Bass amp settings.

[blunderthumbs]

I Have an Ashdown ABM evoII 500 head.
I have always been under the impression that you have to have your output level control (Post)cranked up higher
that your input level control (Pre) to drive the internal power amp.
I normally set my input/pre control at 9 o'clock and my output/post control at 12 o'clock.
But recently I was watching a dvd of Graham Gouldman (10cc) using the exact same head.
He had his input level set at 3 o'clock and his output level set at 9 o'clock would this not damage the amp ???

Edited February 26, 2013 by blunderthumbs

[BigRedX]

No. You set the input level just below the point at which the input clips when you play at your loudest (does your amp have an input clip light?) and then use the output volume to set the overall volume of the amp.

[chris_b]

If that setting damaged the amp he probably wouldn't be doing it.

When the Gain is lower and the Master is higher you get a cleaner tone. The other way around will give a more overdriven/distorted tone.

[blunderthumbs]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1361895706' post='1992636']
No. You set the input level just below the point at which the input clips when you play at your loudest (does your amp have an input clip light?) and then use the output volume to set the overall volume of the amp.
[/quote]
The amp doesn't have a clip light it has a vu meter which to be honest is not that accurate.

[BigRedX]

Does this amp have a valve pre-amp?

[JapanAxe]

The Ashdown VU meter is a gimmick - use your ears to check for distortion! You can usually get more drive by setting the input balance towards the valve side. Set your input gain for the desired amount of drive, then use the master as a volume control.

Edited February 26, 2013 by JapanAxe

[dmccombe7]

Play safe - set your pre (Gain) at 12 and adjust the Master to whatever you need. You won't be clipping or distorting and you get the most out of the amp.
If you are looking for some slight overdrive then ramp the Gain up till you achieve the desired effect and back off the master to suit.

You won't do damage to most modern amps on the Gain. That's what its there for.
It will allow you the option of chnaging Gain to accomodate different basses ie passive or active which will have different output volumes.

I had an Ashdown and also thought the VU meter was a bit of a joke to be honest. Good amp otherwise.

Have fun
Dave

[BassTractor]

Don't know the ABM 500, but to nooby me, the VU meter on my MAG 300 evo II seemed to work very well, whilst the one on my Little Bastard seems like a gimmick indeed ("Play louder to get the needle to move to the right" -"Well, thank you! That seems like a nice game! I'll sell my Xbox!")
Of course, this could be the second time in my life I was wrong about something.

If the ABM has the same VU in the same position in the signal chain as on the MAG 300, then it should be able to tell you when you're close to overdrive the pre amp tubes.


best,
bert

[AnalogBomb]

I found the VU Meter on my old ABM Evo to be completely unrelated in any way to the amp - but it does look cool...... ahhh glowy! Sorry..... but I throught the preamp section was good, but let down by those god awful blue line speakers they put in.