Noob question..

NickTej22 · #1 03-05-2013, 03:52 PM

Over the past 11 years of playing I've been focusing on learning to play well, since my old equipment was horrible I never took the time to learn about tones and all these different settings. I got a acoustic b450 and don't quite understand a few things... I can't just turn up my volume and play, I have to turn up the gain first. But if I want to play louder to fit in with my band I have to turn the gain up higher, then the volume will go higher, but sound some what distorted. Can someone help me understand this? Also what is this frequency/notch for? Thanks in advance.

B-string · #2 03-05-2013, 03:58 PM

Gain is the input volume, Volume is the master volume. Manual here http://www.acousticamplification.com...e/pdf/b450.pdf.

You have to use BOTH

NickTej22 · #3 03-05-2013, 04:31 PM

Yeah I downloaded that already, just wasn't sure why I have to use both lol. Thank you though. What's the clip thing?

B-string · #4 03-05-2013, 04:39 PM

Turn the gain up to where the clip light just comes on with hard hits (or use your ears for distortion level) that is the preamp input gain, from there the volume control is set to how loud you want to be (your master volume control). In the "old days" (where I started), no "master volume control". To use the amp that way turn the "Volume" up anywhere between 3:00 and full CW, then use the "gain" like the volume controls of the old days. Try both as they do sound overall different from each other.

basscooker · #5 03-05-2013, 04:50 PM

clipping is a form of distortion. when a wave's amplitude gets too high, the top and bottom get "clipped" off, resulting in an unnatural sounding signal. most solid state amps have a light that warns you that either this is happening or will happen if you don't adjust something. an occasional flash of this light during the initial attack of a note is not a big deal. if this light comes on every so often, not too worrysome. if it just stays on whenever you're playing, you need to adjust the gain or eq settings. do you have an active bass? if so, there may be a switch (usually a "click-in, click-out") or even a seperate input (labeled typically low gain) that may be a better option for you to avoid getting clipping.

the "notch" filter:
not exactly sure what is technically is, but i think it has to do with resonance. for example, if the room you're playing in tends to make a specific note seem to be much, much louder than others, adjusting the filter to find this frequency will "take out" some of that frequency's volume.

or i could be totally wrong on both points and spreading disinformation, but hey its teh interwebs.

if this info is wrong, please, gurus correct me, because that's how i understand these points to be.

ryrich22 · #6 03-05-2013, 04:51 PM

is the preamp input gain level the same as the line level?

ryrich22 · #7 03-05-2013, 04:59 PM

Regarding the "do you have an active bass?" Is a GSR 200 an active bass? The electronics are but the pu's are not. Is this correct? Don't the pu's have to be active for the bass to be considered active? Thanks

basscooker · #8 03-05-2013, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryrich22

is the preamp input gain level the same as the line level?

no. line level is a specific term given to the level that audio devices without adjustable gain "like" to see. the red and white connectors from the audio of your dvd player, for example.

most instruments put out a much lower level signal. the input gain level you are asking about is probably in relation to whether or not you are using an active or passive bass. an active bass will (typically) have a higher output than a passive, so the input gain on the amp sometimes should be lower, or in other words, the amp "likes to know" how hot of a signal you're going to give it. it's confusing, but a high output goes to the low gain input, and a low output goes to the high gain input.

NickTej22 · #9 03-05-2013, 05:05 PM

yeah I have a schecter studio 5 active. Thanks for the info guys. I'm at Wal-Mart so I'll read it better when I get home lol

basscooker · #10 03-05-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryrich22

Regarding the "do you have an active bass?" Is a GSR 200 an active bass? The electronics are but the pu's are not. Is this correct? Don't the pu's have to be active for the bass to be considered active? Thanks

if your bass needs a battery, it's active. any circuit that needs a power supply to operate is considered active. if you don't know, and you've been playing your bass for years, then i'd say it's passive. a battery would have given its all by now. is there a fairly large, removable panel somewhere on the back of your bass's body (usually near the output)? a quick look inside there will answer the question. it tends to be a 9 volt if you do indeed have an active.

B-string · #11 03-05-2013, 05:08 PM

Active bass means it has a built-in preamp and or tone shaping. The basic pickup is always passive whether they attach a preamp on the base of the pickup or use an outboard seperate from the pickups.

Downunderwonder · #12 03-05-2013, 05:10 PM

The amplifier takes a very small signal from the pickups and turns it into a big powerful signal to drive the speakers. First the preamp, then the main amp. Each stage gains power, hence "gain".

Bass tone is a jumble of harmonic overtones. Preamps emphasize and quieten different parts of the tone from the bass and/or generate extra overtones of their own to create "your tone" at a good level for the power amp to drive the speakers.

ryrich22 · #13 03-05-2013, 05:23 PM

Thanks to B-string and the cooker. I have the GSR (don't laugh). and am aware of the battery. Was just not sure what it actually sent juice to and what the true definition between active and passive is. I wanted to take out the battery to see what happens but can't find the right screwdriver. If I did, would it just render the eq useless and make the bass truly passive?

NickTej22 · #14 03-05-2013, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryrich22

Thanks to B-string and the cooker. I have the GSR (don't laugh). and am aware of the battery. Was just not sure what it actually sent juice to and what the true definition between active and passive is. I wanted to take out the battery to see what happens but can't find the right screwdriver. If I did, would it just render the eq useless and make the bass truly passive?

Usually you won't be able to even play without a battery

basscooker · #15 03-05-2013, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickTej22

Over the past 11 years of playing I've been focusing on learning to play well, since my old equipment was horrible I never took the time to learn about tones and all these different settings. I got a acoustic b450 and don't quite understand a few things... I can't just turn up my volume and play, I have to turn up the gain first. But if I want to play louder to fit in with my band I have to turn the gain up higher, then the volume will go higher, but sound some what distorted. Can someone help me understand this? Also what is this frequency/notch for? Thanks in advance.

when the "master" is up high, the majority of your "tone" will be dependant on your amp's eq and shaping controls' settings. when the gain is higher than the master, your "tone" have a higher proportion of your bass's "baked in" sound. like b-string said, these will most likely be two very different sounds. try them both to see what you like, or at least to see which allows you to cut through better.

NickTej22 · #16 03-05-2013, 05:30 PM

Thanks for the info guys, my favorite tones are Ryan Martinie, so that's what I've been looking for, so far the way I run it is all the amp eq flat, bass's eq is flat using just the bridge pickup. I plug the bass into the active input on the amp also.

basscooker · #17 03-05-2013, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickTej22

Usually you won't be able to even play without a battery

this.

my understanding is that if there's a battery required AT ALL it's an active bass. whether it's for a preamp or tone controls or both.

B-string · #18 03-05-2013, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryrich22

Thanks to B-string and the cooker. I have the GSR (don't laugh). and am aware of the battery. Was just not sure what it actually sent juice to and what the true definition between active and passive is. I wanted to take out the battery to see what happens but can't find the right screwdriver. If I did, would it just render the eq useless and make the bass truly passive?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickTej22

Usually you won't be able to even play without a battery

This is true.

NickTej22 · #19 03-05-2013, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basscooker

this.

my understanding is that if there's a battery required AT ALL it's an active bass. whether it's for a preamp or tone controls or both.

The battery completes the circuit, without it you have an open circuit, there's probably a way to bypass it?

Downunderwonder · #20 03-05-2013, 05:42 PM

Intall a mini hamspter wheel, it needs voltage to get going. A dead battery completes the circuit but no noise comes out.