SR5 Output

[mynan]

I've been thinking about what BP said in this post. http://www.ernieball.com/forums/404796-post10.html

I've heard that the SR5s have a lower output than some of the other EBMM basses, but I've been playing a lot at my church lately and even with the volume dimed on my SR5 they have to crank the gain on the board to get a good signal from me. We use a DI box between the bass and the amp to get signal to the board. What concerns me the most is that the other bass player at my church uses a passive P-bass and his signal to the board through the same DI box is stronger than mine.

New battery, new strings...I haven't measured the pickup heights yet but plan on doing that tonight after work. I've been using a BBE Boosta Grande to bump the signal to the board and that has helped.

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm looking for a problem that isn't there or if I need to do anything about it.

 

[Dr Stankface]

Weak output?

None of my SR5s have a weak output.

I'd check pickup height. Then call customer service if it really seems off.

 

[Big Poppa]

PLease please stop with the pickup height BS>>>each time someone complains about output with an active bass they raise the pickup height.....

The SR5 has more output that the p bass by a lot. check the di box and its settings...try switching out that

To prove my point take an amp the same cable and the P bass and play it...then plug the sr5 in if the output is similar then go to the next item you add in the signal chain and there will be your problem.

If your p bass is loudeer then please contact CS thanks!

 

[bluesquidd]

How long have you had your Stingray 5?

 

[mynan]

I've had it for 6 months.

I spent some time tonight a/b testing my SR5 and my buddy's P-bass. After testing them with an amp as BP suggested, the SR5 was louder than the P-bass.

I have my action set at 4/32 at the 12th instead of the recommended 3/32. Apparently, I have a bit of a heavy right hand and need the action set a little higher to eliminate fret buzz. I've had to do that on every bass I've ever owned. As such, the pickup height was in need of adjustment to get it to specs. After making the necessary adjustments the difference wasn't dramatic, but enough to really set the SR5 apart from the P-bass in terms of volume.

I also took a look at some of the settings on the church sound system, specifically the crossover's output gain settings, and noticed that while the subs had plenty of power going to them, the woofers in the mains were backed way down. I bumped the gain on the woofers and the SR5 came alive.

 

[Big Poppa]

Score one for Pops

 

[bluesquidd]

So you have the 2 Pick Up Stingray5?
I raised my pickup closer on all my basses because I play with a light touch
I raised the pickups higher than factory setup on my Ken Smith and on My
StingRay5h I set the B and E at 5/32" (Top of Pole Piece To Bottom Of String) going to 4/32" on the A and D a slightly
closer 'cause of the next radius on the G string.

One thing I know about the Stingrays is they sound best with Nickel Strings. Maybe the ceramic in the pickup and the nickel gives it that zing. Stainless Steel sounds too muddy on my StingRay5, but I use DR Fat Beams on my Ken Smith. So, to each bass their own.

 

[mynan]

Score one for Pops

Yeah, I was really surprised that even though my SR5 was louder through the amp, the P-bass was still coming through more in the house. I don't know if the P-bass does more in the below 70ish Hz range or what, but as soon as I bumped the gain in the 70ish to 200ish Hz range the SR5 had all the advantage.

Thanks BP, you da man.

 

[nicjimbass]

It's really funny... I read the hot bongo thread and was blown away with the conclusion regarding the volume (gain) control. I like everyone else dimed it. I started on a passive bass and just got used to diming everything. Then I wanted to address the issue of the signal difference between my SR5 and my Bongo.... enter this thread. It's not often I learn '2' things in a single day. That's gotta be some sort of record!

 

[Big Poppa]

nicjim

it really is the same. The only problem is that the bongo is hotter thatn the sr5 but he sr5 is hotter thann most basses so the approach to the sr5 is the same as the hot bongo thread...

Now there are two morals to the story here....Mynan was reacting to someone saying that the sr5 had lower output *(not true) but taken as fact as it was written on the internet...so when he had problems with the signal he immediately thought rightfully so based on what he read that the problem was the output issue with the sr5....
I told him to ab the p bas and the sr5 and he would fid that the sr5 had more output...he did it and agreed.

So now other people read a thread and now the urban legend is to raise the pole pieces of the sr5 because it has lower out put....Becaseu of false fact the first thing that was going to happen is to change the set up on a perfectly good bass when the problem lied in the house pa and its crossover.

this isw also like when someone buys one of our basses or guitars they sometime complain that they cant get their sound. Usually the have not adjusted their amps eq for the nre active bass..They wonder why it doesnt sound good when they have their amp set for a passive bass...

 

[nicjimbass]

My problem in regards to setup is that I changed it to personal taste. Normally, my playing whne I practice and my playing live are 2 different animals, so I'd adjust for practice, only to have trouble live. Now, with the recommended set up, practice sounds a little strange, but I remember that once I go thru my big rig live, it'll sound great. So far so good!

 

[nicjimbass]

And BP, you're right, the SR5 is hotter than most other basses I've played. I just noticed that the Bongo seemed hotter than the SR... you're saying they're the same, or the Bongo is hotter? I've adjusted my compressor to a nice compromise between the two, but after reading these threads today, I'm changing my approach to things.

Edit: re-read BP's thread... Bongo is hotter... dang ADD.

 

[bovinehost]

The Bongo is hotter, to be sure.

One thing about adjusting your bass - you're exactly right about practice and gigging being two different animals and having to consider the difference.

I purposefully adjusted my Dargie Stingray very, very flat (almost no relief) and with the strings quite low. This makes it a great practice bass, when I'm sitting around learning Norah Jones tunes for no good reason other than I like to play that stuff. Nice and quiet and easy-going and mellow and....nothing at all like stomping throwback rock and roll, which is what my band plays.

I know that I cannot take that bass, set up as it is, to a gig. By the second tune, I'd be thinking, "Why are my notes choking?" I play harder at gigs, that's why.

Just FYI.

Jack

 

[tkarter]

I play what I practice.

I did play my jazz at a gig once after getting the SR5. The only time I was asked what are you doing?

The Bongo rulz. If it sounds bad then it is me.

tk