Bass is too quiet for recording through interface to pc, please help ;c

[Sparkl]

Hi everybody,
this is my very first post here and Im new to bass playing.
I want to record my bass guitar through my interface but it's waaaay too quiet and almost doesn't pick anything up, it only picks up sound when I turn the gain nob all the way up and if I pull the strings really hard!
I exchanged the guitar, just got the new one and the problem still persists...
Thats also the only way I record music, I dont have an actual amp.

Audio Interface:
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd gen

Bass:
Yamaha trbx 304

On Windows 10

Thanks in advance

Open up your scarlett mix control.

Set line in input to instrument input.

Route the used input into your recording track.

Make sure to up the volume knobs on your bass guitar.

Make sure you have a fresh battery installed.

 

[LBS-bass]

well spotted! I think you solved the mystery. An active bass will not switch on with a TRS cable, but a standard passive instrument such as the OP's Les Paul will work ok.

Argh. Some will and some won't; it depends on how the jack is wired. I had this problem with an active bass from Schecter and it took me forever to figure it out. However, that problem should be universal and not limited to the recording situation. In my case, that same cable worked fine with another active bass I had.

So if he's using that same cable to play directly into his amp/setup and it's working there, that's not it.

 

[silky smoove]

if he's using that same cable to play directly into his amp/setup and it's working there, that's not it.

It sounds like he doesn’t have an amp. He says so on page 1.

 

[DavC]

as i watched the above video switching from gtr to bass ... as you plugged in the bass , i noticed the 1/4 inch jack on the guitar cable was actually a " stereo TRS " type cable ..!!! a regular guitar cable is a " mono TS " type cable ..!!

that cable mixed with your active bass might be shorting things out somehow ... but will have no affect on a passive guitar ..!!!

i believe you just need a regular ' guitar or instrument ' type cable and things will be fine ..!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi everybody,
this is my very first post here and Im new to bass playing.
I want to record my bass guitar through my interface but it's waaaay too quiet and almost doesn't pick anything up, it only picks up sound when I turn the gain nob all the way up and if I pull the strings really hard!
I exchanged the guitar, just got the new one and the problem still persists...
Thats also the only way I record music, I dont have an actual amp.

Audio Interface:
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd gen

Bass:
Yamaha trbx 304

On Windows 10

Thanks in advance

You probably have the input set for line level, instead of instrument or mic level.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Thank you for responding as well!

Uhh, no I didn't forget. Its turned on.
I even tried with it off and didnt help.

Also yes, recording Input in my daw is set correctly

Do you have the focusrite control panel installed on your computer? You can check and change all your settings there. That will show you whats going on with levels, ins, outs, and everything else

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

as i watched the above video switching from gtr to bass ... as you plugged in the bass , i noticed the 1/4 inch jack on the guitar cable was actually a " stereo TRS " type cable ..!!! a regular guitar cable is a " mono TS " type cable ..!!

that cable mixed with your active bass might be shorting things out somehow ... but will have no affect on a passive guitar ..!!!

i believe you just need a regular ' guitar or instrument ' type cable and things will be fine ..!

That shouldn't matter at all. If there's only two prongs on his output jack, a TRS cable would still only be a TS cable. The ring would simply not be connected to anything.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Ye thats what Im thinkin, most likely its my bass. ofcourse this could turn out false but I think its the model not being compatible enough with the interface...but..like...I would be really really really unlucky to have picked a popular guitar(I assume it is, its very well reviewed), that doesnt work with a popular interface.. like wat the hecc ;c

Battery is fine, I checked that.



Here ya go, I made a little vid. I accidently rendered the first vid too short not showing my les paul but that isnt a problem. Just know the first clip is me using the Epiphone Les Paul and on the second clip you can see the bass.
Also pls ignore whats on my 2nd screen thank you in advance love you. 0-0

Hmm, so...you did try another cable? You tried switching inputs? I record at about 1 o'clock on my talman, 2 o'clock on my kestrel. Depending of course on how I'm playing. Sometimes I have to back off a little bit. But, I've never plugged anything in to my Scarlett (or m-audio, or anything really) that it hasn't picked up. This is just wierd. Its gotta be either your cable or a settings problem. Sorry nobody's been able to help you so far.

 

[DCCat]

I will be so fu***ng furious if that's the case. Because I literally just exchanged it.
If they gave me the exact same bass in new packaging...this wont end funny.

I think I'll have to go to a Music store tomorrow, ask them if the bass is ok. If its not ok and broken...oh boi I will f**in bring down there store where I got it from. xDD

If for some reason it turns out that the problem isn't the cable, and you do go back to the music store, plug your bass into one of their amps and see if it works. If it doesn't, make them keep bringing out copies of your bass until one of them works.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Is that a joke/pun I dont get? I feel left out ;-;

Freak Bros. joke....Fat Freddy finds a "magic" amulet that grants you one wish....Freddy doesn't know it's "magic".
When he picks up the amulet....."Well I'll be dipped in dog !".....

That's as succinct as I can make it....

Others may have different ideas as to where it came from.....

