Best setup for listening to music.

[Leigh Semmens]

The heading is only part of the question. What I am looking for is a good budget system that allows me to isolate the bass. I've been away from hifi systems since last century so have no idea what is out there. I hear kids drive past in their cars with the THUMP THUMP of the bass from their sub woofers etc. What I want is a a system at home that gives me that sort of thump without breaking the bank. (I live on a pension) Can someone explain to me what I need to look for, i.e. specs that would achieve what I'm hoping for. Time was when the speaker enclosure was the critical factor, is that still true? What do you guys use to learn bass lines?

 

[Slevage]

Isolating a bass track and achieving thump are 2 different animals.

For me, sub sounds get in the way of hearing bass lines.

In the old days, I’d speed up 33 1/3 albums to 45rps to get the pitch of the bass notes more audible.
Theses days, bass tracks can be isolated using software.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Useful bass guitar tone lives above the range of most subwoofers, you want good speakers that deliver in the low mids. IMO studio monitors are far better and less of a ripoff than hifi generally

I've been eying a pair of JBL 7 series powered monitors, there's lots of other good stuff as well. Micromain27 are awesome but pretty pricey

 

[CryingBass]

+1 on a good set of powered studio monitors. Dozens to pick from. Get the best ones you can that your budget allows.

But also be careful that you don't blow them out by playing your bass into the system at too-loud levels. That's not good for the cones, nor for your ears.

 

[lowdownbp5]

My setup is pretty simple and it works well for me. I have a streamliner 600 with an AUX input. It plugs into my bergantino HT 112 which has a tweeter. I have run CDs into it as well as YouTube music to play along with. I play mostly worship music at church as well as in a three-piece band. Like I said it works very well for me and you ain't going to blow the speaker out playing. Just my two cents

 

[Markmann]

What's your definition of budget? Also, what type of media is your music on? I know a few people that have the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 which is a powered speaker system and are very inexpensive, loud, and can have lots of bass if you want it.

 

[Wasnex]

What I am looking for is a good budget system that allows me to isolate the bass.

IMHO, nothing beats a good set of headphones.

Never used anything like this myself, but some sort of device or app that allows you to manipulate tempo and pitch independently should be very helpful. Then you can slow the music down and raise it an octave. I believe their are devices with these features that allow you to set loops so you can work on a short section until you figure it out.

 

[dreamadream99]

Theses days, bass tracks can be isolated using software.

nothing beats a good set of headphones.

I second good quality headphones and isolated bass lines. If the Bass line is obscured by the overall mix, it will not be clarified with better hi-fi equipment.

 

[klokker]

I agree with others, the "thump, thump" of a car stereo is the LAST thing you want. Forget subs if you want to learn to hear bass lines. You just need some decent speakers. Lots of songs already have isolated bass tracks on YouTube. But if not, learning to hear a bassline is a skill that is developed. Even if you hear the notes you may not be able to understand which notes they are at first. But any decent speakers should be good enough. Half the time I can hear the bassline of a song on my cheap cell phone.

Forget that "thump, thump" thing. Nothing gets more in the way of being a bass player than thinking that is what it is about.

 

[bajistapromedio]

I find that some pretty nice headphones with a headphone amp and an equalizer is the best way to listen to bass lines for transcription purposes.

I have 3 setups at home (a 5.1 system with KEF speakers, an Avantage receiver, and a 15” Adaire Brahma sub with 2000w qsc amp, a JBL monitor system with 2 monitors and a sub for mixing, and a headphone amp setup with an old Aphex headphone amp, symmetric eq, and AT M70 headphones), and the headphone setup is best for listening for bass lines, IMO.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Thanks guys, I was thinking that a sub might not be good for the job. My take away from your responses seem to confirm that good enclosures are still the way to go. No, I was not thinking of actually playing my Bass through them just listening to the bass in the music. I read bout the Klipsch system last night remembering the horn loaded Klipsch system from my youth! That might just fill the need. Now, all I need do is save me some money!

 

[ziko]

This is my home setup, for both listening to LOUD music with a TON OF BASS (my neighbors love me ), and also practicing bass either by my own or with music from youtube, mp3, ...

I have Harley Benton BB115T (older 1 x 15 with horn cab), Harley Benton GPA-100 (just a power-amp capable of 190W @ 4 Ohm power-amp) and Boss Gigcaster 5. I also have AKG 240 MKII for silent practicing.

