Double Bass Clipping from Full Circle or iAmp or something

[Uncletoad]

T-bal made a comment in another thread about "flitting" or distortion in the lower register of the bass using the full circle.

I get this "flitting" at higher volumes also, usually just on the lowest 3 or 4 notes. It seems to be coming from the pickup signal, which is carrying most of the low end (not the mic).

I have been chasing a similar issue with my rig. At first I thought my iAmp was clipping (it may be) and then I thought my speakers were the culprit, I replace the midbass and tweeter in the cabinet. Still there. Its seems to occur only at pretty high volumes (like I usually play) and only below G on the E string.

Is it possible that the Full Circle is clipping? I've never heard of a piezo clipping.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

More likely it's what ICE-T and I were talking about - the Full Circle sending out a lot of subsonics that start to overload speakers when the volume climbs up. In my case, I got a hold of a parametric EQ and dialed out the frequencies below about 40 hz, which cleared things up nicely.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

More likely it's what ICE-T and I were talking about - the Full Circle sending out a lot of subsonics that start to overload speakers when the volume climbs up. In my case, I got a hold of a parametric EQ and dialed out the frequencies below about 40 hz, which cleared things up nicely.

+1

 

[Tom Baldwin]

PIDGEONTOED,
Actually, I'm using an Underwood, but as FitzGEARHEAD suggested it's likely from the abundance of low frequencies in the signal. I wouldn't describe it as distortion like you get from a fuzzbox, or low batteries, but more like a fluttery flitty kinda thing. I'm hoping something with a High pass (low cut) filter will eliminate the problem, although I don't play super loud that often to worry about it too much. I've been looking at a bunch of stuff, but as I poured over the specs of the LRBaggs Mixpro it's caught my interest. It has an adjustable low cut.

If you get something that works, let me know.

 

[Uncletoad]

Yea that makes sense. I've forgotten about that problem. I used a pair of EV 15's in TL boxes with an AMP BH420 in the mid '80's. I used to blow those things up all the time until my amp tech built a high pass filter for the amp. Killed everything below 30hz at like an 18 db slope. Saved me a bunch of money on recones. Seems to me I have an old Utah or Altec box laying around somewhere that does that. I'll let you know if it works. (edit: it's a Urei 501 subsonic processor--I don't get rid of anything). If it does I may just have that thing surgically implanted in the PMB II.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

AUNTPHIBIAN,

I bet the high-pass filter clears it up for you, but just in case, what kind of iAmp are you playing? If it's an 800, you should be able to monitor the input levels for clipping by the little LED display right by the preamp control.

 

[Uncletoad]

I have a new iAmp 800. Funny thing is those clip lights never blink no matter how hard I hit that thing. I can light the green and yellows up like crazy and no little red guys. Full volume on the Raven and the iamp input gain on 11. Distorted like crazy and no little red lights. It's like they didn't bother to show up to the gig. Not that I need a red light to know when I sound like dung. I just have to start playing for that.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I have a new iAmp 800. Funny thing is those clip lights never blink no matter how hard I hit that thing. I can light the green and yellows up like crazy and no little red guys. Full volume on the Raven and the iamp input gain on 11. Distorted like crazy and no little red lights. It's like they didn't bother to show up to the gig. Not that I need a red light to know when I sound like dung. I just have to start playing for that.

I've found that on my iAmp, it sounds best for DB if I only occasionally light the yellow LED - this produces a more relaxed, natural sound in my opinion. Since the thing has so much headroom in the power section, you should still have plenty of volume without pushing the input section too hard.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

...
but as FitzGEARHEAD suggested...

I'm still LMPWGOAO over this one. This has to rank as one of the best and most appropriate Fuquisms of my name ever, right up there behind Jazzbo's classic FSCOTCHTAPE.

 

[Tom Baldwin]

Aw, shucks.

 

[Uncletoad]

Wow. That Urei 501 thing totally did the trick. I put it in line after the Raven Labs and before the front of the iAmp. Tried it in a rehearsal on Tuesday and on a gig tonight. Fabulous. Couldn't tell it was there. No clipping at all. Perfect.

As an aside I did my first master session with the old German Plywood thing this week. The miked sound was really amazing. The engineer used an AKG condenser of some sort and Mixed with the Full Circle through the Raven Labs PMBII. It really sounded big and warm and full. I didn't think that had it in it. She's no carved top but I guess it's not junk after all.