Am I mistaken, but I thought there were no vol pots on the Outlaw amps. They are wide open at full power from the time you turn them on, and the preamp merely attenuates the gain.

I'm not sure - I'm not a designer of pre/pros, but I would have thought the 'knob' was attached to a digital encoder on modern equipment - the 1050 sure acts that way since there are no limits of travel - it turns until you get tired.

That would mean the 'knob' actually is controlling a variable in the software that is part of the internal math.

The internal math would determine the digital values that are applied to the output DACs.

Just a guess.

The ''loudness" knob is indeed just a controller of a digital circuit in some equipment. However the actual volume can be controlled in a number of ways. One is to scale the digital to analog converter mathematically. Another approach is to control a resistive 'ladder' network where turning the control shunts in precision resistors in the analog signal path, thus attenuating the signal. How the 950 does it is anybody's guess. Many ways to try to get an errant Norton to start up....I mean to attenuate a signal.

That may well be the case. Most pro amplifiers and some consumer ones have input level adjustment pots. The Outlaw amps are not 'at full power' all the time however. The amount of voltage you put into them will determine how much power they put out.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited September 13, 2002).]

LQQK, the car comparison was if a normal person driving, not a professional racer. The pro would be like having a $10,000 amp hooked in. None of us everyday people would notice, just like like many amps would not notice a difference. I don't think I could control a car going that fast. And to my understanding, a speed governor only limits the top speed (if this is wrong, imagine one that works the way I am thinking). Normal operation and acceration would be exactly the same.

The huge Ford diesel pickups have a governer that stops the fun and games at 97 mph, but considering the capabilities of the rest of the package I bet even a professional driver wouldn't care.

And by trimming the channels +3 there is no difference - so I don't see it as an issue, unless one already had those adjustments pinned too.

They could be controlling volume mathematically through the DACs, but I doubt it. Each 6dB would require a single bit, which would make for 90/6=15 bits, on top of the 16-24 needed for most source material. I suppose they could have put in a 39 bit DAC, but the specs for the unit do list 24 bit DACs.

Additionally, I thought (perhaps erroneously) that the volume readout on the 950 indicated the amount of gain it was currently applying; that 0dB meant that the signal was essentially pass-through; that positive numbers meant gain and negative numbers meant attenuation. Is that not the case? If so, then changing the preamp by 3dB means that it's not the case anymore.

I don't know where I heard that idea from; maybe I just pulled it out of a hat or something.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

By the way, I have 5 Norton Motorcycles. I have 3 750's a Fastback, Roadster and S-Model. I have 2 850's both are MKIII's. I grew up on Honda's but got the desire for an English bike after taking a small engines class which was instructed by a teacher who loved Triumphs and Indian motorcycles. The Norton Commando was different from other British bikes, smoother and more reliable. My 1975 MKIII Interstate has 65,000 miles on it, came stock with disk brakes front and rear, stainless steel fenders, Left foot shift, electric start. I added electronic ignition, and a single 34mm Mikuni carburetor to make it more reliable and easier to start. I have been very happy with it. They were good bikes in their day and met the expectations of their owners. But other countries changed those expectations (for the better) and the rest in history.

I knew that comment about Brit Bikes would get you going.....I ride myself, and have had a few that would now be classics (not Brit) but sold them thinking they would be worthless later - HA! Sounds like you have quite a garage full there. A '69 Bonnie maybe? Enjoy!

The only Triumph I had was a 79 bonnie, the wet frame. I sold it. To be honest with you I could not stay on the bike for more than a mile or two, too much vibration. The Norton Commandos had the Isolastic suspension system which isolated the rider from the vibes. It didn't get rid of them, but I could get on a Norton and do 300 miles easy and didn't have to stop for gas. 60 mpg 6.3 gallon tank on the Interstate model. They also had about 55-60 HP and 58 foot lbs of torque. The 750's were known to do high 12's at about 110 out of the box. The Commando gathered quite a reputation, after all it was only around for 5-6 years, sold only about 100,000 units, took Kenny Roberts and Yamaha 3 years to be able to beat it on the oval. etc....

[This message has been edited by MeanGene (edited September 17, 2002).]