rmorris

[quote name='JoshOmachine' timestamp='1364157070' post='2022703'] And yes it is the same for all of the other instruments. As a rule DI boxes should always go straight to a mic input as their job is to take a line level unbalanced signal and transform it into a mic level balanced signal. [/quote] But in this case the DI has already provided a 'Line' (or thereabouts) level so it would likely be best to take the '0dB' line level output to a line input. The details really depend on the internal circuitry of the mixer but it's essentially all about gain mapping. Attenuating a signal then boosting it again results in a worse signal / noise ratio so ideally you only want to attenuate at the last stage you can so you are cutting all the noise as well as the signal. It gets a bit more complicated depending on the available headroom etc but that's the gist. Where it's essentially a passive transformer DI then that will want to go to a mic input. Essentially the transformer trades a higher impedancce / higher level signal for a lower impedance / lower signal level and balances it into the bargain. But where you have active electronics you can get a 'line' level output that is low impedance and balanced. Strictly 0dB is a relative level but I guess they mean 0dBu or similar which defines an actual signal level. 'Standard' proffesional line level is nominal +4dBu witha maximum level of around 21dBu or greater. The '-20dB' pad makes the level generally suitable for amplifier inputs / fx pedals etc ( I have a Sansamp BDDI with similar output level options)

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1363712479' post='2016418'] I've heard of this but have never found myself hugely convinced. You need the right mechanical interactions and humidity and to create and maintain a static charge on a material and I find it unlikely that many people manage to get both of these environmental anomalies on a regular basis. Some materials are prone to static (ever been in an office where your shoes, the carpet surface and metal door handles give you a spark?) but finding the 'correct' combination of materials in a scratchplate would take an illogical degree of work. Even if it *is* a static charge, once it's dissipated then it's not likely to reappear in a matter of seconds. Shielding scratchplates and body cavities is more to do with eliminating RFI than controlling the build up of static. I'm not doubting that changing your scratchplate resolved the problem you were having but I'm more inclined to think that the physical process of moving stuff about when you changed it actually rectified the original issue. But hey, I'm no physicist so I'm quite happy to be wrong. [/quote] Yes the charge does dissipate quickly but the action of rubbing fingers / hand etc against the scratchplate causes further charge. It only occurs while you're playing. If you're careful not to rub the scratchplate it doesn't happen because you're simply not producing an electrostatic charge. Additionally it occurs as a problem where the scratchplate surface has worn to a shine - near strings / around pots etc. And many players report it becoming a problem only after several years as the scratchplate becomes more 'polished' by friction. In general it's more noticeable if you're using high gain/distortion circuits. It's worth bearing in mind that depending on design and impedance parameters 'normal' Hi_Z pickups can be very sensitive to all sorts of noise sources. I once spent a good while tracking down a tick from a guitar at what seemed like 1 second intervals. I should have realised it earlier but it was my quartz battery watch with a seconds hand. You could watch the hand move and hear the tick simultaneously !

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1363653617' post='2015468'] Matter of interest, was it a 3 ply one ? Just wondering if it had a different material in the centre. [/quote] I thought I had posted a reply to this but can't see it here so apologies if double posted. Yes it's a 3 ply black/white/black plastic. I think it's only the outer face that is the issue though as the problem occured where that had worn to a shiny area.

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1363653617' post='2015468'] Matter of interest, was it a 3 ply one ? Just wondering if it had a different material in the centre. [/quote] It is a three ply Black/white/black. I'd assume material was the same ? but don't know. I think it's only the outer surface which you touch that is the issue as it gets 'polished' over time where touched often including round the pots. I recall finding quite a bit of discussion on it on the web if Googled. Seem to remember it was a particular point of discussion on a Telecaster forum.

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1363478357' post='2013297'] Well that's plastic, so it's not that - you can't earth plastic. [/quote] Woahh...it can def be caused by a 'plastic' pickguard. It seems that when they get worn they can generate 'staic' type inteference when touched / rubbed. Plenty of info if you Google it. Look for 'shiny' bits on the pickguard where it's been 'polished' by hand movements etc. I had this happen on an Ibanez Strat copy. You can shield with foil and dryer sheets also work to a degree ( they are 'anti static' )- but I got a new pickguard cut at a place in Orpington.

[quote name='kennyrodg' timestamp='1361620528' post='1988349'] Hey Folks, I used my trusty old Yamaha BBT500H head last night at rehearsal. It was the first time I used it with my Thumb Bass and 8x10 cab and I was pretty blown away with the tone. I've always loved this little head and I've never really found anything that compares with the tone of it....subjective I know but it just lacks a bit of balls at 4 ohms. I'm wondering if there are any lightweight, rackable, bridgeable and doesn't cost the earth-able power amps out there that don't add any colour to the sound that I could run with the Yamaha. I would be very grateful for some suggestions I could research to see if it's viable. Thanks in advance. [/quote] So are you saying that you've run it into nominal 8 ohm cab(s) and it sounded better ?

