B3 vs bass

[abarson]

We're a 4 piece that plays mainly rock covers, some blues and jam-y stuff. Our keyboardist mostly uses piano and Rhodes sounds, and that's fine. Often when he's playing B3 stuff, it seems like I get washed out. This is at least my impression in rehearsal, since I can't gauge this during live performance. I will say that when rehearsing his keyboard amp is aimed towards me, so that might be influencing my perception.

Any tips about how to EQ away from the B3 range so that my playing doesn't get lost?

 

[RoadRanger]

It involves a chainsaw and the keyboard player's left hand . Seriously you just can't play bass with someone who can't refrain from playing basslines with their left hand .

 

[Pat Harris]

Even if he's not playing a bassline with his left hand, anything below a middle C on the the organ will dominate the low end of the mix. He can either turn down the lows on his amp (most keyboard amps are full range and have way too much low end to begin with for a full band setting) or get his amp off the floor to reduce some of the rumble.

 

[seamonkey]

That's how sound works, louder sounds mask quieter ones. His amp pointing at you means he's louder from your perspective.
Get out of his amp path, Turn your amp towards yourself, get a personal monitor, or best - check out IEM

 

[buldog5151bass]

May be the way he plays - may be your perception. Ask bandmates, speak to someone at your gigs who has a good ear. What you hear on stage often is not what goes to the crowd.

 

[RoadRanger]

Oh hey, any of yous guys that don't know this should:
http://anonemusic.com/jazzTheory/low_interval_limit
It explains why the B3 and Bass Player can play perfectly valid notes but they end up sounding dissonant .

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

if he is playing a real hammond, just tell him push in the 16', 5-1/3' & 8'.
That should keep his sound out of your way.

 

[RoadRanger]

if he is playing a real hammond, just tell him push in the 16', 5-1/3' & 8'. That should keep his sound out of your way.

... if he complies. Unfortunately a keyboard player is usually valued more than a bass player so this might be one of those situations where you'll have to walk . It's never happened to me but I've seen it happen to others - some keyboard players just can't not play left hand bass...

 

[abarson]

Nope, no real drawbars, it's a Korg SV-1. But I will look into changing the EQ on his amp.
Wish I understood "Low Interval Limit" better, but don't know what to do about it.
buldog5151bass, I appreciate the practical advise.

 

[Fat Steve]

I had this same problem with my keyboard player. He's a great player, but was brought up as a classical soloist, and so he approached our band from that perspective. I had a series of conversations with him which started out with a polite explanation of why he can't go below middle c without burying me in the mix. He's a bit forgetful though, and the conversation slowly devolved over a month or so with me finally shouting across the room "USE YOUR LEFT HAND AGAIN AND I'LL CUT THE ****ER OFF!"

Seems to have done the trick, and now we sound great together. As with all things in life, YMMV.

 

[4Mal]

1. Re point his amp in rehearsal
2 use a field recorder to capture what you sound like live.

If he is too loud live, he needs to turn down.

There is one local outfit where the keyboard guy simply has to be the loudest thing on stage. The band is great and all I have to do is turn him down to make 'em sound great. Now getting them a monitor mix is another story.
If he were in my band, well, he'd already be gone...

 

[JimmyM]

Don;'t get me started! Our keyboard player is often good about staying out of my way, but sometimes he will double me an octave lower, rendering me pretty much moot, so I've taken to stopping playing when he does that. He hasn't got the message yet because, quite frankly, I think he tunes the rest of us out, but he will.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

Trying to reason with keyboard players like this is a waste of time. Slip a high pass filter into his signal chain and your blood pressure will drop to normal.