Mottlefeeder

On 19/06/2019 at 20:03, Chienmortbb said:

Setting intonation at the 12th fret allows for very basic tuners. Nowadays tuners are more sophisticated but if still makes sense the inonate at 12.  It is half way between the bridge and nut and assuming all the fret slots are cut  accurately,  setting intonation at fret 12 will be good up and down the fingerboard. What you are trying to do is make sure the length of string from Nut to fret 12 is the same length as fret 12 to bridge. 

I'm not sure that I agree with that last comment. If you want fret 12 to be the midpoint of the string, then the bridge would be at 90 degrees to the strings, just like the nut.

I think that what we are trying to achieve is to make the vibrating length of the string the same on both sides of fret 12. But, the vibrating length of the string is not the distance between the nut and the bridge, but a slightly shorter distance, governed by the thickness (mass?) of the string. So, even if you position the frets to accomodate these shorter vibrating lengths, they are still going to be a compromise across the string set.  

Which brings me back to my starting point, can you hear the tuning error, and if so, should we be setting the intonation to minimise the error in the part of the fretboard we usually inhabit?

David

On 17/06/2019 at 13:59, burno70 said:

After a bit of advice.

My band, a three-piece, has a wired set up. I'm using a Behringer P2 with KZ ZS10 in ears.

The issue I have is that the guitar - which is balanced volume-wise with the drums and generally not overpowering, bleeds way too much into my in ear mix which then leads me to adjust my in ear levels way too high to compensate. The guitars aren't coming from the mixer, they're coming through the physical in ear earphones.

 

Recently, I've had a couple of instances of ringing in my ears following rehearsals and a gig - which can't continue.

I'd just add that we're not a particularly loud band and there isn't an issue with volume (guitar or otherwise) when not using in ears.

I can't afford proper moulded in ears, which I fear may be the only solution.

Thanks

Ste

If you are not already doing so, try lubricating the tips before putting them in your ears - I find I get a better seal that way. Our harmonica player was advised to use hand cream for this, but I find saliva works well enough. Possibly the tips stay more centred in the canal or something along those lines. 

David

I have to say that I have never understood the reason for setting intonation at the 12th fret, other than the ease of comparing a fretted octave note with the harmonic octave note.

Apart from fanned fret designs, surely minimising the error at the 1/2 open string length (12th fret) means that you will maximise the error at 1/4 and 3/4 of the open string length, and 1/4 open string length is where I spend most of my time. On that basis would it not be better to set the intonation to by right at about fret 7?

What am I missing?

David

3 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

Just ordered a new Dyson X400 amp...

Is that the yellow and purple one that's really noisy?

David

On 09/05/2019 at 19:58, Chienmortbb said:

... but we will still need a fuse, an indicator and possibly a switch. The powercon’s are safe to remove while the unit is powered and do not really need a switch. So the question is, do we just need a mute switch rather than a power switch or is a power switch needed...

If it should ever fail with a spectacular puff of smoke, the lack of a power switch might be regretted. That will also be the day it is so close to something else that you cannot easily disconnect the power lead.

I would also suggest that you should be able to power down when you are having a break between sets.

David

Channel B has the option of a line in or Hi-Z input for an instrument - so far so good. If you connect the 'through' output to your mixer and your tone changes, then you will know that option does not work for you. However, if you are only using channel B, could you use the active-speaker mixer-output as the feed to your FOH mixer?

David

I have a PDF circuit diagram for a 2005 HA 1200 which shows no plug/socket connections between pre and power amps, but all 120 watts pass through the headphone switching contacts. That would be my starting point.

With regard to the more powerful amplifiers, I have had both a Samson and a Hartke with intermittent faults that turned out to be the output relay. This one doesn't have an output relay.

David

Hartke Kickback HS1200 schematic.pdf

I posted a design for a one by 10 here, using the Eminence Basslite S2010 10 inch Neo speaker. The box is 30.5 x 32.5 x 39.5 cm, but could probably to tweaked to give you either a footprint or a baffle that matched your speaker:

The cab plans were in a March 30th post.

If you are anywhere near Manchester/Warrington, you are welcome to come and check it out.

David

Bought Alex's BDI 21. Item was as described, communication was good and delivery was fast - thanks Alex.