Let us know what you think of the Arion Phaser. The stereo dry/wet option on Arion pedals is nice. As it happens I have the Arion OverDrive pedal which offers either a direct or 'soft' version of the effected signal on the second output. Some people seem to really rate this pedal. Not my thing for either guitar or bass though so up for sale if anyone interested. Must get around to listing some stuff for sale as picked up a good few pedals recently and need to sort out what to keep. and what to sell.

I forgot that I also have Rocktek '6 Band EQ' (100Hz - 3.2kHz bands) and 'Bass EQ' (80Hz to 2.6kHz bands). No problems. The only real issue I see with the build quality is with the plastic battery cover which also bears the pedal name. The plastic 'push' clip can rather easily break off so some pedals have covers which don't clip in or are missing. I might put the Flanger up for sale on here (missing battery cover btw) if anyone interested.

agree with the main thrust of 'Whatever works'. Just to note that compression can be useful in front of an Octaver to improve tracking by keeping the input level to the Octaver steadier. Also putting any overdrive/dist/fuzz before a modulation - chorus / flange - gives the modulation effect more frequencies to work on.

Just raising this thread again 'cos I recently picked up a Rocktek Phaser on ebay and agree with the OP. Sounds good enough on it's own and really animates distorted tones. I also rate the Chorus - put it this way - I had one years ago that was stolen from my car and now have two. Also have the Flanger but not so keen on that preferring Arion Stereo Flanger. On the construction - I don't have a problem with the construction. I wouldn't say it was at all poor - decent thickness of material / decent screws etc. Switches never failed though not gigged much. Decent pots / knobs. Plastic cased pedals may be an issue from a screening pov but can't see if they are shielded on the inside. If you can pick some up at a good price then I'd recommend.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1359055329' post='1949214'] Have thought about this a bit more (not sure of brain power after day at work though). The unit only working when presence pot full on could be symptomatic of a 'fractured' solder joint. If the pot is a pcb mounted one it seems even more likely. The fix might be as simple as 'reflowing' the solder joints of the pot on the pcb. [/quote] +1. First stop is to reflow the solder joints to the pot. Maybe remove existing solder ( with solder wick ) and re solder. Is there a screen/wire connected to the pot body itself ? If so then it's a suspect as such joints sometimes fail due to the pot body acting as a heatsink during soldering. The joint may then become unreliable over time (dry joint). Re make all the solder joints anyway. Let us know how you get on.

You'll prob need to experiment with different R / C values for bass and dependent on pickup(s) and value of the volume potentiometer. Unless you really need to use the volume control on the bass it's much more predictable to use the amplifier or mixing desk level controls.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1358924853' post='1947043'] Be brave, open it up and have a look. From what you say it could be something as simple as detached screen lead on a jack socket. If it is this obvious it is an easy DIY fix. [/quote] +1 Sounds like a broken ground (screen) path.

Location ?

[quote name='Jus Lukin' timestamp='1357296285' post='1920443'] With velcro I find that the glue on the back is usually the weakest link. I've superglued the stuff to a pedal more than once! [/quote] +1 Yeah - the problem wioth sticky back Velcro/ Hook'n'Loop fastener always seems to be that the hook/loop fixing is fine but the adhesive fails. eg on IKEA Venetian blinds where it's used to fix the fascia. I guess the right sort of 'superglue' or epxy resin ( eg Araldite) would sort it if you're happy to commit !

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1356371494' post='1909666'] It will cover far more than just bass, and its good metering will mean you will have a great tool for educating yourself, and your ears to comperssion. Enjoy it! [/quote] +1 You should really get a 'proper' stereo compressor if you want to use it for recording in general as well as bass. Standard units from dbx / symetrix / alesis / behringer etc will offer you a great deal of flexibility but that also means access to a shed load of sounds which you won't actually want to use on a particular sound source. So if you want to be effective you really need to learn / read about compression - there's lots of info out there - to understand how to get the effects you're looking for. That's more important really than the particular box of electronics chosen. Playing with software compressors on a DAW is a great way to get a feel for it without buying loads of kit plus you get visual info on the monitor. Of course something like the Carl Martin mentioned may give a flavour of something you can't afford in it's fully fledged and expensive guise ( Urei / Pultec etc ) so it's a judgement.

[quote name='malcolm.mcintyre' timestamp='1356869513' post='1914426'] I am NOT looking for actual distortion. [/quote] Well it is distortion ( if it wasn't it would sound the same as without the effect ! ) but I guess it's not "what I like to call" DISTORTION [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1356938921' post='1915290'] I used a BDI-21 as above, and also a Sansamp BDDI into my LMIII. They both sounded good and SVT-like, and so similar that if I ever went that way again I'd be tempted to save the money and just get the Behringer. Given how little they cost, it's worth trying one. [/quote] +1 from experience a BDDI with a modest Drive setting will give you a sound along the lines you're looking for and given that most people reckon the Behringer BDI sound similar then prob worth a go. If you do fancy having a real tube on a budget then might want to think about giving an ART Tube MP mic preamp a go. It's a low voltage 'starved grid' circuit so tube purists will probably scoff but it may get you something you like soundwise. They seem to go for well under £50ish on ebay / gumtree etc.

