Musicman Stingray users, Pad/No Pad?

[boglej2]

As title says, people who play Stingray's, do you pad your amp and/or D.I's when playing live or in studio?

The reason i ask is because i prefer the sound with my own setup not padded, but whenever i'm using any valve amps doing gigs out and about i'm getting problems using any passive options, and not quite the desired sound with an active input selected.

Anyway wanna hear all your opinions, anybody else feel the unpadded/active selection doesn't give quite as big a soundmy own setup is Stingray into GK 1001rb into Aguilar GS 112, use the D.I on the head.

 

[Dave W]

I never use the pad

 

[mikeswals]

No pad with my Rays.
I have/had others that are way hotter, and those got the pad.

 

[Orpheus55]

No, never. I don't find the Ray's output to be significantly greater than most good passives.

 

[Crabby]

Never, I like the hottest input signal possible without clipping.

 

[meatwad]

No pad here.

 

[ncapone]

No pad. I want a very hot sound. It's probably not good for the amp, but who cares.

 

[JSpradBass]

Depends on the amp or DI, but I prefer the tone without it.

 

[Stone Soup]

No pad.

 

[LDonnie]

Always, though I do so automatically with any active bass in any amp to prevent clipping (it's not always my gear). I'll try turning off the pad today to see if I like the sound better, because I never considered doing so! I play through a GK 700RB-II and EBS Proline 2x10.

 

[solderjunkie]

No, never. I don't find the Ray's output to be significantly greater than most good passives.

+1

They aren't as hot as most active basses. The MM preamp is designed more for tone-shaping, less for line-level boost.

 

[wvbass]

Odd question. Padding the input is situational. If the input stage is clipping, you adjust the input level - either by turning the gain down on the amp, using the amp's "pad" button or input, controlling the output level of any effects, or by turning the bass itself down. I am not sure it makes sense to approach it any other way. I like as hot an input signal as I can get without clipping or overdriving; this is about signal to noise ratio, not which bass I am playing.

 

[DwaynieAD]

tampon

 

[Jim C]

No pad

 

[Lo-E]

I am anti-pad.

 

[bigsnaketex]

never a pad for me.........unless playing a Fodera or Alembic or something else I haven't come across yet that has a preamp so hot that you need the pad.

MM to my ears is no hotter than a Fender passive.

 

[boglej2]

Very interesting most seem to be saying no pad, any more thoughts from anyone else?

 

[RickenBoogie]

Odd question. Padding the input is situational. If the input stage is clipping, you adjust the input level - either by turning the gain down on the amp, using the amp's "pad" button or input, controlling the output level of any effects, or by turning the bass itself down. I am not sure it makes sense to approach it any other way. I like as hot an input signal as I can get without clipping or overdriving; this is about signal to noise ratio, not which bass I am playing.

THIS is the answer, and the reason why most responses say no. The pad on an amps input is mistakenly labeled "active", but that's not really right. ANY bass should use the normal input, UNLESS you can't control the input gain with the gain knob. I have 1 passive bass, and 2 active basses, including a StingRay, and never use the padded input, Ever.

 

[johnpbass]

No pad. As other have said above, I don't find the signal to be any hotter than my passive basses.