HELP! need sound advice

[noirextra]

i have a ply double bass, czek made in the 60s sometime.
i have a realistic pickup going into a 1x10 yamaha 400watt cab and a markbass 250 head.
it sounds awful, very boomy and hollow, no thickness or definition, i cant get that smooth thick sound that everyone else gets.
also my double bass is very ALIVE sounding acoustically , it really is a wild horse and maybe that has soemthing to do with it, the sound seems to be centered in the Mids to low mids , but hollow at the sametime, if you know what i mean.
any advice, i have some Mics (AKG 414 XLS, Groove Tubes 50, SM57) a PA a mixing desk, what would you suggest?

thanks

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by noirextra

i have a ply double bass, czek made in the 60s sometime.
i have a realistic pickup going into a 1x10 yamaha 400watt cab and a markbass 250 head. It sounds awful, very boomy and hollow, no thickness or definition, i cant get that smooth thick sound that everyone else gets. Also my double bass, is very ALIVE sounding acoustically , it really is a wild horse and maybe that has soemthing to do with it, the sound seems to be centered in the Mids to low mids , but hollow at the sametime, if you know what i mean.
any advice, i have some Mics (AKG 414 XLS, Groove Tubes 50, SM57) a PA a mixing desk, what would you suggest?

thanks

Well, my first impressions are these.

1. The MarkBass heads all have an input impedance of 500 K Ohms
to improve the overall sound you probably need a Buffer Pre Amp, like the HPF Pre or Fishman Pro Platinum EQ. These devices also have Lo Cut filters and Phase Switches. Sometimes just flipping a Phase Switch totally changes the sound of a piezo.

2. Although I have a Realist on both my basses the pickup can be incompatible with some basses, few mind you, but I would suggest trying a Full Circle if possible and seeing if the problem straightens out.

3. I think throwing a mic into the mix will only complicate things, unless it gives you the same sound problems without the Realist plugged in. Then, it could very well be a problem with the sound post, bass bar or bridge seating. Also, realize that since the Realist is placed in between the bridge and the top, if if is not installed properly it can wreck havoc with the transmission of sound into the top and along the bass bar, which is critical to the basses sound production.

Ric

[Gearhead43]

IMHO, a high-pass filter is one of, if not the best, tool for getting a nice sound when amplified. It cuts down the boom, lets your speakers & amp work more effeciently, helps get rid of low-end feedback and gives you a nice focused, tight bass sound.

Try the HPF-Pre or the Fishman Pro Platinum Bass. I have the Pro Platinum and I love it.

[VincentPuleo]

This isn't really helpful but don't you wish there was some kind of Upright Bass store where you could try out all pick ups. amps, and mics for free... that would make getting the sound you want so much easier...

I have spent so money on amps and pickups before trying them simply because there was no place I could.

enough of my rant...

[Barcza]

It seems for me, there could be some pickup installation problem. Maybe not contatct the pickup perfectly to the bridge.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Gearhead43

IMHO, a high-pass filter is one of, if not the best, tool for getting a nice sound when amplified. It cuts down the boom, lets your speakers & amp work more effeciently, helps get rid of low-end feedback and gives you a nice focused, tight bass sound.

Try the HPF-Pre or the Fishman Pro Platinum Bass. I have the Pro Platinum and I love it.

...or buy one of fdeck's little gems "used" from one of us.
He can't sell directly overseas but I suppose one of us can send one to you if you want.