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Master Volume Or Channel Volume?


senanimach9
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I just tried playing with my master up around 25% and adjusted my channel volume accordingly rather than channel at 100% and adjusting master which I always did with my Spider II back in the day.

 

Did I just stumble on something? Is there a trick to the ratio between master and channel?

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generally you want to set the master and leave it... (at the level you intend to use it)

then store all your tones etc with the appropriate channel volume.

this allows the master to raise/lower all of your tones at once to adjust to the venue etc....

but generally you do want the master up... it does seem to sound a little better...

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Save the patches that you are going to use 'live' (for home practice doesn't matter as much) at the same volume by adjusting the channel volumes for the patches.  Then the master volume is used to adjust the overall volume for where you are playing.

Channel volume adjusts the preamp, master volume adjusts the amp.

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  • 1 month later...

     Can I ask a related question? 

 

     I'm playing at home, so trying to keep things relatively quiet, but I'd like to get the best sound possible from the various Spider setting options (I'm all over the map, jazz, rock, blues, country).  Am I going to get better sound quality if I turn the volume up on the amp and down on the guitar, or down on the amp and up on my guitar.  I've been messing around and amp down/guitar up sometimes seems better, but I'm not sure.  And if that's the way to go, how far down on the amp should I turn the volume? 

 

     So, simply put: which amp/guitar channel volume and bass/mid-range/treble settings will give me the best sound quality at low volume?

 

     Also, when I do change from one preset channel to another, I often get hum/buzz/static, sometimes with a bit of feedback, which disappears when I fiddle with the channel volume/drive knobs.  Is this due to my physical set up -- ie am I sitting too close to the amp with my guitar, or too close to the TV, etc. -- or is this just one of those things that everyone experiences? 

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I have been considering lowering my channel volumes to try it with the master up a little higher. With the channel volumes set high (as most are with the default presets) it makes the master volume control so touchy. You can go from bedroom practice level to what seems like stadium concert level by moving the master control ever so slightly!

Why did Line 6 set all the presets with such high channel volumes if the amp sounds better with them rifled back a bit?

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Why did Line 6 set all the presets with such high channel volumes if the amp sounds better with them rifled back a bit?

 

From what I have experienced with my Spider IV HD 150, and this is no knock because I like a lot of things about the head, Line 6 seems to have put A LOT of thought into presets and multiple settings, but didn't do much to polish the package as a professional practical solution. This goes for some of the presets and effects as well.

 

There are a couple little things I'm starting to notice too, that others on this site have mentioned as kinda gimmicky (quick loop), and some things they didn't seem to think all the way through (switching channels with the foot pedal brings a quick "mute" where the sound coming through stops for second). Makes it tough to use this live. Slightly unfortunate considering the potential the rig has with all the customization and tinkering that's available.

 

But I am still a new user, so maybe there are ways to fix these problems and I have yet to find solutions.

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     Can I ask a related question? 

 

     I'm playing at home, so trying to keep things relatively quiet, but I'd like to get the best sound possible from the various Spider setting options (I'm all over the map, jazz, rock, blues, country).  Am I going to get better sound quality if I turn the volume up on the amp and down on the guitar, or down on the amp and up on my guitar.  I've been messing around and amp down/guitar up sometimes seems better, but I'm not sure.  And if that's the way to go, how far down on the amp should I turn the volume? 

 

     So, simply put: which amp/guitar channel volume and bass/mid-range/treble settings will give me the best sound quality at low volume?

 

     Also, when I do change from one preset channel to another, I often get hum/buzz/static, sometimes with a bit of feedback, which disappears when I fiddle with the channel volume/drive knobs.  Is this due to my physical set up -- ie am I sitting too close to the amp with my guitar, or too close to the TV, etc. -- or is this just one of those things that everyone experiences? 

 

 

There's no set answer to your questions.  Some guitar's pickups don't sound good at less than full volume, others are fine, so you have to find the volume/sound you want by experimenting.  Same holds for tone.

As to the noise when switching presets, that's a new one on me, but may be due to the loud channel volume setting on each preset.  Are you using a guitar with single coil pickups?  (Strat, Tele, etc) These can be noisier than a dual-coil (humbucking) pickup.

