Dingwall pickups for SR405EQM?

[WintermintP]

Before spending any money try a parametric EQ plugin before the B7K plugin with those freqs : 70hz, 500hz and 2.8Khz because that's literally what the tone capsule is : a 3band EQ.

Thanks for the suggestion. While I do find the idea helpful, I don't think the Tone Capsule is just a 3-band EQ. I think there's something more to it than that, as no preamp is truly transparent unless it's software.

WintermintP

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UKiqpecOe7tz6D2KAKrgb2cTNyRVpBm6

@Masoo2 @lewis @LordIronSpatula @Mwoit

Updated bass tone from a more recent track. Is this any better? I added a 3 Sigma Audio IR based off the Ampeg 8x10.

 

[Beheroth]

 

[WintermintP]

Okay, fine, I started to feel I might not even need the preamp anyway.

WintermintP

 

[WintermintP]

@Beheroth If you don't mind, can you bring down the meme image to about half the size though? The fact that it's that big is actually starting to give me the creeps.

No seriously, it's actually starting to look really creepy, and I'm actually a lot more timid than you think.

WintermintP

 

[Beheroth]

 

[LordCashew]

I actually think the newest clip is an improvement. Try running through those same settings when you've got new strings on and then go from there.

I don't know anything about the installation of the Tone Capsule, sorry. I would guess it has one input for the pickups, post blend and whatever else you want to put in front of it. I'm sure your research is as good as mine on that front.

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula I found some clues in the form of an instruction manual, but I may have to work this out with an expert.

https://www.darkglass.com/app/uploads/2015/08/Manual-Tone-Capsule-V2.pdf




I have no clue what the second diagram even means... @.@

EDIT: Okay, based on the image, the triangular doohickey seems to be the output jack and is plugged into slot #4. Then the shielding, I would imagine it would be coming from the knobs, probably twisted together, and that probably goes into slot #2. The middle wire from the volume knob should be slot #1. Then the red wire from the battery compartment should be slot #3.

#learningsomethingneweveryday

I might be able to install this myself, if I get lucky enough to figure out which one's which.

WintermintP

 

[LordCashew]

Sounds like you've got the gist of it. Overall, it looks pretty easy. If you're lucky, your OEM volume and tone controls might be separate from your EQ section, in which case you could just wire them to the Tone Capsule. If they're all on the same board, you'll have to install some new components in their place, which will probably involve soldering.

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula Yea, let's hope that the EQ are separate from the OEM Volume and Tone.

@Beheroth You do need to keep in mind that simply adding an EQ with those frequency settings, while it can emulate the Tone Capsule, it won't do anything to the fact that the bad preamp is still installed. Adding the Tone Capsule itself would remove the bad preamp completely.

WintermintP

 

[Beheroth]

Also, if you do end up changing pickups I recommend you get rid of that Ibanez pre. The OEM preamps are almost always the weakest link in inexpensive active basses, and you will probably get a more transparent tone for recording if you wire the bass passive.

before investing any money, try bypassing/removing the preamp and while you're doing that, wire your pickups in series

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula

Er... O_O

Is that... good or bad?!

WintermintP

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula I thought about how that thing's been wired for a little while and it got me thinking...

If we figured out which one of these are the four wires we need, shouldn't we be able to just cut the plug end and strip them so that we can screw them into place on the slots? I know for a fact that I simply had to do something along those lines when I installed the 89s with the existing pickup selector...

But then having to cut the plug end of something that's already set up to be solderless is just plain daunting...

AAAAAAAAUGHH I HATE SOLDERING >_<;;

WintermintP

 

[LordCashew]

@LordIronSpatula
If we figured out which one of these are the four wires we need, shouldn't we be able to just cut the plug end and strip them so that we can screw them into place on the slots?

Yes, in theory. It looks like you could probably leave your blend control, as it's separate and probably passive. If the volume control is also a separate passive control you could just unplug it from the module and strip the wires. (I can't tell if that's the case from the pictures.) That would be two of the four, and the other two would be from the battery compartment.

If you're feeling brave, you could also try pulling the output from the blend control and jumping it straight to the output jack. That would give you a passive bass without even a volume pot in the signal chain. It would be easily reversible and no more difficult than installing the tone capsule. You could even leave the OEM pre in the cavity.

I still counsel waiting for new strings before making any further decisions, though...

 

[WintermintP]

Having looked deeper into the controls, you seem to be right, the Blend seems to be independent, that's the good news.

The bad news...

It seemed like the volume control was independent for a moment, since there were black wires that go to the pickups and another black wire that just goes to the output jack.

Now I'm not really sure, as the right-most plug on that big board is also connected to the Volume. Is it safe to just cut them out, or am I actually screwed?

Actually, shouldn't I technically be able to just plug out the mid and low/high controls which are the big prong and the middle prong respectively and just go from there? Although I wouldn't really know how so someone's got to help me in that regard...

WintermintP

 

[LordCashew]

If you simply unplug things from the board you will probably just end up with an open circuit/no signal.

It does look like the volume control is a passive component. I can't be 100% sure without examining it myself, but if it is, you'd need to unplug it from the board and wire it either to the bass's output jack or the input of a new preamp.

Again, I suggest you try the bass as is with new strings before you change anything, just in case.

 

[WintermintP]

I hope you do realise the whole point of me examining through this is actually to install the Tone Capsule on there so "either the bass's output jack or the input of a new preamp" doesn't make sense. What makes more sense is that we find out which of the wires is actually the shield and which is the one that goes to slot #1.

Also, one of the plugs is actually a direct connect to the output jack and I wonder what I would have to do to the black and the white that are hooked to the plug.

@bostjan If you have any insights on this stuff, please help us out... @.@

@LordIronSpatula https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wtjZcE1NxP5T_G5l0TJiS2_EuITUR_SN/view?usp=drivesdk

That should be the higher resolution for the last image. Is that any helpful?

WintermintP

 

[LordCashew]

"Access denied" on your link.

I merely included wiring passive straight to the jack as an option in case you're interested in trying it before you buy a pre. If you're not, don't worry about that part. FWIW you need to find out which wire is which either way. Since you have two black wires going to your jack, black is probably your sleeve/ground color and your "hot" wire from the volume will be another color. You'd have to test it to be totally sure, but in the worst case you could hook them up one way to see if they work, and switch them if they don't.

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula I swear I turned on link sharing. I turned it on again. Try now.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wtjZcE1NxP5T_G5l0TJiS2_EuITUR_SN/view?usp=drivesdk

WintermintP

 

[LordCashew]

Yeah, looks like just a red and black coming from the volume control. Those should be your wires.

 

[WintermintP]

@LordIronSpatula But which one should be which? Do I just twist them both to make the yellow in the diagram?

WintermintP