Altering tone during a performance

3toes · #1 05-05-2008, 08:48 AM

When playing a gig, do you find yourself changing up your tone depending on the song you're playing? Or do you try to keep a consistent sound throughout the night?

I keep finding myself torn on the issue. On the one hand, I like to have my tone fit the song (like blending all the way to the single-coil neck for that 50s p-bass kind of sound when we play some
heavy blues). But on the other hand, I like the thought of developing my own consistent tone.

Haha, I think my main problem is that I just love too many different tones.

Thoughts?

CincyBassMan · #2 05-05-2008, 09:27 AM

I used to, but, I've found that more often than not, nobody cares as long as it sounds good. Now, if you are playing originals, I say experiment away and have fun with it. If you are playing covers, you may want to exercise caution or restraint in the experimental process...

Just my $0.02, YMMV, ect., ect., ect...

Russ

Phalex · #3 05-05-2008, 09:36 AM

The only tonal changes I make during a gig are either playing closer to the neck or closer to the bridge with my precision, or flipping the switch on my Ric from both PUP's to either the bridge or the neck PUP. Some songs call for thumpy neck position stuff, and I like to be a bit brighter when it's just me solo.

scootron · #4 05-05-2008, 09:55 AM

I'm pretty much with Phalex. I play a Jazz, and I change tones by changing right hand position and attack. On fairly rare occasion I will kick in the Fulltone Bass Drive when the bass is supposed to be very prominent.

Deacon_Blues · #5 05-05-2008, 09:56 AM

Ideally, I like to stick to one tone once I'm satisfied with it. If I want to alter the tone for a specific song, I roll back the volume on one of the pickups or the tone. But 95% of the time, everything is fully turned on on my jazz. I do minimal adjustments on the amp once I have it set as I like it.

Edit: I also change tone by playing in different ways - softer/harder and closer/farther away from the bridge. That's enough most of the times.

Zappstorius · #6 05-05-2008, 10:06 AM

Well I don't know if this applies, but I play two different basses live and they are setup to have different tones...

namraj · #7 05-05-2008, 10:13 AM

I have a cut through mid boost tone that i like set up on my bass eq for my streamer S1 and my amp eq for my streamer STD (which I bypass when I plug in the S1). However if the song needs alot of harmonics I will always blend in the bridge pup of my S1 (if im playing the S1) and boost the treble alittle so they cut through as much as the rest of the playing. arty harmonics are harder to deal with as they are by deffinition muted slightly so its harder to get them to cut through as much but i manage.

IanStephenson · #8 05-05-2008, 10:28 AM

I've got a couple of sounds set up - one clean and one dirty. I just pick the one that's most approiate for the moment. Some nights I'll stick on the dirty sound all night, as it sounds HUGE, other times I'll feel I need to use clean for more songs.

However I don't really chase the sound of the original version - more just avoiding anything drastically inappropriate. They're both "my" sounds, and I use the "my" sound that fits best.

Ian

Dave Muscato · #9 05-05-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3toes

When playing a gig, do you find yourself changing up your tone depending on the song you're playing? Or do you try to keep a consistent sound throughout the night?

I keep finding myself torn on the issue. On the one hand, I like to have my tone fit the song (like blending all the way to the single-coil neck for that 50s p-bass kind of sound when we play some
heavy blues). But on the other hand, I like the thought of developing my own consistent tone.

Haha, I think my main problem is that I just love too many different tones.

Thoughts?

Depends on the gig. During church gigs, we often go from very soft, acoustic/piano songs to full-out gospel & CCW. A Line6 Variax is great for going from a vintage Jazz with flats tone to an MTD 535 push of a button. When I'm using my MTD instead of the Variax, I often tweak the onboard preamp, often during songs... I'll boost the bass a bit and turn the treble all the way down during soft parts, and flatten it back out during loud parts. I often use my volume knob to control dynamics and fade ins/outs more easily, also.

