WHUFC BASS Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Recently did a gig in Belgium in a mid / large-sized venue where the backline was supplied. Bass backline was an Ampeg PF-500 and a Warwick 4x10 cab. Got there early to do a soundcheck and plugged into the amp, switched on and sound came out and I tuned up and noodled, tweaking to get a decent sound. Suddenly my sound cut out. Odd I thought, and began checking my amp, connections and bass. All seemed OK and suddenly sound came back. Carried on noodling and then, sound cuts out again. Called over the sound man and explain it keeps cutting out. Couldn't replicate it in front of him so just carried on. Then when he jumps off stage, sound cuts out again, then sound returns after a few seconds. Really odd, so he calls his mate over and we try to work out what's going on. Eventually, I worked out that when the drummer started playing my sound cut out. Nonsense I was told as I was DI'ing from the amp and drum kit was mic'd up which made them rubbish my claim until I got the drummer to play at the same time as me, sure enough sound cut out. We spent half an hour trying to work out what was wrong but none of us could work it out. Anyway, in the end I had to go direct into the PA with monitors acting as stage monitor for me. We never did work out what it was and in over thirty years of playing, I've never had anything like this happen on stage. Any ideas what this could have been? I must admit, I'm completely stumped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Does the venue have a volume cutout ? I've gigged in venues where the band volume kept triggering a DB meter and that was linked to killing the PA Mind you, i guess thats not it, when it was just you and a drummer, so i dunno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 1 minute ago, fleabag said: Does the venue have a volume cutout ? I've gigged in venues where the band volume kept triggering a DB meter and that was linked to killing the PA Mind you, i guess thats not it, when it was just you and a drummer, so i dunno Drummer actually asked that question and was told there wasn't. Guitars hadn't even started so that would make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Yeah i had me doubts, due to only 2 of you sound checking. Pretty bizarre - vibration maybe , tricking the amp into protect mode, assuming it has one ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 2 minutes ago, fleabag said: Yeah i had me doubts, due to only 2 of you sound checking. Pretty bizarre - vibration maybe , tricking the amp into protect mode, assuming it has one ? Yes, the PF range from Ampeg are renowned for the protection circuit kicking in, but I had the limiter on which safeguards against overload supposedly. Must admit, I didn't have the volume on ten and was playing a passive bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I wonder if the protection circuit is slightly dicky. It's obviously an amp that gets played by all and sundry and may have suffered abuse in it's time .. perhaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 45 minutes ago, fleabag said: Yeah i had me doubts, due to only 2 of you sound checking. Pretty bizarre - vibration maybe , tricking the amp into protect mode, assuming it has one ? Vibration causing a dry joint in the amp to disconnect the signal somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Were there other bass players using the amp the same night? If so did they have the same problem? I agree that on the face of it it sounds like a faulty connection some where in the amp being shaken loose by the drums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I still have my PF-500. A couple of times I had my sound cut out, changed my guitar lead etc etc. (my first one went wrong, fault light came on etc) Then at a gig is Cardiff I used 2 x cabs. One started cutting out, so I changed my speaker leads from Speakon, to jacks and never had the problem again. I don't know how a speakon connects but I suspect there is / was a dirty or faulty connection somewhere. Either a cab, or the amp. The fact that one cab cut out and they are daisy chained probably makes it the cab? (I can't remember if I changed the speakon lead for a different speakon lead) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 (edited) Were there lights on the amp when it was 'out'? IIRC the PF500 has a purple fault light which signifies the protection kicking in (I think this was the fault for which they became infamous). What's the issue when an amp and mixer into which the amp is DI's are on different mains phases? I know there's something but don't know what the problem is. If no lights were on I wonder if the vibration of the kit being played was affecting a dry joint or something similar? Interesting. Edited January 9, 2019 by Steve Browning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 17 hours ago, casapete said: Vibration causing a dry joint in the amp to disconnect the signal somewhere? That'd be my guess, the only thing that's changed when the drummer starts playing is an increase in the amount of vibrations in the room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 9 hours ago, Crawford13 said: Were there other bass players using the amp the same night? If so did they have the same problem? No, I was the first to sound check so I was the sacrificial guinea pig. 7 hours ago, Steve Browning said: Were there lights on the amp when it was 'out'? IIRC the PF500 has a purple fault light which signifies the protection kicking in (I think this was the fault for which they became infamous). What's the issue when an amp and mixer into which the amp is DI's are on different mains phases? I know there's something but don't know what the problem is. If no lights were on I wonder if the vibration of the kit being played was affecting a dry joint or something similar? Interesting. I can't remember for definite but I think everything cut out - no lights, nothing. Certainly don't remember a purple fault light. As for your second question, we did change power outlets which didn't have any affect, the fault was still there. 7 hours ago, police squad said: I don't know how a speakon connects but I suspect there is / was a dirty or faulty connection somewhere. Either a cab, or the amp. The fact that one cab cut out and they are daisy chained probably makes it the cab? (I can't remember if I changed the speakon lead for a different speakon lead) I do get the thinking behind a dry joint being culprit, but even a cymbal crash - which to my ears didn't really make any noticeable vibration cut the amp out. It's possible that it could be the straw that broke the camels back and was enough to separate the connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.