Orange and Midrange problems

D Bopp · #1 06-13-2010, 08:53 AM

Can anyone give me advice on what I can do to bump the midrange in a small club? I play on the weekends in a room where my Orange 410 is not miked. It has enough juice, but I think because of the room, all I am getting is low end and not much midrange or highs. I play an AD200B through a OCB410. I use a Boss Bass EQ pedal, but that is it for effects.

Should I consider a different amp? I have been considering getting the Tiny Terror head, or another nice solid state amp. I love the AD200B, but have been thinking of other options too.

jordie65 · #2 06-13-2010, 08:59 AM

how do you set your eq on the pedal and on the amp?

RickenBoogie · #3 06-13-2010, 09:37 AM

Cutting the bass frequencies and boosting the mids should be all you need to do. That's a great rig, shouldn't be too much trouble getting it eq'd like you want. Maybe lose the Boss eq pedal, too.

D Bopp · #4 06-13-2010, 09:56 AM

I really just use the eq pedal as a volume boost. I set it to match the sound of the head.

lowendblues · #5 06-13-2010, 10:03 AM

Toss a VT pedal in the chain?

MAMMOTHvolume · #6 06-13-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D Bopp

I really just use the eq pedal as a volume boost. I set it to match the sound of the head.

bare in mind the mid range control is CUT only.

anderbass · #7 06-13-2010, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D Bopp

I think because of the room, all I am getting is low end and not much midrange or highs.

Have you been locating your cab in (or near) the corner of this room by any chance? If so try moving it somewhere else, cabs placed in the corner usually result in boomy/exaggerated bass response.

billfitzmaurice · #8 06-13-2010, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D Bopp

I think because of the room, all I am getting is low end and not much midrange or highs.

Should I consider a different amp? .

When the room is at fault changing the amp won't help. It's common for a rig to sound great on stage but not out front or vis-versa, that's just how some rooms are. The cure is to set the amp for the best sound on stage and the PA for the best sound in the room. If you don't have PA the choice is to set the rig up to sound best either on stage or out front, and accept the fact that in many rooms you can't get it right in both places.

Happy Face · #9 06-13-2010, 04:15 PM

That's sort of amazing. I had to tone down the midrange in a small venue on Friday night. Playing a well-modified AD200 through a 2x12" cab. (had it set at T -11, M- 8, B-1 o'clock)

it's gotta be the rooms, no?

craig.p · #10 06-13-2010, 06:59 PM

I was going to suggest getting the cab up off the floor and onto a stand for maybe one set. Wouldn't hurt to try. You could even "borrow" a table for a stand and try it before the club opens, just as a proof-of-concept.

billfitzmaurice · #11 06-13-2010, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig.p

I was going to suggest getting the cab up off the floor and onto a stand for maybe one set. Wouldn't hurt to try. You could even "borrow" a table for a stand and try it before the club opens, just as a proof-of-concept.

That is a good strategy if the on-stage response is boomy, but won't make much difference in the back of the room. His symptom is typical of a stage that suffers from bass nulls; those nulls aren't present further out in the room, so perceived bass response is louder there, while mids and highs get swamped.

D Bopp · #12 06-13-2010, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

That is a good strategy if the on-stage response is boomy, but won't make much difference in the back of the room. His symptom is typical of a stage that suffers from bass nulls; those nulls aren't present further out in the room, so perceived bass response is louder there, while mids and highs get swamped.

Yeah, I think this is the main problem. I'm going to bring my dolly this Friday and get it off the ground. I guess it's just the room that is the problem.

craig.p · #13 06-14-2010, 06:21 AM

I suggested getting the cab up onto a stand/table (around 3' tall) to get the cab up closer to audience ear level. A dolly won't do this. I think part of the problem is that the midrange is getting absorbed when the room is full and especially when people are standing/dancing in front of the stage. Floor monitors can block midrange, too, if they're in the line of sight. I get the point about nulls but I believe the midrange would penetrate into the room much better if it were throwing from a higher vantage point. It's not necessarily about fighting the room but rather doing the best you can not to veil any of the midrange coming from that cab. There also might be some localization benefit, where the audience might be able to say, "Ah, the bass is coming from right THERE," because the cab IS so high off the ground. (You'd be physically segregating your output relative to the other amps, pulling it up and out of the stage "wash.") Do whatever you want but I still say it's worth a try and it won't cost you a thing. The worst that can happen is that it'll sound like utter crap and you'll have to put the cab back down on the ground. I'm not arguing against any theory offered so far -- all I'm saying is that sometimes something works in practice, contrary to theory. A table, a bit of lifting, and a ten-minute test. What have you got to lose.

spidey112669 · #14 06-14-2010, 06:28 AM

Get it off the floor, turn the mids all the way up, upper mids all the way up, highs at halfway and turn the volume up until you get to a good level with the rest of the band....then slowly roll in enough lows until you are covering enough space without booming....then, turn the mids or highs down to smooth it and get rid of any clang or harshness that might be up in that puppy!!!