Is anyone using a NS WAV4 EUB and a T1 with the NS-Design ToneMatch presets? If so, would you mind sharing any presets that you use which make the WAV4 sound like an acoustic DB?

I have been twirling knobs now for a couple of days on the WAV4 and T1 and have something sounding similar to my acoustic Kay DB, but not quite. I was just wondering if this is going to be the best I can do, of if I'm overlooking some sort of "tweak" that can be done. I still have a few options left like changing strings and bridge adjustments, but just wondered if someone had already found the solution.

Also, is anyone experiencing hum (on the edge of major!) with your EUB plugged into the T1? I'm having a problem with some grounding somewhere. This baby hums "big time" in my book, and the only way I can silence it is with some Noise Gate on the T1. The input channel shows a low-level signal at ALL times. If I put my hands on the metal ends of the guitar cable used to connect it to the T1, it reduces the hum, but it doesn't go away entirely. This indicates to me I have a ground loop somewhere, but where I have no idea! I tried a DI, but it doesn't get rid of all the hum. I tried a new guitar cable, but no change. I wonder if it's a shielding problem with the electronics in the EUB???? Just wondering if anyone else has this issue. I may call the distributor on Monday to see if they have any suggestions for eliminating it.

Outside of this annoyance, I have been pleasantly surprised by the WAV4! It is the bottom-line of NS EUB's, but with the T1 ToneMatch NS-Design presets, it's still pretty sweet sounding. There are a lot of tones between this "stick" and the L1/T1!!!

John

So.....you obviously treated yourself early, John! Did you talk to Rob, per chance?

Bring it with you when you come up (well, you know, whenever you come up).

Aside from the aforementioned hum, are you otherwise grinning? Woops! Just re-read. Yes.

N

Hi John,


EUB EUB EUB for the NEUB that's Electronic Upright Bass right?

quote:

Also, is anyone experiencing hum (on the edge of major!) with your EUB plugged into the T1? I'm having a problem with some grounding somewhere. This baby hums "big time" in my book, and the only way I can silence it is with some Noise Gate on the T1

Does it make any difference if you are touching the strings or maybe the connecting cable (if the shell is expose metal connecting to the shield)?


Does the hum change if you turn the instrument in different directions?

Have you tried it in a different location?

Hi ST!

quote:

EUB EUB EUB for the NEUB that's Electronic Upright Bass right?

EUB = Electronic (Electric) Upright Bass... yup, you got it! Bass player's talk. HA! Acronyms, you gotta love'em! But, NEUB??? ( New?)

quote:

Does it make any difference if you are touching the strings or maybe the connecting cable (if the shell is expose metal connecting to the shield)?

Yes, it does. I have metal shells on the 1/4 phono plug (std guitar cable) and when I touch them, the volume of the hum decreases significantly. However, a small amount of hum remains. And, when I touch the strings, the hum basically disappears or is so low, it doesn't matter. It mixes with the operating "hiss" of the L1 at this stage and is so low as to not matter, in all but the most quiet environments. My body is adding a lot of capacitance when I touch the strings also, if you know what I mean...

quote:

Does the hum change if you turn the instrument in different directions?

No.

quote:

Have you tried it in a different location?

Yes. Just did this today. Stretched the guitar cable out about 3 meters of so from the L1/T1 and still had the problem.

For now, I've been using the GATE function on the T1 with a Threshold of -45.0dB and Speed of 45%. This seems to allow some decay of the notes when playing and doesn't really get funky unless I let a note sustain to the end, when it gets "wavy sounding" before the GATE kicks in fully.

Any ideas? I'm thinking I'm going to have to add a capacitor or increase the value of one somewhere in the electronics of the EUB. But, before I get out the solder iron, I'm calling the place from where I bought it and/or NS to see if they offer any support. I can probably live with it as long as I use the GATE, if I have to, but it would be nice to quiet it and not have to use the GATE function. Plus, I hate seeing the low level signal of the channel on the input display!

BTW, the old Kay DB uses a K&K Bass Max piezo and when it connects to the T1 with the same guitar cable, absolutely NO hum!

Hi Nathan!

Yes, I had a phone call from Santa...he was starting early with the "old people" and I just put in my order!!! He's fast but doesn't have a red sleigh I found out...it's a brown truck! But, no matter, he still had the goods!

I didn't call Rob. I just thought, go for it and have some fun!

The "hum" aside, I am growing fond of it quickly! Practiced a few Christmas songs with it this afternoon and I am really enjoying the T1 NS-Design presets with it. A little zEQ and viola, a fairly convincing acoustic sound. Not exactly, but it's close!

