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03-13-2011, 05:42 PM
|  | Registered User Endorsing Artist and MI Professional... see profile | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York | | | Aguilar TLC comp distorting.... ideas? So I grabbed a TLC last week for a sweetheart price and was really really happy with it... until I used it with my Lakland 44-02...
Up until today I had only been using it with my passive jazz... after I plugged the Lakland in I got a really unpleasant distortion you can't mistake for anything other than overloaded transistors.... I do not boost anything on my Lakland, in fact I usually never touch the onboard preamp except every once in a great while when needing to make on the fly adjustments for weird rooms or stages... if I disengage the preamp and run the bass passive, the problem disappeared... but if the pre is in the aggie distorts regardless of settings. Tried a fresh battery, no change.
Any suggestions?
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Too much gear, too little skillz..... | 
03-14-2011, 07:47 AM
|  | Registered User Endorsing Artist and MI Professional... see profile | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York | | | BAMP!
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Too much gear, too little skillz..... | 
03-14-2011, 08:25 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London, England | | | Swap it for a Maxon CP-9 Pro? It runs at 18v internally for higher headroom, although I hear one drawback with this pedal is that it's louder than unity gain no matter how you set it.
I had distortion issues with my Diamond comp until I ran it at 18v. A higher voltage through the TLC could either work wonders, or fry it. Definitely check with Aguilar first! | 
03-14-2011, 08:28 AM
|  | Registered Loser | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | | I use my TLC with active and passive basses. I have no distortion issues. Does this occur regardless of where your settings are? Possibly a defective unit. They are nice pedals and worth having repaired, IMO.
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03-14-2011, 09:15 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA | | | yeah, my guess would be a defective unit as well. i tried one with my loud active bass and noticed no distortion. | 
03-14-2011, 03:14 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Portsmouth VA USA | | | I have an Aguilar TLC, and an active Ibanez SR505. I get no distortion when I use the two together.
This probably already occurred to you, but if the distortion is there ONLY when you are using the Lakland on active, it might be your preamp and not the pedal. It's just a thought, anyway, before you go blaming the pedal outright.
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03-14-2011, 05:12 PM
|  | Registered User Endorsing Artist: Mike Lull, Lakland, Aguilar, Mono Cases, JH Audio | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Simi Valley, CA | | | Yep...I use mine with all my basses, including a 55-01 with Audere Pre and have no distorting. | 
04-25-2011, 05:48 PM
| | | | I have this problem with two units, with my active basses. | 
11-21-2012, 11:27 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Quebec | | | Same problem with my G&L L-2500... I wish someone from Aguilar will see this post and give us some explaination...
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11-22-2012, 03:08 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: California | | | It's probably a headroom issue. I've been through a lot of bass compressors (including the TLC) and most will have this problem depending on your settings and playing style.
The only two that i've never had a problem with are the Maxon CP-9Pro+ and the Daring Audio Phat Beam. I'm sticking with the Phat Beam because it's got a lot more control than the Maxon for around the same price. Daring Audio are good people, too.
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Carvin basses, lots of pedals.
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11-22-2012, 06:25 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Quebec | | | So is it possible to run the TLC at 18V to improve the headroom, without blowing it?
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11-22-2012, 06:34 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: NEW YORK | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RiXx So is it possible to run the TLC at 18V to improve the headroom, without blowing it? | mmmmmmmmmmmm I would send a letter to Aguilar about it. I myself know very little about this kind of stuff. Not saying you can't or downing the credibility of anyone but Aguilar would know best. And they will get back to you.
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11-22-2012, 06:35 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Newnan, GA | | | Does your preamp have a gain control? If so you could try turning it down. The only time my TLC distorts is when I turn the bass and mid all the way up on my Roscoes (I almost never do that). | 
11-22-2012, 05:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Quebec | | | If I remember well, the distortion occurs even when my bass is set to passive mode, but i'll come back with the result...
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G&L Club Member # 443
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11-28-2012, 11:14 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Quebec | | | In passive or in active mode, my TLC distorts. The best solution i found is to limit my L-2500's output volume to about 80%.
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G&L Club Member # 443
Last edited by RiXx : 11-29-2012 at 03:09 PM.
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11-30-2012, 09:15 AM
| | | | Is anything earlier in the signal chain that is causing you to drive it too hard? Is the other bass putting out more low frequencies and increasing the electrical amplitude and power for the same apparent volume? | 
11-30-2012, 09:48 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern California | | | does the distortion occur on battery power and with an ac adapter?
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11-30-2012, 01:07 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Luxembourg, Europe | | Quote:
Originally Posted by dannybuoy Swap it for a Maxon CP-9 Pro? It runs at 18v internally for higher headroom, although I hear one drawback with this pedal is that it's louder than unity gain no matter how you set it.
.... | not true!
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11-30-2012, 01:14 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: NYC | | | Check your battery in the pre amp!
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11-30-2012, 01:49 PM
|  | Sonic Experimentation Gone Mild to Non-Existent Endorsing Artist: Cave Passive Pedals | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio | | | It sounds like you need to lower the signal strength, maybe with an EQ or volume pedal. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | |
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