Pre amp and master volume....what's the difference.

[jonnythenotes]

I know what they both do, but what is the difference in the end result....some people say to set your pre amp volume till it just starts to clip a bit and then pull it back a little, (if you don't want distortion creeping in,) and then use the master volume for getting your playing volume to the right level. Other people say wind your master volume up almost full, and then use your pre amp control to get the required playing volume. What, if any, is the difference with the sound that comes out of the speakers using one or the other of these methods of producing your 'sound'. Is one better than the other, does one put more strain on the amp than the other, or are there actual differences in the sound. It might seem a daft question, but I have very little tech knowledge, and would really like to know if one works better than the other, or is there
nothing in it... Thanks

[Bankai]

One is a gain control, the other is a volume control.

As you turn up a gain control, you increasingly amplify the signal going through the circuit.
With a volume control, when it's on maximum it's not doing anything to the signal, it's as you turn it down it's adds resistance and brings the signal down.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Bankai

[Roland Rock]

With my valve amp, I like to crank the master, then adjust the gain to suit - it keeps things clean but with gorgeous fatness, especially at volume.
With my solid state amp, I do the more conventional method of raising the gain to just below clipping, then adjust the master to the appropriate volume.

Not sure if I've answered your question, but the point is, different methods work for different amps

[jonnythenotes]

Thanks guys.... Still not to sure if one is a preferred method of creating playing volume though. If I wind my pre amp control upto an almost clipping point, and then use the master output gain to control the volume, I seem to get far more string noise...zinging etc....than using the other method. It seems the higher the pre amp setting, the more it imports the unwanted signals into the amp, yet using a lesser pre amp signal and the master volume almost on full, you get less of these unwanted signals, but is this detracting from the sound being sent to the amp by the bass. Sorry if it sounds a bit messy, but I don't have the tech talk to explain myself in simpler terms.

[Chrismanbass]

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1425843863' post='2711409']
Thanks guys.... Still not to sure if one is a preferred method of creating playing volume though. If I wind my pre amp control upto an almost clipping point, and then use the master output gain to control the volume, I seem to get far more string noise...zinging etc....than using the other method. It seems the higher the pre amp setting, the more it imports the unwanted signals into the amp, yet using a lesser pre amp signal and the master volume almost on full, you get less of these unwanted signals, but is this detracting from the sound being sent to the amp by the bass. Sorry if it sounds a bit messy, but I don't have the tech talk to explain myself in simpler terms.
[/quote]


okay ......

in very simple simple terms pre amp gain affects how much noise your pickups will "pick up" if you imagine a ball around your pickup is the area it can hear sounds and as you increase the pre amp gain the ball gets bigger thus the quieter sounds (string noise and zinging) can be heard

master volume is the total volume the amp will output so all you're doing is turning the signal that the pickups create (via preamp gain) up or down


sorry if this is a little simplistic but that in essence what both knobs do

N.B. if you play in a band and have a mixer for your PA most will have a gain (or trim) knob at the top of the channel (the mic replacing the pickup) and a fader which is in essence volume it works the same way

Edit: theres no right or wrong way to get the sound you want really (as long as you're not clipping the preamp) for example the conventional wisdom for bass amps is that you turn up the gain until its just below clipping and then set master volume to taste.

this is so that you have maximum potential volume there should you need it and the sound will stay roughly consistent as you change volume, if you change the gain on your amp mid gig and you have D.I.'ed from the back of your head you will increase the signal going to the sound guy as well

however in mixing bands you're taught to set the fader at zero and then gain up the channel to the correct volume
because that way you're only amplifying what you want to hear from an individual mic

so it depends ......


hope this is helpful

Edited March 8, 2015 by Chrismanbass

[Bassman Steve]

If it helps, the instructions for Boogie Bass 400 and 400+ amps states that you get no more clean volume above 5 on the master so I tend to have mine on about 4 and use the channel as the volume control - it rarely gets above 3.

[Norris]

Some amps are built to distort and this is usually controlled by the input gain. What it does is to amplify your bass signal to a level that is comfortable for the tone circuits to work with (gain staging). On valve amps giving "too much" gain will cause the signal to distort, usually in a pleasant way. Transistor amps usually don't sound quite as nice when overdriven.

The volume control will attenuate the signal coming out of the pre-amp stage, in effect setting the volume of whatever sound you've made.

How you set them depends on what sound you want. If you want it clean don't over-do the gain

[HazBeen]

I feel like pedal chain order there is no real right or wrong here, so much depends on preference, type of amp, bass etc. Purists may say, you must do X or Y but I say let your ears decide what is best in your setup. Ultimately it is all about being loud enough to keep up with the band, with a tone you like. Marcus Miller and Lemmy have very different sounds.....