How Many Hands do You Use to Adjust Settings on Your Amp?

[rosanne]

Since my eyesight gets worse every year I may be using one of your amps one day.......

I hold the bass neck with my left hand while adjusting the amp with my right.

 

[Bassman203]

Agreed, one hand holds the neck of the bass to keep it from banging into anything, while the other hand turns knobs.

Same. If I don't have my bass in my hand I'll but my left hand on the amp head to as I bend over to adjust with my right. Left is just there for support while I lean over. Then again, sometimes I'm sitting down and no matter what I just use right.

Plugging in... I place one hand on what I am plugging the cable in to (head, cab, pedal, bass) and another guides the cable.

Hopefully you can find potentiometers with very obvious indents to make adjusting settings easy, and remembering them.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I'm a righty so the same: "left hand holding the neck, right hand plugging in and possibly turning the knobs" applies to me as well.

I really can't understand what's it about with half of the replies. If this is an indication how people in general (yes I'm referring bassplayers as general population ) react towards sight impaired people, it sure seems to be a sad, sad world out there. Now if there were a multitude of smilies on the comments they might be seen as joking, but there ain't. And joking about being blind is something that I'd avoid at all costs.

As for the project, You probably have it pretty much thought out already, but here's my take anyway .

#1 Braille. Definitely. The fact that it's not used much only makes it even more necessary to be included.

#2 Knobs vs. Sliders. I'd use knobs as quality sliders are virtually impossible to find at a reasonable price. Also I'd think (as a person who can see) that using knobs would be more "natural". Recessing the panel more than usually would avoid the accidental change of the settings.

#3 Arrangement. I'd arrange the knobs diagonally across the front panel, rather than perpendicular to the edge of the recess to help in locating them, or a finger dent on the lower surface of the recess below the knob with a braille symbol in it.

Good luck with Your project.

Regards
Sam

 

[will33]

I like the idea of using sliders in place of rotary knobs but still keep center detents in them, just for a place of reference. Also simplifying the typical layout, for example, bass, lowmid, highmid, treble instead of sweeps or a simple input gain/output power, instead of pre/post gain could keep things from getting too complicated.

I have more experience in dealing with people who are deaf rather than blind but I find that a simple layout and intuitive controls make more sense, again, design it with your eyes shut.

By the way, deaf folks really enjoy bass, they can feel it.....

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

By the way, deaf folks really enjoy bass, they can feel it.....

A biker buddy of mine has a GF who is stone deaf and every time we play there in the club she is really happy as the bass feels so good. My basslines and the thump of the bass drum is all she can "hear" actually, and while it's always good to hear that she enjoys herself, it makes me a bit sad to realize that not everyone can enjoy the music fully.

Because of an idiot U-turning cager about a decade ago, I'm left with only one functioning ear so I can somewhat relate to their situation.

Regards
Sam

 

[NorCal Dog]

Forgive the redundancy if you've seen my other post(s).

I'm at school studying industrial design and my current project is designing a bass amp combo for use by both the blind and sighted.

A quick question for my research: (As the title implies) How many hands do use to adjust the settings on your amp?

I know I generally put the bass over my shoulder first, plug the cable into the bass, and then using my right hand, plug the cable into the amp, and adjust things accordingly while my left hand steadies the neck of the bass.

This must all seem like a pretty minor detail but human factors people get pretty nit picky about details in interaction between people and their products

Thanks,
Jim

thanks Jim for thinking of others that aren't as fortunate as the majority of the fully functioning population.

we take soooo many things for granted in life, & even the simplest things that we do can be monumental achievements for the physically challenged

I applaud you for trying to find ways & means to help people who are less fortunate.

I have played with a blind lead guitar player, & he had years of experience with his rig, had the layout of the controls on his amp & foot controlled processor down cold but i'm sure that he had thousands of hours of invested in doing so.

i personally leave my left hand on my bass & make adjustments with my right.

Dennis

 

[Count Bassie]

I'm chiming in again, and riffing on T-Bird's idea...

I do like the idea of indented regions on the face of the amp, and that suggestion about the novel layout of controls- in a diagonal line rather than straight across, making it ez to locate the setting you want to adjust. Good idea.

Input jacks: For passive basses, no indent underneath the jack, just Braille for "Passive"; for active instruments, add a dent, put the Braille for "Active" in there.

Input/output sections, various eq, other tone-shaping sections: Isolate and indent inward each of the preamp's various whole sections (Input/Output, Graphic/parametric EQ, Pre-Shape, Tube/SS Channel, etc.) and all those settings' individual knobs as well in their respective sections. Put little indents under all knobs for containing the braille ids. Or right on the knobs if they're stiff enough.

Braille id for everything you'd have sight-able graphics for. Sight-able graphics as well, by the way, in easy-to-read font, with a light inside the amp's wood/tolex (whatever) sleeve illuminating the face. Someone who can see might use the amp also (backline!).

This kind of consideration should go into all personal amplification systems. Its a wake-up call, in light of the fact that everything marketed is designed for "normal" people. What is that? Am I normal? No... I'm a person, and I don't see too good these days- but I can still play!