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I've taken people's advice on this and let the master volume do most of the work. I set all of my channels volumes to 50% or less and then adjust the master as needed. I'm my opinion there is a balance between that you need to find. If master and channel are both cranked, you'll get noise, if channel is cranked be and master isn't it sounds overpushed or forced and messy. If channel is too low and master is cranked, it sounds choked and weird. 40 -50% channel seems to be the best for me. It let's the amp channel breath and sound how it should without making master too touchy to adjust.

 

Don't know if any of this helps or if I'm just repeating what others have said but there's been my two cents.

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"As to the noise when switching presets, that's a new one on me, but may be due to the loud channel volume setting on each preset.  Are you using a guitar with single coil pickups?  (Strat, Tele, etc) These can be noisier than a dual-coil (humbucking) pickup."

 

     Don't know what sort of pick-ups I've got.  I'm playing an Epiphone Joe Pass, am new to amps -- my b.g.'s in classical -- and coming to realize that "playing" the amp can be almost as complicated as playing the instrument itself :-).  I have been messing with the settings, though, and getting some interesting tones.  Still a bit frustrating, of course.

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"I've taken people's advice on this and let the master volume do most of the work. I set all of my channels volumes to 50% or less and then adjust the master as needed. I'm my opinion there is a balance between that you need to find. If master and channel are both cranked, you'll get noise, if channel is cranked be and master isn't it sounds overpushed or forced and messy. If channel is too low and master is cranked, it sounds choked and weird. 40 -50% channel seems to be the best for me. It let's the amp channel breath and sound how it should without making master too touchy to adjust."

 

     Thanks, I'll try those various settings and see how it sounds.  Appreciate the input.

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

 

There are a couple little things I'm starting to notice too, that others on this site have mentioned as kinda gimmicky (quick loop), and some things they didn't seem to think all the way through (switching channels with the foot pedal brings a quick "mute" where the sound coming through stops for second). Makes it tough to use this live. Slightly unfortunate considering the potential the rig has with all the customization and tinkering that's available.

 

 

The abrupt switching is something that's hard to deal with in a live setting. I tend to use a certain amount of delay in various presets, and it sure would be nice to hear that "residual hangover" when switching presets.

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I just tried playing with my master up around 25% and adjusted my channel volume accordingly rather than channel at 100% and adjusting master which I always did with my Spider II back in the day.

 

Did I just stumble on something? Is there a trick to the ratio between master and channel?

Have you tried setting all but the drive to 12 O'clock with no effects except reverb set where you can just hear it. Then increasing the drive till you just get distortion. At this point you can play around with the tone stack to see what it does to the tone. Everyone has there little system of making settings. I guess what I'm gett'in at is in time you'll have your "Base Settings" so to speak.

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  • 6 months later...

Save the patches that you are going to use 'live' (for home practice doesn't matter as much) at the same volume by adjusting the channel volumes for the patches.  Then the master volume is used to adjust the overall volume for where you are playing.

Channel volume adjusts the preamp, master volume adjusts the amp.

Fully agree.

I set my channel vol for all patches at 12 oclock and then set my master

For a solo patch,i save the same patch as my rythmn but set the channel vol on the solo patch at 2 oclock so it has a little boost to cut over the rythmn guitar

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  • 1 month later...

I have a spider 4 120 and set the channel at the 9 oclock position and the master the same and it is way too loud! I don't understand why is there another volume adjustment somewhere? I wish the master could be set to less responsive.

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Well my man it is 120W (2x10?) and depending on where you are and the size of the room - oh yes you shall be cranking some dbs out it. Spider 4s have an edit program IIRC so just dial down the patch levels and adjust the master like Jake does. An FBV would help you.

 

Never really looked into the L6 pots but they might be audio taper (vs linear taper - if I have them right), there is a fast increase before things become more gradual.

 

-B

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IF you have an FBV MkIi pedal, you can use the wah/volume pedal to moderate the volume.  But as BillBee said, its a 120 watt monster, if you didnt' want that volume, you might have gone for the 75 (which can still get pretty loud!)

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