Stingray 5 is overloading my GK

[eeby]

I have a GK Backline 600 that works OK with my passive bass. I just got a Stingray 5 and the GK is distorting a lot. If I play lightly it's OK, but if I pluck with moderate force the amp starts to spatter and crackle. I tried replacing the battery in the bass. I've tried many combinations of the bass volume, amp gain, and amp master volume. Even with the bass volume really low and the amp gain around 2 and the amp master volume around 2, there's a lot of distortion.

I understand that active electronics mean the tone controls can boost the signal, so I'm not cranking everything way up. In fact I tried setting the tone controls all down close to zero just to see what would happen and the amp still distorts.

Any information or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

E

 

[maddog]

Is the clip led coming on?

Also, got any way to hear what is coming out of the DO?

 

[Randracula]

I have a GK Backline 600 that works OK with my passive bass. I just got a Stingray 5 and the GK is distorting a lot. If I play lightly it's OK, but if I pluck with moderate force the amp starts to spatter and crackle. I tried replacing the battery in the bass. I've tried many combinations of the bass volume, amp gain, and amp master volume. Even with the bass volume really low and the amp gain around 2 and the amp master volume around 2, there's a lot of distortion.

I understand that active electronics mean the tone controls can boost the signal, so I'm not cranking everything way up. In fact I tried setting the tone controls all down close to zero just to see what would happen and the amp still distorts.

Any information or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

E

GK's have this weird thing where if you have the input/volume and boost around/above 12 o'clock and the master/woofer considerably lower...say 9 o/clock it will distort.Some people like this.If your not one of them try turning down the boost and input/volume and turning up the woofer/master.This should give you more clean volume. Let us know how it works out.

 

[eeby]

Is the clip led coming on?

Also, got any way to hear what is coming out of the DO?

I'll have to check that tomorrow after work.

What is a "DO"?

E

 

[maddog]

I'll have to check that tomorrow after work.

What is a "DO"?

E

direct out.

 

[VJP]

I don't know if the Backlines have it, but on my 1001RB I have to engage the input pad on basses with a hot output.

 

[maddog]

I don't know if the Backlines have it, but on my 1001RB I have to engage the input pad on basses with a hot output.

good call. I checked the front panel and there is a -10dB switch. It is the push button switch just to the right of the input jack. Try engaging that and see if it helps.

 

[eeby]

What is a "DO"?

E

direct out.

OK, but what is it? Do you mean the jack that you plug the cord into?

I checked the front panel and there is a -10dB switch. It is the push button switch just to the right of the input jack. Try engaging that and see if it helps.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that I tried it with and without the -10 db pad. Still distorts a lot either way.

GK's have this weird thing where if you have the input/volume and boost around/above 12 o'clock and the master/woofer considerably lower...say 9 o/clock it will distort.Some people like this.If your not one of them try turning down the boost and input/volume and turning up the woofer/master.This should give you more clean volume. Let us know how it works out.

I can't say I've tried every possible combination with the controls because that would be physically impossible, but I've covered all the extremes and tried various midpoints too with the same results.

I think what you're getting at is that if you crank up the gain stage you get distortion. So I've tried it with the gain turned down as low as possible. I've also played with the boost, turning it down all the way. This amp just seems to distort with this active bass, no matter what.

Is the clip led coming on?

With the -10 db pad, no. Without it, yes.

 

[Paul_C]

I have a GK Backline 600 that works OK with my passive bass. I just got a Stingray 5 and the GK is distorting a lot. If I play lightly it's OK, but if I pluck with moderate force the amp starts to spatter and crackle. I tried replacing the battery in the bass. I've tried many combinations of the bass volume, amp gain, and amp master volume. Even with the bass volume really low and the amp gain around 2 and the amp master volume around 2, there's a lot of distortion.

I understand that active electronics mean the tone controls can boost the signal, so I'm not cranking everything way up. In fact I tried setting the tone controls all down close to zero just to see what would happen and the amp still distorts.