 

[lindseyp]

...
I know I generally put the bass over my shoulder first, plug the cable into the bass, and then using my right hand, plug the cable into the amp, and adjust things accordingly while my left hand steadies the neck of the bass.
...

Thanks,
Jim

That's how I do it.

 

[Bassman203]

How about buttons that you can press next to each control that says out loud what it is, through the speaker, at a set volume audible for anyone right by the amp (basically so you don't play the words 'Gain Knob' at full volume.

Sort of a silly idea, but it could actually be helpful for all those who can't read braille.

 

[rbonner]

Say there Slappy, I'm going to make a suggestion to you... So pay real close attention to this, I'm only going to do it once.

This unit is for functionality, not necessarily a price point... SO here is what you do. I have had several pieces of Amateur Radio equipment where the front panel is digital.

Meaning the front controls don't run the pots directly, they send signals to a digital processor that performs the actual function.

Volume knobs sends digital signal and the digital processor controls the volume in an analog fashion. This would take some research to actually design this system if you haven't ever done this before HOWEVER think about this.

You plug in a laptop and actually PROGRAM the amplifier... The input jack is the input jack however all the knobs can be programed for different order and function.

If a bassist is always tweaking his BASS knob, the system can be programmed to make the bass knob the first or the last knob on the panel. You could program Bass, Mids, Treble or Treble, mids, bass... Basically the only hard wired items would be on -off, mute and the input jack...

Not only this but the panel could be made REMOTE whether wired or a fiber optic run...

This could be worth a serious look. Andy if you decide to build this over at GB just send me a small license fee.

BOB

 

[fdeck]

Say there Slappy, I'm going to make a suggestion to you... So pay real close attention to this, I'm only going to do it once.

This unit is for functionality, not necessarily a price point... SO here is what you do. I have had several pieces of Amateur Radio equipment where the front panel is digital.

Meaning the front controls don't run the pots directly, they send signals to a digital processor that performs the actual function.

Volume knobs sends digital signal and the digital processor controls the volume in an analog fashion. This would take some research to actually design this system if you haven't ever done this before HOWEVER think about this.

You plug in a laptop and actually PROGRAM the amplifier... The input jack is the input jack however all the knobs can be programed for different order and function.

If a bassist is always tweaking his BASS knob, the system can be programmed to make the bass knob the first or the last knob on the panel. You could program Bass, Mids, Treble or Treble, mids, bass... Basically the only hard wired items would be on -off, mute and the input jack...

Not only this but the panel could be made REMOTE whether wired or a fiber optic run...

This could be worth a serious look. Andy if you decide to build this over at GB just send me a small license fee.

BOB

This is how all amps should be designed. The information that has to run from the front panel to the processor is extremely low bandwidth, so it could be done with a wireless link, Bluetooth or whatever.

Better still, those generic knobs are on the bass itself.

I've seen video of Rashaan Roland Kirk, the blind multi-instrumentalist. He played multiple saxaphones and other instruments. He pretty much kept everything he needed very close at hand -- in one video he has 3 horns, shoulder bag, and a flute in the bell of his tenor sax!

I think that if I was physically impaired in any way, I would want a simpler setup with fewer pieces to misplace, and not have to reach my amp at all during a gig. If faced with choosing mainstream gear, I would get an active bass with enough knobs to let me dispense with the front panel of the amp altogether.

Just my thought.

 

[Count Bassie]

I think that if I was physically impaired in any way, I would want a simpler setup with fewer pieces to misplace, and not have to reach my amp at all during a gig. If faced with choosing mainstream gear, I would get an active bass with enough knobs to let me dispense with the front panel of the amp altogether.

Just my thought.

There you go! Just a power amp and cabs. Wireless from the bass.

 

[rbonner]

YA know there Fdeck, like with my active Jazz that thing has an EQ and not tone controls. A guy could take that to the next level of performance, radio link the audio via wideband FM directly to the radio receiver in the amp directly connected to the FLAT PREAMP and then power amp. Let the bass do all the walking. Lose all tone controls except the guys right on the bass..., maybe add a mute button on the bass... Add a secondary RF channel with AMP on and off and buttons for Effects loop on and offs etc.

Who needs to be blind? This could be the next generation of basses and amplifiers... Easy Fender to fender, but if the manufacturers standardized a protocol any bass could Elink with any amplifier. I think this could be all round better

BOB

 

[Count Bassie]

YA know there Fdeck, like with my active Jazz that thing has an EQ and not tone controls. A guy could take that to the next level of performance, radio link the audio via wideband FM directly to the radio receiver in the amp directly connected to the FLAT PREAMP and then power amp. Let the bass do all the walking. Lose all tone controls except the guys right on the bass..., maybe add a mute button on the bass... Add a secondary RF channel with AMP on and off and buttons for Effects loop on and offs etc.

Who needs to be blind? This could be the next generation of basses and amplifiers... Easy Fender to fender, but if the manufacturers standardized a protocol any bass could Elink with any amplifier. I think this could be all round better

BOB

Most certainly where this needs to go. You'll still have old-school dudes who love their amp-tripping, but you can hook up via all this digital/broadband stuff to an SVT power section... whatever. Love the control all on the bass. The logical extension of Jack Cassady's "Mission Control" Starfire.