SteveC Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 In order to make the levels between the active and passive mode on my bass the same - well very close anyway - I had to turn the internal "gain" pot of my preamp all the way down. Is this OK? Am I loosing anything tone-wise by not running it hotter? With 18 volt preamps and such, it seems like I should run it as hot as I can to get maximum tone? When I listen, I don't hear that much difference between having the preamp cranked or at a minimal level. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Most electronic gear is designed to operate within a given range. While it is possible to get interesting and usable tones by pushing it to it's maximum output, it's designed to operate at an optimum level for it's intended tone. In short, maximum isn't always optimum. Most preamps I've seen in basses are for adjusting the EQ of the output rather than overall level. If you are getting a tone you like out of the active mode at levels that are the same as the passive mode, it's doing what it's supposed to. As far as the difference in levels, active and passive modes are supposed to have different output levels as far as I know. That's why a lot of currently-made bass amps have active and passive inputs, to handle the difference in levels without distortion. Are you trying to switch between modes in the middle of a song or something? Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I'm not very knowledgeable in this area but I would think you are defeating the value of the preamp. I think the level adjustments are there for balance within the active outputs. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Yes. No. That's not a question. Not really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Well...there is proper gain staging, but you can still get good levels/tone even with improper gain staging. When it comes to guitar amps and such, a good tone is often the result of improper gain staging, where in a recording/mixing environment, you kinda want to practice proper gain staging. In the end though...just let your ears be your guide. miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCriley Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Turning down the internal level control shouldn't hurt anything (even tone wise). After all, that's why it's there. The reason modern amps have an input pad or seperate active and passive inputs is because too many preamp designers don't give you the option of adjusting the output level internally. The only advantages to having a really hot output from the bass are to overdrive the input stage of your amp and/or to cut down slightly on any noise leaking into your instrument cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Well, it sounds like I don't have to worry. I like that my active and passive modes are almost the same level now. I plan to experiment with doing more playing in passive mode - for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Well...there is proper gain staging, but you can still get good levels/tone even with improper gain staging. When it comes to guitar amps and such, a good tone is often the result of improper gain staging, where in a recording/mixing environment, you kinda want to practice proper gain staging. In the end though...just let your ears be your guide. I am aware of proper gain staging - which is why I asked about this. It seems to sound OK so I'll try it for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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