I am newly experimenting with my Mark Bass combo unit and was wondering, do the vle and vpf knobs work best if all other knobs are turned down or do they work in conjunction with them? Also, what is the standard practice of volume vs gain? Should the gain be set a little higher than the volume?
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Mark Bass combo head vle and vpf knobs
- Thread starter junior421
- Start date
The neutral setting of the amp is tone controls at noon, and filters off. Start there. If you feel like there is too much upper treble, then slowly engage the VLE, which will roll-off more and more of the treble range as you dial it up.
The VPF control is kind of a 'one knob' control that is similar to boosting the bass control, cutting the low mid control and boosting the treble control. IMO, that is best used either not at all, or sparingly, since it extends the low end beyond the frequencies that most cabs can make use of, and the individual tone knobs give you more precise control anyway. However, with some very midrange voiced cabs, it is a useful control up to around the 9 o'clock level.
Regarding gain setting, set the input gain just below the level where the clip light comes on. Really play your open E string hard (turn down the master so you don't hurt your ears) and with your other hand, dial the input gain until you see that light start to flash. Then turn it back a bit. Then, adjust the volume you need with the master.
The VPF control is kind of a 'one knob' control that is similar to boosting the bass control, cutting the low mid control and boosting the treble control. IMO, that is best used either not at all, or sparingly, since it extends the low end beyond the frequencies that most cabs can make use of, and the individual tone knobs give you more precise control anyway. However, with some very midrange voiced cabs, it is a useful control up to around the 9 o'clock level.
Regarding gain setting, set the input gain just below the level where the clip light comes on. Really play your open E string hard (turn down the master so you don't hurt your ears) and with your other hand, dial the input gain until you see that light start to flash. Then turn it back a bit. Then, adjust the volume you need with the master.
Another way to think of those " V " controls is, one is like the tone control on your bass, and the other is like a Contour control on a bass amp. Personally, I never had a use for either one, but, that's just me. 
2 cents from a slightly different, and probably irrelevant, perspective -- I find the VPF control really useful for upright through my F1 (no mid-sweep controls), to help reduce piezo "honk" and, to a lesser degree, feedback. I use a high-pass filter, so the boosted lows are not so much of an issue, but that can all be compensated for with the "standard" EQ in any case.
Definitely worth spending some time fiddling with all the controls, one at a time with everything else "neutral" (as per Ken's description), and in various combinations, to examine how the bands interact.
Definitely worth spending some time fiddling with all the controls, one at a time with everything else "neutral" (as per Ken's description), and in various combinations, to examine how the bands interact.
KJung said it right. Something else to consider is: you can get a similar effect of the VLE control by just turning down the High Mids and leaving both filters off, but it will sound a tad more scooped. Just a little variation, and nice to have.
NOTE: both filter knobs are OFF when turned all the way counterclockwise, not when they are at noon.
NOTE: both filter knobs are OFF when turned all the way counterclockwise, not when they are at noon.
