rmorris

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1355676622' post='1901243'] Hmmm I think I may have answered my own question, it seems the circuit I was looking at has a 1k ohm input impedance so that would presumably make it compatible with dynamic mics out-of-the-box so to speak. [/quote] I haven't seen the Maplin mic to line box but from those impedance specs it should work fine. Going into a high impedance isn't really a problem in any case whereas too low an input impedance will seriously degrade the sound. It can be more tricky to engineer Hi-Z inputs with low noise / interference though. In fact 1K0 input impedance sounds a bit low. Typical source impedance for a dynamic mic is in the region of 200 ohm and inputs are generally set to have an input impedance of 10x the source impedance so that gives 2K0. But it could be that it's 1K0 per balanced leg giving total 2K0. Anyway it should work fine. Let us know on here how it works out.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1355679942' post='1901295'] True, but neutral is tied to ground and the phase has a constantly varying voltage. In the UK on a single phase that's 230V to -230V. [/quote] +1 Essentially problems arise where 'earths' are not at reasonably close potentials due to missing or poor connections. This can be due to connections not being made or becoming disconnected or simply through conductors which have too much impedance - usually as simple as the wire not being thick enough. ; or connections can corrode over time due to rust / oxidiseation or chemical reaction between different metals. It's also worth mentioning that 240 (ish) Vac (RMS) means that the peak voltage to 0V is in the region of 340V. On a slightly different note it's worth recognising that the potential problems reduce if you're not 'earthing' yourself by contact with the strings / bridge etc. of your bass/guitar. this seems generally to be okay where you use Lo-Z pickups ( emg etc ) and / or galvanic isolation - If I recall correctly WAL basses were fitted with an isolating audio transformer ?

I'd have to go with recommending you use an RCD plug for your multi way mains block but you could still get an issue if the mic / pa system is run off a different socket. Hopefully the venue would have RCD protection where the power enters the building but it's possible that it might not and just be relying on fuses. It shouldn't be the case of course but it may not be practical to verify in all cases. Classically you can get a problem if the 'earth' on the bass is significantly different to the 'earth' on a mic. High Power installations may use different 'phases' of the electricity supply ( ref 3 phase power ) and problems, possibly lethal, can result. People have been killed as a result. If I recall correctly, someone in the 'Sensational Alex Harvey Band' was killed like this in Swansea many moons ago.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1355332226' post='1897089'] If you're experienceing extreme interference you could try checking and/or improving the screening of your bass. coating the pickup cavities with conductive paint, or copper tape and connecting to earth can get rid of huge amounts of hum and interference. The Precision bass pickup is actually wired as a humbucker already so am I right to assume the issue is with your Jazz bass? If so shielding will definitely help alot. I have Wizards on my main Jazz (and an S-1) and covering the pickup and control covities in conductive tape made a huge difference. [/quote] Screening / shielding will reduce rf pickup which is higher frequencies. It cuts down the amount of interference which gets translated into noise at audio frequencies and should stop the local taxi firm coming through your amp and noise from computer monitors etc. But it won't do much to counteract noise from lower frequency sources - typically noise from transformers in amplifiers or from lighting rigs etc. Technically it's because the interference is caused by an electromagnetic field. At higher frequencies the interference is predominantly electrical and shielding is effective. As the frequency decreases the field becomes more magnetic and normal shielding becomes less and less effective. The solution in an audio context is to use a low source impedance and impedance balanced wiring and electronics (as typical with microphones). Hi-Z pickups and single ended wiring and electronics mitigate against an ideal solution although the use of coil configurations discussed can help by cancelling out noise at the pickups. With the correct pickup wiring options Hi-Z pickups (as well as low Z types ) can be configured as balanced sources and then the signal can be converted to a balanced low Z signal to send it down to the amp/fx. Basically wire the pickup as a balanced source and have a DI circuit in the bass.

Does it have to be a pedal ? I'm thinking you wouldn't be needing to switch it in/out whilst playing ? If that's the case then you can get well spec'd compressor units well within budget. I'd suggest lookout for an Alesis NanoCompressor (1/3 rack format). Good quality flexible compressor. Seem to go around £30ish on ebay etc.

for the OP...did you decide what fx to use for this ? would be interested to know what you decided. Cheers.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1353691173' post='1877585'] Just play it straight [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpkHczKcwsQ[/media] [/quote] He could do but the synthy bass sound is now so associated with the song that it seems sort of integral for a straightish cover version esp as it what was on the 7" single. And yes - that documentary is saved on my PVR - very moving though I've not read the book. He was a star when I saw him a while ago at Brighton Komedia. And Paul Cook on drums too ! And given that this is a basscentric site I guess we should give an honourable mention to original OJ bassist David McClymont. Anyone know if he's still musically active ?

It's probably best to use a jack plug to keep the contacts open I reckon. After all it's what the socket is designed for and there's no problem if you want to use it as normal.

