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Bass E.Q on stage

I play in a band that does lots of kinds of music from rock,reggae,soul,oldies.... name it. The issue I have is trying to get that right sound on st age. For instance if the next session involves slapping yet the previous was more mellow. Adjusting the E.Q and finding your sound takes a Hell of a while.
Does anyone know how to E.Q themselves like in a way that suites both high n low ends?? Or like a quick tip on how to E.Q myself.

You should be able to dial in your different sounds quickly on your bass. You simply have to practice it. It was hard for me at first, too.
 
Got a Line 6 BassPODXTLive 8 years ago for the same reason as OP: have to be a "tone chameleon" and go from Motown sound to funk to Beatles to rock to you-name-it with the touch of a footswitch or 2. Over time, it's evolved to 12 presets(tweaked for years).

The only downside is that now when I go to hear "bands" or other bassists' bands, after about 1/2 an hour you find yourself getting "tone bored" because the bassist's tone does not change much.
 
I think I would get a couple of EQ pedals. One set with a mid scoop for a good slap tone, and the other with a slight mid bump to cut through on the rest of your stuff. This way you could switch easily between the two, while leaving the EQ on your amp flat. Readjusting your EQ on my amp between each song would be a major PITA as far as I am concerned.
 
Repeating what many have said;
I play in a wide ranging cover band. My Ibanez has active bass, mid, and treble controls.
Most stuff I keep it flat. Certain material I'll take the treble all the way down, maybe add a TINY bit of bass, like 12:30 instead of 12:00. Other more aggressive stuff I'll do 12:30 on both bass and treble. Mid is always flat and pickups always blended. This combined with variations in right hand placement/teqniue give me 4 or 5 different sounds, and accomplishes what I need, IMO. I keep my shuttle 6.2 basically flat, unless I'm doubling or playing URB.

In my situation though, in reality, the only people who likely ever notice the subtle changes are myself, and the occasional fellow musician, namely bass players.