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Bass & Amp Settings 4 slap?

V

vertistic

Guest
Aug 24, 2011
26
6
Disclosures
Studio Hand
#1
Hey Just after some general Advice.

My gears listed in the signature.
Im progressively getting better at slap riffs, But lack the know how of getting a consistant "Fat sound".
I kinda know what my bass knobs do, but don't know what im doing when I adjust my EQ or anything on my Combo.

So if anyone can help please spell it out for me. Thanks

Rene.
 
#3
Im just trying to avoid jumping in the deep end & want to save a bit of time.
I try to find videos and others opinions about finding sounds with gear. but generally get dissapointed from endless roads of useless info.
 
#4
Keep in mind that, as your technique improves, your tone will change as well. And, the setting you like on your rig today will likely be very different than how you're eq'ing a year from now. Sit with your bass and mess with the controls on it, with the amp set flat and go from there.
 
#5
Ok Thank you Emprov.

Maybe I should Re-phrase my Question.

What Sort of Levels pick up that Warm mid tone like the Eq band what Hz do you use when you slap/pop.

what frequencies should I be focusing on cutting out, to help resonate that fat funky bass sound.
 
#7
IMO, slap is one of the few times where you don't want mids. No need to get extreme with the settings, cut the mids and add a little bass and treble. Throw in a dash of overdrive and that's the perfect slap tone in my mind. Of course, this is just my opinion so YMMV.
 
#12
StingrayDerek said:
To be more clear, when I said "you don't want mids," I really meant just to cut them a little, don't completely take them out of your eq.
Click to expand...
Sartori said:
Make sure to turn your mid mids and high mids all the way up. I mean all the way. Crank those frequencies, and then slap the hell out of your bass.

That will definitely sound the best.
Click to expand...
Confused yet? :D

I can't slap worth a damn but a little mid cut is the usual prescription. Certainly that is what I get from the "slap EQ" pullout on my Seymour Duncan active setup.

Trial and error wins. Whatever works for you.
 
#14
Downunderwonder said:
Confused yet? :D

I can't slap worth a damn but a little mid cut is the usual prescription. Certainly that is what I get from the "slap EQ" pullout on my Seymour Duncan active setup.

Trial and error wins. Whatever works for you.
Click to expand...

The 'mid cut' thing with slap style gets many players in trouble (the dreaded 'boom and click' slap sound that can give 'slap and pop' playing a bad name in the bass community).

To the OP, the best 'slap setting' is to spend a lot of time in the woodshed. There is absolutely no reason to touch a knob when going from fingerstyle to slap style playing. Most who cut mids do so to IMO cover up technique issued.

In SOME situations (depending on the inherent voicing of the cab, amp and/or bass), a slight cut in the 'gank' area (around 1K... the upper mids) can help smooth out the initial slap transient a bit.

The key to developing a usable slap technique is to be able to go seamlessly from fingerstyle to slap with no volume difference, and no tonal difference other than the initial slap transient. I found the best way to get there is to practice everything you play fingerstyle (scales, simple lines, etc.) using a thumb hit. When they both sound the same (same volume, same low end, etc., you are there!
 
#16
To be a little more helpful in the short term for the OP, with your graphic, start with just a slight boost in the low mids (slider that is between 80 and 150 hz... not sure how your graphic is set), a cut in the deepest bass (30hz or so, which can kill your drivers on the slap transients, and you don't really hear it anyway unless you have subs), and then a moderate cut in the upper mids (800hz to 1.2K, again, depending on your particular unit).

Of course, without hearing your cab, bass and amp, it is hard to do general EQ recommentations, since some of those boosts and cuts might already be baked in to your rig.

However, that EQ should be a decent start point for you general sound (fingerstyle and slap), assuming you aren't going for DUB at one extreme, or 'bright metal grind' at the other!
 
#17
I think Ken is dead on.

Personally, I might cut mids (on bass, generally not amp) a little bit and definately favour the neck pickup. Nothing else beyond that.

The only slap I play is 70's funk tunes and modern Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, etc. I do like to add an envelope filter to the mix for fun (MXR Bass Auto Q).
 

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