[quote name='Walker' timestamp='1353316568' post='1873441'] Thanks Mark, yes, I did read it but didn't understand the bit about the paper. Would that be on the 'new' input jack or the front one? What is the paper doing? [/quote] On the shielded wire - you can use single core shielded . Signal is soldered to centre conductor. Shield /0V connection soldered to the cable screen. The paper would go on the existing front panel jack - simply stops the signal being grounded which is what usually happens with no input due to the spring action of the jack.

Depends how fussy you are about matching the sound I guess. MuTron / QTron etc should be fine but if not available then any decent envelope follower should get you close enough for recognition of the sound. If i remember correctly the 'synth' sound was on the 7" single but the 12" inch had at least a version where the sound was more straight bass guitar.Do correct me on this if mistaken as I don't have the tracks to hand atm. Also consider adding in a bit of Octave pedal depending on the sound you want. Now, how about a cover of 'Breakfast Time' or 'Blue Boy' or 'Simply Thrilled Honey'. Sorry :-)

all good advice. You should use a shielded cable for any extra wiring. Guage isn't important (as there's very little current involved).

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1353073943' post='1871295'] I remember a recent thread someone mentioned Aldi selling something like this cheap. Just seen on Amazon, reduced to £2.65 with free super slow delivery. I've ordered one, not due to arrive till next week though. Thought someone else here might be interested. [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001BMSBD4/ref=pe_217191_31005151_dp_1"]http://www.amazon.co...1_31005151_dp_1[/url] [/quote] I have the Rolson one at work and a generic or 'maplin' version at home. The Rolson seems better quality and heavier and so more stable.Can still be frustrating though due to overbalancing / being pulled by weight of components and cables, and the magnifier isn't great optical quality. If you can attach it to a larger surface you'll likely find it more use due to greater stability.

New Dawn Fades : Joy Division (Peter Hook) - simple, structured and beautiful - and it gets better when the guitar comes in !

You'll likely be okay with it soundwise although it (obviously) won't have the mechanical toughness of a Bosss or similar metal cased pedal. Personally I'd be thinking to look for something on here or ebay / gumtree. I reckon the 'cheap' Rocktek Chorus works well with Bass - not as subtle as some but that seems to suit better imho. Or Arion ? Alternatively have a look at new Joyo / Harley Benton (Thomann) pedals...

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1352308253' post='1861440'] The logical thing to do would be to have a variable resistor of the correct value in line, so you can turn down the signal going to the speaker - however this will not only need to withstand an awful lot of current, it will increase the resistance of the second cab upon the amp - which will f**k things up for the amp, especially for a valve head! I think the simplest option would be to get a power amp and take a line out from the guitar amp. Or just get a cheap powered monitor running off a line out from the amp. You don't want to be messing around with the impedance (resistance) where an amp is concerned IMO. The volume needs to be adjusted at line level. [/quote] +1

[quote name='Protium' timestamp='1351797555' post='1855619'] 7/0.2 is fine for effects or guitars, I prefer to use multi core as it's more flexible and I find the solder joints are more reliable than single core [/quote] +1 tin the wires with solder first then joint should make easily and reliably if you use a decent soldering iron. also if working on pcbs / diy fx etc it can be better to use a thin single core wire like 'Kynar' wire as long as you have the appropriate strippping widget. Saves space and can attach to SMT components etc.

I've used this type of 'pen' in electronics development. Idea sounds great but a couple of things to bear in mind :- 1. As I recall youi have to press down on the nib to get the stuff to flow - think like a 'glitter pen' - and that means you can't produce the narrow traces you might typically want on a pcb layout. 2. The stuff has a short 'shelf life ' (days / 1 week ???) after opening. Seems to be the case no matter how diligent you are in replacing the cap. After this it seems to become sort of 'yukky' and unreliable. To put this in context I used to work at a fader manufacturer where they used similar solution to attach wires to the track substrate where low resistance was paramount. But they would make the stuff themselves before start of shift and use it all within 2 hours or so otherwise the performance deteriorated. Same problem with the stuff you get from somewhere like Maplins to repair rear screen heaters on cars - the factory stuff was popular for that :-) It probably has a place in a busy repair shop esp for edge connectors etc but I've never really found a use for pcb prototyping etc and I doubt you'd get money's worth of use from it as it's not cheap.

