Reducing output for home practise

[Bill Fitzmaurice 885]

13 hours ago, Killed_by_Death said:

 

I was commenting to passive pickups to a pre-amp, generally the volume pot is between the pickups & the preamp.

 

I know that's how many do it, but they shouldn't, because of the loading of the pickup output. I went active with an on-board pre-amp in the early 80s. One reason was to be able to control the volume without loading the pickups, the other was to eliminate cable losses. It was no more difficult to separately buffer each pickup with a dual channel op-amp as it was to sum them before the buffer with a single channel op-amp, so that's what I did. Why anyone wouldn't do that today is a puzzlement, as the cost differential between the two options might come to a pound.

[Killed_by_Death 319]

 

If there's an active/passive switch, it's almost obligatory.

 

[Bill Fitzmaurice 885]

I've never had the need for that. The reason for it is in case the battery dies, but when I went active I did so with phantom power from the amp. I still have a battery on board, but that's for if I ever use an amp other than my own.

[Jo.gwillim 21]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

I practice at home with either an 800W Markbass head or a 900W Darkglass head into a Barefaced Super Twin.

I have no difficulty getting the volume set so low that the natural acoustic sounds of the bass are louder than the amp.

I really don't understand why you are having trouble. What am I missing?

Nothing really, my dark glass is fine, my rm800 has a notched volume knob, one notch up from zero is too loud unless I turn the input gain right down. 

My main gigging amp is gk fusion 500. Same sort of problem, I can only crack open the master vol and turning the input gain right down limits the amount of valve drive I can get. I really am not trying to make a huge point. I managed ok before, but it's a bit easier now. It just an idea that's simple and quick to do if anyone had the same issue. 

[agedhorse 309]

4 hours ago, Jo.gwillim said:

Quite agree,  it worked on the 4 different makes of amp I tried. 

Tc electronic

Gk

Ashdown

Darkglass

I guess the send output impedance is always going to be quite low. So not a problem but it'll fall down with a hiZ on the return. 

The send impedance isn't going to matter much, it's the return impedance that dictates the effectiveness (based on orders of magnitude and the position of the elements in the circuit.) It's a good exercise to do the math, then it becomes obvious WHY.

Return input impedances run anywhere between 10k and 100k, there will be a lot of effect at 10k and almost none at 100k.

[Mykesbass 1,117]

Am I the only person who never plugs in at home? Don't see the point, even my fretless with flats is loud enough for me to hear what I'm doing.

[agedhorse 309]

Different players, different needs and different tastes for their "at home" application. 

[Stub Mandrel 10,291]

My Orange Crush practice amp is only 25W, plus it has a -6dB pad switch. If you are fan of classic rock/blues rock bass sounds it's an ideal practice amp, as quiet as you might want (even with someone trying to sleep in the next room) and loud enough to jam with other instruments - I've used it for rehearsals with a slightly muted drumkit and two guitarists.

[fretmeister 2,524]

13 hours ago, Jo.gwillim said:

Nothing really, my dark glass is fine, my rm800 has a notched volume knob, one notch up from zero is too loud unless I turn the input gain right down. 

My main gigging amp is gk fusion 500. Same sort of problem, I can only crack open the master vol and turning the input gain right down limits the amount of valve drive I can get. I really am not trying to make a huge point. I managed ok before, but it's a bit easier now. It just an idea that's simple and quick to do if anyone had the same issue. 

Have you got some good PC speakers or proper monitors?

If so you could use a plugin that mimics the sound you want and not deal with a notched volume control (they are horrible things!).

I never use my main amp to record with, I've got a bunch of plugins and an interface for that. Very easy to use and more controllable than a real amp too.

[Jo.gwillim 21]

5 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Have you got some good PC speakers or proper monitors?

If so you could use a plugin that mimics the sound you want and not deal with a notched volume control (they are horrible things!).

I never use my main amp to record with, I've got a bunch of plugins and an interface for that. Very easy to use and more controllable than a real amp too.

Yes I've got all the pc plus monitors etc and they're not bad, though happen to be in the wrong room from my basses and not much I can do about that. I should start using the pc more, it mainly gets used for learning new band material, haven't done much of that lately! 

[fretmeister 2,524]

Sounds like you need more basses so you have some in your PC room as well.

Next to my PC I have 1 bass in C standard and one in E Standard...

and the same in the lounge!

[Jo.gwillim 21]

5 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Sounds like you need more basses so you have some in your PC room as well.

Next to my PC I have 1 bass in C standard and one in E Standard...

and the same in the lounge!

Don't temp me! 

[Stub Mandrel 10,291]

Some may find this interesting...

I'm getting divorced and have been spending most of my time in the workshop that has become my office, a detached single garage, concrete and dry lined with insulation behind plasterboard.

For the last couple of months I've had my TE combo in here with the gain well up and the output on two clicks (which is quite loud).

I'm now just left with orange practice amp, for the first time I've been told to turn down.

My guess is that I'm pumping out a lot more mid-range, which is travelling further.

[agedhorse 309]

12 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Some may find this interesting...

I'm getting divorced and have been spending most of my time in the workshop that has become my office, a detached single garage, concrete and dry lined with insulation behind plasterboard.

For the last couple of months I've had my TE combo in here with the gain well up and the output on two clicks (which is quite loud).

I'm now just left with orange practice amp, for the first time I've been told to turn down.

My guess is that I'm pumping out a lot more mid-range, which is travelling further.

Hopefully, being asked to turn down and your divorce don't have anything in common...

 

[Stub Mandrel 10,291]

9 hours ago, agedhorse said:

Hopefully, being asked to turn down and your divorce don't have anything in common...

 

Far from it! My divorce has been the best thing ever for my bass playing 🙂