 

[DavC]

there are 3 prongs on an active bass jack ... one turns the bass preamp on/off ..!!?? at least that's have mine have worked over the last 45 years ... that's why you need to unplug the cable after playing so it won't drain the battery down ..

 

[Frank Tuesday]

That shouldn't matter at all. If there's only two prongs on his output jack, a TRS cable would still only be a TS cable. The ring would simply not be connected to anything.

If it's an active bass, the Ring and sleeve contacts of a TRS jack both need to connect to the sleeve of a TS cable to apply voltage to the preamp. if you use a TRS cable, the preamp gets no powered, and doesn't work.

 

[DavC]

That shouldn't matter at all. If there's only two prongs on his output jack, a TRS cable would still only be a TS cable. The ring would simply not be connected to anything.

from talkbass archives ;

An active basses uses a trs (stereo) output jack to act as a 'switch' to apply power to your preamp when you plug a cable in to the bass. You really need a trs jack to do this properly. Otherwise, if you rewire it to work with the ts jack you have, you'll be constantly draining the battery for your preamp! Mar 5, 2014 #6

 

[yberwaffe]

Erm.... a cable is just wire connect at both ends.

If you have a TRS cable, TRS at both ends, it will not work with an active bass, unless the amp is shorting it out (Which turns it into a TS cable, electrically speaking, which is moot since we know TS cables work with active basses). There is a manufacturer of amps who actually supply 9v power on a TRS cable to power active basses.... believe it or not... one of the single stupidest ideas in the world, since it will literally destroy any active bass it is attached to that isn't modified to work without a battery. You would have to short the bass's battery connector, and rely upon a TRS cable to power it... then if you wanted to run off battery again you'd have to open your bass, remove the short circuit across the battery connector, and reconnect a battery. So many ways this is dangerous and wrong, yet one company makes such an amp.

Anyhow - I'm still waiting to understand why someone believes that a TRS cable would work with any active bass that is powered up by plugging in a standard instrument cable.

If this had been noticed earlier, the OP would have solved his problem sooner - but I'm very happy that it will be solved so easily.

Cheers

I want to know what amp manufacturer it is that supplies 9V via the input jack.

 

[yberwaffe]

from talkbass archives ;

An active basses uses a trs (stereo) output jack to act as a 'switch' to apply power to your preamp when you plug a cable in to the bass. You really need a trs jack to do this properly. Otherwise, if you rewire it to work with the ts jack you have, you'll be constantly draining the battery for your preamp! Mar 5, 2014 #6

Yeah, the bass has a TRS jack but the cable should have a TS plug.

 

[dkelley]

I want to know what amp manufacturer it is that supplies 9V via the input jack.

Yea I came across it in a forum discussion. Someone was using a practice amp that was definitely more feature laden than most, in his living room.... and the topic went to the 9v DC mention on the amp, which led to the trs jack wiring in the amp and this bizarre discovery.

It blew me away that they'd do that. Iirc it was undefeatable or something. I don't recall the details now.

 

[Teijo K.]

I want to know what amp manufacturer it is that supplies 9V via the input jack.

I recall ebs had that feature on some amp.

 

[TrevorR]

good catch, it could be the TRS cable. When you plug the cable into the bass slowly, does it click into place twice? If so, push it in only until the first "click" (don't push it in all the way). That MIGHT do the trick. Otherwise, get an unbalanced instrument cable.

you have the one on the left, you want the one on the right

View attachment 3826562

of course this may do nothing, your bass might just be broken...

No, THIS IS THE ANSWER! In the videos it’s definitely a TRS Jack...

On most active basses the active circuit is switched on by the barrel of the jack socket closing the power supply circuit. With a TRS jack the power to the preamp is never switched on. I new standard tip-sleeve guitar cable will cure this issue. No wonder they sent the same bass back, there’s nothing wrong with it!!! You’re getting no sound because your electronics are switched off!

 

[TrevorR]

Omg you guys might be right. Im using a TRS cable. Is it really true? Is that ACTUALLY THE ISSUE?!

Yes, it really is that simple.

 

[TrevorR]

It is true of every active bass I've owned, as noted.

I'm always very happy to be proven wrong though... learning something new is what life is all about!

Could you please, either here or in a PM, send me info on one non-obscure active bass, which isn't featuring some obscure technology specifically advertised as requiring a TRS cable, that will work with a TRS cable? I'm very interested to see how they did it. Because 9v DC from the bass's battery shouldn't be going through the cable..... therefore normally the TRS jack on an Active Bass uses the solid metal connector on a TS plug to short the battery connector and power up the active electronics.

An active bass that is powered up by having a patch cord plugged into it, which is nearly all active basses, relies upon the existence of a TS cable, or I suppose a TRS cable that is shorted at either end between the 2nd and 3rd connector (which then would electrically become exactly the same thing as a TS cable).

Nope you’re absolutely right for 99.9% of active basses. Wals and some Alembics do it a bit differently but walk into any guitar shop, pick a bass off the wall and you’re pretty darned certain that it uses a TRS socket and a TS jack to turn on the power...

My Wals have a TS socket that has a physical switch built in which is closed by the jack pushing on it! It’s a standard but unusual Switchcraft part.

Some unusual brands are built for external power sources