Jo.gwillim Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I like practising at home with the same amp I'm going to gig with, one day! The trouble has always been everything is too loud, even if I crack open the master volume just a fraction. So I made up a short jack lead with a 56k resistor between the tips and plug it in between fx send and return. Yes I know the attention depends on input and output impedances but works fine on darkglass gk and ashdown amps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JottoSW1 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Sounds like a question to be run past @agedhorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 If you don't need overdriven sounds, just turn down the Gain. I remember trying a T.E. Elf & with the Gain turned up it was too loud even with the volume just cracked a wee bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 If you pop earphones or ear defenders on then it won’t be so loud so you can turn it up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Turn down the volume on the bass. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedhorse Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Using a resistor like that depends entirely on the input and output impedance of the effects circuit. Generally, a more predictable result comes from a true series/shunt pad where the variables are defined almost entirely by the external circuitry rather than varying based on what is inside the amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said: Turn down the volume on the bass. If its a passive bass with a conventional Volume and Tone controls, turing down the bass volume will also affect the tone. 48 minutes ago, agedhorse said: Using a resistor like that depends entirely on the input and output impedance of the effects circuit. Generally, a more predictable result comes from a true series/shunt pad where the variables are defined almost entirely by the external circuitry rather than varying based on what is inside the amp. Would you suggest a Pi or Tee attenuator? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I don't see the high frequency loss caused by turning the volume down as an issue for practice, but if that's the case you can deal with that by using a bypass capacitor on the pot. Guitar players have been doing this since the 70s. https://octavedoctor.com/treble-bleed-circuit-what-is-it-and-do-i-need-it/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 You could run a volume pedal ( low impedance ) in the FX loop Old guitarist trick for solo boost etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedhorse Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 3 hours ago, Chienmortbb said: If its a passive bass with a conventional Volume and Tone controls, turing down the bass volume will also affect the tone. Would you suggest a Pi or Tee attenuator? Neither, those topologies are used for impedance matched networks. All you need is a simple voltage divider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo.gwillim Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 58 minutes ago, agedhorse said: Neither, those topologies are used for impedance matched networks. All you need is a simple voltage divider. I quite agree, a voltage divider is the right thing to do, but I just happened across a 56k resistor and thought I'd give it a try and it worked well for me, only took 5 mins to make and it's easier fitting one resistor in a jack plug rather than 2. I'm not trying to convert anyone, just thought I'd pass it on in case it strikes a chord with anyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, Chienmortbb said: If its a passive bass with a conventional Volume and Tone controls, turing down the bass volume will also affect the tone. A lot of active basses still have passive pickups & the volume pot will affect the timbre in the same way as a fully passive bass. Some will use an active volume & blend, but they're in the minority. Edited February 9, 2021 by Killed_by_Death spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 That depends on where the pot is in the signal chain. If it's between the pickups and the pre-amp then they will load the signal. The only reason to do that is to have separate volume controls on multiple pickups without having to use a pre-amp for each pickup. My EMGs have the pre-amps contained within the pickups, so the pots are post gain stage and don't affect the tone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killed_by_Death Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I was commenting to passive pickups to a pre-amp, generally the volume pot is between the pickups & the preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Killed_by_Death said: I was commenting to passive pickups to a pre-amp, generally the volume pot is between the pickups & the preamp. This is my point I have two active basses and two passive basses and while the active bass's tone's barely change with volume*, the two passive basses lose top end when the volume is rolled back. Now you could argue that passive basses are an anachronism and I would subscribe to that intellectually, but we are where we are. perhaps as BM says, we can fit the bypass capacitor but for some that means an unwanted trip to the guitar tech or "ruining" a classic instrument. So the attenuation in the effects loop is IMHO the best option. * any change is likley due to the amp/speaker combination rather than the onboard preamp. Edited February 10, 2021 by Chienmortbb added section for clarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Just turn the bass volume knob down and adjust the amp eq if needed...job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 For lockdown home playing I’m using my most powerful amp (800 watt Thunderfunk) through a BF One10 and my passive PJ5. This is the best low volume combination I’ve got. Sounds very good at no volume at all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 22 minutes ago, chris_b said: For lockdown home playing I’m using my most powerful amp (800 watt Thunderfunk) through a BF One10 and my passive PJ5. This is the best low volume combination I’ve got. Sounds very good at no volume at all. I have to say I do something similar 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I use my RM800 at home and works well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 If it's only home practice and for some reason a bass Vol control, a gain and volume on the amp won't get it quiet enough then this: https://www.gak.co.uk/en/blackstar-fly-3-bass-battery-powered-practice-amp/130750 Tone just isn't important for practice at that low a volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 12 hours ago, Jo.gwillim said: I quite agree, a voltage divider is the right thing to do, but I just happened across a 56k resistor and thought I'd give it a try and it worked well for me, only took 5 mins to make and it's easier fitting one resistor in a jack plug rather than 2. I'm not trying to convert anyone, just thought I'd pass it on in case it strikes a chord with anyone. A quick fix that works for you with the materials you had to hand ? 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agedhorse Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 A 56k resistor is series will work ok with some amps and not with other amps depending on the topology of the loop. I was just pointing g out a more correct solution for those who care about such things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo.gwillim Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 4 hours ago, ahpook said: A quick fix that works for you with the materials you had to hand ? 👍 Yes indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo.gwillim Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 40 minutes ago, agedhorse said: A 56k resistor is series will work ok with some amps and not with other amps depending on the topology of the loop. I was just pointing g out a more correct solution for those who care about such things. Quite agree, it worked on the 4 different makes of amp I tried. Tc electronic Gk Ashdown Darkglass I guess the send output impedance is always going to be quite low. So not a problem but it'll fall down with a hiZ on the return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I practice at home with either an 800W Markbass head or a 900W Darkglass head into a Barefaced Super Twin. I have no difficulty getting the volume set so low that the natural acoustic sounds of the bass are louder than the amp. I really don't understand why you are having trouble. What am I missing? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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