Lo vs Hi gain input

Doug Jones · From: Oregon & Florida

I've been playing Evans amps for years. I always plug into input 2. I seem to remember Darrell telling me to do so and have done since. Some amps have Lo and Hi gain inputs. What really is the difference? For example should a lesser impedance pickup (i.e. a tele) go through the Lo and a higher (i.e. 19K steel) go through the high? Thanks, DJ

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

It wouldn't be the first time that something I thought I knew turned out to be wrong but....I believe that it is the other way around from what you just said----the 'low' input pads down the signal. It reduces a signal that may be overly hot (such as a steel guitar humbucker) so as to not overdrive the front end of the preamp. A signal that does not need attenuation will go into the 'high' input.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Almost right....

#1 is for low gain signals coming from ALL electric Guitars and Steels etc...things with pickups...

#2 has a 10DB pad for hi gain things like Keyboards etc....maybe an Acoustic Guitar PRE-AMP system..but not direct...this is not for guitars with Humbuckers or Single Coils..

Plug all your Guitars and things with pickups into #1...

always fun

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 16 January 2005 at 06:43 AM.]

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

It doesn't have as much to do with impedances as it does with gain available. Normally, the "Lo" input is for low gain pickups, and the "Hi" is for higher gain sources. I'd use the "lo" input for everything...unless you're getting distortion. Then, I'd switch to the "hi", and try that.

The best advice, however, is to just use it the way it sounds best!

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Donny said it all with one sentence !

____________________________________________
"The best advice, however, is to just use it the way it sounds best!"
--------------------------------------------

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Yup!

[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 16 January 2005 at 07:11 AM.]

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

When I started using a processor, I never used the second input so I ran a wire from the second input directly to the power amp bypassing the pre-amp and the EQ. This way I can use a processor the way it was designed (Pro-Fex II) and if I ever wanted to go back to the amp without a processor I still had the first input. (2 70's Session 400's) It gives me the best of both worlds. It's worked well with a number of processors with no hum from having one pre-amp going into another.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Peavey manuals state clearly that #2 is a 10DB pad specifically for HI gain outputs such keyboards, this is common...take a look at your Peavey Nashville 1000 manual..

Not to disrespect Donny but I have never heard of the AMP inputs split for different pickups for guitars..A 10db pad is pretty significant..maybe I don't get out much...

If you want to use #2 thats fine by me..if you are ok with a reduced input gain then you're set..just know its' there..

PASTE:

here is the description from the Peavey Manual..

(1) High Gain Input
High Gain Input used for most electric guitars. It is 10 dB louder than the Low Gain input.
(2) Low Gain
Low Gain is provided for instruments that have extremely high outputs, which can result in
overdriving (distorting) the High Gain input. If both inputs are used simultaneously, the output levels
are the same (Both are low gain.).

UNPASTE

I serviced Fender amps for years..same thing..recently sold all of my service manuals from the 60's and 70's..never a reference to why..just the 10db pad..

Now there is a definite differences between HI and LO Impedance inputs such as for dynamic mics and such..but thats a totally different subject I'm thinknh..or at least it should be

happy Sunday..

t.

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 16 January 2005 at 09:07 AM.]

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I had an SE-200 (2003 HV Model with the Eminence Delta Lite Speaker).

The instructions that came with it said to use the Low input for Steel. I initially used that but I couldn't get enough volume out of it (and I don't play loud) so I went to #1 (High) input and got a little more gain (and some headroom).

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

On many amps including the Peavey NV1000 and NV112 amps, the high gain is also higher impedance than the lo-gain input. That may be true on some Evans as well. If you use a passive volume pedal (and no buffer device) and plug into the lo-gain input, the low impedance will suck large amounts of highs away. The hi impedance input will preserve those highs better. For steel I've always chosen the hi gain (hi-z) inputs. Especially since with steel we operate much of the time with our volume backed way down from full on. Just try plugging your steel straight into the two different inputs and listen to the difference in tone, not just the difference in loudness.

Brad Sarno

David Doggett · Posted 16 Jan 2005 10:36 am

I think everybody has the right idea, but some semantics are confusing some people. As I understand it, the term "gain" is what the amp is going to do. The pickup signal simply is what it is, there has been no gain yet.

If the original signal is weak, the way most electric guitar pickups are (even humbuckers, which are relatively stronger, but still weak), you want the preamp to use more gain to get that signal up for the power amp. So you use the "high gain" jack.

If the original signal is strong, as might be a keyboard, pre-preamp, or other active device prior to the amp's preamp, then that could overdrive the later stages of the amp's preamp, or the power amp. So you want the amp's preamp to provide lower gain - use the "low gain" jack.

So if you think about the gain as what you want the amp to do, you will select the proper gain jack. That seems to go along with the instruction manuals.

Still, as Donny says, you should be able to hear the difference and choose correctly by trial and error. The volume pedal can interfere with this, because you will simply press the volume pedal more or less, without necessarily realizing it, and thereby making screwing up the comparison. To test which jack is right, you need to leave the volume pedal at a single spot, and switch the chord between the two amp jacks. You would then choose the jack which gives the loudest volume, unless that is distorting. You could simply take the volume pedal out of the chain to guarantee a fair comparison, but you might want the volume pedal's effect to be part of the comparison, since a passive pedal could suck off some signal, and an active pedal could boost the signal.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 16 January 2005 at 10:41 AM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

commonly the LOW gain input refers to the gain of the preamp and not does not refer to the Instrument gain.

HI gain inputs , like mentioned in the above Peavey N1000 specs are for passive guitar pickups which require FULL throttle..

How they are labled by manufacturers may differ though but I think that they are probably the same in relationship to each other, one probably has a DB pad so high gain Instruments can be used with the amp.

Most amps on the market have input #1 as the HI gain and #2 as the Lo gain..

My old Standel Artists had 1 input, I never thought about if it was Hi or Lo or whatever...

t

[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 17 January 2005 at 03:48 AM.]

Roger Kelly · From: Bristol,Tennessee

Doug you are probably right in thinking Derrell Stephens told you to use Input # 2.
I have a 1994 Stephens built Evans FET 500 LV and here is what the Evans Manual recommends... I have used both Inputs during the years I have had the Amp, so it is a matter of preference I guess?

David Doggett · Posted 16 Jan 2005 7:39 pm

Um, nope, it sounds like the Evans has the high gain as the #1 jack and the low gain as the #2 jack, the same as most amps. However, those instructions have a different opinion about which input signals are weak or strong. They apparently believe that modern pickups, and especially effects units, have strong signals, and therefore need the low gain #2 jack with the 6 db cut in gain. Older weaker pickups need the high gain #1 jack.

Forum Index > Electronics		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: