EQ Pedal and Scooping

Vendele197 · #1 07-29-2009, 02:33 PM

So I'm looking to purchase an EQ Pedal so I will have a graphic equalizer at my disposal. Right now I play through either an Ampeg BA115 (Bass, Mid, and Treble knobs) or a GK Backline 600 (Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, and Treble knobs) and I want a little more control over individual frequencies.

That being said, is there a particular EQ pedal that is better than another? I was planning on buying Boss's EQ pedal just because I've had experience using their pedals before. Good choice, or should I reconsider?

Also, since we're talking about EQ pedals, I would like a clarification on "scooping". What is it exactly? I understand boosting and cutting, I think, but not scooping.

And finally, if I purchase and use an EQ pedal, I'll end up plugging into the pedal and then plugging the pedal into my amp, right? If not, where should it go? If so, does it bypass the amp's built in EQ? If not, what do I need to do to that amp's EQ to make sure it's not affecting my sound?

warwick.hoy · #2 07-29-2009, 02:35 PM

Scooping is the smiley face EQ meaning boosting Bass and Treble and completely cutting out the mids. Think Fieldy's tone,...and then put the idea out of your head.

Scooping is fine for Fieldy since he has a million dollars worth of PA to cut through the mix. For us regular working bassists,....there is no better way to be buried in the mix than with a scooped EQ. You want mids to cut through.

bwv1013 · #3 07-29-2009, 02:37 PM

i had the boss pedal a number of years ago and it works well for what it does. especially for it's retail price it's a good value.

scooping refers to boosting bass and treble frequencies and cutting the mids, a bass tone usually associated with slap bass. sounds great when playing solo but it tends to get lost in a mix when playing with others. you are correct in that the pedal will go between your bass and amp input.

Fishyfan · #4 07-29-2009, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Scooping is the smiley face EQ meaning boosting Bass and Treble and completely cutting out the mids. Think Fieldy's tone,...and then put the idea out of your head.

Scooping is fine for Fieldy since he has a million dollars worth of PA to cut through the mix. For us regular working bassists,....there is no better way to be buried in the mix than with a scooped EQ. You want mids to cut through.

+1, though tone is not the right word...try suck.

seriously though, The Boss Bass EQ is a good pedal. I have one that I got used, and for as often as I need to add mids to a guitar pedal or boost the output of another pedal, its great.

4-string · #5 07-29-2009, 04:11 PM

I like the Boss GEB-7 a lot, I guess my use would be called scooping by some, as I use it to cut some mids. I also cut lows though, and add a little treble. I also use it to up the volume a tad. It's a great pedal, and it doesn't cost a fortune.

bongomania · #6 07-29-2009, 04:13 PM

Scooping can be done artfully though. It's not just horrible suckage like Fieldy unless you go overboard. The Ampeg, BDDI, and VT Bass tone people love so much involves a careful scoop in the mids.

bkbirge · #7 07-29-2009, 04:29 PM

I boost my mids, when I pop those fretless flatwounds, I want that characterless click to knock out fillings.

warwick.hoy · #8 07-29-2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Scooping can be done artfully though. It's not just horrible suckage like Fieldy unless you go overboard.

I was trying to work that in there somehow. Well put.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

The Ampeg, BDDI, and VT Bass tone people love so much involves a careful scoop in the mids.

I think the Electronix Submarines magic comes from the fact that it cuts mid freqs that are traditionally in the guitar range. Don't quote me on that though.

jufros · #9 07-29-2009, 04:47 PM

I always EQ in reaction to how my guitarists EQ and what the drums sound like. It's much more practical to correct your sound to fit the mix if you know what you're doing than to try to convince all of your bandmates to EQ differently. Our rhythm guitarist is finally getting into a rack EQ though so I'm looking forward to educating him about frequency ranges and improving our sound. Lately, I need a lot of 250 and 400Hz to keep the thump. 1.6k gives some clarity to my attack and my effects. I cut around 500-1k to make room for the amp that our rhythm guitarist uses which is very rich in that area. I roll off the lows to make room for the kick and roll off some highs to make room for our lead guitarist who is a notorious scooper. It's much trickier to get the right sound and mix if I'm playing busier stuff on roundwounds (Peavey DynaBass with DR Lo-Riders right now). My double-precision with Chromes requires much less tweaking and really fills out a rock mix. You can always feel that bass and a little 1.6k boost gives it a little more edge that I really like. It's not quite present enough for some more modern stuff though.

If you play busy, I would not advise scooping your mids, especially in a live setting. Guitar amps are much easier to hear in a live mix and mids are the frequencies that stand out in a mix. If you want some definition to your sound and want your licks to be heard, you need high mids. If you want thump and punch, you need low mids. If you want sizzle, you need some highs. If you want boom, you need lows. You can't have it all though and you really need to know what your band is lacking.

amir93smith · #10 05-11-2012, 05:17 AM

people forget fieldy uses an active eq, this is how he gets of with cutting the mids, i dont think an eq pedal would be a wise investment, being they can be fiddly and annoying when it comes to recording.

alec · #11 05-11-2012, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amir93smith

people forget fieldy uses an active eq, this is how he gets of with cutting the mids, i dont think an eq pedal would be a wise investment, being they can be fiddly and annoying when it comes to recording.

??? and ???

A good EQ pedal is the best tone shaping tool out there, live or in the studio.

If I was going to buy one now, I'd go for the Source Audio programmable one.

caeman · #12 05-11-2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amir93smith

people forget fieldy uses an active eq, this is how he gets of with cutting the mids, i dont think an eq pedal would be a wise investment, being they can be fiddly and annoying when it comes to recording.

You, sire, are dead to me.

But, seriously, of all of the effects we may ever use, a good EQ pedal is the only required effect many of us have to use, be it in a pedal, or on your amp. Does anyone really just run their bass straight to a power amp? No. There is some sort of preamp and EQing going on. Somewhere.

To the OP, an EQ pedal is always a good investment. Check the TB classifieds and find yourself a good deal on a used EQ pedal.

Unrepresented · #13 05-11-2012, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Scooping can be done artfully though. It's not just horrible suckage like Fieldy unless you go overboard. The Ampeg, BDDI, and VT Bass tone people love so much involves a careful scoop in the mids.

+1.

Fieldy is an extreme example of a "scooped" sound, there are lots of players and tones that are celebrated that have some midscoop, just not as pronounced as his. Used appropriately, scooping can help you to find a spot in a band mix, or to help highlight certain frequencies. It's silly to think that there's an eq that's inherently bad, just some that may be less effective in some situations.