Blend control... What does it do?

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

Hi

Just been reading about a load of active pre-amp control boards/circuits and all of them seem to have a Blend control knob in them but what I don't understand is, what is a blend control and what does it do?
I'm probably being so stupid here asking this...

Cheers
Stevie

[JMT3781]

they are for two pichup basses, where instead of separate volumes for each pickup you have a blend which lets you run either all one pickup, all the other, in between, or any point in between..
think of it like a pan control on a mixer..

hope you understand, i sure dont after reading that lol!

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

So if i have my pan control fully open, will it have both pickups running at full output?

[daz]

I think its pan left or pan right with the middle being both equal. Or full pan left is full left on and no right etc. Like a volume control for left and right speakers.

Edited December 27, 2010 by daz

[bubinga5]

Think 'Balance' on a stereo/hifi control.

[purpleblob]

[quote name='daz' post='1070303' date='Dec 27 2010, 05:51 PM']i think its pan left or pan right with the middle being both equal.[/quote]

This is the usual as far as I'm aware. So dead centre is both pups equal, turning towards one direction will increase the prominance of that pup and reduce the other - thus blending the pups output. It gives you far more variation than just switching one pup on or off as you can see.

Disclaimer: that's how it works on my Wal, I assume it would be the same on other instruments.

EDIT:
[quote name='bubinga5' post='1070308' date='Dec 27 2010, 05:55 PM']Think 'Balance' on a stereo/hifi control.[/quote]

Damn, that's a far simpler explanation, so it's what B5 said

Edited December 27, 2010 by purpleblob

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

Ahhh okay then. On my Tobias, the "pan/blend" control has a center indent on it but i've always played it on fully open. Does this mean i've only been using the neck pick up all this time?

When I roll it fully off, the tone is really thin, in the middle it's still quite thin but then fully open is a really nice high end and low end tone

[JMT3781]

[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' post='1070318' date='Dec 27 2010, 06:08 PM']Ahhh okay then. On my Tobias, the "pan/blend" control has a center indent on it but i've always played it on fully open. Does this mean i've only been using the neck pick up all this time?

When I roll it fully off, the tone is really thin, in the middle it's still quite thin but then fully open is a really nice high end and low end tone[/quote]

then you sir, are a fan of the neck pickup!

with all my basses that have blend, it always on the centre indent, just love the sound of it all running together!

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

No wonder it's always sounded like my bridge pick up is dying ¬¬

I shall start to use the blend control more often then!

Thanks very much for the help guys

[bubinga5]

[quote name='JMT3781' post='1070322' date='Dec 27 2010, 06:11 PM']then you sir, are a fan of the neck pickup!

with all my basses that have blend, it always on the centre indent, just love the sound of it all running together![/quote]
Same here..the Modulus has a great tone in the middle.. roll it just a smidge to the back pup and its jazz bass growly burp city...

[stingrayPete1977]

Dont some pre amps have an active blend control though guys? Im sure I have come across a system where you can blend in the ammount of active pre amp and if turned fully anti clockwise goes to an almost passive state, Or even a push/pull for dead batterys whilst live on stage. Im sure I have confused it for a pickup pan before as the control goes from a warm tone (with active controls operating state) that sounds kind of neck pup to a thinner sort of bridge sound which I know the passive fans will say its great and all that but as it goes passive the amp would need a kick up the you know what to get the volume and tone back.

[Meenie]

The blend on the Sansamp pre amp i have is to do with how much natural sound or Sansamp sound you get......at least i think thats what it does!

[MythSte]

just had a look at the tobias website, yes, its a pickup pan knob

[apa]

Just remember to make sure the lid is securely fixed on or it goes everywere!!

A

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

Cheers for the help guys

Btw, mythe ste, my Tobias is a Pre Gibson 1992 Toby Pro 4, not one of the newer Tobias' so I don't know if the new ones have the same electronics as the older ones. Especially as mine only has 4 knobs and the newer ones have 5

[ThomBassmonkey]

I've never seen a bass that has an active/passive mixed in with the pickup pan, it wouldn't let you have full access to all the options. My Sandy and Thumb both have push/pull active/passive on the blend or vol pot though.

