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Live bass chain HELP

robbotbass

robbotbass

Apr 11, 2009
560
7
Casper Wyoming USA
#1
Hello,

I have a Horrid hiss problem with my live bass rig. I was hoping someone who knows a little more than me can help me get my chain right and maybe help with the hiss problem Here is what I have in my chain.

1.Wireless guitar feed. (hiss is with and without this)
2.Boss bass chours pedel
3.Boss Limiter pedel
4 Boss noise suppresor pedel
5.Sans Amp RBI
6.DBX 266xl compressor
7.Rack tuner (out side of send chain)
8.Morley Hum Elminator (still hiss)
9. Direct box
10. Spliter one to house one to ears.

I use 2 main basses a Music Man Bongo 4HH and a Fender Pbass. Both have active pickups. BOTH HISS!!!!

I've tried everything to try to rid this demon from my sound and nothing!!! When the band is playing it's not that noticeable but anytime the bass sits alone it sounds like crap. and My compressor really brings that to life when I'm tapping or using harmonics that need to ring for a phrase or 2. I don't have this problem when we practice using just a sansamp paradriver DI through a home recording rig. Heres the real kicker when I plug my bass in direct through the house just bass to di di to spliter spliter to ears and house I get the his as well just not as bad.Anyone have any advice I would name my first born after them.
 
#4
Have you tried different combinations of things in your chain to see what it is that produces the hiss? I mean, at some point, there's got to be one or two things that are doing it. Once you've narrowed it down, you can play with the cause and you'll have a much better chance of getting rid of it.

I'd say just systematically pull things out:

1) Plug in to your chain
2) Play through it and listen for a hiss
3) Pull one thing out of your chain
4) Go back to step 1 and repeat until you hear no hiss or at least a decreased hiss. Then you have a cause (or partial cause if it's more than one thing).

I think that's the only surefire way to find the culprit and fix/eliminate it.
 
#5
Chickencha said:
Have you tried different combinations of things in your chain to see what it is that produces the hiss? I mean, at some point, there's got to be one or two things that are doing it. Once you've narrowed it down, you can play with the cause and you'll have a much better chance of getting rid of it.

I'd say just systematically pull things out:

1) Plug in to your chain
2) Play through it and listen for a hiss
3) Pull one thing out of your chain
4) Go back to step 1 and repeat until you hear no hiss or at least a decreased hiss. Then you have a cause (or partial cause if it's more than one thing).

I think that's the only surefire way to find the culprit and fix/eliminate it.
Click to expand...
+1
Trouble shooting 101. Eliminate 1 thing at a time, including wires.
 
#6
Hiss usually results from a gain mismatch - e.g., the second item is boosting the weak output of the first item. Like Chickencha said, put together the rig one component at a time, and note when it starts. Also (and be careful with this) doing this at loud volume helps you to find the hiss a lot more clearly.
 
#9
robbotbass said:
Hello,

I have a Horrid hiss problem with my live bass rig. I was hoping someone who knows a little more than me can help me get my chain right and maybe help with the hiss problem Here is what I have in my chain.

1.Wireless guitar feed. (hiss is with and without this)
2.Boss bass chours pedel
3.Boss Limiter pedel
4 Boss noise suppresor pedel
5.Sans Amp RBI
6.DBX 266xl compressor
7.Rack tuner (out side of send chain)
8.Morley Hum Elminator (still hiss)
9. Direct box
10. Spliter one to house one to ears.

I use 2 main basses a Music Man Bongo 4HH and a Fender Pbass. Both have active pickups. BOTH HISS!!!!

I've tried everything to try to rid this demon from my sound and nothing!!! When the band is playing it's not that noticeable but anytime the bass sits alone it sounds like crap. and My compressor really brings that to life when I'm tapping or using harmonics that need to ring for a phrase or 2. I don't have this problem when we practice using just a sansamp paradriver DI through a home recording rig. Heres the real kicker when I plug my bass in direct through the house just bass to di di to spliter spliter to ears and house I get the his as well just not as bad.Anyone have any advice I would name my first born after them.
Click to expand...

I would try reconfiguring the rig and losing the splitter (especially if you're using a passive, non-buffered splitter). The RBI has two outputs (one XLR and one 1/4") which can feed both sides of the 266. You get one side to send to your in ear monitors or amp and the other side goes to PA. You don't even need DI boxes since the 266 has balanced XLR outputs. Or better yet, you could run the 266 in the effects loop of the RBI (in series) and then use the XLR output of the RBI to feed the house and the 1/4" output of the RBI to feed your IEM's.

That said, I wouldn't use the effects send for the rack tuner since the RBI has a separate dry "unaffected" output that would still allow you to use your effects loop.
 
#11
I'm smelling a classic case of overboosting and over-EQing. If you crank your active EQ's or add a lot of treble, you will add hiss. Comes with the territory. You may want to try flatter settings that don't overamp your treble response.
 

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