BOD2

Yes, standard "recommended" amp switch on/off sequence to protect speakers is as follows - Turn ON 1. Turn master or main volume down to zero 2. Switch on power 3. Turn master or main volume up to normal operating level Turn OFF 1. Turn master or main volume down to zero 2, Switch off power It's what sound engineers do all of the time. And don't always assume that the volume will be at zero because that's where you left it last time you switched off. The "sound fairies" often move the volume control when you're not looking....

Some more info here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/334-di-boxes-and-playing-through-the-pa/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/334-di-boxes-and-playing-through-the-pa/[/url]

+1 to what Mr. Foxen says, unfortunately. Stuff doesn't even sound the same when you leave all the controls untouched but play in a different room sometimes ! But it'll give you a starting point for setting it up at a gig or rehearsal.

On the MB Fusion you effectively have two independent channels - A and B - selected using the button on the front panel, or the footswitch. The two channels don't interact with each other - controls marked "A" have no effect when channel "B" is selected and vice versa. It gives you the option of two different sounds, selectable at the flick of a switch. You shouldn't be able to "break anything" on the MB Fusion no matter what control settings you use, so you can experiment with the controls as much as you like. The only time you need to be cautious is when using lots of volume through speakers. If its starts to sound horribly distorted then back off any of the volume or gain controls to reduce the volume and start again. When setting up, treat it as two separate amps - amp A and amp B. To setup amp A, the A/B switch should be off (out) then use only the controls marked "A". To setup amp B push the A/B switch in then use only the controls marked "B". The tone controls affect BOTH amp A and B settings. Setting the Masters at 3 o'clock should allow you to hear what is happening at the input stage as you adjust Gain A or B. The 3 o'clock setting is a sort of "average" setting to use as a starting point. Without hearing how loud this it's difficult to say exactly how to go about setting this up. But start at this Master setting, select channel A then bring up "Gain A" until you like what you're hearing. If "Gain A" has to be set very high to get the desired volume and is starting to distort a little, then you might want to turn UP "Master A" and turn DOWN "Gain A" to get the right balance of volume and distortion (or lack of distortion). Fine tune the two controls to get what you like. Then do the same for channel B - bearing in mind that you might get some warm valve distortion earlier since this is what it's meant to do. Once you have both channels sounding the way you want, leave "Gain A" and "Gain B" as they are. Now only adjust "Master A" and "Master B" to get the correct relative volumes from each channel so that when you switch from one to the other there isn't a huge change in overall volume (unless that's the effect you want). That's how I would go about setting it up.

According to the DiMarzio website, those instructions are correct - [url="http://www.dimarzio.com/sites/default/files/diagrams/UltraJazz.pdf"]http://www.dimarzio.com/sites/default/files/diagrams/UltraJazz.pdf[/url]

Using a radio transmitter rather than a cable between the bass and the amp will also give some level of protection (since there is no physical path to earth from the bass) but this should NOT be relied upon as a safety device. Under the right conditions an earth path will exist through your body to the floor.

[quote name='SteveO' timestamp='1355672046' post='1901156'] ah, here's something that i've wondered about for a while. is it really dangerous to have live/neutral reversed? I ask because over here the plugs are symetrical so it's easy to reverse the wires by simply unplugging and inserting the plug the other way up. [/quote] In the UK, the mains plug has a fuse fitted. This fuse should be on the LIVE wire so that any current must pass through the fuse FIRST before reaching any other part of the circuit. If the live and neutral are reversed then this could potentially put the mains fuse on the neutral wire where it offers less protection. If countries where the mains plug is NOT fused then this particular issue is not relevant, although reversing the live and neutral wires may reduce the effectiveness of other safety devices in the circuit.

They're often manufacturer-specific, there's no "industry standard" for these things. But information on how they're wired is often obtainable, either by contacting the manufacturer or by asking here.

Copper foiling the cavities might not make that much difference to that particular issue - the hum is likely caused by the pickup itself being a single coil design. Check that the cavity isn't already painted with a conductive screening paint (it usually has a matt black appearance and there will often be a ground tag screwed into the wood of the cavity and connected to ground). If there's no grounding then adding copper foil to the cavity won't do any harm but it might stop the noise when working on one pickup only. And yes, the copper foil would have to be connected to ground. Often you can achieve this by overlapping the foil onto the body where the metal plate screws down so that the copper foil makes a good contact with the grounded metal plate.

