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Do you Genz-Benz shuttle users get hiss from Signal Shape Buttons?

R

Ryan Rosenberg

May 31, 2008
48
42
#1
I have a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0 with the 10 inch cab. Nice combo for low volume situations.

But I have a question for you other GB Shuttle users. When I use the Mid-Scoop signal shape button I get some high hiss added to my sound. I'm not sure why this would happen since this should just drop some of the mids, right?

And I get even more hiss from the H.F. attack which, I suppose, makes sense, but still not what I would like.

Are you all seeing the same thing?
 
#2
Never got any hiss from mine.
Do you have the tweeter turned up high???
I usually have mine set at about 10 o'clock.

I'm sure one of the GB guys will pop in and trouble shoot it for ya.
 
#9
If you listen carefully, you may indeed hear a very slight increase in the hiss as the special filters use gain to achieve the cut, and what you are hearing is the out of passband gain. The reason why this filter topology is used is because the response and natural Q is especially musical and stable for the task.

Generally, the hiss will be more noticeable with the tweeter level set high on the cabinet and especially if it's placed near your ear, but in any event it should be insignificant in any reasonable setting.

IIRC, the increase is around 0.75dB.
 
#11
Used my new Shuttle 9.0 at a gig for the first time last night. Dead quiet. :smug:

In addition to the tone shaping, what are your volume and EQ settings? Potential hiss, hum, etc. is one of the reasons I prefer amps/heads with power beyond the nominal ratings of the cabs I use. While it does require using them with reasonable care (which I'm sure you do), I find I encounter extraneous noises far less when my master volume or gain is set at 10:00 or 11:00 rather than at 2:00 or 3:00. This is true for all amps/heads, of course; not just G-B.

As others have pointed out, the preamp/amp aren't the only sources of hiss or hum. Effects anywhere in the signal chain, single coil pickups, active bass EQ settings, tweeter/horn attenuator settings, etc. can all be culprits, as can electrical and lighting conditions in the room (especially fluorescents).
 
#14
No hiss from mine.. I have a shuttle max 12 and Shuttle 9. Usually use my Aleva Coppolo passive basses but at times use the Sadowsky pj5 with the preamp boosting slightly...
but even if i do boost the pre on my bass i have not noticed any hiss... I do tend to keep my cab tweets to about 9 oclock on the back of the cab though... I like them to just peek in a little bit.. without calling attention to them saying.. "hey im a tweeter, listen to me squawk..":)
Very rarely do i use the HI Boost.. Mostly use the LO Boost button then roll back the bass ever so slightly... On the rare occasion that i did use the HI boost was on a Cab rental Fly date.... and never any hiss..
I was just talking with my friend today about how absolutely pristine these amp preamps can be..
And from reports form pro sound companies they allow me to use the DI out since it sounds so good....and quiet... no artifacts... A super well executed piece of hardware from my experience. If there were issues i would be the first to bitch about it too.
 
#15
What bass are you playing? Does it have on board EQ preamp.. if so do you have the highs boosted much?

Ryan Rosenberg said:
I have a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0 with the 10 inch cab. Nice combo for low volume situations.

But I have a question for you other GB Shuttle users. When I use the Mid-Scoop signal shape button I get some high hiss added to my sound. I'm not sure why this would happen since this should just drop some of the mids, right?

And I get even more hiss from the H.F. attack which, I suppose, makes sense, but still not what I would like.

Are you all seeing the same thing?
Click to expand...
 
#16
The difference in noise level is so small that under most circumstances it may not be audible at all. Just to clarify.
 
#17
My data may not apply but in that I just noticed hiss today, I'll chime in. I play a 3.0 through an Accugroove Tri112. My bass is a Barker with passive PJ config. I play and keep the unit at church, so settings do not change and I really like what I'm getting. I happened to kneel down to pick up a pencil today at runthrough and noticed the hiss. Absolutely nothing to be concerned about for me, but prior to that experience I would not have said yes to the OP's question.
 
#18
Ryan Rosenberg said:
I have a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0 with the 10 inch cab. Nice combo for low volume situations.

But I have a question for you other GB Shuttle users. When I use the Mid-Scoop signal shape button I get some high hiss added to my sound. I'm not sure why this would happen since this should just drop some of the mids, right?

And I get even more hiss from the H.F. attack which, I suppose, makes sense, but still not what I would like.

Are you all seeing the same thing?
Click to expand...


You are really asking two questions here. First, will you notice a bit of 'hiss' with the contour or hi boost buttons pushed in without a bass plugged into the amp? The answer is, not much, but it is there. Most of these contour buttons boost upper treble in addition to cutting mids, and of course, that hi boost button really boosts the upper treble. However, as most have noted above, the impact should be very minor.

However, if you engage these buttons and have some upper frequency noise (i.e., hiss) somewhere in your signal chain (i.e., treble boosted in an onboard preamp, or some effects between your bass and amp), and have a tweeter in your cab (i.e., a cabinet capable of reproducing upper treble), engaging either of those buttons on the Shuttle (or similar boost buttons on other amps) can really result in increased noise. This is especially true with the sort of 'off/significant boost' design of the Shuttle 'all or nothing' type design.
 
#19
I used to hear slight his when I engaged the HF button on my GBE750 and now on my Neopak. Just a slight his when that button is engaged, tho I've always rarely used this button for gigs as I use active basses and don't require HF assistance.

And I did/do hear this while just playing around at home, single Neox 112T cab, tweeter at 9:00 or less. Again, I don't use that button for my gig sound. I doubt it'd be noticeable if I did. Its as KJung described above in my situation.
 
#20
Guys:

First of all, thanks for all the comments. Glad to hear almost all of you don't notice this issue.

The setup I generally use with the Shuttle 3.0 is is pretty simple. I run a Fender Jazz passive bass (upgraded with Lindy Fralin noise canceling pickups) directly into the amp. No effects. The amp drives a Genz-Benz 10T cab which does have a tweeter. No tweeter level control.

But the hiss is not related to the guitar. I hear the exact same thing when I unplug the bass. Hiss from the "mid-scoop" and "H.F. Attack" signal shape buttons.

For grins I ran the shuttle through a Epifani UL2 12" cab I have. This does have a tweeter level control and I cranked it all the way down. Less pronounced hiss but still there.

The noise is not really that noticeable in playing situations. But it bugs me just a little so I simply don't use those two buttons. Even without them I'm still happy with the Shuttle 3.0 -- overall it is a great little amp.
 

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