Ernie Ball MM volume is so quiet

[The Derwood]

Hey everyone!

Hoping for some input from the brain trust. My 2002 StingRay 3EQ is noticeably quieter than the other basses. It’s an active bass and I’ve replaced the batteries. It’s hardly audible in my active bass amp input and only somewhat normal in the passive input. Understandably, the FOH sound guys aren’t happy when the output is so different between the basses. Has anyone ever dealt with this volume problem on a music man?

 

[BlacknWhite]

Try taking the battery out and playing and see if it sounds the same. Maybe there is a loose wire from your battery to the pre amp.

 

[RyanOh]

The wiring/contacts at the battery box or the output jack may be the issue. Sounds like you're not getting 9V juice.

 

[drTSTingray]

I never use the active input on a bass amp with my Musicman basses (apart from the 18 v ones). Presuming the battery and connections are ok - use the passive input and adjust the input level to avoid it clipping.

Sound people should have no trouble - they just need to adjust the channel volumes to the individual basses. It's the same when, for instance, a sax player changes to baritone or soprano.

 

[Geri O]

I don’t know about the newer 18v models, but Stingrays in general have never been known for a smokin’ hot output. However, it should be hot enough to work with all amps, DIs, and mixer inputs. See if you can compare it to another Stingray or some other active basses. There may be some differences (for example, you’ll definitely see a difference if you compare the stingray to a Fender American Elite bass, which is pretty hot), but it shouldn’t be too drastic.

And of course, follow everyone’s advice about checking battery connections and contact points. A couple of weeks ago, my 2011 SR5 became intermittent. So I cleaned the battery contacts down inside the rather flimsy battery compartment and touched up the solder joints on the connections there, too. Problem solved. Don’t know which action fixed the problem, but may as well perform both actions while yer in there.

 

[mikeswals]

^ Yup, these weren't a high output bass. Should only be a tad louder than a passive P. Use the normal input.

 

[beaglesandbass]

Have you tried raising the pickup height?

 

[Jazz Ad]

There is no reason to use the active input. Get your 15dB back

 

[Kro]

^ Yup, these weren't a high output bass. Should only be a tad louder than a passive P. Use the normal input.

My Precision (CS 60s pup) is way hotter than my StingRay, with a 3 band EQ FWIW. Has to do with the way the pickups are wired with the Precision pickups being wired in series and the default Ray pickup being wired in parallel.

People always see that big honking pickup and assume that since it's active StingRays must be super hot - that isn't the case unless you're severely boosting the onboard EQ.

My recommendation is to run them both unpadded, and if you must use them back to back, dial back the volume on your other basses to match - or pick up some sort of programmable volume pedal.

 

[mouthmw]

^ Yup, these weren't a high output bass. Should only be a tad louder than a passive P. Use the normal input.

Both my 2 band and 3 bad Stingrays are a tad quieter than my passive (EMG GZR) P bass when their EQ is flat. They can both get louder if I crank the preamp. 3 bander more so I'd say, due to cranked mids, while 2 bander gets scooped. That said, I never crank up their preamps to those levels.

 

[Jazz Ad]

There is no reason for an active bass to ever be louder (or quieter) than a passive bass.

 

[Turbo Sparky]

Only output volume difference I notice with my Srs is between my Srs with 9V pre and my Sr Special at 18V pre.
Only time I engage "active" or "cut" on my amps is at home when practicing.
As others have said, check your battery leads.
FOH should know how/when to adjust a slider labeled "Gain." Most FOH are cool when you speak with them prior to gig/set, and give them a heads-up or just say "hey." They're in "our" signal chain also.
Good luck.

 

[The Derwood]

Thank you everyone! It was the contacts in the battery box. It's back to sounding like a bass with some balls again! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Darren

 

[Kro]

Thank you everyone! It was the contacts in the battery box. It's back to sounding like a bass with some balls again! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Darren

Well, how about that.

Congrats on finding the issue and setting things straight!

 

[Wood and Wire]

Well, how about that.

Congrats on finding the issue and setting things straight!

Isn't the solution normally "you need a 6 string, with fanned frets"?

Can't believe this one got resolved on page 1.

 

[LowFactor]

Sound people should have no trouble - they just need to adjust the channel volumes to the individual basses. It's the same when, for instance, a sax player changes to baritone or soprano.

Saxophones are generally the same volume wether tenor, alto or bari. Big difference there is frequency response and eq. If you start adjusting the head amp gain on the console for different basses then you start effecting any dynamic processors that are inserted on that channel. And all of a sudden the bass is way over compressed... not hard to figure out a signal chain where everything comes out close to reasonably the same volume when you change instruments. I mean most guitar players have figured it out that everything is the same volume when they change effects.

OP. Glad you figured it out and got it fixed.

 

[groooooove]

Have you tried raising the pickup height?

this is often the easiest way to "upgrade" the sound - not always, but most pickups sound way fuller and more musical when they are closer to the strings.

in this case i have a feeling there is a loose wire somewhere, but raising that pup won't hurt.

 

[drTSTingray]

Saxophones are generally the same volume wether tenor, alto or bari. Big difference there is frequency response and eq. If you start adjusting the head amp gain on the console for different basses then you start effecting any dynamic processors that are inserted on that channel. And all of a sudden the bass is way over compressed... not hard to figure out a signal chain where everything comes out close to reasonably the same volume when you change instruments. I mean most guitar players have figured it out that everything is the same volume when they change effects.

OP. Glad you figured it out and got it fixed.

Yes I'm glad the OP got it figured as well.

However I'm curious about some of the comments here. Some instruments (including bass guitars) simply are more difficult for audience members to hear than others - a good example is a Fender Rhodes. Another is a baritone sax. To get these to sound correctly may be partially an issue of EQ but also an issue of relative volume - if the volume isn't turned up (and other elements of EQ adjusted) such elements are inaudible. I went to a Joe Bonnamassa concert recently and was astonished at how long into the set it was before the bass was properly audible and how the intricate cymbal work of the drummer was completely inaudible. Yes the bass drum (and even its beater) were very audible as were the drums themselves. In fact the beater sound appeared to mask a whole range of low mid frequencies produced by other instruments - the impression was it was unnecessarily loud. Perhaps this was caused by dynamic adjustments within the channels - but whatever, it was not helpful. I was sat almost next to the mixer desk. They eventually got it right and after which it was excellent.