BOD2

You don't need to worry about how the speakers are wired inside the cabinet and it won't tell you on the plate anyway. What it does say on the plate is the total impedance of the cabinet and the power handling, which are the only details that matter to the user. Inside, how the speakers are wired depends on how many there are and the impedance of each speaker. Generally you cannot connect speaker cabs to an amp in series. With very few exceptions*, everything is geared towards parallel wiring. Unless stated otherwise, if there are two speaker outs on the amp then these will be wired in parallel. If there are two speaker connections on a cab (to allow daisy-chaining) then these will be wired in parallel too. So it makes no difference to use both speaker outs on the amp, or to daisy chain the cabs together - in almost every case* they will both be wired in parallel. The only thing to note is that if you are daisy-chaining two cabs then ALL of the power for both cabs will go through the single cable connecting the amp to the first cab, so make sure this is a heavy duty speaker cable. (*note - the reason I keep qualifying this is that there will be a serial wired amp or cab somewhere. I've never come across one but that's not to say there aren't some out there, which is why you should always read the manual or check what it says on the rear of the amp or jack plate).

It's meant to avoid "earth loops". Since the pots are mounted on a metal plate that provided one ground path. When you daisy-chain the pots together with a ground wire that provides another ground path. You are in effect creating a "loop" or grounded metal between the metal plate and the wires. In theory this loop can behave like an antenna and pickup interference, but in practice the effect is usually minimal. The "star grounding" method mentioned by Phil Starr and detailed on the "guitarnuts" website is an attempt to improve this situation by providing a single earth contact and removing any loops.

Hi Uwe - don't apologise for your English, it's way better than the German most of us here would be able to write ! Looking at your photos, it does look as if the BA11 needs to be moved a few millimetres towards the bottom edge of the bass. The would allow the bottom E string to sit at the middle of the bridge piece and the D and G strings to also be nearer he middle of their pieces too. The only way to do that would be to drill new holes for the BA11 - which is what you said you didn't want to do. Because the amount you need to move the bridge is so small, you would have to fill the original holes and then drill new ones slightly to the side. You'd be so near the original holes I don't think there would be any risk of damaging the finish. But first here is what I would do.... Put a piece of masking tape at the front are rear of the current bridge to mark the front and back edges of the current position. Loosen off the strings completely. Removed the screws holding the bridge to the body. Move the bridge slighty to it's "new" position. Tighten up the strings and see how they sit. If you are careful then the bridge shouldn't move much, even though there are no screws holding it in place. Now you can check if you can get the strings in a better position, and you can slide the bridge around a little to help you. If you can see that this will fix the problem then you need to decide if you want to drill new holes or not.

Yep - I would suspect a duff string too.

[quote name='solo4652' post='671673' date='Dec 1 2009, 10:46 PM']Thank you. I was wondering whether "Neutrik" connectors were different again from XLR. You've answered the question. Thanks again, Steve[/quote] Yes, Neutrik is just a brand name but they are known for making the best connectors for audio cables. You can feel the quality when you get them side by side with cheaper ones.

[quote name='solo4652' post='671654' date='Dec 1 2009, 10:25 PM']So, will this do for what I want, please? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XLR-to-XLR-Pro-Mic-Cable-Instrument-Lead-9mt-30-Foot_W0QQitemZ390123460288QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Music_Instruments_Microphones_MJ?hash=item5ad52b96c0"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XLR-to-XLR-Pro-Mic-C...=item5ad52b96c0[/url][/quote] Yes, that would do (it mentions 2-core screened cable in the blurb). The connectors are a bit on the cheap side. This would be better - [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Deluxe-10m-Microphone-XLR-XLR-Cable-Neutrik-Connectors_W0QQitemZ310184576060QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item483871043c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Deluxe-10m-Microphon...=item483871043c[/url] Anything with "Neutrik" XLR connectors is a better buy as they are much more robust and will outlast cheaper cables. You might be able to find something cheaper, I just did a very quick search.

An XLR cable has two insulated cores and and braided earth. An instrument cable (i.e. a guitar cable) has a single core and a braided earth. For a balanced connection (XLR) you need the two-core and earth cable, not the instrument cable.

It could be the big hefty transformers in the valve amp are creating more potential interference than those in a solid state amp. Does the noise vary as you move the bass about ? If so then it's hum that's being "picked up" by the bass from an external source. Shielding the bass cavities might help here but you can never predict how successful this will be. If the noise is constant, no matter where you stand or what angle the bass is held at, then it's something else. Yes, it probably would transmit to tape if you recorded with it.

What model of combo ? Are there any valves in the combo ? If so then checking the valves would be a good first step. Also check all the connections - speaker connections, mains cable. Try a different mains cable if you can or if the mains cable is hard wired then open up the 13Amp mains plug and make sure there are no loose wires in there (if you're not sure what you're doing inside a mains plug then get someone who knows about these things to check it).

Yes, both of these outputs would do the job. Use "Balanced Out" for longer cable runs as balanced signals are less susceptible to noise. But for a shortish cable run the "Line Out" would do the job just as well. One thing to watch out for when using the "Balanced Out" (or any output on an XLR connector rather than a jack plug) is that if "Phantom power" is used on the mixing desk and applied to the channel to which the bass amp is connected then there may be risk of damage to the amp - you'd have to confirm that this would be ok with Roland. A well designed DI-out will be able to cope with Phantom power without any problems. (Phantom power is used to send power to some types of mics - if none of your mics need phantom power then you can switch this off at the desk and there are no problems whatsoever).

