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belaxa

Active member
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
34
My Stingray dont fit with the Programmable 3 button Sansamp preamp. I´d try a lot of combinations, pad button, tweaking knobs, going to a power section of my GK, going to a semipro sound card. A nasty distorted bass sound, something like a clipped signal its the sound that I hear. A very very light playing style cure the problem, but its insanely light to play normally. After reading and reading forums, friends and pseudo techs, I have the same response: the bass preamp it´s overdriving the sansamp. "Don´t put your bass volume pot all the way up". The situation its worst with 18V preamps like Bongos. The fact is, at half volume, the bass don´t have the same tone and feel like at full volume. My 3 eq pots are at the detent. I´d read a lot of users post that the Stingray Sansamp combination its a dream combination. Not for me. Unpluggin the Ray and pluggin my 74 P don´t show the issue.
Sansamp manual say that the input signal level of the unit should be clode to a standard electric guitar (-10db/250mV). Somebody knows the output voltage of the Stingray (2005) preamp?
 

Dante

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2007
Messages
922
Location
in Hell... with cows...
i actually play guitar. thus am retarded. but why would you put two preamps in line? is there an noticeable loss of tone without the SA? or is it for speaker simming? amping an amp always overdrives something, and being that the SA is solid state, it's a nasty kinda distortion. on the other hand, i think it's a bit shabby makesmanship if a pre/amp doesn't have enough headroom or an input trim pot.

Oh, and if the voltage should be the same as an electrical guitar, then your ****ed. it almost certainly means you'll be stuck using passive pickups/basses.
 

bobalu

Well-known member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
78
Location
north of the 49th......
I never used mine with an active bass as I saw no reason to.

June 28/09 Edit:

O.k., after a rummage through my gear collection, I have deleted my comments re: Tech 21 not recommending their pre-amp for use with active basses (my apologies to Tech-21), as I was mistaken in my comment:eek:. It is my Sadowsky outboard pre-amp (pedal) that I have read works better with passive basses. In the end, it really doesn't matter I guess, as long as you like the end result.:)
 
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nicjimbass

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
Messages
223
I used both a Programmable BDDI and the single-channel BDDI, both with my 2000 SR5, both when I put my volume knob at "10" (which I've since learned not to do), and all of it going into a GK head. Also recorded with it in a studio. I never had any problems, at all. Sounded good, but I noticed the SansAmp really colored my tone, even when off. Took most of the growl out of my sound. Sounds like either a setting is wrong, or you need to have Tech 21 take alook at it.
 

bass4worship

Member
Joined
May 20, 2009
Messages
23
Location
Hollis, New York
I been using my SR5 with a Programmable 3 button Sansamp preamp and I have no problem with tone, Just make sure you not over driving you amp. What I do is set my Programmable 3 button Sansamp preamp flat and dial in my setting on the amp ( keeping the EQ on bass flat ) near the sound I want then ajust the Sansamp. I then just increase the EQ on the bass very little to get my overall sound.
 
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