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What's your volume dial setting?
- Thread starter MrCash
- Start date
You're going to think I'm kidding but I'm not.
When I set the gain just below breakup (warm but not distortion) on my Mesa Walkabout Scout stack (15" combo and matching cab) I can't turn above 1 or so. Seriously, I have had guitar players come over and turn my volume from where I have it set to zero and they are astonished. We're not talking bedroom volumes here either. It will move your pants at like 1.3 out of 10. If I were to turn it to 3 it would blow something up.
That's with a standard passive P bass volume dimed.
When I set the gain just below breakup (warm but not distortion) on my Mesa Walkabout Scout stack (15" combo and matching cab) I can't turn above 1 or so. Seriously, I have had guitar players come over and turn my volume from where I have it set to zero and they are astonished. We're not talking bedroom volumes here either. It will move your pants at like 1.3 out of 10. If I were to turn it to 3 it would blow something up.
That's with a standard passive P bass volume dimed.
well ... the " input " should be matched to the basses output level ... unity gain kinda thing for best signal to noise ratio ...
the Master volume is the loud knob .. ! we would turn it to where ever is needed for each gig .. !
what those are for me , aren't really very relevant to anyone else's setup .. ?!!?
the Master volume is the loud knob .. ! we would turn it to where ever is needed for each gig .. !
what those are for me , aren't really very relevant to anyone else's setup .. ?!!?
My Markbass heads are not linear, most of the volume is between minimum and noon. I run gain up to clip, back off a touch, and so far the master volume has never gone over the 9am position. The heads are loud.
Hartke 3500 and Hartke XL410. My main gigging axe has been my MIM Fender Jazz.
My stock settings have been tube pre at 4..solid state pre at 7 to 8. Neck pickup at around 7 and bridge at about 3 to 4. Compressor set at 3...that's as good a stock setup for me to make any adjustments on depending on the room and whether im in the PA.
My stock settings have been tube pre at 4..solid state pre at 7 to 8. Neck pickup at around 7 and bridge at about 3 to 4. Compressor set at 3...that's as good a stock setup for me to make any adjustments on depending on the room and whether im in the PA.
With two Trace cabinets my LMII is set at about half way. But that also depends on the bass I'm using. My Sterling's pre amp is so hot I get good and loud at about three.
BOSE runs out of balz at about 2 o'clock if your gains are set properly which is about 110~115 dB if you are within 10 feet in front of it. At that level, the bass is more heard and much less felt than a regular bass rig. Above that, it becomes middy and slightly distorted although louder. See comment below my avatar concerning my treatment of BOSE.
RIg rack: Line6 HD500x->SansAmp RBI->dbx 166xL->QSC 2402(1 or 2)->as many or as few cabinets as I wish....as stated above....this will not run out of steam until walls fall down, police show up, windows break, etc. Drummers CANNOT honestly say "I can't hear you".
Here's one that was real fun when BOSE was in for repairs once at a semi-large room:
Bugera BTX 3600 rig: Line 6 HD500x(or not)->Bugera run bi-amped or not->cabinets.....same as above. It won't run out of steam. Shown here run bi-amped in case the soundman is not the one who knows how to keep bass in the PA.
PS: The BOSE system is MUCH better for bass if you do this(verified by experiments in the pasture out here)
Preamp/etc->CROSSOVER->split mids/highs to BOSE vertical array and L1 internal amp
...........................................->lows into BOSE packlite or other amp->18" front loaded cab as above.
Give you bass you can hear and feel near, far, off or on axis. Although BOSE will power the 18 shown above from its internal amp, the crossover frequency puts most of your G string(above 140Hz) in tiny vertical array speakers......not the greatest sound. Using an external Xover lets you push the lows/fundamentals to about 400 Hz so that goes into the 18(or 2x15 if that is used) with 400 Hz and higher going to very small vertical array speakers in the BOSE "pole".
RIg rack: Line6 HD500x->SansAmp RBI->dbx 166xL->QSC 2402(1 or 2)->as many or as few cabinets as I wish....as stated above....this will not run out of steam until walls fall down, police show up, windows break, etc. Drummers CANNOT honestly say "I can't hear you".
Here's one that was real fun when BOSE was in for repairs once at a semi-large room:
Bugera BTX 3600 rig: Line 6 HD500x(or not)->Bugera run bi-amped or not->cabinets.....same as above. It won't run out of steam. Shown here run bi-amped in case the soundman is not the one who knows how to keep bass in the PA.
PS: The BOSE system is MUCH better for bass if you do this(verified by experiments in the pasture out here)
Preamp/etc->CROSSOVER->split mids/highs to BOSE vertical array and L1 internal amp
...........................................->lows into BOSE packlite or other amp->18" front loaded cab as above.
Give you bass you can hear and feel near, far, off or on axis. Although BOSE will power the 18 shown above from its internal amp, the crossover frequency puts most of your G string(above 140Hz) in tiny vertical array speakers......not the greatest sound. Using an external Xover lets you push the lows/fundamentals to about 400 Hz so that goes into the 18(or 2x15 if that is used) with 400 Hz and higher going to very small vertical array speakers in the BOSE "pole".
Last edited:
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,042
- 45,890
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Mostly, these days. I think I still played out around 45 times or so last year though, mostly at open mikes where I played house bassist, plus a few gigs with guitar and cajon and two big band jazz sub shows for around 200 people each. My settings for all of those were pretty close to what I run at home, FWIW.
That's still quite a bit of playing in the limelight. If you quit altogether, and I start, can I have first dibs on your helmet? I think I'll need it.
Since I always have PA support, I rarely have the gain and volume above 6 on my Markbass combo. If I'm playing my 1978 Bassman 135 with a Fender 1x15, I have it around 4 on volume and 5 on master volume without PA support.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,042
- 45,890
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Trace Elliot AH500X - input 1.5, output 2, NEVER above 4...EVER!!!! (one 250 watt mono amp drives the 1048, the other drives the 1528)
Trace Elliot AH200S - input 5, output 7 (drives the 4052h)
Stereo signal out from MB Chorus/Flanger, one channel in each amp. Mhm.
Link Removed
Trace Elliot AH200S - input 5, output 7 (drives the 4052h)
Stereo signal out from MB Chorus/Flanger, one channel in each amp. Mhm.
Link Removed
I have noticed with all guitar players ever - if they need to turn down, the knob is turned anti-clockwise by an amount that can't be seen by the human eye - if they need to turn up it seems to be quarter turns each time...
I play mostly small bar gigs with a Little Mark 250 and a 4 ohm Traveler 210, no PA support. My main bass is a passive P (Roger Waters Sig)
With preamp set just below clipping, Master is usually around 11 o'clock. Bigger rooms push it up to noon or so. It's starts hitting the limiter hard at about 1:30-2:00.
I still laugh to myself when I see other bassists rolling an 810 into a bar gig.
With preamp set just below clipping, Master is usually around 11 o'clock. Bigger rooms push it up to noon or so. It's starts hitting the limiter hard at about 1:30-2:00.
I still laugh to myself when I see other bassists rolling an 810 into a bar gig.
Wherever I need to set it such that, after taking into account the levels of the rest of the band and size of the room, I'm sitting in the right place in the mix.
Carvin BX500 and a 4X10 cab... with PA my amp stays at 1 or 1.5 and if there is no PA 2.5 to 3 with an aditional 2X10 cab. Gain is always at 4...
