does your amp clip a lot? mine does!

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Oh very funny smart ass, there isnt any more fuzz or hiss in the background when using the master all the way up, none that i can pickup anyway, which is what matters, and this way it saves having to change the pre gain and master volume on the amp whenever i tweak something on my BDDI or bass

Out of interest, have you ever tried running the master wide open and using the pre gain to control the volume? have you ever tried it with this head?

Im pretty sure im not the only person that does this

 

[ddnidd1]

I bet you aren't.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

i like how you didnt answer my questions

have you tried this head?

have you tried that master wide open and attenuating the pregain to control the volume?

 

[ddnidd1]

This is my last reply. Have you tried reading an amp manual?

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Yes, and the way in the book MUST be the only way to work the amp huh

Well, stick to working by the book, and dont knock the system someone else uses when you havent tried it yourself

 

[cheezewiz]

Why don't you two take it to PM if you're gonna make out?

 

[MuzikMan]

I set the master on full and use the gain to set volume with my current rig. I never did this before I got the SVP-CL but I find it works best in my particular situation. It is true that you will raise the noise floor this way but I can't hear any noise anyway so it is a non issue for me.

It is good to try different things (within reason) and doing any less will only diminish your knowledge.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Why don't you two take it to PM if you're gonna make out?

Because it would be nice for people to be able to explain thier reasoning for once instead of trying to be a smart arse

I set the master on full and use the gain to set volume with my current rig. I never did this before I got the SVP-CL but I find it works best in my particular situation. It is true that you will raise the noise floor this way but I can't hear any noise anyway so it is a non issue for me.

It is good to try different things (within reason) and doing any less will only diminish your knowledge.

Same effect as using a speaker cable ?

I dont notice noise either, so, i dont see the problem

 

[BurningSkies]

I do the same...no matter what amp I'm using. I run the power amp up high and keep the pre low...keeps it clean and nowhere near clipping territory.

I had an amp where the manual said to run it the otherway, and when I used the settings they suggested the amp clipped, even with a passive bass.

I tend to think most power amps like to be run hot...and haven't noticed that much noise.

 

[nicoli]

I think poweramp clipping will happen when an amp reaches it's max volume before clipping. Regardless of the combination of preamp gain and master volume.

Personally, I run my poweramps between 50% and 2/3rds depending on the situation, to prevent any extra noise in the signal (it IS noticeable for me). My preamp gain is set to taste, and overall volume is controlled by my preamp master volume.

If you're only talking about clipping the preamp, then yes running the poweramp at max and adjusting volume via preamp gain is probably the best way to do it.

 

[Munjibunga]

I see in your sig you play a Spector Euro 5. The fault lays with your bass, not your amp. Spector preamps are NOTORIOUSLY hot.
You also have to remember that the tone controls are BOOST ONLY. They are flat when turned all the way off. Boost your bass either zero, or very little. You could also use some sort of pad between your bass and your amp to cut down the gain a bit.

I doubt that is the problem. The way I read it, you're running a preamp into your amp's input. Your amp already has a preamp in it, and you're driving it with the output of another preamp, which is bound to be much hotter than a normal bass output. What you should do is set the outboard preamp such that the volume does not change at its output when you switch back and forth between it being in the circuit and not. This is unity gain.

The problem is that you are not managing the multiple gain stages you have with that setup. You've got a volume pot on your bass, gain in the outboard preamp, gain in the onboard preamp, and gain in the power amp. This, in addition to all the EQ controls at each stage, which can add gain for every frequency you boost in every stage.

Plug your bass into your main amp and set a volume at the bass and amp that doesn't clip. Then put the preamp into the front end and, leaving the settings on your amp and bass the same, adjust the outboard preamp to achieve the same volume you had without it.

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

In general, you get your best signal-to-noise ratio by keeping a strong signal level throughout the system. Therefoe, you would set the input gain of the preamp to just under the point where you get clipping on peaks, and use only as much gain in the power amp as you need. However, it's also usually not that critical to squeeze every last dB of S/N out; if you're a few dB low on the input and a few dB hot on the power amp gain, it's not usually a big deal.