Good Rig, Poor Sound. WHY?

[monroe55]

Im at my wits end with trying to get a decent volume out of my rig. I play with a drummer and a guitarist who uses one of those loud Fender twin reverb cabinets and I feel like my bass just sounds like sh*t when we play. I thought I had good equipment, the right equipment but something isnt working. My bass just sounds so "thin" when ever I try to do a run or play a solo. Here is what Im usng: Fender Jazz RI MIA, QSCPLX1804 amp, SVP II preamp, Epifani UL 2x10, Bagend 1x15. What could be wrong. This should be a kick azz rig but Its just not happening.
Questions:
1) I' m afraid that since the 2 cabs Im using are different models/companys, I may be experiencing that poor 'Matchup" thing that Ive read about. Like the cabs dont work well together. How can I know?
2)How about pickups? I have stock pups in the Jazz bass and Ive read so much about replacing them with something better to get more out of my bass. Could this be it?
3) Could something be wrong inside the amp/pre that should be taken to a shop?
4) Is it the fact that Im using an ultra lite weight model amp and cabinet? Is it just a fact that lightweight rigs dont have the balls that something like a crown and an ampeg 4x10 would?
Help!

[sonic assassin]

are both of your pickups on full?

are your mids cut?

[joeydavidson]

I doubt it's your bass, especially since it's got stock pickups.

Are you saying that it's sounds thin in the upper registers when you solo? My old SVT II preamp sounded a bit thin in the upper registers sometimes with certain cabs, I would trial some different cabs maybe and see if that helps.

[mr.hughes]

If everything is working fine in your rig, it should be more than capable of keeping up with the other guys. I've been in this situation plenty of times and IMO it could be that your guitar player might have too much going on in the low end of his sound, which makes it tough for you to be heard - it just eats up too much sonic space.

On some gigs like this I've actually stopped playing in the middle of tunes and noticed NO drop in low end balls. I even had this with just an acoustic guitar vs my double bass a few nights back. There was so much low end going on in the acoustic through the PA that my upright sounded anemic no matter what EQ adjustments I made. As soon as the low end was reduced from the acoustic guitar my upright suddenly had a full and blossoming sound.

Another thing to consider is that you might be at the mercy of a crap sounding room that just sucks up your rig's punch and gives nothing back. In those rooms I have a little success by cutting the low low's and boosting the low mids - around 100-200HZ.

[phatbass]

Originally Posted by monroe55

Im at my wits end with trying to get a decent volume out of my rig. I play with a drummer and a guitarist who uses one of those loud Fender twin reverb cabinets and I feel like my bass just sounds like sh*t when we play. I thought I had good equipment, the right equipment but something isnt working. My bass just sounds so "thin" when ever I try to do a run or play a solo. Here is what Im usng: Fender Jazz RI MIA, QSCPLX1804 amp, SVP II preamp, Epifani UL 2x10, Bagend 1x15. What could be wrong. This should be a kick azz rig but Its just not happening.
Questions:
1) I' m afraid that since the 2 cabs Im using are different models/companys, I may be experiencing that poor 'Matchup" thing that Ive read about. Like the cabs dont work well together. How can I know?

The problem with so-called "mismatched" cabs is, IMO, only when the 2 cabs are out of phase with each other (This is assuming each individual cab is wired correctly internally). Easy to check and rectify if you're *PATIENT* and proceed carefully and logically. Out of phase speaker cabs has been covered plenty here on TB. Do a Google search.

Originally Posted by monroe55

2)How about pickups? I have stock pups in the Jazz bass and Ive read so much about replacing them with something better to get more out of my bass. Could this be it?

I doubt it. A stock Jazz has plenty of grunt. Look how many guys use 'em.

Originally Posted by monroe55

3) Could something be wrong inside the amp/pre that should be taken to a shop?

It's possible, but try all the cheap/easy things first. Are you sure your pre-amp isn't an SVT-IIP? I've got one of these and it likes to have the gain pushed a bit. Also make sure you're not plugged into the Bright channel, as on mine this sounds a bit thin IMO.

And if it is an SVT-IIP, it could be up to about 20 years old and possibly never had the tubes replaced.

Originally Posted by monroe55

4) Is it the fact that Im using an ultra lite weight model amp and cabinet? Is it just a fact that lightweight rigs dont have the balls that something like a crown and an ampeg 4x10 would?
Help!

Start with the Bass plugged into the "Normal" channel, turn ALL the buttons off (including the graphic) and set Bass, Midrange and Treble to 12 o'clock. I normally run the Volume at about 3 quarters full up, and control volume with the power amp.