I'd love to hear Rob's NS CR4M through a T1. I'm sure his instrument would sound even better!!!

I think it will be fun to play on those gigs where we have little room on stage and the audience could care less whether I'm playing a REAL acoustic bass or not. I'm also looking forward to seeing the other guy's reactions when I show up with it for a gig! HA!

John

quote:

EUB EUB EUB for the NEUB

In my weird sense of phonetic pronunciations this comes out... yoobie yoobie yoobie for the nooobie.

From your responses, the hum sounds like a cold solder joint on a shield wire somewhere (inside). But I hope there is something simple you can do. In the meantime the gate is a good workaround.

I looked on the http://www.nedsteinberger.com/wav/ site in their FAQs and didn't see anything about hum.

quote:

I may call the distributor on Monday to see if they have any suggestions for eliminating it.

I hope you have a good experience talking to them.

ST -



I thought "cold solder joint" perhaps, too... I'll wait until I talk with someone, before firing up the soldering iron...but if all else fails...I've been known to take things apart and "fix" them! HA!

Thanks ST!

Oh, I love the brown truck. It's like the Wells Fargo wagon comin' down the street. Even if I have nothing on order from anywhere, I still feel like it's going to stop at my house and drop off a package. Ah, good times...

I think you'll get that acoustic sound. It's a pretty marvelous instrument to not replicate its ancestory.

Totally true on the audience caring or not what they see on stage. Rob plays his stick bass sometimes, too, because the guys (the rock band he plays with) get a kick out of it, as you are anticipating. Other times, he'll be playing at, say, IC or MacMurray, where they want something a little avant garde. It fits that requirement nicely.

We really should plan a session sometime together. Rob could learn ever more about the L1, and you two could bass talk. By the way, this afternoon I'm singing with the trio in Mt. Sterling (Ridge View Winery) from 2 to 5 (come on up!) I'm using Pete's Model II. Carrie said I should just have Rob set it up to totally sell him on it. Let him realize it's more than just great sound. He knows that. Already familiar with my Classic, he'll dig the enhanced ease and portability of "The 2."

N

** UPDATE **

Well for anyone that may have followed this thread and is experiencing "hum" with their NS WAV4, I'm here to say it can be fixed! After only a couple of emails to NS Design (makers of the WAV4), my bass was on its way to them for repair. They (specifically, David Kowaski of NS-Design) were EXTREMELY concerned with my problem and offered an immediate repair. They even paid shipping charges both ways! I couldn't be happier with their quality of customer service, support and communications during this entire deal! They are excellent folks over at NS-Design! I have to say, their customer support rivals that of Bose!

Anyway, I'm back to "tweaking" my sound with the NS-Design presets loaded into my T1. My bass now seems to be more responsive to subtle changes in tone/volume, than before I had it repaired and I no longer need the Noise Gate function of the T1 to silence things. It’s very quiet now, and life is good! No more hum.

I just have to say, I enjoy these NS-Design presets for the T1 ToneMatch Audio Engine. Although they were probably not designed for this particular NS-Design model, they enable me to get some great tones out of my EUB! My thanks to the Bose engineers for making them available!

(BTW, the “hum” problem was a bad capacitor in the electronics of the EUB.)

quote:

Originally posted by JohnNell:
** UPDATE **

Well for anyone that may have followed this thread and is experiencing "hum" with their NS WAV4, I'm here to say it can be fixed! After only a couple of emails to NS Design (makers of the WAV4), my bass was on its way to them for repair. They (specifically, David Kowaski of NS-Design) were EXTREMELY concerned with my problem and offered an immediate repair. They even paid shipping charges both ways! I couldn't be happier with their quality of customer service, support and communications during this entire deal! They are excellent folks over at NS-Design! I have to say, their customer support rivals that of Bose!

Anyway, I'm back to "tweaking" my sound with the NS-Design presets loaded into my T1. My bass now seems to be more responsive to subtle changes in tone/volume, than before I had it repaired and I no longer need the Noise Gate function of the T1 to silence things. It’s very quiet now, and life is good! No more hum.

I just have to say, I enjoy these NS-Design presets for the T1 ToneMatch Audio Engine. Although they were probably not designed for this particular NS-Design model, they enable me to get some great tones out of my EUB! My thanks to the Bose engineers for making them available!

(BTW, the “hum” problem was a bad capacitor in the electronics of the EUB.)

hey john,

great to hear everything is all worked out!

mike