David

Most of those measurements are given at 3 m distance from the instrument - having several of them 1 m behind you must be horrendous.

David

A more expensive mixer may well have higher quality opamps in it, or input circuits with discrete transistors as well as opamps, both of which would give you a better sound. Also, if you try and design a cheaper mixer with fewer opamps, some of them will be providing lots of gain, and may struggle to do so compared with a more conservative design using more opamps. That can also degrade the sound.

I have small mixers by Behringer, Soundcraft, Mackie and Gear4music, and the Soundcraft and Mackie sound better.

David

Mixer microphone inputs are designed for microphones of 200 ohms to 600 ohms impedance, so connecting an instrument to that (XLR) input will not work without a DI box. However, if that channel also has a line input, that is likely to have an input impedance of 10-30 thousand ohms, and a guitar or bass with a built-in preamp will feed into that without loss of tone. A passive bass or solid bodied guitar may work well, or may lose some treble feeding into that impedance - hence the 'Hi-Z' guitar input option on some mixer channels. A passive piezo pickup on an acoustic guitar will probably sound better feeding into an input impedance of about 1 million ohms (and using a short cable).

In my experience, line inputs on mixers tend to be in the 10-30 thousand ohms impedance range, so if they have enough gain, they should work with any pre-amped instrument, but possibly not with passive ones.

David

One point worth considering is that most guitars operate at about -20dB or -10dB, and most line inputs are intended for inputs at 0dB, so your guitar input could be x3 to x10 times too low. The cheaper the mixer, the less likely it is too have extra gain on the line-in channel to accomodate lower level inputs.

David

Stripboard layout for the FDeck HPF Mk3 - note the first version has errors, corrected in the second version later in the thread.

http://guitar-fx-layouts.42897.x6.nabble.com/F-deck-HPF-Series-3-td44880.html

David

The rear view shows a mains input socket market as 100v 60 Hz. Is this suitable for use in the UK?

David

A bit of an unusual one for us - playing at the opening of the first part of Manchester airport's revamped Terminal 2 - first flight out 06:00.

Went to bed at 21:30, got up at 01:15. On the road by 02:40. The new car park was apparently opened/signposted about an hour before we got there. Spent about an hour getting visitors' passes and getting our gear through airport security.

Started playing at about 04:30. Played two short sets with a break for speeches and then packed up, handed in the passes and headed home. Got in at about 07:00. Nice audience (nothing else going on) and lots of money donated for Cancer Research UK.

David

PM'd for BDI 21

David

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

It looks like it has never been serviced as it still has the Bulgin mains connector, which needs replacing ASAP.

The Bulgin mains connector may not have the clearance distances between the terminals inside as specified for modern connectors, but that does not make it dangerous.  For a device that will not be used by children, and will be treated with respect by its owner, 'replace as soon as possible' is a bit of an over-reaction.

David

2 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I take the cable up my spine, the clip can go on my collar, the plug end can use a belt loop and (in my case) the wired connector can go in my back pocket - meaning any tugs will be on my trousers not the cable of my ears ...

once it’s in place pick your bass up, I doubt the strap will affect it.

the main reason to go up the back though is if eather earpiece falls out then it just rests on your shoulder, easily to hand to put back in. If you go up the front there is some risk it gets tangled in your instrument or is harder to find mid song if it drops out. 

We are both routing the earpiece cables to the back of the neck.  The problem I had with taking the cable up my spine was that it was then clamped by the bass strap. If you didn't get the amount of slack right, the earpiece pulls out when you turn your head. Having the slack on the side of your neck keeps it away from the strap, and dropping it down the left front keeps it away from the bass, so it doesn't get clamped except by the clip at your collar. Like you, I  use belt loops to feed it to the umbilical connector, but mine is at the bridge end of my bass strap, because it gives me easier access to adjust the controls.

There is no right or wrong, just different options to consider.

David

2 hours ago, JimBobTTD said:

Here comes a user case!

I bought a pair of KZ ZS10s, a Behringer mixer and a Behringer PM2 personal in-ear monitor. Despite having had them since January, I was only able to test them out yesterday at band practice. 

The set up was this:

Bass to pedalboard, culminating in Mesa Boogie Subway DI. The DI went to the mixer (via a guitar cable...I had left the XLR at home) and the output of the pedal went to my amp. I connected a microphone to the mixer and put it on top of my amp. 

