hum issue with Activators

[hieronymous]

I've been playing a lot at home during the pandemic, rotating basses. I put new strings (DR Sunbeams) on my AlFeMbic (Alembicized P-Bass) and have been loving it! I like my strings on the heavy side, I feel like I'm finally getting this bass where I want it.

EXCEPT: I noticed it was buzzing when I took my hands off the strings. Dang it! Found a new music store near me that does repairs too, so I decided to take it in. Dropped it off, only to get a text a couple of hours later - he's playing it, no noise at all! In fact, he said it was really quiet lol - I went in a few hours later, he's right, it sounds great!

So I took it home, and figured it out pretty quickly - playing it now, the volume was all the way up! When I was playing it before I had the volume down pretty low - too low - I was going by where the threshold of my compressor was set, so the noise was almost as loud as the bass signal - so what's the answer?


TURN IT UP!!! 


Was kind of embarrassing to realize it was user error, but I learned my lesson and wanted to pass it on in case anyone else has a similar issue.

[pauldo]

😎

[gtrguy]

Compressors are great, but along with smoothing out the highs they can also raise up the noise floor.

[lbpesq]

Hey Harry, I recently had a similar experience.  As I discussed in another thread, last week I sold my old Blackface Pro reverb.  I pulled it out about an hour before the buyer was to arrive.   I turned it on, gave it a minute or two for the tubes to warm up, plugged in, turned it up, and ... nothing!   I hadn't plugged it in in several years and worried the buyer was coming for nothing.   Until I had the “doh!” moment and flicked the “Standby” switch.

Bill, tgo

[rv_bass]

I used to use a compressor with guitar, great for sustain and clarity, but found it was best used with a noise gate.

[xlrogue6]

"Turn it up" is always the answer. YMMV.

[jazzyvee]

Pardon?

[lbpesq]

In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo

[adriaan]

In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo

Mileage still in the UK.

[edwardofhuncote]

In Jazzy’s neck of the woods it might be written : YKMV.

hehehehe

Bill, tgo

Mileage still in the UK.

Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor. 

[adriaan]

Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor. 

They still drive on the left too, so what did you expect?

I enjoy driving there, in my left-hand driving car. Must be the landscape.

[hieronymous]

lol - carry on folks, this is fun!

[rv_bass]

Takes me about three days to get used to driving on the left side of the road, and those three days are somewhat terrifying, for me and everyone else! 

[rv_bass]

…and the noises coming from my car as I squeak by things could use a compressor and noise gate

[hieronymous]

Seriously? Oh, that's... that seems really odd.

Speed measured in KPH, but distances in Miles?! Do vehicle odometers register in miles too, or do they register kilometers? 

Sorry for the hijack Hieronymous... I'm not smart enough to use a compressor. 

They still drive on the left too, so what did you expect?

I enjoy driving there, in my left-hand driving car. Must be the landscape.

Do you go through the Chunnel?