Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
How often do you actually use your volume knob?...
- Thread starter Claymore
- Start date
I usually soundcheck and set my levels with my volume knob at about 80% so that I can use it for a slight boost for solos and the more driving sections of songs. Or if the guitarist turns up. (He's not usually one to do that, though - but other bands I've been in, this was a too-frequent issue)
Yeah, when I change between fingers and pick, I'll adjust the volume a bit. Live.
But, if recording, I leave the volume all the way up and adjust other things at the input stage.
But, if recording, I leave the volume all the way up and adjust other things at the input stage.
I've got a P/MM that has a much hotter output for the P when soloed, and it's got two volumes. I have both volumes full up, or the MM all the way down and the P at about 85%. Back in the days when i would actually, you know, play songs in a room with people, i would switch pickup configs (by tweaking volume knobs) a few times per set.
I wouldn't remove my volume knob because I like to have it for fine tuning, especially in a live situation with no FOH. That said, I have always found the "on/off" to be very bada$$/punk. First example I am aware of is Greg Ginn removing the volume knob from his Dan Armstrong. According to Guitars of the World (Guitars of the World: Greg Ginn), "For the majority of Black Flag's existence, Ginn used an Ampeg Dan Armstrong Lucite electric guitar with an interchangeable pickup nearly exclusively. The guitar had become extremely worn out after intensive use and was stolen on April 16, 1986. Ginn would play it so hard that sweat (as well as blood) would seep inside the guitar and cause it to short circuit. To fix this problem he soldered the tone and volume knobs in place and installed a waterproof switch. Ginn does not use any effects pedals-every sound he gets is from his amp and guitar."
The original question raises an interesting point. I have always assumed that in a band/performance situation, it was essential to send a full signal from my instrument to the board and my amp. Maybe this was because I was only playing passive instruments, but it often seemed that when a less than full signal was sent, the tone would be weak or thin.
Fast forward to a band situation that I was in a little while ago, one of our guitarists kept getting louder and louder as we played. Turned out he was holding back on his volume when we first mixed in and then would slowly bump himself up over time. This was infuriating for the rest of us.
Anyway, I only use my volume knob as an on/off kind of switch - I'm either sending a full signal or I'm muted.
Fast forward to a band situation that I was in a little while ago, one of our guitarists kept getting louder and louder as we played. Turned out he was holding back on his volume when we first mixed in and then would slowly bump himself up over time. This was infuriating for the rest of us.
Anyway, I only use my volume knob as an on/off kind of switch - I'm either sending a full signal or I'm muted.
I'm a work in progress with this issue.
I played a passive J-bass for a long time and I'd set the VVT knobs with the neck just slightly cut to get a tone that was what I wanted, then adjust volume at my amp.
Now I'm using a couple basses that have a knob for master volume and another for pickup blend. If I'm playing without PA help, I'll start at least my first set with my bass volume backed off just a little. If I need to be a little louder (sometimes have to compete with excitable guitar dudes), I can immediately bump my bass volume a little more and then eventually tweak my amp.
I'll probably get a volume pedal for next summer (fingers crossed gang!!) because I can see the upside of having my bass volume at a constant setting. My envelope filter (EHX Q-Tron) does its thing relative to the signal coming into it, so that's easier to set up if I just leave my bass volume the same and then dial in the Q. I know that a few other effects I might eventually adopt could benefit from that, too.
I played a passive J-bass for a long time and I'd set the VVT knobs with the neck just slightly cut to get a tone that was what I wanted, then adjust volume at my amp.
Now I'm using a couple basses that have a knob for master volume and another for pickup blend. If I'm playing without PA help, I'll start at least my first set with my bass volume backed off just a little. If I need to be a little louder (sometimes have to compete with excitable guitar dudes), I can immediately bump my bass volume a little more and then eventually tweak my amp.
