Question Maximum output of the Bongo 18v preamp?

[cellkirk74]

This is a question the the techs at EB:

How hot is the signal from a Bongo preamp when the bass is boosted? Could it "overload" a preamp or effect input or such things?

Reason for the question:

Could the Output from a Bongo, Big Al or Reflex be too much for some effect pedals and cause possible damages to digital circuits?

I just want to know whether I should use some kind of compression or anything to reduce the level in front of some modulation effects.

 

[adouglas]

The Bongo is a tactical weapon. Yields are in the 40-60 kiloton range. Say, 2-3 times Hiroshima, give or take.

 

[mynan]

It could overdrive the input of a device and cause distortion, but that wouldn't do any physical damage to anything on the preamp side.

 

[cellkirk74]

My concern is with the effect. not that much with the bass preamp. I am just trying to figure out whether I blew the input section of a digital effect (or better 2 of them), causing damage to the effect itself.

I have a discussion about that with a tech of the manufacturer of said effect pedal. While he thinks I may have overdriven the input, I believe the pedal did not get along with my power supply. Anyway, if he is right, i should use something to reduce the signal before going into the effect because I got a new one and want to keep it alive this time.

So the question was kind of serious.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

I don't do anything special with the 18v Big Al. Output varies among my basses, a mix of active and passive ones. The 18v EBMM bass doesn't require special treatment.

If I see the preamp clip light, I back off its gain a click or two. The clipping doesn't hurt the preamp, but it certainly distorts the tone a bit.

 

[adouglas]

I wouldn't worry about damaging your electronics.

It might melt your face, though. I mean, just look what it did to my hair.


(Sorry for the hijacks, I just can't help myself!)

 

[J Romano]

Funny you should mention this, last night I was wondering something similar. I was using my Bongo thru a Korg Pandora PX5D with earphones (wife was sleeping). Normally my basses sound fine with all amp types and sounds on it. When I plugged in the Bongo most amp styles and settings were distorted. I thought my batteries were weak, I plugged in my Sterlings and all was normal again. Seems the Bongo was over driving the unit.

 

[syciprider]

An instrument level signal is an instrument level signal. It's not like you're pumping in 220V into a 110V appliance.

Now the Bongo output signal with the volume dimed maybe stronger than say a Jazz bass but all you have to do is turn it down a tad until you get clean back if that is what you want. Running a volume pedal after the bass has the same effect of attentuating the output prior to processing except you are doing it outboard of the bass. I've ran all my active basses through A LOT of pedals from generic Boss to boutique Robot Factory filters and while I noticed that I had to change my gain structure every time I changed basses I never killed any pedals nor do I expect to.

 

[ivbenaplayin]

The Bongo's output signal is pretty hot, but my guess would be that the fault is in the pedal's components themselves... I've never ruined any pedal or preamp with Godzilla (my Dargie 2.0)...

and AD... it puts out a full 1.21 gigawatts when the flux capacitor (volume knob) is dimed!

 

[projectapollo]

FYI -- as I understand it, the Big Al and Reflex 18v systems are trimmed back to a lower gain that the Bongo 18v system, so as to allow a "bumpless" transfer (no gain change) from passive to active mode (with the 4-band EQ set flat). Thus the operations note with these basses to always use the high impedance input on your amp. The Bongo 18v system is trimmed to a higher output level, but just the volume know to dial it back if needed.

 

[maddog]

An instrument level signal is an instrument level signal. It's not like you're pumping in 220V into a 110V appliance.

Breakdown voltage is breakdown voltage. Unless you know all the components in the pedal box, all this is guesswork. ESD easily shorts out RAM, processor chips, etc. which is why there is the warning to ground oneself before opening the lid of a laptop.

While it seems very doubtful that the Bongo preamp would do such a thing, I'm suggesting this is something that really should be left to EBMM, the OP and the manufacturer of the pedal.

 

[oli@bass]

The general idea of the 18V preamps is to give you more headroom / dynamics, not a hotter signal. With the pickup placed at a reasonable distance from the strings (aka "factory settings"), I've found none of my Music Man basses to be particularly louder or lower than any other model, also compared to other manufacturers.

I've never had the chance to play a Bongo, but would suspect it to be within a similar (audible) range, but it might produce much stronger transients.

As Maddog said, leave it to experts to discuss that.

 

[keko]

FYI -- as I understand it, the Big Al and Reflex 18v systems are trimmed back to a lower gain that the Bongo 18v system, so as to allow a "bumpless" transfer (no gain change) from passive to active mode (with the 4-band EQ set flat). Thus the operations note with these basses to always use the high impedance input on your amp. The Bongo 18v system is trimmed to a higher output level, but just the volume know to dial it back if needed.

+1

Very good, ...that's the point!

 

[cellkirk74]

While it seems very doubtful that the Bongo preamp would do such a thing, I'm suggesting this is something that really should be left to EBMM, the OP and the manufacturer of the pedal.

Well, thus my question to EB staff. I just thought it would be valuable uinformation and since I do not own a voltmeter, I can not measure it by myself....

 

[bovinehost]

And if no one notices this today, I'll email the experts and see what they say.

 

[Big Poppa]

two things make the Bongo 'hot' 18v...and the four band eq.....for those of you dullards (heheheh) who still have all your bongo s on 10 you will over drive the world. This si an active system you dont haveto and nor should you have the volume on 10 all the time Do you floor your cars accellerator 100% of the time>

As for the pedal guy...Im nominating him for the hot potato pass the buck award.....It is my belief that the output of the bongo cannot harm the input of an effects pedal or amp

 

[cellkirk74]

Thanks BP!

I also doubt that the Bongo really was the reason for the malfunction. But my understanding of all thing electric is limited and I was curious to know if that could be true.

And no, I do not have the volume on 10 all the the time, and just a moderate boost if any at all.

Anyway, their customer service was nice and they at least tried to solve that.

 

[adouglas]

Do you floor your cars accellerator 100% of the time>

Well, yeah. Doesn't everybody?

 

[syciprider]

Breakdown voltage is breakdown voltage. Unless you know all the components in the pedal box, all this is guesswork. ESD easily shorts out RAM, processor chips, etc. which is why there is the warning to ground oneself before opening the lid of a laptop.

While it seems very doubtful that the Bongo preamp would do such a thing, I'm suggesting this is something that really should be left to EBMM, the OP and the manufacturer of the pedal.

Sorry but ESD is an entirely different matter. It is when you introduce static electricity, whose strength you cannot control, into components that weren't designed to be exposed to them. The Bongo's 18V system doesn't mean it's double the voltage at the output. It means the components in the preamp were designed to use 18V source. For the Bongo to work with the industry's amps and effects it still has to put out an instrument level signal. I'm not trying to troubleshoot the issue I'm just pointing out what's apparent already.

 

[Grga]

When I play fingerstyle I have it 75-80% open and when I change to picking style I have it 100% open to balance the sound intensity. But I go direct into the amp, no effects are used so I never had problem with my Bongo because of a to strong signal.