[MythSte]

[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' post='1071286' date='Dec 28 2010, 09:29 PM']Cheers for the help guys

Btw, mythe ste, my Tobias is a Pre Gibson 1992 Toby Pro 4, not one of the newer Tobias' so I don't know if the new ones have the same electronics as the older ones. Especially as mine only has 4 knobs and the newer ones have 5[/quote]

Well that makes even more sense then, Vol, Blend, Bass and treble I guess? Thats a pretty standard setup and has been for a long while as far as I know!

[Bass_Guardian]

My lakland has a blend control. Basically why everyone else said is the way it works, pans the pickups or whatever.

I like it bang in the middle

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1071292' date='Dec 28 2010, 09:41 PM']I've never seen a bass that has an active/passive mixed in with the pickup pan, it wouldn't let you have full access to all the options. My Sandy and Thumb both have push/pull active/passive on the blend or vol pot though.[/quote]
Not as well as pickup pan but like standard jazz volume for each pup maybe a stacked bass / treble pot then the active/passive blend on a separate knob that pulls out for fully passive, That setup I'm certain I have used.

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1071340' date='Dec 28 2010, 10:33 PM']Not as well as pickup pan but like standard jazz volume for each pup maybe a stacked bass / treble pot then the active/passive blend on a separate knob that pulls out for fully passive, That setup I'm certain I have used.[/quote]

Aha, that makes more sense. Never seen it though. What bass was it on, if you remember?

[Doddy]

[quote name='StevieD_FenderP2009' post='1071286' date='Dec 28 2010, 09:29 PM']Cheers for the help guys

Btw, mythe ste, my Tobias is a Pre Gibson 1992 Toby Pro 4, not one of the newer Tobias' so I don't know if the new ones have the same electronics as the older ones. Especially as mine only has 4 knobs and the newer ones have 5[/quote]

Sorry to be a dick,but Gibson bought Tobias in 1990,so it's not Pre Gibson.

[stingrayPete1977]

Im not sure what it was now? Jazz-esque for sure I remember it confudling me for ages though before working it out. I have seen it more than once over the years with a smaller knob for the ammount of active EQ being blended in with the passive tone (or thats what it claimed to be Im guessing thats a simplified version where its still active with everything more or less?) There are some mad setups out there even the standard Lakland had me (And EBS_Freak ) baffled for a bit and the ones with 7 knobs and stuff well I have no idea give me a 2 or 3 band Ray and Im a happy man although my Jazz has exactly the same setup with an EBS preamp installed VOL/Treble/Bass/Pickup Pan, So I should of just said that in the first place!

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1071352' date='Dec 28 2010, 10:49 PM']Sorry to be a dick,but Gibson bought Tobias in 1990,so it's not Pre Gibson.[/quote]

Then i'm going to check the serial number out because I was told it was a pre-Gibson and I'm sure the seller said it was 1992... If the latter is correct, I'm going to go berserk! If it's definately pre-Gibson, I shall be much happier

[Doddy]

If it is a Toby model,it can't be a pre Gibson. The previous owner may think it is because Mike Tobias still worked for them up until
the end of '92. However,the Toby series were a Korean made line under Gibson ownership.
For it to be Pre Gibson it needs to be US made with a serial number up to 1094. US Serial numbers up to 2044,were still made by
Mike Tobias but under Gibson ownership.

[StevieD_FenderP2009]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1071419' date='Dec 29 2010, 01:05 AM']If it is a Toby model,it can't be a pre Gibson. The previous owner may think it is because Mike Tobias still worked for them up until
the end of '92. However,the Toby series were a Korean made line under Gibson ownership.
For it to be Pre Gibson it needs to be US made with a serial number up to 1094. US Serial numbers up to 2044,were still made by
Mike Tobias but under Gibson ownership.[/quote]

I'm going to slap the original owner. 4 letters. Starts with CU and ends in NT. Guess what it is?

Cheers for straightening out that little issue then. Still, best bass I've ever played. Contemplating buying another one to go with mine. wish I could find a reasonably priced one in Trans Red to go with mine. Considering trading one of my P basses for one actually...