I'll probably get a volume pedal for next summer (fingers crossed gang!!) because I can see the upside of having my bass volume at a constant setting. My envelope filter (EHX Q-Tron) does its thing relative to the signal coming into it, so that's easier to set up if I just leave my bass volume the same and then dial in the Q. I know that a few other effects I might eventually adopt could benefit from that, too.
For bass, I don’t really use the volume knob. I typically keep it fully open and use dynamics to “turn down” when needed on a song. To turn the bass completely off, I just hit my tuner or amp’s mute.
Now when it comes to guitar, I am constantly using my volume knobs as that greatly impacts dynamics - particularly with drive effects.
Now when it comes to guitar, I am constantly using my volume knobs as that greatly impacts dynamics - particularly with drive effects.
Usually, it stays wide open, and I control the volume with my finger. However, when i use an enveloppe filter pedal, I sometimes use the volume knob to fine tune the filter response to my playing dynamics.
Mine I use as an on-off switch. I don't work the volume. I turn it up all the way and use dynamics. But I don't like it to feed back or go "BRRRRAAAAAANNNNNG" when it falls off the stand 
so I'll usually turn down in between sets or when I need to switch basses.
so I'll usually turn down in between sets or when I need to switch basses.
Im in the 100% full wide open camp. I try my damn'dest to 'control' my dynamics and tone with my hands/fingers (a good 95% fingerstyle/thumper FWIW).
I play a 5 string with a 3 band EQ and I use those knobs to cut and boost frequencies. Usually my Mids knob is also full wide open 100% with just a slight bump on the Highs maybe like 10% - 15% and Bass knob a smidge past 50%. I find that between the 3 Band EQ and the Pickup selectors I can get the desired head room that some other folks in this thread have been talking about.
If I do need to play with a pick, then I roll my PU knob to blend between them to get the favorable tone(s) coloring sweet spot I feel like I need.
I keep a baseline 'setup' on my amp head's graphic EQ and have grown accustomed to using the 3 Band on the Bass for on the spot color(s). and like I said before the mentioned set up is my "Stock" bass EQ positions with the Bridge Pup preferred.
Also, I use the B1Xon pedal for vol control(ing). I set it to 100 % for sound check and if i need to scale it back its a foot tap away, and I also can mute for between songs and sets if need be.
works for my world.
Bass on ladies and germs
I play a 5 string with a 3 band EQ and I use those knobs to cut and boost frequencies. Usually my Mids knob is also full wide open 100% with just a slight bump on the Highs maybe like 10% - 15% and Bass knob a smidge past 50%. I find that between the 3 Band EQ and the Pickup selectors I can get the desired head room that some other folks in this thread have been talking about.
If I do need to play with a pick, then I roll my PU knob to blend between them to get the favorable tone(s) coloring sweet spot I feel like I need.
I keep a baseline 'setup' on my amp head's graphic EQ and have grown accustomed to using the 3 Band on the Bass for on the spot color(s). and like I said before the mentioned set up is my "Stock" bass EQ positions with the Bridge Pup preferred.
Also, I use the B1Xon pedal for vol control(ing). I set it to 100 % for sound check and if i need to scale it back its a foot tap away, and I also can mute for between songs and sets if need be.
works for my world.
Bass on ladies and germs
On stage - for me it's an on-off switch, and even then rarely because I prefer using my tuner to mute my signal.
At home - I use volume a lot more because I'm much more likely to need to change my volume, e.g. to adjust the mix to match a backing/reference track I'm playing to, and my bass's volume control is the most convenient way to do that.
At home - I use volume a lot more because I'm much more likely to need to change my volume, e.g. to adjust the mix to match a backing/reference track I'm playing to, and my bass's volume control is the most convenient way to do that.
I play passive basses and I my vol knob is all the way up when I'm playing, all the way down when I'm not. It has to be as all the pedals are adjusted to the max level of the bass' output and I don't want to change the settings on my board. Not to mention altering your bass vol on a gig is not much of a good idea especially if you're also running DI. I got a tuner/mute switch.