The nut will only have an effect on the OPEN strings. When you fret a string the nut is effectively bypassed by your finger and the fret. If you are getting rattling on FRETTED notes then it's not a problem with the nut. In general the neck should not be perfectly straight but should have a very slight bow, or curve, away from the strings. This allows the strings to vibrate without hitting the frets. The amount of bow, or curve, is called the "neck relief" and is adjusted using the truss rod. A very low action and very little neck relief will almost always result in rattling strings.

Yes, the metal plate acts as a common ground/earth connection. The jack socket is screwed onto this plate and that makes a ground contact to the metal plate. Anything screwed onto the plate will also therefore be grounded. Note that you should also have a ground wire that goes from the control cavity through a hole in the body and up towards the bridge, where it is sandwiched between the back of the bridge plate and the wood of the body to ground the bridge and therefore the strings.

[i]What's a condenser microphone? [/i] "Condenser" is another name for "capacitor" and it describes the mechanism inside the mic. Most importantly a condenser mic requires power to make it work. This is usually provided by the "phantom power" on a mixing desk. If your desk doesn't have phantom power then a condenser mic won't work unless you provide a separate power supply. [i]What does cardiod mean?[/i] It describes the shape of the mic pickup pattern. Cardoid means "heart shaped".Imagine a heart shape around the mic with the point of the heart at the front of the mic and the two heart lobes on either side. At the back of the mic the heart shape will have a notch cut out of it and this corresponds to a lack of sensitivity at the rear of the mic. Note that other pickup patterns also exist and this is important when positioning a mic relative to a stage monitor - you want the least sensitive area of the mic lined up with the monitor to minimise feedback. Pics here [url="http://www.bandwagonmedia.com/micPatterns.html"]http://www.bandwagonmedia.com/micPatterns.html[/url] [i]Why do I see mics that can be used for snare and toms? Wouldn't they require different types? [/i] There's not a lot of difference in the mic requirements for each. As long as they can handle the high (loud) input signal then the same type of mic could be used for both. [i]What is a windshield?[/i] This is usually a foam cover that goes over the head of the mic to reduce wind noise and breathing noise on the mic. It also helps keep the mic internals clean by stopping dust and spit reaching them (and can be easily removed and cleaned or replaced). [i]For the vocals I have a couple of SM58's. I need to mic a kit and I'd like to have some mics suitable for guitar and keyboard amps too.[/i] SM58s are the "industry standard" for vocal mics. Reliable, robust and not too expensive. The SM57 is often used as a mic for guitar and keyboard amps and is good general purpose mic. But there are lots of alternatives, as already mentioned.

