Ground lift button.

[joeturbodiesel@]

I am new to having professional equipment and I hooked up the direct out on my hartke 5000 to the pa at practice and it sounded horrible. Like it had no power.My amp was in such a position that I wasnt able to see the switches on the back. So I didn't push anything. I decided to go a different route for the gig we had coming up. My current question is what is the ground lift button for?

[Saxn]

That is to eliminate the hum created by a ground loop, if I am not mistaken.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by joeturbodiesel@

what is the ground lift button for?

What the owner's manual says it's for?
In most cases it should be off, i.e., lifted, the ground to the XLR out disconnected.

[joeturbodiesel@]

Thanks. I don't have the owners manual. I bought it off another bass player on this forum.

[prd004]

You always want the DI grounded unless you are getting ground interference and in that case you use the ground lift.

Also your amp may have a level for the DI, mine does as well as a pre/post eq switch. If the level was turned down too low there is your answer about the signal level, but I don't know your specific amp. I never use mine, I keep a J48 on my pedalboard.

The number one thing learned here? Keep a flashlight in your gig bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS look up the manual, downlaod and print it!

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Yet another vote for RTFM.

Saxn got it right, it lifts the signal ground on the DI in order to break the possible ground loop on the signal chain.

DI ground lift (signal) is not to be confused with the mains ground lift on the older tube amps. That switch (death switch, if the "death cap" malfunctions or is omitted) lifts the mains ground and usually makes the amps chassis live. That feature SHOULD NEVER BE USED in any circumstances.

Regards
Sam

[joeturbodiesel@]

I need to spend more time goofing around with the features of this amp after I get a copy of the owners manual. Thanks guys

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by joeturbodiesel@

I am new to having professional equipment and I hooked up the direct out on my hartke 5000 to the pa at practice and it sounded horrible. Like it had no power.My amp was in such a position that I wasnt able to see the switches on the back. So I didn't push anything. I decided to go a different route for the gig we had coming up. My current question is what is the ground lift button for?

You realize, of course, that when you go to the board, your amp does not provide the power, the PA does. So you're sending a signal, either pre- or post-eq, to a channel on the mixer, then it sends the signal to a power amp and speakers, or a powered speakers. If your PA has no subwoofers, then your bass will most likely sound like crap because most PA mains can't produce the low frequencies you're sending to the board. That, and the EQ at the board will affect your tone as well.

Whenever I've gone to the PA with mains only, I filter the bass at a minimum frequency of 55 hz to reduce the potential for damage to the mains. Even then, you have to be careful, because most mains don't like to see anything much lower than 80 hz. Since your bass produces frequencies as low as 40 hz (for a 4-string), you're just not going to get a decent sound. If the PA has subs, you'll want to cross them over at somewhere between 90 and 110 hz.

[Zanpa]

Please elaborate as I own a vintage Traynor with said "death switch". Mine functions wonderfully but I am sill confused with this feature/function.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by joeturbodiesel@

Thanks. I don't have the owners manual. I bought it off another bass player on this forum.

Download one.

not to be confused with the mains ground lift on the older tube amps. That switch (death switch, if the "death cap" malfunctions or is omitted) lifts the mains ground and usually makes the amps chassis live.

That scenario, and the 'death cap', is the stuff of myth. Under exceedingly rare circumstances the AC bypass cap could short circuit, but 99.99% of cap failures result in an open circuit. Nonetheless, older two wire amps should be converted to three wire, to render that very rare circumstance moot.

[lbwdog]

Originally Posted by joeturbodiesel@

Thanks. I don't have the owners manual. I bought it off another bass player on this forum.

Need a manual?
Here ya go!!!!!
http://s3.amazonaws.com/samsontech/r...000_manual.pdf