It could just be something as simple as a dry solder joint on the jack socket or a damaged socket. Both should be relatively easy to fix. Exactly how easy depends on the type of jack socket used. Open it up and concentrate on the input jack socket first. Look for dull grey (rather than shiny silver) solder joins. If the jack socket is the "open" type then insert a jack into it while watching to see what happens with the contacts. If anything looks loose then a new socket might be best.

[quote name='danlea' post='649193' date='Nov 8 2009, 09:57 PM']I suppose I shouldn't assume that people on here are aware of the implications of disconnecting an earth connection. I did only suggest it as a diagnostic procedure (since the plug is easier to open than the amp), but I didn't emphasise the warning not to leave it like this - that would obviously be asking for trouble.[/quote] No problem. I'm just aware that this thread could be around for a while and there's always the possibility that someone might read it out of context, so I thought it best to emphasise the "safety angle" !

It's best not to mess with the polepieces. It can sometimes be possible to "drift" then into a new position using a suitabe diameter dowel and a hammer BUT.... if the pickup is wax potted then the pickup wire may be stuck to the polepiece by the wax and there is a chance of breaking the wire = dead pickup. Not worth the risk. If the volume from each string is balanced (i.e. the D-string is not quieter than the others) then I'd be inclined to leave it.

[quote name='zenbassuk' post='648453' date='Nov 7 2009, 11:59 PM']Hey Guys took a punt and connected the black wire to the center terminal and the grey to the right one... All seems fine...!! Thanks guys...!![/quote] Glad to here it's working again. But given the above I would advise against a career in bomb disposal.....

Any chance of a photo or two of the wiring ? That might help check to see if it all looks right.

[quote name='danlea' post='645912' date='Nov 5 2009, 01:34 AM']Perhaps try disconnecting the earth connection in the plug to give you a DIY earth lift (not that you'd want to leave it like this as a solution)?[/quote] I can't emphasise enough that this is NOT a good idea. I can see why you are suggesting this as a method for identifying the problem, but it doesn't provide a solution and if removing the earth from the plug did make a difference then there would be a temptation to leave it this way. What could then happen is the unearthed power lead gets mixed up with others at some point in the future and gets used unwittingly with other equipment with potentially lethal consequences. Please do not remove the earth connection from a mains plug for any reason.

It does sound a lot like an earth/ground loop. Other than the ground lift switch (which you say doesn't seem to work) there's not a lot you can do when the gear is linked with a mono jack lead. I'm assuming that both amp and V-amp are plugged into the same 13amp socket ? If not, then try doing that. The reason the TC Electronics doesn't have a problem will be to do with the way it is earthed internally, which must be different to the V-amp.

There's a thread on "amp techs" pinned to the top of this forum. Have a look there to see if there are any local recommendations.

Oh ... I should add - check that the V-amp isn't picking up external noise. Try moving it to another location away from the amp and any power cables or power adaptors just to rule this out.

Bearing in mind that there could be a fault.... It's still worth trying a few settings. Do you have the user manual ? It's truly awful but there are a couple of things in that that are useful - in particular the explanation of the operation modes and what signal is sent to what output depending on which mode is selected. If you want all amp models, FX, and speaker simulations output, then connect to the RIGHT Analogue Out jack and use mode S1, S2 or L1. Obviously stereo FX can't be used in this mode. Try experimenting with the volume and gain levels of the V-amp. Is it possible that the volume is just way up full ? Beyond that, there's not much else you can adjust with regard to the outputs.

It's most likely to be the amp - but checking it with another cab will confirm this anyway. Also try swapping every lead - power lead included - just to rule these out. It could be that the control pots need cleaned. With the amp switched off, turn all the pots from min to max and back several times. Then switch on and see if this has helped at all. If it has helped but the noise is still there you'll need to clean the pots. To do this you'd need to open up the amp, locate the control pots and squirt a little contact cleaner (e.g. Super Servisol) inside the pots, then operate the pots fully a few times. If this procedure makes no difference then it could be a faulty component (a failing capacitor can cause this sort of noise) in which case an amp tech would need to look at it.

Don't cover the contacts on the board - cover the shielding foil where the contacts are likely to touch. Stick some insulating tape on top of the shielding foil to prevent any contact - it won't affect the shielding in any way.

Which outputs on the V-amp are you using ? Is it an XLR output or a jack output ? And the input on the Trace - is it XLR or jack ?

The controller is called tha CA-32 and the foot controller is the CA-32F [url="http://www.soundivision.com.au/products.asp?id=125"]http://www.soundivision.com.au/products.asp?id=125[/url] (click on "Resources" for a brief manual) The cable between the CA-32 and CA-32F is a 5-pin DMX cable.

Try here [url="http://www.axesrus.com/AxePlatesBass.html"]http://www.axesrus.com/AxePlatesBass.html[/url] or here [url="http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/category/Pickguards/Fender_Basses"]http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/category/Pickguards/Fender_Basses[/url]