How do you EQ your GK MB150?

[armybass]

I know this is a really subjective questions but just humor me please and tell me where you start with your EQ. I use a K&K Bass Max and a plywood bass. I can not seem to get the clear, warm bottom that I am looking for and I am wondering if completely rolling off the highs and hi mids might help. Please lend me any insight you might have.... I am begging you all. I don't want to sell this amp but I am almost to that point.

[JAS]

Depending on the room, I usually turn the high frequency knob either all the way off or almost off. The high mid I try to have around 10:00 or sometimes less. The mid lows I usually have up pretty high maybe around 2 or 3:00 and the low knob is maybe around 7:00 or less. This is all very dependant on the room, but I find that using a preamp with EQ capabilities helps in a huge way. Before you sell the GK def. try it with one of those cheaper Fishman preamps or something.

[ctxbass]

My old default setting on the MB150 was:

dont use the low cut
contour- 10:00
bright- off
treble- barely on
high mid- 1:30
low mid- barely on
bass- 12:00



The setting I use now and like even better is:

don't use the low cut
contour- off
bright- off
treble- 12:00
high mid- 12:00
low mid- 9:00
bass: all the way on
you may need to roll back the bass a bit.

I know these settings seem a bit unorthodox, but it's worth a shot.

[clink]

Army,
I run mine pretty flat, but may + or - the high mid and low mids a bit. I've only had it for a few weeks, so I'm still working on it.

Ultimately, I think you just have to EQ it to whatever sounds best for your bass and pickup. It's possible that it isn't a good match, but I wouldn't give up on it yet. The Fishman is an option, but after trying it with the GK on a gig last week I don't think it's worth the trouble. It does help to cut the feedback, but I think it squashes the tone a bit. Some have had good luck, however.

p.s. With Obligato's on my bass I'll have to tweak it differently.

[fingers]

flat

[fdeck]

flat

[bdowd]

I'm curious, when you guys say flat, can I assume you mean the knobs are turned completely to the left, or would it be straight up, 12 o'clock? Also, I usually run my contour at about 2, I'm going to cut that down a bit and see what happens.

[fdeck]

Here is how I define flat: All of the little knobs turned all the way to the left. The big EQ knobs are all centered. Note that "boost" does not affect frequency response. It is a purely gain control, albeit situated before a Class-A JFET gain stage designed to be capable of being overdriven in a pleasing way.

Based on my measurements, this will produce a non-flat frequency response in the preamp, with a roughly 10 dB treble boost above 1 kHz, and a very gentle bass rolloff below about 80 Hz. These are in addition to the natural curve of the speaker itself. The treble boost makes up for the speaker having pretty minimal treble response, and I think the bass rolloff may help prevent cone over-excursion in the sealed cabinet.

In my opinion, a lot of thought must have gone into designing the MB combo to get gig-worthy volume and reasonable tone out of such a small box. But it is not a high-fidelity or full range system by any stretch of the imagination. The tone "is what it is" and is something that bassists either love or hate. The portability makes it worth trying to get a tone you are happy with out of it. And the fact that it's paid for, of course.

Do experiment with placement. Make sure the speaker is raised up from the floor, and perhaps even closer to ear level.

[fingers]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Here is how I define flat: All of the little knobs turned all the way to the left. The big EQ knobs are all centered.

ditto.


Also I put mine on a small amp stand. The stand has three settings. I have it on the setting that has it tilted back as far as it will go. It puts it at about a 45 degree angle to the floor.

[musicman5string]

Ok, I'll play.

I use a carved bass with an Underwood through a Fishman EQ bipassing the GK's EQ, but before I did that, here's the settings I used:

-no dB pad
-no low cut
-contour at 12 pm
-high boost at zero
-treble, high mid, low mid, bass at 12 pm, depending on the room, maybe cut the bass or treble
- output all the way up (control volume with volume control)
- don't use the limiter (it doesn't do sh!t)

Oh yeah, and I put it on a chair.

