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 to tame the volume ?
- Thread starter Tymophil
- Start date
bongomania
Commercial User
That would not make a difference, since the active setting just cuts the volume by a fixed amount regardless of any changes to the EQ or pickups.
I think passive inputs on amplifiers go through pre-amp and active inputs bypass pre-amp.
An active input is just a padded input, typically -15db. They are both inputs for the preamp.
Pluck softer for softer songs, pluck harder for louder songs, move right hand toward bridge for punchy/treble sound, closer to neck for thumpy/bass sound. A good teacher can help you with this in the course of private lessons. Violin/piano/trombone/kazoo do not have volume knobs and yet players of these instruments are capable of dynamic contrast.
bongomania
Commercial User
Sorry.
bongomania
Commercial User
Oh it does make sense, as long as you're not in the middle of playing a song. Although even then, some people are good at on-the-fly knob turning while playing.
Yes. But passive input means it goes through pre-amp, before it reaches power amp right? So he might be going through two pre-amps - one on his bass and another one through passive input.
bongomania
What exactly is "totally" wrong?
bongomania
Commercial User
What you said is wrong. The bass goes through the amp's preamp regardless of whether you use the active or passive inputs. The only difference between them is that the active input cuts the level of the signal by -10 to -15 dB (typically).
That is really weird. Only thing I can think about....... Why?
I guess I'm only person who did it other way.
I'm assuming that the only reason manufacturers use the terms "active" and "passive" for inputs is that it started with a misconception and that became tradition.
The input impedance is usually the same for both inputs, and thus, you're not optimized for low thermal noise -or- minimal resistive loading with your choice of input, like you would expect. There is also no inherent volume difference between buffered and non-buffered signals from basses, so the fact that the "active" input is padded really has no relation to its name. Sometimes a passive bass is hot enough to need padding, and most of the time active basses don't have an output any hotter than passive basses.
I just don't see any reason of going through additional circuit when there is no need to.
I'm building small combo for home practicing and I use same IC that fender uses in rumble series (TDA7294) this IC needs pre-amp to operate completely on passive sources and I did build pre-amp for it, but I never thought about putting some kind of attenuator for active input and still make it go through pre-amp. If the source is active, if bass has pre-amp, then it can just go straight to power amp (to TDA) and bypass pre-amp. Why bother signal with additional circuits that it don't need?
I'm building small combo for home practicing and I use same IC that fender uses in rumble series (TDA7294) this IC needs pre-amp to operate completely on passive sources and I did build pre-amp for it, but I never thought about putting some kind of attenuator for active input and still make it go through pre-amp. If the source is active, if bass has pre-amp, then it can just go straight to power amp (to TDA) and bypass pre-amp. Why bother signal with additional circuits that it don't need?
The preamp on a bass is usually nothing more than a buffer with equalization. Driving a power amp from an onboard preamp is exactly like running the pickups directly to the power amp, in many cases, except for the difference in the nature of both the real and complex parts of the impedance. The preamp on most amps is often a vital part of the design, and things work much differently when you drive a power amp directly from a bass.
Note that the "additionally circuitry" you speak of is often nothing more than a resistor. Not a big deal at all, unless the increase in thermal noise turns out to be significant, which it usually isn't.
Maybe that's why I'm confused, I always tweak on the fly when needed whether it be on my bass or my amp.
The somethings wrong with your bass's electronics or how you have the pups adjusted. Changing pup blend should have no affect on volume just tone char. Unless your going from flat to max on bass, or mids, volume diff should be small to. Normal good range of settings for onbass eq for bass, mids, treble, should be from flat to plus or minus maybe as much as 1/3 or 1/2. Small volume diff, mainly just tonal changes.
Not necessarily. EQ boosts and cuts, by definition, boost and cut the amplitude at various frequency bands. Adjusting pickup balances in a passive system usually gives insertion loss type of issues, when the impedance loading against one coil drops the output of another. While EQ adjustment can be extreme, adjusting pickup balance should make a small difference, overall, however.
bongomania
Commercial User
The point of the pad on the "active" input is to turn down the level of a high-output bass, to avoid unwanted clipping in the amp's input stage.
Study that amp circuit and its gain and impedance relationships a bit longer; and study a few different amp schematics as well.
Ask your self "what instruments in my band are competing for space" and you'll probably find your answer.
Making EQ adjustments should not change over all volume. But if you adjust your EQ to the same as say a kick drum or a guitard that likes that chunky sound and boosts his bass your bass may now be lost in the mix giving the perception of "my volume is gone".
Making EQ adjustments should not change over all volume. But if you adjust your EQ to the same as say a kick drum or a guitard that likes that chunky sound and boosts his bass your bass may now be lost in the mix giving the perception of "my volume is gone".
That is something I already do...
But the difference in volume can, sometimes, force me to pluck a certain way.
The consequence is that I cannot use my plucking to fit the mood of parts within the song.
