# Are remote bass knobs useless?



## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Am I the only one here who thinks that remote bass knobs are useless? I have at least 3 amps that have remote bass knobs, and I don't see myself connecting any of them. I would rather have a DIN sized EQ than a remote bass knob.

I will admit that I did use the remote bass knob for a little while when I had my JL Audio 10W3V2s in the Mustang, but I don't think it is needed for the 13w6v2.


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## Candisa (Sep 15, 2007)

Bass knobs are useful if you have an install that's made to be a compromise between SQ and SPL, you can turn up the sub to it's limits for an SPL game, you can turn the sub down for an SQ game, and maybe you like the sub a little bit louder than the SQ judges, so you can put it somewhere in between for daily use.

But if you don't care about SPL, like the sound of 'SQ-settings' or don't compete and just want a little more bass in some songs, I agree with you that an in-dash eq is the better option. An eq effects the total signal, so the coupling between sub and frontset doesn't change with an EQ, it might change when you crank up the sub too much without changing the way the midbasswoofers play.

On the other hand, a subremote is just an extra gain knob while an in-dash equalizer is an extra device (with it's s/n ratio, thd, stereo separation) in the signal path.
If you already have an eq (headunit or trunk) that is set to sound right and you only use the in-dash eq to change the sound a little with some tracks, it might affect sound quality, even when it's set flat.
If you use a bassremote, it might and probably will affect both staging and sound quality when you use it, because you create a hump in the frequency response, but if you set it to normal, it shouldn't affect anything because it controls the signal indirectly, if you connect a remote or not, the signal path doesn't see an extra device.

I guess both have their pro's and con's and the best thing to do is just avoiding both by setting the system how *you* like it, don't give a **** about what other people (including sq judges) think of the sound and listen to music that is decently recorded.

greetz,
Isabelle


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

If it's the only accessible way to get to the sub level then, no, they are not useless. Find out where it is "right" though and mark it. Sometimes having a bit more sub or a bit less is not a bad thing. I have an Alpine 9855 running active, if I hit the big knob once it goes to sub level, it can change a couple times a week but the rest stays the same for a year or more 

It depends on your listening habits but as long as it's a gain control and not a "thump, thunder, quake" control I see no issue in using one.

Chad


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

I guess my stigma stems from the old days where I watched installers drop in Punch 150 amps with the bass 3/4 the way up causing the amp to clip much sooner than it should have. Making matters worse, these same installers would REMOVE the bass and treble knobs leaving their customers with no way to turn it down. These are the same installers who were friends of mine at the time and forced me to do my own installs.

Don't get me wrong, the remote bass knob helped level out my JL 10w3v2s but it seems totally unnecessary to use the remote bass for my 13w6v2 in the JL Audio Stealthbox.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Just volume, NOT AN EQ CONTROL 

When I said "Right" i meant in the garage I don't NEED a sub or very little. Some help or sometimes a bunch, is nice on the road for getting some help on the bottom.

On both of my 5Ch amps the "sub control" only adjusts volume not internal amplifier EQ. wish i had one for my MTX


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## 14642 (May 19, 2008)

I find a bass control of some sort to be pretty useful. These days, studio monitor systems are pretty flat, but years ago they varied widely and often included huge woofers and non-flat frequency response. Recodrings mixed on those kinds of systems are often bass shy, since many engineers attenuated the bass in the mix to make up for the accentuated bass in the monitor system. These days, there's often more bass in the mix and a setting that works for some recordings doesn't work for others, unless your goal is to accurately reproduce what's on the recording.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

Definately works for some music


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## felix509 (Dec 17, 2006)

When I used a Zapco SX for my processing, the most used adjustment on it, besides volume, was the sub balance.. 

the SX has an adjustment that is simply a balance between the sub out and the high pass outs.

the difference in music, and especially the difference in sources(FM vs CD) always required a little bit of adjustment to the sub level.


