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Tone Hammer DI Output

JazznFunk

JazznFunk

Supporting Member
Mar 26, 2000
4,863
7,322
45
Asheville, NC
bryanwhite-bassist.bandcamp.com
#1
I've been running into a bit of an issue with the DI output on my Tone Hammer recently and wanted to bounce this off some folks in the forum.

Is the DI output on the TH extremely 'hot' compared with other DI outputs on other preamp/pedal setups? At a gig this weekend and in rehearsal last night I noticed that even with a pre-EQ feed, the signal was SUPER hot coming into the board. Post-EQ was a little hotter than that even.

I don't use the AGS, and gain and output are usually both set at 'noon' per the manual to start with. I was using it with my passive P-Bass last night, which is not that hot to begin with.

My bandmate running the board said he didn't even have the gain trim turned up at all on the board and was still getting a very hot signal - almost too much to work with.

The pedal was running off batteries at the time and we made sure Phantom was turned off at the board - I've seen that cause issues with my Tone Hammer before.

I guess I'm a bit unnerved at using the DI out of the pedal at this point and have switched back to using a J48 or a Countryman to go to the board - this seems to feed a more 'normal' signal level, even coming out of the Tone Hammer into the DI box.

Thoughts?
 
#2
It's hot, twice the output of the 1/4" output (8Vrms vs 4Vrms max).

It's The TONE HAMMER BROTHER!!! *in Hulkster voice. Even in pre out mode it'll peak a channel on various boards around town, pad down if you can; or use a line in on your desk or whtevr you are plugging into instead of the mic in. Always warn sound guys with this pedal that it's very hot. I use mine just as a way to drive a stubborn XLS2000poweramp onstage for my monitor amp!
 
#3
Yikes! That explains things to some degree. I don't always have the luxury of padding down or have the time to explain things, like on festival gigs and such where changeovers are short. Guess I'll just have to stick to using an outboard DI in these instances to be safe and not deliver any unwanted 'surprises' to the sound guys. Kinda wish the DI on the TH were not so hot... I wasn't expecting that! Fantastic pedal otherwise though!
 
#4
It's so strange to read this... I've been using my TH for about 4 years now, no problems. Three months ago I bought another one - with newer "sleek" case design, 'cause it's better suited for right-angled plugs. No problems with its DI out, too.
 
#5
I can't say I find this to be a 'problem' per-se... it's just that if I find myself in a position where a board or PA or whatever doesn't have the ability to pad down the output - even pre-EQ - then it can be a problem. It's another random variable that I didn't think I'd have to deal with on this particular pedal. I mean, my passive P-Bass was way beyond pegging the meter into the red with NO gain trim added on a Mackie Onyx 16-channel board. I also noticed that it was overloading the sound guy's channel on an outdoor festival a while back too - both situations were pre-EQ with passive and with active basses.
 
#6
I use it with various basses (mostly passive Fender J-Bass with Lindy Fralin single-coils and Yamaha TRBJP, which is active and has a pretty "hot" output). ~95% of the time I set both Gain and Master knobs at 12 o'clock.
 
#8
Word... the issue is that the volume/gain levels only affect the DI output if you have it set to be POST-EQ. I tried it. If you have it set at pre-EQ for the DI send, the volume and gain controls have no effect on the level of the signal - and it's still ridiculously hotter than it would be going through an outboard DI. If I just use the pedal and hit a DI after the Tone Hammer's 1/4 out, I don't have to worry about it. With the volume/gain at 12:00 the signal is very much within 'normal' levels. That pesky XLR is just too hot.
 
#9
Huh. I've been using the ToneHammer di for a while now all over the U.S. and Canada. Even some TV dates. Haven't had a single complaint from an engineer yet. ? It also plays fine in my home studio. The output is on the high side, but haven't had any problems. Do you guys know what kind of boards are getting peaked out?
 
#11
I had the exact same issue last night at a gig with the TH. I had my gain and master set to noon and my DI out set to PRE - the sound guy kept on telling me he couldn't work with such a hot signal. I then switched to POST DI and turned the levels down but now I couldn't hear myself on stage.

I love the TH in every other respect. Is there a way to turn the DI out level down without affecting the output level into your amp? Is there a pedal out there that could take an XLR signal, trim it down and output XLR again?
 
#12
Interesting...do you have the level of the pedal at unity (or at least close to it)? If so I wouldn't think it would be a problem. Is your bass knob cranked? That can make some boards go crazy if you have it set to post EQ
 
#13
Well, at least I know I am not alone in experiencing this. The only way around it that I have found it to skip the XLR out on the Tone Hammer and go into a separate DI.

Jhonnybass said:
I had the exact same issue last night at a gig with the TH. I had my gain and master set to noon and my DI out set to PRE - the sound guy kept on telling me he couldn't work with such a hot signal. I then switched to POST DI and turned the levels down but now I couldn't hear myself on stage.

I love the TH in every other respect. Is there a way to turn the DI out level down without affecting the output level into your amp? Is there a pedal out there that could take an XLR signal, trim it down and output XLR again?
Click to expand...
 
#15
Jhonnybass said:
When I set the pedal to POST I had my gain and master set to noon. I guess that means it's in unity? The XLR out was still too hot. In PRE mode the master and gain don't affect the XLR output but it was still too hot. I had the bass knob at around 1 o'clock so I don't think that would be killing the board.
Click to expand...

You aren't in AGS mode are you? Just checking...noon and noon is around where I am too, but I'm using passive basses. By unity I mean when the pedal is engaged is it pretty much the same volume as when disengaged? Noon and noon could be really hot depending on the bass an pedals before the TH. I've never had a problem, but can't they just pad your channel if its really hot?
 
#16
No definitely not in AGS mode - I'm using a passive P-Bass :) I'm pretty sure I was close to unity but I'm going to have to double check that - I just have a tuner pedal before the TH. It might just be the venue and the sound guy - I've gone to other venues and the sound guys did mention it was hot but they were able to work with it - I just wish I could turn down the DI out when needed...
 
#17
Jhonnybass said:
No definitely not in AGS mode - I'm using a passive P-Bass :) I'm pretty sure I was close to unity but I'm going to have to double check that - I just have a tuner pedal before the TH. It might just be the venue and the sound guy - I've gone to other venues and the sound guys did mention it was hot but they were able to work with it - I just wish I could turn down the DI out when needed...
Click to expand...

Yeah would be nice if it at least had a pad button like some DIs do. Guess you can't have everything!
 
#18
I'm really trying to understand this, but just can't imagine how the signal can be too hot. I suppose you could have the pedal modified to lower the DI output though. Should be fairly easy for someone with the right skill. Try Mike at Putnam Guitars.
 
#19
My TH500 is hot. I have emailed Aguilar about it. There is no internal trim that I am aware of.

It's pretty simple to explain. The signal hits my pre with a line in input set at it's lowest volume at around -6db in Pre mode.

Post chills it out a little. I can get the gain to 12oclock if I dont boost any EQ. If I boost EQ, I have to cut the gain down to 8 or 9 oclock.

Its workable. But it does put out a hot signal for me.

Sounds so good that I can live with it.
 

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