All components are budget friendly options but they work very well for me. Center of it all is Boss Gigcaster, it's 5 channel digital mixer with all kind of effects and eq options built in. I can set EQ (with HPF/LPF) for each channel individually as well as master EQ. This allows me to set EQ for music that is coming from my PC on one channel and then set eq/effects/amp sim for my instrument on other channel. Sliders are very handy to set volume of each source when needed. I routed both channels from Gigcaster to mono input of power-amp, so it is not perfect stereo (or surround of any kind) setup, but it is really loud and I can boost bass frequencies for that THUMP THUMP so it doesn't really bother me that much (I have other devices to listen to music also...).
I got great deal on Boss Gigcaster (bought it for 250 eur, now it is around 450 eur new), so complete set-up cost me about 500 eur...

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Decided to plug my computer into my Roland Cube, despite the noise, (computer PSU) it sounds better than the computer speakers. I shall attempt to connect it directly to a good sound card at some stage which might work as well as I need it to. Those who suggested a studio monitor allowed me to think of it. My bass is plugged into an old Studio Master solid state bass amp so no need to blend them at all. Stupid thing is, I was using just that to practice whilst I was on the road, so should have thought of it anyway! Oh! Well! I AM brain damaged, (truth) that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Snert]

I read bout the Klipsch system last night remembering the horn loaded Klipsch system from my youth! That might just fill the need. Now, all I need do is save me some money!

Almost no Klipsch speakers have horn loaded bass, those being the KHorn, Jubilee, LaScala, Forte and Belle, all of which are relatively uncommon and tend to be very expensive outside the US. All of the conventional cone'n'dome designs (and by and large they use a dome for the HF, even if it's loaded into a tractrix), so there is little to no loading below about 2kHz, so they are basically the same as all box speakers below that.

SPL for a given frequency is determined by the displacement of air, and the larger the diaphragms and the less they move, the cleaner the midbass and lower midrange will be. For clean here, get the largest driver speakers you can afford and can fit. Small monitors are OK, but tend to lack definition at any sort of decent SPL. If you can't afford either price or size wise, larger speakers, get some decent cans.

 

[Justinian]

What's your definition of budget? Also, what type of media is your music on? I know a few people that have the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 which is a powered speaker system and are very inexpensive, loud, and can have lots of bass if you want it.

I second the Klipsch THX 2.1 Promedia.

You can even play bass through it in a pinch.

 

[brianrost]

Time was when the speaker enclosure was the critical factor, is that still true?

It’s still true. The more hyped the speaker’s low end is, the easier it is to hear the bass. The big powered Bluetooth “party” speakers will do it for sure, though they are definitely not transparent!

 

[OldogNewTrick]

The heading is only part of the question. snip.... What do you guys use to learn bass lines?

RipX

 

[Freight Train]

Just to qualify, I've been a bassist for 58 years and an audio engineer for 50 years, the last 35 of that as a mastering engineer. Whether that means anything or not, I have some insight on speakers you probably won't like. For what you're saying you want you don't need the thump thump. That's not where the bass lives, and too much of that will hurt the situation by murking up the mid bass and lower midrange where the meat of the bass guitar is. As far as articulation of the bass line there's not much below 60Hz. or so that will do you any good and will instead get in the way, especially if you boost low bass. The thump you're desiring is in the 40 - 50Hz range and that's where the meat of the kick drum is, not the bass. Even though the fundamental of the bass's low E is approx. 42Hz., what you really perceive is the 1st harmonic at 84Hz. On a five string the low B would be around 31 Hz., but again it's the first harmonic at 62Hz. that you really hear. So what you need is a good pair of studio-quality bookshelf speakers that have good tight response down to 50Hz. or so. That doesn't mean you won't hear anything below 50Hz., but it will severely tail off below that so the thump will be greatly reduced (which is what you want if you want to focus on and learn bass lines.) You can always add a subwoofer later if sometimes you just want to hear that sub-bass for some reason, but your money will be best spent putting all your budget into a good pair of medium sized bookshelfs with accurate response in the 50/60Hz. range and above.
A side benefit is if you get good medium sized studio monitors that fits the above, and you start listening without boosting frequencies with eq, especially in the bottom, your ear will eventually become trained and you'll almost guaranteed begin to prefer a "flat" sound where you can hear everything in much greater detail. It may not be as exciting as having the air sucked in and out of your lungs by excessive low bass, but that's not what we're here for. The idea is to be able to hear a defined bass line.

 

[lug]

It’s still true. The more hyped the speaker’s low end is, the easier it is to hear the bass. The big powered Bluetooth “party” speakers will do it for sure, though they are definitely not transparent!

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I have a JBL PartyBox 120 (smaller bother to the one above). It has a dedicated guitar input and works fine for a bass. They run about $400 retail but have been out for a while and I'd expect some sales coming up. Like brianrost said, not transparent but they do sound great. For my computer, I run a set of Presonus Eris 8 studio monitors. I think they are about $200 each.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

Thank you for that explanation Freight Train. This is the sort of information that I need. That gives me useful information going forward!