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## MarkZ (Dec 5, 2005)

chad said:


> If it's the only accessible way to get to the sub level then, no, they are not useless. Find out where it is "right" though and mark it. Sometimes having a bit more sub or a bit less is not a bad thing. I have an Alpine 9855 running active, if I hit the big knob once it goes to sub level, it can change a couple times a week but the rest stays the same for a year or more


Is that before or after you veer off the road adjusting it? 

I swear, the next step in audio is mind-control head units. Maybe the guy in your avatar can help. [kidding - before PETA crawls up my ass]


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## GlasSman (Nov 14, 2006)

06BLMUSTANGGT said:


> I guess my stigma stems from the old days where I watched installers drop in Punch 150 amps with the bass 3/4 the way up causing the amp to clip much sooner than it should have. Making matters worse, these same installers would REMOVE the bass and treble knobs leaving their customers with no way to turn it down. These are the same installers who were friends of mine at the time and forced me to do my own installs.


Were your friends Gustapo installers operating under a regime?


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## Xander (Mar 20, 2007)

I had a setup where it was useful before. I had a 2-way crossover before my, and the crossover had a "bass knob." It was actually just a knob that took over the sub-out gain control when plugged in. So I would plug it in, crank it all the way (no noticeable noise) and then set the gain on the sub amp. I set it a little heavy compared to the mains. So at lower volumes I'd get some decent bass. Then if I wanted to turn it up a little I could turn the "bass knob" down a little and level it out. Since the relationship to frequency and volume of human hearing is not linear, I think it's useful.


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## jimboman (Jun 24, 2008)

I love my MTX EBC. Instead of trying to find it on the HU, just reach for it and turn it where it needs to be. Like stated before, music varies quite a bit, and there are times where it needs to be turned down. (It is pretty much an attenuator)


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## pushin8 (Sep 26, 2006)

I would never be without one in my convertible. There is no happy medium between top up and top down, it requires two completely different levels of bass and it's not just something you can fix with an eq. 

That said I also have one in my sedan. It's tuned for SQ, I just use it to have a little headroom when I want to show off my IB IDQs!


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

GlasSman said:


> Were your friends Gustapo installers operating under a regime?


You are going to think this is sick, but they actually said they did this to "protect the customer from themselves" yet no one protected the poor customer from the Hitler like installer.


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## Str8_9er (Oct 26, 2009)

I find the remote bass knob useful. I use it to lower the bass when I give me older relatives rides or when I go to certain places. Also, use it to raise bass on some songs and lower it on others.


BTW I have 2 12" Kicker subs, 1200w Kenwood amp, and a JVC deck (a cheap $100  )


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## Seantexans74 (May 2, 2020)

Candisa said:


> Bass knobs are useful if you have an install that's made to be a compromise between SQ and SPL, you can turn up the sub to it's limits for an SPL game, you can turn the sub down for an SQ game, and maybe you like the sub a little bit louder than the SQ judges, so you can put it somewhere in between for daily use.
> 
> But if you don't care about SPL, like the sound of 'SQ-settings' or don't compete and just want a little more bass in some songs, I agree with you that an in-dash eq is the better option. An eq effects the total signal, so the coupling between sub and frontset doesn't change with an EQ, it might change when you crank up the sub too much without changing the way the midbasswoofers play.
> 
> ...


Just curious could the jl audio _bass_ _knob_ make u lose radio reception. I unplugged it and used the _bass_ _knob_ for my lineout converter instead and my radio started working porperly. Has anyone else ever heard of this happing and why?


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

it depends on what the knob does. the JL 500/1 I have has a 1 band PEQ that is controlled by the knob. while that has its uses, it doesnt really vary volume across the whole band. 

I use the plain jane RCA fader for bass knobs. you can kill bass to zero if you want, keep it mixed nicely or pump it up for bass heavy stuff.


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

Seantexans74 said:


> Just curious could the jl audio _bass_ _knob_ make u lose radio reception. I unplugged it and used the _bass_ _knob_ for my lineout converter instead and my radio started working porperly. Has anyone else ever heard of this happing and why?


sounds like interfereance. is the JL knob hear the radio? class D amps are also notorious for killing radio reception


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