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need an in-line pad

Matt_T

Matt_T

Dec 18, 2013
64
9
Springdale, AR
#1
What's an expensive way to lower my signal before it hits the amp? My active basses are hot and my Hartke KB12 is loud without a built-in pad. I got a Radial StageBug but found out after the fact that its 15 db pad doesn't affect the thru jack. Ideas or suggestions to reduce the signal? There has to be a 1/4 to 1/4 pad or similar somewhere.
 
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#3
Your basses already have a pad-- it's the volume control. Back it off a little. Passive basses can sound different as you roll off the volume and higher frequencies can be shunted to ground. However, on on active basses, the preamp buffering should remove that problem. Frequency response through the preamp should be consistent at varying volumes. Now, you might notice a different tone through an amp when turning down the volume on the instrument, but I think that is a function of the amp and how hot you are pushing the amp input.
 
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#4
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#6
bwildt said:
Your basses already have a pad-- it's the volume control. Back it off a little. Passive basses can sound different as you roll off the volume and higher frequencies can be shunted to ground. However, on on active basses, the preamp buffering should remove that problem. Frequency response through the preamp should be consistent at varying volumes. Now, you might notice a different tone through an amp when turning down the volume on the instrument, but I think that is a function of the amp and how hot you are pushing the amp input.
Click to expand...

I am aware of the volume knob.
 
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#8
#15
Matt_T said:
What's an expensive way to lower my signal before it hits the amp? My active basses are hot and my Hartke KB12 is loud without a built-in pad. I got a Radial StageBug but found out after the fact that its 15 db pad doesn't affect the thru jack. Ideas or suggestions to reduce the signal? There has to be a 1/4 to 1/4 pad or similar somewhere.
Click to expand...
Any pedal with a volume knob. Like a compressor, drive...or volume.

Also, you have a volume knob on your bass. Your bass is also active, so you have multiple gain knobs (eq)
 
#16
You can get attenuators in XLR format from Whirlwind and oher makers. I have -10dB and -20dB attenuators I bought specifically for taming hot DI outputs from amps. I've never seen one for 1/4", though.

impad__58579.1415265793.jpg
 
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#17
Matt_T said:
What's an expensive way to lower my signal before it hits the amp? My active basses are hot and my Hartke KB12 is loud without a built-in pad. I got a Radial StageBug but found out after the fact that its 15 db pad doesn't affect the thru jack. Ideas or suggestions to reduce the signal? There has to be a 1/4 to 1/4 pad or similar somewhere.
Click to expand...

My Ferrari goes 170 mph. What’s an expensive way to make it slower?
 
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#18
Matt_T said:
I am aware of the volume knob.
Click to expand...

But one of the main reasons for using active electronics is to prevent loss of high frequencies when the control is backed off- why doesn't it work for you?

What bass/pickups & preamp are you using? If the preamp isn't sealed in epoxy, it may be possible to mod it to decrease the output. What amp? That could be modded, too.
 
#19
Yeah, I guess I'm confused why you want an expensive solution... But no worries, different strokes for different folks I suppose :)

I was going to say that this would be a great first DIY pedal project! Assuming you have a soldering iron, you could do this very cheap and easy. But, it wouldn't be expensive. You could gold-plate it and inlay rubies I suppose...
 

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