone" of an amp will have an effect on the perceived loudness. You would have to use proper measuring equipment to rule this out.

You can check what the switch does with a multimeter. With a 3PDT (or TPDT) switch you can think of the 9 contacts as 3 rows of 3 contacts like below 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 In one state, the poles are connected as follows - 4 to 1 5 to 2 6 to 3 When you operate the switch the poles are connected as follows - 4 to 7 5 to 8 6 to 9 So what the switch does is changes the connections to the middle row (4, 5, 6). The only problem you have is that with 9 contacts the switch is symmetrical when viewed so you can't tell if you looking at it as shown above, or the other way round as shown below 7 4 1 8 5 2 9 6 3 So what to do is take the switch and with your multimeter check between the leftmost middle contact ("4" in the diagram at the top of this post) and the contacts above and below ("1" and "7" in the top diagram). If the multimeter shows a connection then you're looking at the switch as shown at the top of this post. If you don't get any connection, turn the switch through 90 degrees and try again. You should get the connection this time. Now draw a diagram of the switch, showing where the indent on the casing is, and put the numbers on your diagram. Sorry this seems long-winded - it's quite simple really !

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' post='167617' date='Apr 1 2008, 01:41 PM']i just got hold of some tpdt switches, however i can't work out which way up to wire it. is there any way i can tell which way up it (the switch) goes?[/quote] Is that TPDT (as in Three Pole Double Throw with 9 contacts on the switch) ? Are there any markings on the poles of the switch (other than just numbers) ? Do you have a multimeter at all ?

Does the intonantion go all the time or just when you change strings ? And when you change strings do you change brands or change gauges ? I would expect to have to check the intonation every time I change strings. If I stick to the same gauge/brand then changes are not normally required although occasionally a slight tweak is needed.