Clip light/Gain Settings on the little Mark 2 (G&L content)

[Youngspanion]

The litttlemark 2 manual instructs to set the volume on the amp to 0 and to set the bass up all the way went setting the gain. When the clip light starts to come on when you play your hardest, you roll the gain back till it stops. .....Then set the volume on the amp..

Now I plugged in my L2000 and I did it backwards. I set the gain to noon and the volume to noon also.. Everything else is still flat as before. I set the volume on the bass and I noticed that the clip light did not come on. Even when I turned the bass all the way and thats loud for one of these basses. Plus the tone was much better and louder.

My question is this. If I continue to set it this way, can I still hurt the cabinet even if I don't see the light?

It gets really loud when I do it this way so I got nervous when the light did not come on.

[GrowlerBox]

You're not going to hurt the speakers with preamp gain per se, but your total volume and/or increased low-end frequencies might. The first thing that will happen if it clips is that it will sound like crap.

The two settings are made independently because they affect the input into different circuits -- look at the schematic in your manual. The gain affects the input into the tone shaping part of you head, which outputs directly through the effects, tuner and DI outputs. After that, the signal passes through the limiter (i.e. volume control) which controls the amplitude of the signal passing into the power section and out to the speakers.

That's pretty hot for an L2000 -- my Tribute (same electronics as yours) wouldn't allow me to turn the gain on my F1 much past 10 o'clock (with the bass gain opened up), even in passive mode. Still, if it's not clipping, it's not clipping.

[Youngspanion]

Originally Posted by GrowlerBox

if it clips is that it will sound like crap.

Thats the thing. It sound great. So Its not clipping.

Originally Posted by GrowlerBox

Still, if it's not clipping, it's not clipping.

And if the lights not coming on, I'm not hurting anything. Right.

Just to be sure, I did set it the way the Manual instructs and I had the clip light coming on as usual and I did not like the way it sounded.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

Just to be sure, I did set it the way the Manual instructs and I had the clip light coming on as usual and I did not like the way it sounded.

Just for the record, when you set it according to the manual (which should also result in no clip light showing, or only VERY occasionally), where did you end up on the dial? If you're significantly past that point now, it's possible that the LED isn't working. Remember, the master volume setting will have no impact on the pre-amp gain, so you can ignore where you have that (except with respect to the protection of your speakers and ears).

[Youngspanion]

When I set it to the according to the manual, the gain knob was around 10-11 o'clock. I did it with the bass full up.

I got the gain way up around 3 o'cock when I set it to my liking. Then the bass was around 50- 70 percent up. With the bass and treble knobs way down to off. Even still this way, I heard compression and didn't see the light when I pushed it.

I got to experiment again later today.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by Youngspanion

When I set it to the according to the manual, the gain knob was around 10-11 o'clock. I did it with the bass full up.

I got the gain way up around 3 o'cock when I set it to my liking. Then the bass was around 50- 70 percent up. With the bass and treble knobs way down to off. Even still this way, I heard compression and didn't see the light when I pushed it.

I got to experiment again later today.

Well, that's OK, you're achieving more or less the same end by backing off on the bass's output, so you need to increase the head's preamp gain. A potential issue with this setup, though, is that it's far easier to accidentally bump the controls on the bass, and harder to reset quickly (as there are no numbers/notches on the dials).

As far as the bass tone controls go, it's usual practice to open passive controls all the way up, and "noon" active controls to get the instrument's output "flat", and adjust EQ on the head. However, you do what works for you. As long as you are not labouring under the misapprehension that you are somehow not "getting all you can" out of the Markbass by not having the controls turned up. It doesn't work that way .