| Author | Message | ||
| willride3
Junior Username: willride3 Post Number: 27 Registered: 3-2005 |
O.K. Here we go with a question... At input on an amp, is the Alembic Bass to be padded as active, or ...do I remember incorrectly that the pickups and electronics operate on an unpadded input? Thanks for clarification.. They sound great either way, just want the most out of them. Thanks from Detroit, Michigan.....Willride3 | ||
| willride3
Junior Username: willride3 Post Number: 28 Registered: 3-2005 |
They are... Essence and Epic models running on a single 9 volt battery, thanks again. | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1525 Registered: 2-2006 |
Either one should be OK. The padded input won't be as hot as the normal input. You just have to make sure you aren't clipping the signal when you run it thru the passive input. I play my through the passive (non-padded) input normally on my SWR but through the active input on my Eden combo. | ||
| dfung60
Advanced Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 268 Registered: 5-2002 |
The "pad" in the preamp input is a resistor that reduces the gain/sensitivity of one of the inputs. The reason you want lower gain is in the event that instrument you're plugging in has too high an output level for the regular input. The amp designer wants to design in enough gain so a low-output bass produces enough signal to drive the power amp to full output. If you have a lot of input gain AND a high output bass, you run the risk of overdriving the preamp. So, the answer for you is to turn up the volume on your bass, turn the preamp gain up (if you have one) and see whether you get a clean sound. If you get distortion, then try the padded input and see if that sounds cleaner and that you can still drive your rig to full volume. Alembics are all active, and generally there's a trimpot in the control cavity that lets you adjust the output level over a wide range. If you play multiple basses, you may find it easier to dial back the Alembic's output so it's closer to your other instruments. Because of the active electronics of your Alembic, you can crank the output level up and down without affecting the tone (try turning down the output level on a passive bass and you'll lose treble). There's an interesting psychoacoustic effect where everything sounds better when it's louder (just like your drummer always told you), so it never sounds good when you turn down the output level or used the padded input, but it really will sound better when you're not doing an A/B comparison. David Fung | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1116 Registered: 10-2003 |
On some instruments, the input impedance will really color the tone of the instrument. Last weekend I played my brother's electric upright (a Chinese NS-design WAV) for the better (or at least more strenuous) part of a set. Plugged into the standard input of my Ampeg, the low end was simply gone. Plugged into the padded input the bass sounded good with lots of warm bottom. But, yeah, the Alembic doesn't seem to care what it's plugged into, although some amps might feel differently if you've got your output on the bass cranked higher than they are expecting. John | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 744 Registered: 12-2004 |
Piezos are especially sensitive to input impedance. | ||
| terryc
Advanced Member Username: terryc Post Number: 239 Registered: 11-2004 |
David..there was a mod that you can do to telecasters/strats, fit a treble bleed capacitor over the vol pot to reduce the treble loss when you lower the volume at the guitar..It should work on a passive bass..sorry cannot remember the value but if you play Alembics there is no need for this!!! | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1117 Registered: 10-2003 |
I had a Jazz Bass years ago that had the capacitor mod, and it sounded unbelievably good. I later modded a couple of basses with push/pull tone knobs, taking the entire tone circuit out of the signal path, and it the change in tone was equally stunning.. Then I ordered an Alembic... ;) John | ||
| oujeebass
Intermediate Member Username: oujeebass Post Number: 104 Registered: 10-2002 |
What about when your running through effects? What input would be applicable then? | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1119 Registered: 10-2003 |
Whichever input gives the most gain (or least pad) without distortion would be the one I would use. | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1259 Registered: 11-2003 |
The only time I've noticed a difference on my amp is when plugging a passive bass into the active jack. The active basses sound the same either way. |