[Steve Boisen]

I keep mine pretty much flat except for the the Hi Boost, which I turn up to anywhere from 12 to 3 o' clock to add some definition and attack to the Realist. Sometimes I also turn the Contour up a bit to round out the sound depending on the room.

- Steve

[armybass]

Really? I have the hi boost almost off and the treble too. Maybe I need to start from scratch and try again.

[Steve Boisen]

Originally Posted by armybass

Really? I have the hi boost almost off and the treble too. Maybe I need to start from scratch and try again.

But that setting wouldn't work when I used the Bass Max. The Realist needs the highs added where most piezos don't, especially ones that mount in the wing slot like the Bass Max, Underwood, Revolution Solo etc.

- Steve

[musicman5string]

Originally Posted by Steve Boisen

I keep mine pretty much flat except for the the Hi Boost, which I turn up to anywhere from 12 to 3 o' clock to add some definition and attack to the Realist.

- Steve

Ugh.
That combination sounded awful on mine with the realist. Your bass must be awfully dark.

[manbass]

Since I've owned and tweeked mine for a decade, I leave everything flat except the "BASS" knob which is at 10:30. Whether a URB, passive P or an 18 volt active Tobias 5 string (low B) with Barts, I find this middleground the best place to then tone tweek my pickups from. The micro has a great balance point in my opinion.

[Steve Boisen]

Originally Posted by musicman5string

Ugh.
That combination sounded awful on mine with the realist. Your bass must be awfully dark.

I've never thought so. You can hear the acoustic sound of it on the "Recordings" page of my web site. Maybe you're bass is awfully bright.

- Steve

[clink]

I have no experience with the Bass Max pickup, but I use an RSII
and have used an Underwood in the past. Pickups mounted in the bridge wing are probably not known for a warm, tight bottom.
The GK doesn't have much low end either and putting all this with a plywood bass with Spirocores would be a problem if you want a warm amplified tone without alot of EQing.

[tww001]

Originally Posted by Steve Boisen

I keep mine pretty much flat except for the the Hi Boost, which I turn up to anywhere from 12 to 3 o' clock to add some definition and attack to the Realist. Sometimes I also turn the Contour up a bit to round out the sound depending on the room.

- Steve

I'll have to try your setting. I have the MB150 and a realist on my carved romanian (currently with helicore hybrids...ugh...I think I'm going back to the Obligatos). I was having a heck of a time getting a good sound on my gig last night. I was turning knobs between every other song and couldn't get a satisfying sound. (The room I was playing in is somewhat unforgiving to bass, but I've heard lots of good players there with great tone).

I was having lots of problems with boominess, and I think by the end of the night I had the bass rolled off quite a bit and the treble up, but my bass just sounded like mish mash.

[bolo]

Originally Posted by clink

Ultimately, I think you just have to EQ it to whatever sounds best for your bass and pickup.

+1. Not just talking about the GK here.

Originally Posted by fingers

flat

+1. Not talking about the GK here either. EA Wizzy combo, w/ the EQ section bypassed

Originally Posted by clink

I have no experience with the Bass Max pickup, but I use an RSII and have used an Underwood in the past. Pickups mounted in the bridge wing are probably not known for a warm, tight bottom.

This is what I wanted to comment on actually. I have used the Bass Max and the Rev Solo a lot over the past 7 years or so. I understand what you mean about generalizing that wing mounted pickups aren’t always known for especially warm tone. In a very broad general sense I think I know what you mean.

BUT … I currently use a RS II flipped over with the 'R' symbol facing the table. And the sound is quite warm … more of the tone coming from the table, less stringy and edgy sounding. On a gig last night I was really enjoying the way it produced a nice warm and very hearty attack on each pizz pluck. Not brittle or trebly sounding at all. Quite the opposite.

FWIW, EQ was flat. Amp was up on a stand.