The following is a summary of the main points raised in various “dead spot” threads here on Basschat previously. Thanks to all contributors and to “ikay” for the thread suggestion. [u][b]What Is a “Dead Spot” ?[/b][/u] A “dead spot” is a note on the neck of guitar that does not sound as loudly or as long as other notes on the neck. When that note is played it will sound quieter than others around it. Dead spots occur on even the best of basses. They happen because all necks are flexible to some degree (even graphite ones). The wood that makes up the neck also has specific frequencies where it will vibrate to greater and lesser degrees in sympathy with the string and this is called 'harmonic resonance'. All materials from glass through to granite have a harmonic resonance. Its also the property that makes microphone diaphragms and drum skins vibrate in sympathy with a loud sound. Due to the properties of the wood, the neck will also be slightly more flexible at these peaks (which is what allows it to be vibrate in sympathy) and a fretted note at the same frequency will have less sustain due to the subsequent lack of rigidity. Thats what gets you the Dead note.. A scientific article about the nature of dead spots is available at the link below - [url="http://www.acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html"]http://www.acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html[/url] Also a video that shows the principles involved – [url="http://www.wimp.com/rubenstube/"]http://www.wimp.com/rubenstube/[/url] [u][b]How Do I Know If I Have a Dead Spot ?[/b][/u] The obvious symptom is a quiet note at a particular location (or fret) on the bass neck. It should occur with or without amplification (i.e. you’ll still hear a difference with the bass unplugged). You can further determine if the problem is frequency-dependent by down-tuning the bass by a semi-tone or more. This will change the frequencies generated by fretted notes on the bass. If the dead spot disappears when the bass is tuned differently, then it is caused by interaction of frequencies within the neck. Another simple “test” you can try is to sit down with the bass headstock resting firmly on a table top so that string vibrations are transmitted through the neck to the table. This changes the effective mass, and therefore resonant frequencies, of the neck. If the quieter note disappears when playing with the headstock touching the table top, but reappears when you lift the headstock off table, then you have a dead spot. [u][b]What Can I Do to Fix a Dead Spot ?[/b][/u] Anything that changes the resonance of the bass as a whole, and the neck in particular, may affect dead spots but note that any such “fix” may simply move the dead spot from once frequency to another (i.e. from one fret on the neck to another fret) Typical “fixes” that the user might try can include - 1) Change the strings 2) Change the flexibility of the neck (adjust the truss rod) 3) Check for and fix any poorly seated frets In addition to this, changing the mass of the headstock can sometimes alter the resonance of the neck and might fix a dead spot. You can test this by simply attaching a DIY metal G-clamp to the headstock. If this works then a more attractive proposition is available in the form of the “Fat Finger” sustain enhancer - [url="http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/406-fender_fat_finger_sustain_tool_in_chrome"]http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/products/406-fender_fat_finger_sustain_tool_in_chrome[/url] Another possible, if slightly more extreme, solution is discussed here - [url="http://www.bestbassgear.com/ebass/gear/hardware/tuner/treating-your-basses-deadspot.html"]http://www.bestbassgear.com/ebass/gear/hardware/tuner/treating-your-basses-deadspot.html[/url] Changing the machine heads on your bass will also change the mass of the neck but again this is a rather drastic solution. [i][b][u]IMPORTANT [/u]- Note that there are no guarantees that any of the above techniques will resolve a particular problem.[/b][/i]

I presume you have already checked this - [url="http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker"]http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=rickenbucker[/url]

Fix the jack socket issue, then have a look at this thread - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/194-humming-and-buzzing-problems/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/194-humming-and-buzzing-problems/[/url] It may well just be that the bass is picking up external interference from the room, in which case there is nothing wrong with the bass at all.

This discussion seems to pop up on all of the music forums on a regular basis - and it always refuted successfully. But then it appears again... It seems to have stemmed from a misinterpretation of this article by JBL [url="http://www.jblpro.com/BackOffice/ProductAttachments/lowpower.pdf"]http://www.jblpro.com/BackOffice/ProductAttachments/lowpower.pdf[/url] However, if you read the very first sentence of the article it qualifies the article and shows why this does NOT apply, in general, to bass guitar rigs - "We occasionally hear of JBL owners who damage the [u][i]high frequency components[/i][/u] of their loudspeaker systems using amplifiers that are rated at less - rather than more - power output than recommended" (my italics) Note the italics. It seems every other person who reads this article chooses to ignore that first sentence !

Some info about this issue here [url="http://www.audereaudio.com/FAQ_PUMag_Gnd.htm"]http://www.audereaudio.com/FAQ_PUMag_Gnd.htm[/url]

Yes, you can use the 31-band EQ to "ring out" the system. There are various methods for doing it but all are essentially the same. An experienced sound engineer will be able to listen to feedback from the system and quickly recognise which frequency this is occurring at, and then lower the appropriate slider on the 31-band EQ to cut the feedback. It's hard to do this without the experience. Another way to do it is as follows - Before you start, make sure all the stage mics are in place and switched on. If your mixer has a high-pass (or low-cut) filter switch on each channel then switch this ON for all mics except bass and kick drum (if appropriate) - this prevents mics which don't need low frequency signals, like vocals, from picking up low rumbles from the room. 1. Start with the EQ flat (all sliders at zero) 2. EQ the room by listening to a CD and adjusting the sliders for a good sound 3. With the EQ set where you want it, SLOWLY raise the master volume until feedback starts 4. Now lower the master until the feedback just stops - you're now on the edge of feedback 5. Now go round the EQ and raise each slider slowly in turn until you find the one that provokes the feedback 6. Lower this particular slider a little 7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 When moving the sliders on the EQ you move them up and then back to their original position (set at step 2) if they don't provoke feedback. With a little practice you'll be able to home in on the sliders that generally cause the feedback and just work with those ones. If you can use your 31-band EQ in "mono mode", so that one set of sliders affects both left and right, then do so - it's easier to work with one set rather then two - otherwise you'll need to move both left and right sliders at the same time.