As the Power amp pushes about 550 - 600 watts into each cab (assuming they're 8 ohms) it *should* be killin'. Adjust Bass, Mids, etc. to taste.

[Sartori]

What's your EQ like?

[TRU]

+1 on check cabs for phase issue. If any of the cabs sound fuller alone, that's the issue.

Depending on the room you may need to boost the lows to get any bassy sounds. End results is then up to the eq voicing.

[bassgod0dmw]

The first thing I would check would be out of phase cabs...

[nukes_da_bass]

Is the impedance of the cabs matched correctly? (asked the guy who has made that mistake in the past!)

[fleabee]

Originally Posted by mr.hughes

If everything is working fine in your rig, it should be more than capable of keeping up with the other guys. I've been in this situation plenty of times and IMO it could be that your guitar player might have too much going on in the low end of his sound, which makes it tough for you to be heard - it just eats up too much sonic space.

This

[Wes Whitmore]

Try moving yourself or your cab to another part of the room...

[Vinny D]

Sounds like an EQ issue too me, most likely the mids are scooped.

[s_mcsleazy]

+1000000 on the eq

are you being naughty and scooping those mids just to get your grapic eq to smile at you

[4Mal]

One side of the 1804 and the Epifani would be fine for most of the jazz dates I've ever played. The Bag End is kind of a weird match for that - IMO Bag End SD-15' with tweeter or not, work best in pairs - and there still isn't enough low end on tap for my taste.

So first thing I would do is try just the Epi. Using 'flattened settings on the pre

Next thing I would try is another pre-amp - just to see if the Ampeg has enough oomph to drive the 1804.

Then re-vsit this thread and let us know what if anything worked.

I used to be, but am no more - a fan of the 1x15 & 2x10 setup ... more often than not - you get the worst of both IME. The loan exception - among the combinations that I have heard or have personal experience with is the old Mesa RR series in a rock setting. that stack kick's booty but - it's way dated and too freakin' heavey to consider in this day and age... I have not heard a UL-210 and a UL115 - that might be interesting ...

[greenboy]

In this age of the Internut, where people actually buy gear based on youtube and clips which have more to do with the audio capture than the gear being featured as it would function in various environments, I suggest getting someone local to play through your rig.

Even in rather unpopulated areas it's usually not that tough to find someone who is good at dialing in whatever gear is put in front of them and sounding good through it. Usually these experienced players understand impedance issues and hookups and in moments can cut through all the text one would otherwise have to wade through.

In the bargain, you might have a new contact or friend in the making, maybe even a potential mentor or teacher.

[stiles72]

I play with a B-100R (a "mere" 100 watts) in a group with two guitarists who each use a Fender twin and Reverb Deluxe respectively, and I have no problem with walking lines and runs standing out nice and full. Sometimes adding too much mid and high end to your sound can mean you're competing for sonic space with the guitarists. Try boosting your lows and dip the low mids a bit. Otherwise, like Greenboy says, see if you can get someone local to try dialing it in for you.

[svtb15]

+1000000000000000000

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

The first thing I would check would be out of phase cabs...

[johnbegone]

I'm dealing with the same thing right now in our current practice space. I have a Sunn 300T and an Ampeg 8x10. I've NEVER not been able to dial in a great sound with this rig, but I've been dealing with horrible sound for weeks. I think it's 100% our rehearsal room. Last practice we moved the cab around 4 or 5 times. It worked better in some areas, but it was never like I remember.

I think it's because the room resonates on low notes and gets really boomy so I naturally cut some of the bass off the amp, then I lose all the balls of the sound. But if I bring the bass back in it's overpowering and and everyone complains.

So frustrating to know you have good equipment and not be able to sound good.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by johnbegone

I'm dealing with the same thing right now in our current practice space. I have a Sunn 300T and an Ampeg 8x10. I've NEVER not been able to dial in a great sound with this rig, but I've been dealing with horrible sound for weeks. I think it's 100% our rehearsal room. Last practice we moved the cab around 4 or 5 times. It worked better in some areas, but it was never like I remember.

I think it's because the room resonates on low notes and gets really boomy so I naturally cut some of the bass off the amp, then I lose all the balls of the sound. But if I bring the bass back in it's overpowering and and everyone complains.

So frustrating to know you have good equipment and not be able to sound good.

You can try a simple fix of hanging some carpet on the walls to deaden the room up a little. It doesn't always work, but it may help.

[bass4worship]

Get a Tech Sansamp VT pedal....... It will fatten up your tone.