Rehearsal: Bass amp issues

🔇 No sound from the bass amp

If the bass amp has power but isn't working, try the following:

• Check the back of the bass amp head for the Headphones On/Off button (sometimes labelled "Standby"). When engaged, it puts the amp into headphones mode and no sound comes through the speaker — we'll need to turn this off. If you're not sure, try it in both positions.
• Make sure the Mute button on the front of the amp is disengaged (pressed out), and the EQ and Line Mix knobs are set to the middle. Labels are sometimes worn — best practice is to disengage all front buttons and set all dials to 12 o'clock.
• Depending on the model, there may also be two mute buttons at the back that look like on/off switches — make sure those are turned off too.

🔌 Checking cable connections for no sound

Make sure both the speaker or speakon cable are fully inserted into the back of the head and cabinet — they're chunkier than a standard jack cable.

In most cases, the black/blue speakon cable isn't inserted correctly. The silver clip on the blue part of the cable needs to be facing up, at 12 o'clock, to be fully inserted.

• Make sure the speaker cable is plugged into the "Speaker/Loudspeakers" output ports on the amp, not send/return. If there's a second speaker port, try that one instead.
• If you're using a pedalboard, make sure all your pedals are interconnected and powered correctly.
• Test your setup with another amp, or plug directly into the mixer.