Getting an overdriven SVT-2-sound out of my RBI?

Flipper43 · #1 03-09-2010, 12:49 PM

Hi guys. I was just wondering if you think this is possible.. I've played around with the knobs on my rbi to try to get that tone but i can't cop it. I don't mean a heavily overdriven one, just an amount. I have a song that demonstrates the sound that i'm after, but it's no where to be found online, and only on the CD that i have (that is long out of print). If you don't know what the hell i'm talking about, if you could just tell me how to upload the song to here i could do it so you guys could hear for yourselfs. Thanks.

Superdave · #2 03-09-2010, 01:14 PM

Try using mediafire or megashare or any other free upload site.

Flipper43 · #3 03-09-2010, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superdave

Try using mediafire or megashare or any other free upload site.

Will do

tomas_almeida · #4 03-09-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superdave

Try using mediafire or megashare or any other free upload site.

This.

Flipper43 · #5 03-09-2010, 01:48 PM

Ok here's the link guys. Tell me if you still can't get it. Just listen to the first minute or so of the song and you'll get the gist of it. http://www.MegaShare.com/dnd/1892546...c6c78ca17f0/03 Leper.wma

Oh yea, if you can guess what band it is without looking at the album artwork in the picture when you open the file, i'll give you a cookie.. but you'll have to pass a lie detector test first

Flipper43 · #6 03-09-2010, 01:58 PM

If you guys think that i'll need more than the RBI then just tell me. I know what gear he's playing through in this if you need to know to help. (I talk to him often)

Flipper43 · #7 03-09-2010, 02:30 PM

Anyone care to listen/ help..?

TechZilla · #8 03-09-2010, 03:09 PM

Some thinigs I've noticed about my RBI

The Drive control should be able to give you as much or as little overdrive as you want. I run mine anywhere from 11 O'Clock for a little warm to 1 O'Clock for a Driving tube sound.

The Presence control or as i've heard it called "the clank" control. Seems to do exactly that. keep it below half way for a more "scooped" sound and past Half for a high mid boost. this control in relation to the drive will have a huge impact on the overall tone.

Lastly the Bass Mid and Treble contols on this thing seem to be super sensitive so a little tweak goes a long way.

The tone your after doesnt' seem to be too overdrivin so i'd try

Drive 12 o'clock
Presense 10 o'clock
Blend 3-5 o'clock
Bass 12 o'clock
Mid 10 o'clock
Treble 11 o'clock

Also if your bass has 2 pickups try the front pickup by itself.

There's lots of X factors here Bass, Amp, Cabs etc. so hit us with some more details and you might get some more suggestions. There's a lot of RBI users on TalkBass.

Flipper43 · #9 03-09-2010, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechZilla

Some thinigs I've noticed about my RBI

The Drive control should be able to give you as much or as little overdrive as you want. I run mine anywhere from 11 O'Clock for a little warm to 1 O'Clock for a Driving tube sound.

The Presence control or as i've heard it called "the clank" control. Seems to do exactly that. keep it below half way for a more "scooped" sound and past Half for a high mid boost. this control in relation to the drive will have a huge impact on the overall tone.

Lastly the Bass Mid and Treble contols on this thing seem to be super sensitive so a little tweak goes a long way.

The tone your after doesnt' seem to be too overdrivin so i'd try

Drive 12 o'clock
Presense 10 o'clock
Blend 3-5 o'clock
Bass 12 o'clock
Mid 10 o'clock
Treble 11 o'clock

Also if your bass has 2 pickups try the front pickup by itself.

There's lots of X factors here Bass, Amp, Cabs etc. so hit us with some more details and you might get some more suggestions. There's a lot of RBI users on TalkBass.

Cool.

Well, he tells me that around this time he was using a 1962 Precision bass (not a reissue, a real one) loaded with active EMG's.
He used a Ampeg SVT-II and i'm almost positive it was stock (he would have told me if he modified it). He ran it into a old Sunn 4x12 guitar cabinet which was 8 ohms. I can't remeber what kind of speakers it had in there, but i do know that he may have doctored them at one point, either before or after this recording.
I think the overdrive was mainly achieved without any pushing of the amp because it was a 4 ohm bass amp and he ran it through an 8 ohm guitar cab.

Either way, i have a MIM precision bass (i'm going to upgrade to a MIA standard or the `62 RI soon) with active EMG's and a Gotoh 201 bridge.
I run the RBI through a QSC (some model i can't remember, and don't feel like checking

) power amp and through a Mesa Boogie PowerHouse 115 cabinet.

I usually run an ABY box with the power amp/ rbi/ 115 combo on one line and a Mesa BB750 to another Mesa Powerhouse 115 on the other, but if i can capture this tone with my RBI, then i'll start using the Boogie and the RBI seperately most of the time.

Did that help any?