The headphones can sometimes be useful to debug a problem (not while you're actually playing, of course !). You should be able to send individual channels to the headphones and if you have a pair of isolating headphones you can listen to what the mic is picking up on that channel and hear, for example, if it sounds particularly bright or dull and then start to compensate on the channel EQ. But other than that it's no good for comparing headphones with the live sound - the resonances that you get in a room are not picked up in the headphones so you get an artificial feel of what the mix sounds like. Try to CUT the EQ rather then boost it, wherever possible - that helps keep feedback under control. As has been said, use the master EQ to adjust the overall sound to fit the room. Try playing a CD that you know really well over the PA and adjust the master EQ so that the CD sounds good. Watch out for a situation where you, for example, cut treble on the master EQ then end up adding treble to all the individual channels on the mixer - these two actions cancel each other out !

It seems that you've identified the first problem in getting a good live mix - the on-stage volumes. You have to sort this out first, otherwise the band will always be turning up and messing up the mix, or not be able to hear themselves and messing up their playing. Charic's advice is spot-on - move the backline amps so that the players can actually hear them. Either raise them or tilt them (you can make or buy stands to tilt combo amps) so that the sound goes to their ears and not their knees. Move the amps so that they point to the player and not the rest of the band. If everything is going through the PA, and the on-stage volumes of the amps should be as low as you can all work with - then you make up the volume at the front of house by using the PA.

Have a check here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/165146-solution-too-buzzing-pole-pieces/page__p__1637368__hl__pole%20pieces__fromsearch__1#entry1637368"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/165146-solution-too-buzzing-pole-pieces/page__p__1637368__hl__pole%20pieces__fromsearch__1#entry1637368[/url]

I'd hoped someone with a Yahama TRB might have been able to answer this for you by now. Normally, in a bass with active electronics, a stereo jack socket (tip, ring, sleeve) is used as a "switch" to turn on the electronics when a jack is inserted and turn them off when the jack is removed. In order to do that the "ring" part of the jack socket is used. The hot from the preamp goes to the jack socket "tip", the grounds go to the jack socket "sleeve" and a ground from the battery goes to the jack socket "ring". When a mono jack plug is inserted it will short together the "sleeve" and "ring" which then effectively switches on the battery. Can you identify which solder tag on the jack socket is tip, ring and sleeve ? If so then that might help. It might be that the free black wire needs to go to the free connector on the jack socket - that might be acting as the switch for the battery. But then I'm not sure where the white wire would go after that ?

On an 8-way switch the two centre connectors (4th and 5th from either side) are "common" which means they're just wired together. On your 7-way switch it looks very likely that they've just changed that into one single connector (4th from either side). The fact that this connector is separated from the others with more space around it than the others would also suggest this to be the case. That would mean the wiring for your switch would be virtually identical to an 8-way switch except that any connections to the 4th and 5th on the 8-way would just go to the 4th on your 7-way.

Best advice for monitoring is to try and position each monitor so that points to the players ears (as opposed to his/her knees) as best as is practical. That way you're making most effective use of the sound available rather than wasting it muddying up the stage sound. Keep the monitors set as low as you can manage with - more sound on the stage just makes it harder to hear everything. If you're monitoring the player's vocal microphone, then make use of the "polar pattern" of the mic when positioning the monitor e.g. a cardoid pattern mic is LEAST sensitive to sound direct;y behind the mic, so place the monitor here to minimise spill of sound from the monitor into the mic thus reducing feedback. Always use careful positioning of monitors to help reduce problems before you resort to other methods.

Have a look at this - [url="http://www.audereaudio.com/FAQ_PUMag_Gnd.htm"]http://www.audereaudio.com/FAQ_PUMag_Gnd.htm[/url] Alternatively you could put some insulating tape over the pole pieces to see how well that works.