Looking for the perfect EQ/ Sound

[hiredshogun]

Hey all, im new to the forums and im a first time head/speaker owner. First off, im not very satisfied with my current sound and im looking towards the EQ to solve it. I have a 250W Hartke head and 250W Hartke speaker (they are part of the VX series). Now, the sound im looking for is clarity. I want my notes to have definition so to speak, as in not having static-y rumbling lows and ear piercing highs. Ive looked up many websites on instructions but im still not having any luck.

So im looking towards the experts who could help me. Any ideas to what it could be? Any feedback is much appreciated, thanks!

PS Also, i should mention that i have an Epiphone Gothbird. Also, sorry for the extra large pictures.

[rpsands]

Turn those contour knobs all the way down.

Turn the comp all the way down.

Set all the sliders to 0.

Adjust from there.

For definition I would bump the 250 and 500 sliders (3-5db), cut the 1khz and 2khz sliders, leave the 3/5/8 flat. Pull the 30 all the way to 0.

At least, that's how I would start.

[scottfeldstein]

If there's a Main and an Input stage, try running the Main at 3 o'clock and bring up the Input as needed for volume.

[pbasswil]

I agree with rp: start flat, and definitely turn those contours off. (to 12 O'clock, it looks like.)
Work just with your graphic EQ sliders, from flat (= all sliders half-way up). Graphics are a really good way to learn about what frequencies are important to getting your sound.

And you'll want to have fresh strings, right?

Only you know what sound you're looking for (clarity means different things to different folks).

Once you hear your bass flat, before you boost anything, see what you can improve by removing frequencies that you don't want.
If you pull out a lot of mids, it'll start seeming quieter; so nudge up the volume as needed.

Unless you have a low F# string, you're pretty safe pulling the 30hz slider way down -- that's rumble city down there! Even if you have a low B string, I'd adjust lowest lows with the next slider, 64hz, until it sounds good. You don't actually need the fundamentals on notes that low, it's the overtones that are important and audible.

If you're unfamiliar with what role different freq's play in a bass sound, check Post #24 in the following thread:

How to get the profesional bass sound. - Page 2 - TalkBass Forums

Good luck!

[will33]

+1 to all.

I'd also say, if you're new to eq, start out with them all in the middle at moderate volume.......not loud. Then move each slider all the way up and all the way down and listen what it does to your sound. Then put that one back in the middle, go to the next one and do the same thing and so on.

[hiredshogun]

Thank you guys, ill be sure to try all those tips out when i can.

[BurningSkies]

First off, those 'contour knobs' to set as close to flat as possible shouldn't be all the way down, they should be at noon. They don't work like the contour knobs on some other amps.

Then I'd start by zeroing out that graphic EQ, and instead of boosting the highs, I'd start by attenuating the lows rather than boosting the highs. I also know that while that amp's directions suggest leaving the preamps at noon and adjusting the master, I had much better luck with Hartkes the power amp level up and adjusting the preamp levels.

You may also wish to not use both preamps at the same time. Try one then the other and see which sound better for you...from there you can decide to add in a little more of one or the other for extra color. I found I used mostly the tube with a bit of the solid state one for clarity, you may prefer it the other way, or just using a single one. It can get tubby with both.