Live setup... Decisions, decisions!!!!!!

[JimmyM]

Are all your basses as hot as the 18v one?

 

[walterw]

I SAY IT!!

I'm not speaking just about technical reasons, I'm speaking of my experience with both devices...

The output of my 18V bass with humbuckers does distorts the Radial Bassbone, where with other basses that I have (not 18V) doesn't.

then they're loud because they're loud, probably because of the humbuckers themselves (sometimes coupled with too much use of onboard EQ).

think about it, an outboard preamp running off of wall power doesn't put 120 volts of signal into the next piece of gear! it just runs as loud as it's supposed to, maybe a volt or two at most;

bass pres are the same way, the output level has nothing to do with the voltage the circuit itself runs at, and is always far less. many pres will run at 9 or 18V, and wiring them for 18 does not make them louder.

i am surprised that the radial box is getting clipped with bass outputs, though;

what kind of preamps are in the basses? they may have trimpots inside the control cavity to set overall level, and these may need to be backed off a pinch.

 

[JCRob]

then they're loud because they're loud, probably because of the humbuckers themselves (sometimes coupled with too much use of onboard EQ).

Yeah but, am I not allowed to use whatever quantity of EQ I want without having issues with bass oriented products??

bass pres are the same way, the output level has nothing to do with the voltage the circuit itself runs at, and is always far less. many pres will run at 9 or 18V, and wiring them for 18 does not make them louder.

Why bother with different voltages then huh?

i am surprised that the radial box is getting clipped with bass outputs, though;

Not more than I am.

what kind of preamps are in the basses? they may have trimpots inside the control cavity to set overall level, and these may need to be backed off a pinch.

 

[JCRob]

Forgot to say that I did turn down the pots, with no satisfactory results.

 

[JCRob]

Are all your basses as hot as the 18v one?

Definitely no, although I don't many more basses right now (have sold many), the ones I do have aren't 18V and don't distort.
Anyways, I sold the Radial BB to a student which is very happy with it.

 

[walterw]

Why bother with different voltages then huh?

the idea is that running the preamp at a higher internal voltage gives you more headroom and fidelity, not actual output.

 

[crazyBassClown]

the idea is that running the preamp at a higher internal voltage gives you more headroom and fidelity, not actual output.

And most of the time the only difference running 18V instead of 9V is using twice as many batteries

 

[walterw]

And most of the time the only difference running 18V instead of 9V is using twice as many batteries

well, i do hear more headroom when running EMGs at 18V, it's a little less compressed sounding.

still, that has nothing to do with the OP's problem, there are plenty of 9V basses that are way louder than other 18V basses.

 

[JCRob]

well, i do hear more headroom when running EMGs at 18V, it's a little less compressed sounding.

still, that has nothing to do with the OP's problem, there are plenty of 9V basses that are way louder than other 18V basses.

We're not talking just about "headroom" or "loud", we're mainly speaking about voltage compatibility.

Let me enlighten you with the response from a previous thread of John East himself (owner of the brand of my pre).

If the Bassbone works on a lower voltage than the bass, (it seems they have a 15V power supply, and that might be regulated down internally) and you have 18V, then you have the capability to clip the input of the Bassbone, unless it has an attenuator right on its input.

So, since the R's BB has no input gain, it has no way to regulate the entry signal, say, of my bass, which in the real world IS (or was by now) distorting the unit.