 

Aim

To be able to hear myself better when playing, a problem I have had for a while (especially when gigging). A secondary aim was to reduce overall volume going into my ears. 

 

Results

Mixed. The rubber earpieces in the ZS10s were a little small and I had to put a set of over-ear workman hearing protectors over the top of them to keep out the noise (we are extremely loud - the rehearsal space is tiny and it is impossible to keep volume down). I moved the microphone from on top of my bass amp to somewhere more in the middle of the room; overall sound was better, but it was still a bit difficult to hear the others. The earphones are wired, of course, and my bass strap pulled on them until I moved some excess wire up. Having a cable from the mixer to the Behringer PM2 was extremely uncomfortable; I use a wireless from bass to pedalboard. 

 

Analysis and Next Steps

It would be great to mic up the guitarists and put the vocals in, too, but that would lead to even more cables in the tiny studio and, probably, require a new mixer (the drums come through no problem). I cannot see an alternative, though. Our PA is not strong enough to have the whole band going through it, so I cannot put them all through that and take a feed off it; however, the whole purpose of this exercise was to be able to hear myself when gigging...and we gig in multi-band evenings and it is not possible to predict whether the soundman will be able to give me a personal mix. In other words, I want to be able to make this work with a single microphone as then, if I can get a feed from the mixer when we gig, it will sound even better! 

The ZS10s come with three sets of rubber earpieces. I shall change to the largest size (mediums were on out the pack) and see how that works. I shall make sure that I pull a bit of wire above the strap when I put my bass on. 

I think that it is time to get a wireless kit. It might also be time to look into having personal IEMs made.

 

So...if you are hesitating, stop. Do it. This has all the markings of being something excellent. Thanks for all the help!

I've found that a single rubber cup on an earpiece does not give me sufficient isolation, but a multiple cup (Xmas tree) works better. I'm not sure what yours are, but that might be worth checking. As far as the earpiece cable run is concerned, my cables go from the earpiece to the back of my neck, then round the left side of my neck to be clipped to my shirt at the front, then down the left side of my front. This is the only path I have found which keeps the cable away from the bass strap (assuming you are a RH player).

Finally, if you take a feed from the PA, either through a DI designed for speaker use, or from the output (headphone oputput?) of the PA mixer, you can balance the PA and ambient feeds with your bass feed to get the mix you want.

David

Heat shrink sleeving is not compatible with all cables. I tried to add extra protection to a microphone cable where it entered the plug, but the heat caused the conductor insulation to shrink, leaving nearly a centimeter of bare wires in the plug. I didn't find out until the cable stopped working during a gig. That particular cable had a polythene type insulation, as against the normal PVC or rubber based ones.

Best to check before you start work.

Daivid

We put acoustic guitars and vocals through a fairly basic PA, with keys, electric guitar and bass through backline amps. I use resistive DIs to take a feed from the PA speaker, and the speaker lead of my amp, and a Maplins/Tandy electret mic to pick up ambient signals. I feed this to a simple 3-channel mixer, with bass panned left and everything else panned right. The headphone output feeds a belt-mounted junction-box that gives me separate volumes on left and right, and a mono/stereo switch to blend everything together. I'm using shure SE215's. 

The combination of PA feed and mic feed means I can usually get a good mix of the band sound, and I don't have to fiddle with a separate monitor mix on the main mixer that is not within reach.

I can give further details if anyone thinks a similar system would work for them.

David

Have you tried tilting the cab back to the angle you want - that will tell you whether you need a wedge under the front or a prop at the back. I needed a prop at the back and I found a s/h 'Standback'. It works well provided no one tries to move your rig.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/standback_ampstand.htm

David

5 hours ago, kevvo66 said:

Bumb, Always fancied one of these temping

You're close enough to try before you buy...

David

1 hour ago, yorks5stringer said:

You sure its gonna be £120? That would be a very different price point to other mini 200 watt heads. You could  maybe imagine Bugera doing one at that price ( ironically the same owners as TC now)

It is not a 200 W amp. The spec in mathlang's post states a maximum of 200 W, so its 'RMS' power could be 100 W - or it may be that they have got the power supply reserves right this time and it limits at 200 W without objectionable distortion, so it still sounds louder than the competition. Who knows.

David