My new SVT-4 pro

[zoda1121]

Hello everybody new to the boards so please forgive me if this has been discussed before, i understand thats frustrating. Although I did a search and didn't come up with much.

Anyways I picked up an SVT-4 Pro about 6-8 months ago and i LOVE it. Got it with the ampeg 8x10 (probably a little unnecessary but i do gig a lot and i got employee discount from a retailer so i couldn't resist =D)

Anyways I dont believe this has been happening but i just started to notice the peak light (right near the gain knob) flicker whenever i hit low notes (open e for example). Even with my gain and compressor low it still flickers. The only time it does not if i hit the -15db button which decreases my volume significantly. I do run the graphic eq barely any boosting with a frown curve.

I was wondering if this is a problem. The last thing i want to do is blow a tube.

Anyways a head like this is fairly intimidating im not going to lie Im not sure how to use half the ports on the back >.< i upgraded from a BA115 combo amp. I run it mono bridge with the supplied ampeg cable into my cab.

Thanks for any imput, greatly appreciated =D

[DaveF]

Hey man, are you playing an active bass? Maybe it's just got a huge output.

[zoda1121]

Yea it is an active bass. What im saying is should it be peaking at such low levels? is it that sensitive?

[Bijoux]

I had a bass with Bartolini pickups and preamp that had huge output.
I am using mostly Yamaha and Fender active basses. And I can have the gain knob at noon on my SVT 4 PRO, and I can hit the B string real hard. The led should not go on.
Try with a passive bass. The gain know in that case could be set between 2 and 3 o'clock without getting any red light.
Good luck!

[254 stringer]

Crank that gain up so the red light comes on unless you are playing real soft. it will not hurt anything

[Nightlyraider]

Zoda, you should actually turn your gain up higher so that the LED is lit with about every note. The LED is actually lighting up as you approach clipping the preamp, which for some reason Ampeg liked more then actually letting you know if you clip.

With the master off, turn the gain up till the LED is fully lit when you're playing hard, then turn up the master until you have correct volume.

Now you do not want the limit LED by the master volume to light up, and make sure that you are not defeating the poweramp limiter unless you really know whats going on because that amp can easily destroy speakers.

Also: the -15db switch is pretty much worthless unless you have one of the original style active basses that had rediculous voltages coming out from the start. All it does is eat sound.

[zoda1121]

so the red light flicker isn't a problem?

Edit: NVM i see now. So i dump the master and up the gain till the red light becomes solid with hard plucks right? then adjust the master as needed ahh. I always thought the peak light was a bad thing.

The limit light has never went on for me thankfully =D

[Jerrold Tiers]

Just think of it more like an "I have enough signal" light........ You WANT it to light up, it tells you that you are at the right signal level .

[Andy Pourke]

Hiya buddy. I have an svt 2 pro and the same thing happens. I use a passive bass and was concerned about it. I had some advice on here the same as you have and have not worried about it ever since. On some amps, the peak light coming on all the time would be a concern, but with Ampegs, it isn't. That -15db pad button stays out on mine cos I found that all it does is make the tone sound ****. Best advive I had from Jimmy M on here was, listen rather than look.

[countrybassist]

As already stated, your bass output is probably high. If the light flickers it's fine. Just as long as it doesn't stay on all of the time. I had a 4 pro for awhile and it did that too with an active bass. Just back off of the gain a tad if the flicker bothers you.