During gigs with my funk band, it's pretty much set & forget - I have a setting on my Line6 preamp for my MTD into my Schroeder, and I just keep my onboard EQ flat, going into that setting, throughout the night.

lunarpollen · #10 05-05-2008, 01:15 PM

I think it will depend on the types of music the band is playing and the types of parts you've come up with for the songs. The band I'm with does post-punk influenced stuff, but the moods and textures vary wildly from song to song (and sometimes within songs). On my bass, I'll switch pickup configurations. On my amp, I'll boost the high mids for a couple of songs, and boost lows and overall volume on a couple of songs where I use a certain pickup combination that requires beefing up. And on my pedals, there's a number of things I may do...

winstonthecat · #11 05-05-2008, 02:39 PM

For my classic rock band, I make minor adjustments to the blend knob, using the neck p/u for slower songs that require a deeper tone, and blending in the neck p/u to help cut through the guitars for the more rocking songs.

That's about it. Everythings else, from amp EQ to Bass EQ is pretty much set and forget.

mambo4 · #12 05-05-2008, 03:48 PM

I leave my bass itself at one setting, but my amp is a Genz Benz GBE with all the optional footpedals. I use them to constantly change my tone in mid song, though not randomly. I have tones pre-planned/programmed depending on the needs of the material.

Before that I used my SansAmp PDDI for the same thing.

Nobody ever notices

**Thor** · #13 05-05-2008, 03:53 PM

I use a Geddy Lee jazz, and in the last few months I have found
myself wanting a deeper tone as the basic tone, with
almost no clank or finger noise. There are few songs I need
some high definition on, so I just roll the tone knob towards
treble a little with my pinky.

So yes, I do change on the fly, but I try to make it as simple
as possible.

ric1312 · #14 05-05-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3toes

When playing a gig, do you find yourself changing up your tone depending on the song you're playing? Or do you try to keep a consistent sound throughout the night?

I keep finding myself torn on the issue. On the one hand, I like to have my tone fit the song (like blending all the way to the single-coil neck for that 50s p-bass kind of sound when we play some
heavy blues). But on the other hand, I like the thought of developing my own consistent tone.

Haha, I think my main problem is that I just love too many different tones.

Thoughts?

The best thing to do is find one good tone, if you go overboard with patches or just knob twiddleing it will hurt your overall band sound and can cause sound problems.

chaosMK · #15 05-06-2008, 12:44 AM

I used to alternate between two main tones- one warm midrangey tone dialed in on my head, and a cleaner more slap-oriented tone on my Sansamp BDDI. I'd also adjust the sweep on my pickups if I wanted a less aggressive tone.

These days I just use the Ultimate Tone which was created by running the Sansamp through my FX loop.

gottawalk · #16 05-06-2008, 10:51 PM

I do minor changes throughout the night, but that's probably my ears getting overloaded and not feeling like the sound is quite right. I'd say that if you have "covers", like mentioned before, that you're doing and the bass sound needs to change for the specific tune you're doing, then by all means change it! Otherwise, find the tone you like that's full, cuts through and is clean enough to not muddy up with the bass drum or guitars and go for it for the night!

Ric5 · #17 05-06-2008, 11:40 PM

I usually have 2 or more basses and a bass pod with different patches. Then there is the pick vs fingers approach, and I can get a flatwound sound with palm muting. So I can get several different sounds from my equipment.

kesslari · #18 05-07-2008, 01:39 AM

I play gigs that go from a more midrangey modern tone to a very old-school phat tone. I just dial in more or less neck pickup, and move my right hand to get what I want.

JimmyM · #19 05-07-2008, 03:42 AM

I switch back and forth from P to PJ sometimes. That's about it.

51m0n · #20 05-07-2008, 04:36 AM

I modify my tone and technique (including right hand position on the instrument) and my fx (compression/overdrive/chorus and very occasionally some env filter) all the way through a set to match the song/performance.

But at the center of all of this is a really good starting point generic tone from my hands and instrument, amplified by a great amp etc...

The rest is just color.

I dont care if the punters arent aware that the bass has changed much, they will enjoy the sound if I do it right - before now I've over heard people talking to guitarists in bands I have been in asking how the guitarist got 'that great effect thing' and the guitarist has hd to point them in my direction on more than oine occasion - which is fine!

Its all about the whole band sound anyway.