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Can you plug bass guitar/other into home stereo?


Coytee

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The basic question is, would this work...

You have a pair of PA speakers (Jubilees of course [;)])

You have a pair of PA amps (Crown K2's of course)

You have a PA crossover

All the above is plumbed together with XLR stuff.

Now... DRIVING this stuff you have a nice preamp (Peach of course) BUT, said preamp doesn't have XLR connections.

Double bass or bass guitar both have a 1/4" plug as I suspect? (I don't know)

Would this work...

Take a 1/4" plug to XLR connect... plug 1/4" into said item, take the other XLR end and plug it into my Art Cleanbox XLR input. On the opposite side of the Cleanbox I will then have two RCA jacks. Take those over to my Peach and let the rest....be history!

Or would this not work?

Just so no one thinks I'm a closet bassist, I have never so much as plucked one. I've got a friend though who might have an eye on the bass guitar and thought it would be cool to try to patch it into the Jubilees.

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The bass guitar has an output level of 100mv min upwards to 1V.

This means that it's really more than line level and would over drive traditional line level inputs.

It would work if you plugged it directly into an amp...but with out a compressor or limiter...brace yourself for an ear shattering experience.

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Richard, I play also a little bit e-guitar (but bedroom, not closet). So I have had my bad experience in damaging hifi speakers by playing guitar directly into a receiver when I was young. Therefore and in addition to what Speakerfritz says:

"but with out a compressor or limiter...brace yourself for an ear shattering experience"

I urgently recommend the use of a compressor because not only the level must be adjusted but also the attack. Otherwise you could be the first one who has damaged his nice Jubs. Here is just an example for a compressor:

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/AMT-Electronics-Slap-Bass-Compressor-Effect-Pedal?sku=159903

The speakers inside guitar- or bass amps allow much more cone travel. And they are designed to have a nice point to break off. This delivers a controlled mechanical distortion which gives a nice mix together with some tube overdrive. Hifi speaker and even drivers in horn loaded cabinetts do not allow to cope such a kind of energy, regardless they can reproduce recorded music very loud.

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Not so funny story

While in the Army I needed some extra cash and sold my KEF 104/2´s to someone in my company.

1 week later he came to me and asked if the guarantee was still in effect, he fed his e-guitar through them and

fried both tweeters and the bass makes a funny sound now. oops

Probably not a good idea.

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I recommend a used Peavey Combo 300 from ebay or craigslist. You can pick them up periodically for around $100. They have TONS of guts & lots of sound shaping built in.I've purchased 3 off ebay & they were all great. Just bid accordingly if the speaker is fried. You can get replacement baskets for the 300 speakers (15" Black Widow 4 ohm) for less than $100.

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You are mistakenly presuming I "want" to do this. Although I'd find it interesting and fun, the only reason I'm contemplating this is I'll have some goods flowing through my hands that I thought might allow this experiment to take place.

I personally would not want to spend $25 out of my pocket to do this...but since I'll have the goods on hand, thought it was worth asking about.

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Part of the sound of most string instruments with pickups is the TONALITY of a tube amplifer (less prevelent for bass gtr), effects pedals, and the tone of the speaker cabinet itself.You'll be missing out on all of this vital tone quality in your uber-clean setup.

Sound engineers frequently use a DI (direct box) to send the pure bass guitar signal directly to the sound board and this is blended with the mic'd sound of the on-stage bass rig. Compression helps keep extreme peaks out of the system, reducing distortion and blown speakers.

I don't think you'd get a very pleasing sound from using the rig you describe. Remember that there is a big difference between sound Production and Reproduction.

Get a little combo amp to practice on Richard. Save your good gear for stereo listening or playing along.

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Remember that there is a big difference between sound Production and Reproduction.

Ok... this has been in the back of my mind but to remind anyone reading.... I don't care to spend $10.00 to make this work so this has now turned into a (semi) intellectual question for me.

Firse, my admission.... I do not know how a band sets up their stuff...(instruments, amps, soundboards.... nothing)

If you have a bass player on stage, is his bass plugged DIRECTLY into the amps that power the house speakers? In other words, are the house speakers amplifying the signal directly out of his instrument (presumably by way of sound board)

or... does his instrument have a amplifier/speaker connected to it and (as I've seen in some places) there is a microphone in front of HIS personal speaker and THAT is the sound that is amplified over the house speakers?

In scenario A, the house speakers are producing, in scenario B, the house speakers are reproducing (or so this is what my brain is telling me)

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Richard,

The bass player's amp is mic'd, or has a direct out on the amp head. This feeds the PA through the house console. They will have a load of compression on it to level it out and to control it. Even it they take a feed directly thorugh a direct box (a splitter of sorts, between the bass and his amp), they will compress it, etc.

If it is mic'd, you will hear more of the sound he is hearing on stage. If the direct out of his amp, still more of his sound. If the direct box, the sound will be more what the house sound engineer does to the signal.

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AND................... is the e-bass or e-guitar passive or active? If its active...............EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I have played my PASSIVE (electronics-std) though my Luxman triodes and the Khorns. I must admit, its the best my basses have ever sounded. I wish this could be my stage rig. Alas, not practical. By the time it hits the audience's ear it probably wouldn't matter anyway.

So yes, you can do this but be careful. And make sure the bass is passive ~ no batteries/preamp!!

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For the "garage" band (or the many infamous "barracks" bands from back in the day...), Sansui made an interesting "home stereo" rack component mixer that allowed 4 x 1/4" inputs, with pan pot controls and a reverb for each, and could accomodate 3 tapedecks. Thebest part was a "master" volume control and RCA type line out at 150 mV to run to your "normal" amp(s) and speakers. Model is the AX-7. They are still around on eBay evry once in awhile for about $75-$100. I had a couple over the years. Did some "garage recording" with two guitars and a mic'd drum set through my Klipschorns a couple times with no problems. Also neat for making recordings to multiple decks, etc. because once you have the decks input set, you just use the "master" volume control when changing LP's, etc. Fenderbender has one, but if I recall, it needs cleaning and deoxit.

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