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Quiet ATK 200

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DylanJ

Dec 17, 2021
14
5
#1
I just noticed my ATK 200 is very quiet plugged in. Even driving the amp volume isn't making much of a difference. I know it's neither of my amps because my AEB8E is working fine. Turning up the volume on the bass doesn't do much either. Like I can have the AEB8E plugged in, pickup volume at 50%, and have my amp at like the third notch and get decent volume for practicing. The ATK isn't achieving that same volume no matter what. 70+% on amp with 55-60% on the bass still isn't producing the same output as the AEB8E. I tried lowering my action in case the strings weren't close enough to the pick up, but that only helped my E a bit. Any troubleshooting I can do to figure out what the issue is?

Coil switching still works and noticeably changes the tone, and there is an slight increase in volume plugged in so I know the pick up works in some capacity.
 
#3
Turnaround said:
Have you checked the battery?
Click to expand...
Levels are the same with a different battery. I'm trying to use an app to measure the ouput since I don't have an actual SPL meter and on the ATK with a I'm seeing like 70 dB (maybe 75 if I pluck really hard) with the ATK both at 30% and 60% volume on the amp, vs 80 on the acoustic with 30% volume on the amp.
 
#4
I don't think the AEB8E pickup is just hotter either because I do notice a significant amount of volume difference turning up both the bass and amp, but the difference doing the same on the ATK200 gives a marginal increase. I've been thinking about replacing the pickup anyway with one of the Bartolini pickups that are about the same size as the Ibanez CAP one, but I've never replaced a pickup and I've only soldered wires a couple times. I haven't actually played in a while, just been doing what I do with my recording gear, plug it in every now and then to make sure it functions, and I remember the ATK200 working fine a few months ago.
 
#5
Bumping. If this needs resoldering for the pickup or preamp should I also upgrade the pickup? What would be a good upgrade? I thought about Bartolini's MM pickups but I'm not sure. I definitely want to repair this bass because it was a gift.
 
#6
I think there's an issue with the preamp. Yes, from this distance with this little bit of context that's just a gut feeling. I would get it to a repair shop if you're not handy at troubleshooting electronics.
 
#7
my ABG was the hottest bass I had. some basses are hotter than others and that's it and hotter doesn't mean better. that's what for we have 'gain' on our bass amps.

there's nothing wrong of turning up gain on your amp. I also don't understand why don't you max the volume on your bass if it's too quiet.
 
#8
Aloe said:
my ABG was the hottest bass I had. some basses are hotter than others and that's it and hotter doesn't mean better. that's what for we have 'gain' on our bass amps.

there's nothing wrong of turning up gain on your amp. I also don't understand why don't you max the volume on your bass if it's too quiet.
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It barely helps to turn it up. There's clearly something wrong with it because it was much louder weeks before I made the thread.
 
#9
DylanJ said:
It barely helps to turn it up.
Click to expand...

what's the amp in question and how do you set up the gain?

there was recently a big thread like 'I played a quiet amp, I had to put the gain at 12 o'clock and it still was quiet', so first I'd be sure you're setting up the gain correctly.

p.s. also de-press 'active' button on the amp if you have one.
 
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