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AG700 - Clipping like crazy!

CatDaddyOTB

CatDaddyOTB

International rockstar who's also part cat
Mar 20, 2018
251
468
Philadelphia, PA
#1
Sorry if this has been discussed - I was able to find it mentioned in a few threads about something else, but no threads specifically about this topic.

I really want to be in love with my AG700. I used to have an AG500SC that I regret selling. In between I used a TH500 which has served me very well.

I love the tone of the AG700 but I feel like it's so difficult to keep it from clipping excessively. I mostly play an 18V bass, but it happens even with my passive P bass. EQ is mostly flat, with a bump in low mids - Deep and bright switches are usually in.

I have not one but TWO HPFs in my signal chain, a micro thumpinator in front and a Broughton after all the pedals to tame any boomy low end re-introduced by drive pedals, envelope filter, etc.

Anyone else having this experience? I feel like my old AG500 and even the Tone Hammer 500 had to be hit really hard before they started clipping.
 
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#3
SJan3 said:
How is your preamp gain set? Is the clip light flashing?
Click to expand...
Yes, the gain is always set pretty low (between 9-11 oclock) and I feel the clip light is coming on more than I'd like, and the sound is distorting.

Also worth mentioning, I'm usually using an Aguilar DB210 8ohm cab. Am I expecting too much volume from this setup? Is the answer more speakers?
 
#6
CatDaddyOTB said:
Yes, the gain is always set pretty low (between 9-11 oclock) and I feel the clip light is coming on more than I'd like, and the sound is distorting.

Also worth mentioning, I'm usually using an Aguilar DB210 8ohm cab. Am I expecting too much volume from this setup? Is the answer more speakers?
Click to expand...
I've owned the AG500SC, TONEHAMMER 500, DB210, DB112x2 and still have GS112s.
The DB 210 is a great cab but by itself is limited and my experience with AGGIE Amps is they don't push too hard at 8 ohms.
If you can add another DB210 I think you'd be much happier.
Or, upsize to 2xDB112s
 
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#7
It looks like (from the manual) the clip light on the AG700 is for the preamp clipping, not the power amp. Do you have the -10 button pushed in? If not, I’d do that first. If it is, simply keep turning the input gain down until it doesn’t flash anymore. Or maybe reduce the level of the last pedal in your chain. If the distorted sound goes away, then your problem is solved (and don’t worry too much about where the gain knob is set as long as it sounds good). If you’re still getting distortion, then you’re probably asking too much of the cab and then you’d want to get more speaker area.
 
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#10
On the AG700, the Deep button is a good way to get that clip light flashing. Even with the preamp volume between 9 and 11:00, if you have a heavy right hand, you can get that thing glowing easily.

I have an AG700. Keep in mind that at 8ohms, it's at best putting out 350 watts into your 2x10. A possible workaround is leaving your lows flat on the amp, start cutting the high mids, and then turn up the overall volume. Rather than boosting the low end, you cut out some of the honk/clank to achieve the same end result but with more headroom to spare.
 
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#14
JMarkD said:
Is it actually audibly distorting or are you just reacting to the light? I had a AG500sc as well and that clip light would come on all the time and I never actually heard any distortion. If the sound is clean and it's just the light I wouldn't worry about it. Extra speakers are always a good idea! ;)
Click to expand...

oh, it's audible. It sometimes sounds kinda cool but when you really hit it you get this POP sound that is quite unpleasant. I think the key is going to be more speakers and just push it less to get where I want to be, volume-wise.
 
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#16
The cab has nothing to do with the preamp clip light, unless you have the Master vol cranked and still not enough volume w/o clipping the preamp…then the two are somewhat related. Is that the case?

18v bass preamp is usually a 9v preamp with extra battery life, and either way has no factor on how loud the bass is unless you have the bass or low mids boosted at the bass… which may peak out some pedals including in the range not covered by your dual LPFs.

I really liked the AG500SC too. The small knobs, with those being so easy to turn or even a bit loose in the case of the push/pulls, make it a frustrating amp on which to make small adjustments. You may need to just turn your gain down a small amount though, and compensate with the master. Such touchy micro-adjustments shouldn’t be necessary to make an amp work for you w/o clipping though.

Truly the whole setup is odd. TWO low-pass filters, then a 6db bass boost engaged? Seems quintessential TB to me, and very unecessarily complex. Take @RichSnyder ‘s advice to plug in directly and go from there. Less is more.
 
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#17
Lobster11 said:
Wait -- what? That sounds like an entirely different problem. Can you describe this "POP sound" a little more fully, and when it occurs?
Click to expand...

It sounds like when you have the "attack" parameter on a synthesizer all the way down, like a click/pop type of sound. I play synth bass a lot and I will usually match the volume of my moog to my bass - when the filter envelope would pulsate the amp would POP so loud that I thought it was the synth patch, but it was just extreme clipping.

I think the amp is probably fine and I just need more speakers to get to the volume I need, lol.
 
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#19
StayLow said:
The cab has nothing to do with the preamp clip light, unless you have the Master vol cranked and still not enough volume w/o clipping the preamp…then the two are somewhat related. Is that the case?

18v bass preamp is usually a 9v preamp with extra battery life, and either way has no factor on how loud the bass is unless you have the bass or low mids boosted at the bass… which may peak out some pedals including in the range not covered by your dual LPFs.

I really liked the AG500SC too. The small knobs, with those being so easy to turn or even a bit loose in the case of the push/pulls, make it a frustrating amp on which to make small adjustments. You may need to just turn your gain down a small amount though, and compensate with the master.

Truly the whole setup is odd. TWO low-pass filters, then a 6db bass boost engaged? Seems quintessential TB to me, and very unecessarily complex. Take @richsnyders’ advice to plug in directly and go from there. Less is more.
Click to expand...

That is the case - I think the answer here is more speakers. As for the high-pass filters, the idea is to remove boomy frequencies before it hits the amp - so you can make the most of the power let the amp do the work.
 
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