[quote name='LITTLEWING' timestamp='1356971945' post='1915858'] Okay, what I'm after is close right now using the bass's tone control, a cross between Paladino when I want 'smooth' and Clayton when I want 'punch'. I may well be barking up the wrong tree in the fact that my 300 watts isn't doing it at volume, whereas 500 may give me what I'm after with more headroom. [/quote] Are you micing up the amp setup to get the PA / FoH sound ?

The washers shouldn't be there so you can just get rid of them. My first long scale bass was ( and still is ) a Thunder 1A many years ago and I 've beeen through all the electronics several times ( at present has lo-Z EMGs fitted)

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1355676622' post='1901243'] Hmmm I think I may have answered my own question, it seems the circuit I was looking at has a 1k ohm input impedance so that would presumably make it compatible with dynamic mics out-of-the-box so to speak. [/quote] I haven't seen the Maplin mic to line box but from those impedance specs it should work fine. Going into a high impedance isn't really a problem in any case whereas too low an input impedance will seriously degrade the sound. It can be more tricky to engineer Hi-Z inputs with low noise / interference though. In fact 1K0 input impedance sounds a bit low. Typical source impedance for a dynamic mic is in the region of 200 ohm and inputs are generally set to have an input impedance of 10x the source impedance so that gives 2K0. But it could be that it's 1K0 per balanced leg giving total 2K0. Anyway it should work fine. Let us know on here how it works out.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1355679942' post='1901295'] True, but neutral is tied to ground and the phase has a constantly varying voltage. In the UK on a single phase that's 230V to -230V. [/quote] +1 Essentially problems arise where 'earths' are not at reasonably close potentials due to missing or poor connections. This can be due to connections not being made or becoming disconnected or simply through conductors which have too much impedance - usually as simple as the wire not being thick enough. ; or connections can corrode over time due to rust / oxidiseation or chemical reaction between different metals. It's also worth mentioning that 240 (ish) Vac (RMS) means that the peak voltage to 0V is in the region of 340V. On a slightly different note it's worth recognising that the potential problems reduce if you're not 'earthing' yourself by contact with the strings / bridge etc. of your bass/guitar. this seems generally to be okay where you use Lo-Z pickups ( emg etc ) and / or galvanic isolation - If I recall correctly WAL basses were fitted with an isolating audio transformer ?

I'd have to go with recommending you use an RCD plug for your multi way mains block but you could still get an issue if the mic / pa system is run off a different socket. Hopefully the venue would have RCD protection where the power enters the building but it's possible that it might not and just be relying on fuses. It shouldn't be the case of course but it may not be practical to verify in all cases. Classically you can get a problem if the 'earth' on the bass is significantly different to the 'earth' on a mic. High Power installations may use different 'phases' of the electricity supply ( ref 3 phase power ) and problems, possibly lethal, can result. People have been killed as a result. If I recall correctly, someone in the 'Sensational Alex Harvey Band' was killed like this in Swansea many moons ago.

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1355332226' post='1897089'] If you're experienceing extreme interference you could try checking and/or improving the screening of your bass. coating the pickup cavities with conductive paint, or copper tape and connecting to earth can get rid of huge amounts of hum and interference. The Precision bass pickup is actually wired as a humbucker already so am I right to assume the issue is with your Jazz bass? If so shielding will definitely help alot. I have Wizards on my main Jazz (and an S-1) and covering the pickup and control covities in conductive tape made a huge difference. [/quote] Screening / shielding will reduce rf pickup which is higher frequencies. It cuts down the amount of interference which gets translated into noise at audio frequencies and should stop the local taxi firm coming through your amp and noise from computer monitors etc. But it won't do much to counteract noise from lower frequency sources - typically noise from transformers in amplifiers or from lighting rigs etc. Technically it's because the interference is caused by an electromagnetic field. At higher frequencies the interference is predominantly electrical and shielding is effective. As the frequency decreases the field becomes more magnetic and normal shielding becomes less and less effective. The solution in an audio context is to use a low source impedance and impedance balanced wiring and electronics (as typical with microphones). Hi-Z pickups and single ended wiring and electronics mitigate against an ideal solution although the use of coil configurations discussed can help by cancelling out noise at the pickups. With the correct pickup wiring options Hi-Z pickups (as well as low Z types ) can be configured as balanced sources and then the signal can be converted to a balanced low Z signal to send it down to the amp/fx. Basically wire the pickup as a balanced source and have a DI circuit in the bass.