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I have a HUGE problem and need help asap!!!

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#181
sunday night, i was at practice and it sounded like my speakers were blown as well. i too use a sonic maximizer (pedal). it was indeed the battery in the sonic maximizer. but for a minute there i was pretty worried that i had blown something up.
 
#184
Mikeyd74 said:
In all seriousness, I wonder if he just needs to move his pickups away from his strings a little. My Stingray will make my amp bark quite a bit if I raise the pickups too close to the strings.
Click to expand...

That was my next suggestion too - right after battery. My G&L will clip the heck out of the input on a DI, amp, or anything else if the pickups are too close to the strings, even if the gain is turned down. I'm wondering if that might be causing your problem. Try increasing the distance between your strings and pickups and see if that doesn't help. It's got to be a fairly simple problem to fix. Also, it may well be that you shouldn't use the BBE with the active bass. Use your effects loop and turn it off when playing the active bass.
 
#186
Hey guys... I replaced the batteries twice.. Both Times were fresh packs, so i know theres no chance of that... At this point im looking for trouble shooting advice... I at least wasnt to narrow it down to either the cab, something in the rack, or the bass... I tried bypassing the sonic Max, but you could still hear it.... Is it possible that i did blow a speaker, but without being pushed by the active electronics you cant hear it?? This whole thing is making me sick...

Should i just start replacing tubes and chords and stuff???
It really seemed like the sound was comming out of the top left cone mainly... I would take off the grill and look, but seeing as it doesnt make the sound with the passive i dont think there will be any rips or tears...

If you had to bet on one of the three (bass, rack, or cab) which would it be??? Ill start there... I really appreciate all of your help guys...
 
#187
punkindrublic said:
Hey guys... I replaced the batteries twice.. Both Times were fresh packs, so i know theres no chance of that... At this point im looking for trouble shooting advice... I at least wasnt to narrow it down to either the cab, something in the rack, or the bass... I tried bypassing the sonic Max, but you could still hear it.... Is it possible that i did blow a speaker, but without being pushed by the active electronics you cant hear it?? This whole thing is making me sick...

Should i just start replacing tubes and chords and stuff???
It really seemed like the sound was comming out of the top left cone mainly... I would take off the grill and look, but seeing as it doesnt make the sound with the passive i dont think there will be any rips or tears...

If you had to bet on one of the three (bass, rack, or cab) which would it be??? Ill start there... I really appreciate all of your help guys...
Click to expand...
Try adjusting your pickups first. Screw them down farther away from the strings.
 
#188
punkindrublic said:
If you had to bet on one of the three (bass, rack, or cab) which would it be??? Ill start there... I really appreciate all of your help guys...
Click to expand...
Of course it's almost impossible to tell without hearing it myself, but if you're 100% sure the crackling is coming from only one speaker, it can really only be that. Strange that it only happens with your active bass, so you might want to double check that before doing anything.

Diagnosing things I usually start with the most simple things first. Instrument and speaker cables. Break your rack down to just the amp and cab.

If you suspect the bass, try it in an other amp. Could be a loose/bad wire in the active circuit somewhere.

Are you close to your amp when it makes this sound?
Some active basses that don't have good shielding will make noise when close to the amp or can pick up noise with certain lamp fixtures are around.
 
#189
Hey, I had a same problem - crackling noise only playing the active bass, clean sound with passive and battery change did not help!
But yesterday I have found the culprit - it was the stacked tone pot on my onboard OBP-3! I tried to wiggle to sides with the stacked knobs and it stopped crackling during play..
It was weird - after some wiggling the tone was all right, but another wiggle the sound was thin and lifeless, another push to side and the crackling was back.. It was not the case of the obvious old scratchy pot - during turning with the stacked bass and treble controls it was no scratches, only during playing. I suspect it was caused by carying the bass in gigbag. Albeit it is well padded, the stacked tone knob was protruding the most and got the heaviest load during transport etc. So new pot is in the order!
Maybe it is your case as well - try to wiggle with knobs to sides and see if it helps, find the bad one and change it.
 
#190
Hey guys... This problem forced me to sell my whole rig and buy a svt-classic and new 8x10... New chords... new BATTERIES... New everything.... except the bass.... I plugged my brand new rig in at our last show........




...............still making the noise...


I caved in and took it to the tech today ....


:bawl:
 
#191
Oh shi tmate
I wish I would have seen this.
Next time...
isolate each component.
Take your bass cab and head to GC and try your bass into a rig of theirs. If that isn't it try your head with a bass of theirs, and a cab of theirs. if thats not it try a head and bass of theirs and your cab. If it still doesn't do it check cables. If not cables ask someone to show you how to connect 'your' gear.

Jesus that sucks mate.
Jonathan
 
#192
punkindrublic said:
Hey guys... This problem forced me to sell my whole rig and buy a svt-classic and new 8x10... New chords... new BATTERIES... New everything.... except the bass.... I plugged my brand new rig in at our last show........




...............still making the noise...


I caved in and took it to the tech today ....


:bawl:
Click to expand...

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

You aren't serious are you? Damn, man.

From the sound of your descriptions I'd say it's the bass. It could be the pickups, the wiring, the pots, the even output jack. I would open it up and take a look. Wiggle some wires around while playing and see if you can get the noise to stop.

Taking it to a tech is probably the best idea though.

I still can't believe you sold your whole rig and bought another! :hmm:
 
#196
I have found a 'long term' solution ....

Put in a complete empty and very expensive battery (brand, age, color or sound is not important) so the active part of the bass won't work at all ... watch out for the red wire! Don't touch it!!!!

When done switch your A/P selector to 'passive' mode and leave it there! I can guarantie that the problem would never come back again!
 
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