check my setup/questions on sound

[xshawnxearthx]

ok, so this is what i have.

2000 music man stingray 4(natural with birdseye maple)
ampeg svt 3 pro
ampeg 610hlf
korg 1000 rack tuner
bbe sonic maximizer
dbx 226(i thin) compressor/limiter/noise gate


no my questions is, when i play realyl hard, it seems like the amp clips a lot. i have it set pretty conservative, but i could be wrong. i dont use the eq, and i keep the eq on the stingray at the center point(i try not to use the knobs at all) i play with a thing pick and i get some funky noises every now and again. when i play softly, it sounds amazing, but i always lose my **** on stage, and end up hitting the strings hard so the amp clips. i know the music man pick ups seem to be really hot.

any suggestions to solve this?

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

I've never been on stage , and my gears are not as great or whatever as yours..but when I play loud with a pick and lose my temper or just get into it too much ..yeah I do get a clakin' soundin' outa my Fender BXR100 .. my gess is .. when you play with a pick you don't use the same streght all the time , and plus the plastic or what ever you pick is made of not always respond the same way on the string ...

 

[bovinehost]

The SVT3 Pro is 275 watts at 8 ohms - is your cabinet 8 or 4 ohms? If it's 4 ohms, then your amp is putting out something like 450 watts, but if it's 8 ohms, you're only (hah) getting 275 out of that head.

So, depending on how loud your band is, the amp could be clipping on loud peaks. 275 may seem like a lot to some people, but I regularly play with 1200 watts and not in loud bands, either. It's about headroom, the ability of the amp to respond to transients.

It may NOT be your amp, however. I'd first try removing everything from the signal path, including the BBE and the dbx, and plug the bass straight into the amp and the amp straight into the cab and play one night like that. It could be something else, not your amp.

One thing that comes with long years of hard-earned experience is the self-control to NOT go nuts when things get interesting. It definitely won't hurt you to work on your technique (it wouldn't hurt me either, heh heh) and to try to keep things at the same LEVEL, picking wise, rather than bashing the crap out of the strings.

I know the temptation is there and I've been guilty of it, too, so I'm not trying to insult you. It happens.

Hard to diagnose these things without hearing and seeing what's going on, but my first guess, gut instinct, is to think you're asking too much out of that amp.

 

[xcental34x]

Hmm, another edger.

XHowXAreXYouX?X

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

aha after that kind of answerin' I really look like a baby bassist ..well come to think about it I AM ! ahah

 

[xshawnxearthx]

awesome. 450 watts at 4 ohms. the can handle 1200 so i may move it up to a higher wattage. i just figured maybe it might be the music man, i've heard the noise from other pick users in the past, but i dont know, its only when i go nuts.

everything in the chain works good, i tried it all seperatly and together, but its only when i play hard. so i guess i have to play lighter.

i have been trying lately, but when playing ina hardcore band, and you see kids doing stage dives and pile ons, its hard not to get excited. if i wa splaying ina rock band or jazz band, it would be easy, but i guess its something i will get in due time.


also, i'm not edge, i just like porn a lot, but i know tons of edge kids, **** i play ina hardcore band, i should, ahah. anyway, thanks guys.

 

[Jean-Frédéric]

well you could always see it that way ... it gives an ''attack ' sound to your playing and sorta makes you step out the back ..UNLESS it really bothers you ... well I know it bothers me when I'm playing ..so I keep myself cool !

 

[nismaniac]

So, depending on how loud your band is, the amp could be clipping on loud peaks. 275 may seem like a lot to some people, but I regularly play with 1200 watts and not in loud bands, either. It's about headroom, the ability of the amp to respond to transients.

I hate to get to off track, but Bovine, what is your main live setup?

 

[xshawnxearthx]

i guess its time for a power amp.

 

[spectorbassguy]

ok, so this is what i have.

2000 music man stingray 4(natural with birdseye maple)
ampeg svt 3 pro
ampeg 610hlf
korg 1000 rack tuner
bbe sonic maximizer
dbx 226(i thin) compressor/limiter/noise gate


no my questions is, when i play realyl hard, it seems like the amp clips a lot. i have it set pretty conservative, but i could be wrong. i dont use the eq, and i keep the eq on the stingray at the center point(i try not to use the knobs at all) i play with a thing pick and i get some funky noises every now and again. when i play softly, it sounds amazing, but i always lose my **** on stage, and end up hitting the strings hard so the amp clips. i know the music man pick ups seem to be really hot.

any suggestions to solve this?

I had an SVT Pro III for a few years. It shouldn't be that you don't have enoguh power. You need to make sure that the input gain light only barely flickers when you dig absolutely the hardest, then set the master to you preference. I had to set mine very low because of the active electronics in my basses. That knob is the key to where your clipping is coming in, IMO. However maybe you could borrow a seperate bigger power amp to try out and see if you get the same results. The SVT III Pro is a great amp; just not as great as the Mesa 400+ that replaced mine. I guess if it was me, and I couldn't get the clipping thing under control, I'd go to an amp like the 400+ instead of buying a seperate power amp.
BTW the Mesa 400+ has BOATLOADS of available volume and headroom - you'll have no problem cutting thru the mix. I bought mine used in perfect condition with great tubes for $750.00 on Harmony Central.
Good Luck & God Bless!

 

[jeffsixx]

i am currently using the svt 3 pro head and its not doing any of that. maybe your strings are hitting the pickup, resulting in some of the noice and click.

 

[spectorbassguy]

i am currently using the svt 3 pro head and its not doing any of that. maybe your strings are hitting the pickup, resulting in some of the noice and click.

That IS another possibility. When I got my Bongo 5 I had to lower the strings considerably because they would touch the pickups often, especially when I damped them with my right palm. It makes a TERRIBLE noise!

 

[bovinehost]

I hate to get to off track, but Bovine, what is your main live setup?

I've been through a lot of stuff and some of it is still hanging around the studio, but for the last couple of years I've been EXTREMELY happy with a Sunn 1200s head and either one or two Ampeg cabs.

Last gig I had in San Antonio, I used the Sunn and the Ampeg 4-10 and it sounded big and thick and wonderful....of course, the Bongo 5 may have had SOMETHING to do with it.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

thanks guys.


well, first, when i hit it really hard, the light does flicker. it used to stay on when i had the eq on my music man thumpin, but now its just when i really go nuts. i actually found i couldnt get enough volume if i dropped the gain down and raised the master, the master is like 3/4's of th way up and the gain is at like 6. i will try it tho. i would love to buy a mesa 400+ but thats a lot of money.

i did however, just lower my pick up height, cause it was retardly high, but the strings dont hit, and yes, it is an obnoxious noise. so hopefully that does away with some, but we shall see saturday at our rehearsal.