"Sound Advice"

[dikger]

First off, please pardon the pun regarding the nature of my post. But, it is exactly what I'm looking for. I've been playing bass for a long time. How long you ask; don't ask. Here's my problem. My sound gets lost on stage and in the mix as soon as the whole band starts playing. My sound becomes just a wash that I can't even distinguish from the rest of the instruments. It makes it very difficult to play when I can't hear what it is I'm doing. And, I know it's not just a matter of turning up louder. I use five string Spectors and Warwicks predominantly with the occasional 4 string jazz thrown in here and there. I play through an Ampeg SVT VR Head and cabinet, but still something is lacking or missing. Should I just keep turning knobs till I find a sound that "cuts" through and at the same time is articulate, or is there another answer? Thoughts everyone?

[rpsands]

The missing part of the equation here is: What are your bandmates doing/using?

If your guitar players both use mesa halfstacks with the bass cranked, no amount of knob tweaking is going to get you to cut through.

[bassplayer7770]

How are you EQing right now? I would guess you need to boost some Mids to be heard in the mix better.

Rpsands makes a good point. A guitarist in one of my former bands proudly boosted the Bass on his amp and thought he sounded great, but I could never hear myself in that band...

[dbase]

I have that same problem with my keyboard player. He has a habit of using his left hand for the bass part of the song. Thats my job. I turn my amp up but then it sounds like one big bass noise. There can be only one ... bass player that is.
Get the guitard player to down down his bass or threaten to buy another svt..

[scottbass]

Yep, what the others have said.

(1) Get the guitar/keys to quit boosting their bass. Tell them THEY are getting lost in the mix and their solos will cut through SO MUCH BETTER if they concentrate on the higher frequencies!

(2) Boost the mids of your rig. The bass will be heard best if it sits ABOVE the kick drum. 400 Hz is a good range to start. Does that Ampeg have the typical "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" midrange selector switch? I have had good results on Ampegs by setting it to "2" (about 450 Hz) and boosting the level knob to about 2:00.

EDIT: I just checked the SVT VR manual - you have a "1, 2, 3" midrange switch where "1" centers at 220 Hz and "2" centers at 800 Hz. YIKES! The EQ selections on that amp won't exactly get you where you need to be. I guess you'll have to try setting it to "1" and boosting it, then try setting it to "2" and boosting it, and judge for yourself which one works better. And in the meantime, put a lot of effort into point (1) above!

[Gearhead17]

Do you have the Ultra Low Rocker Switch on? If so - make sure it is in the center (check the manual). All this knob does is make it harder for you to cut through by cutting the midrange and boosting the highs and lows. It's recipe for letting the guitarists win.

I use 5 string Spectors all the time - my advice to you is to not even touch the bass knob on the amp or the bass - put both of them flat or not boosted at all. For a more defined tone: balance the pickups so you can hear the definition of the bridge pickup with the low end of the neck pickup. Some stages I have to CUT significantly all frequencies below 80hz because the stage is too crazy with low end or the subwoofers on stage are booming too close to me. Not an ideal tone, but it allows me to hear string definition and actual notes.

What kind of strings do you use on your basses?