TC electronic Classic 450 - sensitive volume control

[Osiris]

I'm using a TC electronic Classic 450 head and find the volume control can sometimes be right a pain in the bum to get the output level just right when gigging.
Pretty much all amps I've used previously have a degree of control as you increase the volume but this thing seems to make big jumps in output when you give it the even the slightest tweak.
To compensate, I've tried backing the gain off a little but this seems to have a similar effect - a small tweak of the gain with a much greater than expected drop in volume.

I don't like to back the volume down on the bass either as the tone seems to suffer as the amp is not getting the full signal from the bass, plus when turning down between songs it's a pain to get the level back to exactly where you want it.
I don't want to change the amp either as other than the volume control, it's the best amp I've ever used - it gives me the exact sound I want and the compressor is jaw droppingly perfect too.

Having been gigging for about 25 years or so, I'd like to think that it's not a case of pilot error or doing something stupid...... I've tried all the obvious fault finding exercises, new batteries, different basses, different cabs and cables etc. but still the problem persists.

Having spoken to a fellow Classic 450 user (Basschat's very own Adee) he has reported the same thing which makes me think that maybe this is an issue with the Classic 450 or maybe TC amps as a whole?

I'm not entirely convinced that the amp actually has a fault, it's just that it can be bloody annoying - I played my last gig with the amp too loud and had spend the night tickling the strings instead of digging in, just to be able to play at the correct volume for the gig.

Anyone else having a similar problem?

I understand that there are different types of pots, some being logarithmic others being linear, although not being particularly electronically minded, I'm not entirely sure what the differences are between the types, but if I understand the concept correctly, could it be as simple as swapping the volume pot (which is presumably logarithmic?) for a liner one?

Any help or suggestions much appreciated,

Sid.

[charic]

There's a channel volume on the RH450 which kinda helps with this although I've never really had THAT much of an issue with it

[Low End Bee]

Not had a problem with mine. Played small to medium venues with it both DI and unassisted.
Are you using TC cabs with it?

[garethfriend]

yeah I found mine to be very sensitive, I find it less pronounced if you run the gain a little lower than just backing off from clipping. Also found it less of a problem if you turn the channel volume all the way up for some reason.

For me it's like home practice volume until you hit 9 o'clock and then too loud to gig most venues past 10 o'clock on the master volume

[MarkBassChat]

Have you tried contacting TC Electronic directly? This may be an issue with the amp and they know how to fix it. I would also compare settings used on demo videos, here: [url="http://www.tcelectronic.com/classic450.asp"]http://www.tcelectronic.com/classic450.asp[/url] or on youtube. I don't think that you can easily replace the pot in the amp. It is very advanced amp and even in order to dissassemble it, you need special tools (I know because I was fixing RH450).

Mark

[Osiris]

Thanks for the replies folks,

Charic - the Classic doesn't have a channel volume control, only gain and master as it's a single channel amp.

Low End - I use a Tecamp M212 cab for most gigs (2 x 12, 4 ohm, 600 watts) and a Mesa Boogie radiator scout (1 x 12, 8 ohm, 300 watts) for rehearsals and small gigs. I've had the same volume issue with both cabs.

Gareth - that's exactly how mine is, [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]home practice volume until you hit 9 o'clock and then too loud to gig most venues.[/font][/color]

[font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Mark - No, haven't contacted TC, though I'm tempted to. However, this does seem to be an issue with at least some of the TC amps. Might be worth a call to their technical support though. [/color][/font]

[font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Sid.[/color][/font]

[MarkBassChat]

In RH450 the preamp is digital (processing is performed by a DSP chip) and they use electronic volume control. If this is the same in you version, the problem may be as simple as non-contacting potentiometer, or as complex as incorrect program that is used in the amp. I think that you have no choice other than contacting TC Electronic. Unless you accept the way it works (which seems to be incorrect). If you manage to solve the problem, let us know what was it exactly. This may be very useful information for other users.

Mark