[quote name='pobrien_ie' timestamp='1345503091' post='1778381'] The only downside is the finger noise you mentioned. This is something I struggled with anyway even before you gave me the advice, so working on overcoming this. The strangest thing happened last weekend though....after bathing my baby I noticed there was no finger noise (with or without pedal) when I picked up the bass. Perhaps softer fingertips or something! Bizarre...or maybe John Deacon was on to something!! [/quote] re finger noise - it's a basic result of compression that finger noise will be 'enhanced' since the overall effect is to reduce the level difference between the loud bits and the quiet bits ( technical terms :-) A compressor with adjustable attack / release times will allow you to influence the exact nature of this but it's an unavoidable consequence. Softer fingers are likely to reduce the amount finger noise produced - think about how much 'string/contact' noise you can get using a coin or metal plectrum. Different strings will also produce different amounts of finger noise - not just whether roundwound / groundwound / pressure wound / flats but also the material, finishing and winding geometry. To seriously remove finger noise that is produced (without simple eq that will give a duller overall sound) you can use a further compressor with an equalised sidechain to target offending frequencies or a dedicated 'de-esser' more usually used for vocals but can be tuned to the relevant frequencies. Not so easy for a pedal type setup but worth investigating digitally on computer DAW at least ? Also, specific to the Trace Elliot SMX compressor pedals - worth noting these are not all equal in sound. I had two at one point courtesy of ebay. Noticed one sounded better than the other. Better one turned out to hav a Rev3 pcb while the other had a Rev2. I have the schematic somewhere but I couldn't relate it to any differences Rev2 pcb cf Rev3.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1346757863' post='1792674'] I wouldn't bother with Vintage pots, I don't see the value in them. Keep the originals in case you want to sell your bass as all original. But if you pay a fortune for some 70s ones they are likely to be worn and the date codes won't match your 70s bass exactly anyway so those who know... will know. Just replace with CTS pots of the same type. This is what Fender used. Most people accept that parts are replaced as part of the maintenance of a working instrument and it shouldn't devalue in any way, but keep the originals just in case! [/quote] +1 there's no real 'magic' in pots of the same value but using a good quality conductive plastic or cermet type would be better in terms of noise when moving and reliability over time compared to carbon types. I don't know if these are readily available in the high resistance values needed on passive controls. CTS definitely have a reputation for quality - are their 250K or 500K pots carbon or conductive plastic ? There's a noise penalty using higher value pots if not at maximum ( worst is at 'halfway' 50% or -6dB position ) but you need high values on output of passive pickup tp maintain a decent frequency response. On tone controls , to be honest , I don't really see the point of passive unbuffered tone controls as I've always found it more effective to do that stuff on pedal or amp eq (or use old strings :-)

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1346193587' post='1786470'] 200 quid to resaw the slots, level the board, refret, fret dress/level and polish is quite reasonable. [/quote] Sounds about right. Would new strings be on top of that ?

I'd recommend using a Craig DeOxit product on the contacts - they do various formulas for the contacts and pots/faders - suggest Google and look at their website. They do seem to do better long term than other 'Contact Cleaners' etc though you may want to look at products from Servisol or similar. But I have an aerosol of DeOxit in my cupboard and I'm usually sceptical of 'special' cleaners etc. It's not cheap but not 'hi-fi geek' expensive either. Seems to deal well with oxidised contacts as claimed eg on mixing desk inset points that have not been used for a while. Following that I'd clean with Isopropyl alcohol which will remove any grease contamination. I'd say any problem after that most likely due to mechanical issues of contacts losing 'spring' as Big Stu indicated. Bending contacts will help short term but you'll be better off replacing with quality components (Neutrik ; Switchcraft etc ) as space allows. Good Luck.

Hi. Apologies for being obvious but is it really worth the hassle / cost ? What bass is it ? And might the neck / fretboard might not be compromised by the whole defret / refret thing. Wouldn't it be a better choice to buy a fretted bass that you really like or a fretted neck to swap out ?

Hi. Has the buzz / hum come in as a definite 'step change' ? If it was okay before and then developed this 'fault' then logically one of two things seems to have changed - either the bass electronics : maybe a broken or damaged screen / shield - not easily seen if it is a non visible cable shield eg a shield connection into the pickup. Or the 'electrical environment' ie there is more noise. As warwickhunt says computers and striplights are suspects ( alongside crt monitors but they are pretty rare now ! ) but also energy saving bulbs or low voltage led lights and possibly any electronics. Don't ignore lights etc that may be in another room - eg bass in spare room above kitchen - kitchen lights changed to energy saving or low volts led. A wood and plasterboard ceiling is transparent to rf noise ! Once tracked down a regular noise from a guitar amp down to a DVD player in a downstairs room. If it's down to the bass then getting everything back to original should get you back to original noise performance. Shielding may help but the problem won't have been solved. Hope this makes sense and comments welcome. If not blame the time I spent in the EMC lab today :-)

Right. Which cable was it ? Split in the screen or signal or both ? Congrats on sorting it.

Interestingly I have one of thes - Aria Pro II Magna Series 5 string - as pictured. It has 3 pots only Vol / Vol and Tone Pot is where your 'missing' pot is ( there's no pot or switch where your third pot is positioned ). Unless it's a version thing then I think that a previous owner may have moved the tone pot from the original position ? If you remove the third pot maybe you'll be able to see if it looks like the hole for that is original or a diy job ?