Any information or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

E

Assuming you've asked G-K, what did they say on the subject ?

P.

 

[eeby]

Assuming you've asked G-K, what did they say on the subject ?

P.

I haven't contacted GK about it as I bought the amp used and I don't think they offer support. I'll check their website.

E

 

[Sigmunds Couch]

From a soundguys point of view, it sounds like you have some issues with the gain structure. Your preamps were working with a considerably weaker signal before, wailing away on a passive never sent your preamps into clip. Now, you have more than ample signal available at the preamp input so its doing what it does best and amplifies the signal all the way past clipping. When you are playing quiet, little voltage. When playing hard, lotsa voltage. Even though your input light says your not clipping, that much voltage available at the preamp stage will most likely send it into clip. It very well may be a feature of the GK's to distort after a certain gain level is dialed in. I'm not familiar with GK's specifically. Try zeroing out all of the gain/voicing/contour and volume controls and reset with the Ray.

EDIT: I looked at the block diagram for the GK 600 and in addition to the preamp, there is another amp stage before the power amp thats getting feeds from the "voicing" stages, the "voicing" filters and the 4 band eq and a "boost" section. Try zeroing out everything especially the 4 band eq and the "boost" switch/section.

 

[tadawson]

I haven't contacted GK about it as I bought the amp used and I don't think they offer support. I'll check their website.

E

Stupid question, but what cabs are you using? Any chance that you have too much load on the head, and it's the power amp that's distorting? If you can turn the volume on the bass almost all the way down, not see the clip light, and still have the problem, then this problem is clearly NOT front end overload on the amp, but is something else altogether . . . . .

- Tim

 

[drgroovenstein]

Another stupid question, but how old is the battery in your bass?

 

[eeby]

From a soundguys point of view, it sounds like you have some issues with the gain structure. Your preamps were working with a considerably weaker signal before, wailing away on a passive never sent your preamps into clip. Now, you have more than ample signal available at the preamp input so its doing what it does best and amplifies the signal all the way past clipping. When you are playing quiet, little voltage. When playing hard, lotsa voltage. Even though your input light says your not clipping, that much voltage available at the preamp stage will most likely send it into clip. It very well may be a feature of the GK's to distort after a certain gain level is dialed in. I'm not familiar with GK's specifically. Try zeroing out all of the gain/voicing/contour and volume controls and reset with the Ray.

Yeah, I pretty much tried that, but it still distorts. Is there any way I can tame the signal coming out of the bass? Like maybe add some kind of "stomp box" such as a compressor?

Stupid question, but what cabs are you using? Any chance that you have too much load on the head, and it's the power amp that's distorting?

I'm using one Avatar 112 Neo. It's an 8 ohm cabinet. The power rating is 250 Watts RMS. The GK BL 600 produced 300 watts at 4 ohms.

If you can turn the volume on the bass almost all the way down, not see the clip light, and still have the problem, then this problem is clearly NOT front end overload on the amp, but is something else altogether . . . . .

Yes, that is what I'm seeing. What are other things it could be? Could the preamp inside the bass be faulty? I'll try it with some other amps.

Thanks,

E

 

[eeby]

Another stupid question, but how old is the battery in your bass?

I just put a new one in.

 

[tkarter]

The most silly of questions. Have you tried a different instrument cable?

tk

 

[eeby]

No, that's one thing I haven't tried yet. I'll try it when I get home.

E

 

[tadawson]

Yeah, I pretty much tried that, but it still distorts. Is there any way I can tame the signal coming out of the bass? Like maybe add some kind of "stomp box" such as a compressor?

Simply turn the volume control on the bass down. If the problem persists, it's not the amp clipping . . . . . simple as that . . . .

- Tim

 

[Mobay45]

Listen to Tim. He's real smart.

 

[tadawson]

Listen to Tim. He's real smart.

- Tim