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calling shuttle owners - help with getting a tone

sonicnuance

sonicnuance

Supporting Member
Commercial User
Aug 30, 2003
1,479
457
California, USA
www.sonicnuance.com
Disclosures
Engineer & Owner, Sonic Nuance Electronics
#1
I've always had a hard time getting the tone I want with most amps. The shuttle is the easiest but I could use some pointers

I'm using a EBMM SR5 dual humbucker with the eq set flat and using the middle switch (both humbuckers on)

I go for a meaty sound on bass (John Paul Jones, John Deacon, Robbie Shakespear) with some definition to the notes (which is why I love the mid control on the shuttle)

With headphones I found two core sounds I like (12:00 is 12 oclock etc.)

Setting Gain Volume Bass Mid MidFreq Treble Shape
1 1:00 12:00 12:00 1:00 1:00 12:00 Mid scoop
2 1:00 12:00 1:00 11:00 12:00 12:00 none

With a cab (Avatar SB112 Neo) I find I need to back off the bass a bit and the mid freq needs twiddling.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
#8
Gain: 12:00
Volume: Max
bass: 11:00 - 11:30
mid: 1:00 - 2:00 (level)
para mid: 9:00 - 10:00 (freq)
highs: 12:00
shapes: either all off (or the high end boost on for a little more sparkle from the P-Bass with flats).

Bass: P bass
cab: home brew 1x10 (started as a Len Moskowitz cab, changed out woofer).

The punch is all in the mids, of course. I like it to be a little ugly solo'd because it usually sounds fine in an ensemble and I can find it in the mix better that way. Low end eats up a lot of the amp's headroom and gets in the way of me being able to hear myself clearly. I instinctively love low end but I've learned to dial it back a bit in an ensemble.

If I'm using my Skyline 55-01 I usually solo the neck pickup for tone and pluck over the bridge pickup for punch.

KO
 
#10
kraigo said:
Gain: 12:00
Volume: Max
bass: 11:00 - 11:30
mid: 1:00 - 2:00 (level)
para mid: 9:00 - 10:00 (freq)
highs: 12:00
shapes: either all off (or the high end boost on for a little more sparkle from the P-Bass with flats).

Bass: P bass
cab: home brew 1x10 (started as a Len Moskowitz cab, changed out woofer).

The punch is all in the mids, of course. I like it to be a little ugly solo'd because it usually sounds fine in an ensemble and I can find it in the mix better that way. Low end eats up a lot of the amp's headroom and gets in the way of me being able to hear myself clearly. I instinctively love low end but I've learned to dial it back a bit in an ensemble.

If I'm using my Skyline 55-01 I usually solo the neck pickup for tone and pluck over the bridge pickup for punch.

KO
Click to expand...


Good point about being "ugly solo'd". I totally agree. When I was referring to headphones it was always when playing along with band recordings. I've learned not to get too critical with tone when playing alone.

I am a big fan of mids not because of what it does when playing solo'd, but what it does in a mix.
 
#12
To paraphrase a Markbass manual:
LOW frequencies give power to your sound
LOW MIDs ... "make your bass sound loud ... "filling the room"."
HIGH MIDs ... relate to the pitch of the notes and affect the melodic spect of your playing,
HIGH Frequencies - percussive aspect - attack, pick, fret buzz, slap etc.

I don't know if this helps you but it helped me understand better than fumbling around the eq section like I used to.
 
#13
mozarwasagenius said:
I've always had a hard time getting the tone I want with most amps. The shuttle is the easiest but I could use some pointers

I'm using a EBMM SR5 dual humbucker with the eq set flat and using the middle switch (both humbuckers on)

I go for a meaty sound on bass (John Paul Jones, John Deacon, Robbie Shakespear) with some definition to the notes (which is why I love the mid control on the shuttle)

With headphones I found two core sounds I like (12:00 is 12 oclock etc.)

Setting Gain Volume Bass Mid MidFreq Treble Shape
1 1:00 12:00 12:00 1:00 1:00 12:00 Mid scoop
2 1:00 12:00 1:00 11:00 12:00 12:00 none

With a cab (Avatar SB112 Neo) I find I need to back off the bass a bit and the mid freq needs twiddling.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
Click to expand...

I know its been said many times but it really hit me today at practice - with eq a little goes a long way. I ended up playing lightly on the bass, keep eq flat, only mess with mids on shuttle. Here's what I ended up with and I was quite pleased:

Gain=3:00
Volume = 9:00
Bass = 12:00
Mid = 11:30
Mid Freq = 12:30
Treble = 12:00

Master Volume = 12:00 :)

I had the eq on my Stingray 5 set flat using the dual humbuckers

I have a bit more tweaking of the mids but it is clear to me that a little really does go a long way in a live band mix. For some reason playing with headphones doesn't emphasize this point - likely in part due to the physical "feel" of the low notes at loud volumes (which cannot be obtained with headphones).


Thanks everyone for the suggestions
 
#14
mozarwasagenius said:
Gain=3:00
Volume = 9:00
Bass = 12:00
Mid = 11:30
Mid Freq = 12:30
Treble = 12:00
Click to expand...
That's close to what I was going to suggest. With the Shuttle, I always ran bass around 1 or 2 o'clock, and highs around 11 or 12.

Mids were either boosted at the 8 or 9 o'clock frequency, or cut at the 1 or 2 o'clock frequency.

I didn't use the scoop or HF filters, but I did occasionally use the LF Extension.
 
#15
I just got my Schuttle today, and played my first gig with it tonight,,,and WOW, I'm impressed!

For settings...I think I messed with it for an hour or so, then when we started the first set, I had it looking about like this:
Gain=11:00
Volume = 2:00
Bass = 12:00
Mid = 11:30
Mid Freq = 12:30
Treble = 1:00
Master = 1:00

The Schuttle sounded amazingly tight and articulate (running through an 8 ohm aggie 2x10 cab...and could get plenty loud!..I was getting complements from everyone in the band all night...

I brought the schuttle to the gig in a Laptop computer bag (it fit perfectly, along with a couple of boss size pedals...and there was room for cables and accessories in the bag pocket as well...very cool...

I plugged this head up during soundcheck, and left it on the rest of the night (just muting in between sets...after the gig was over, I picked this head up, and it wasn't even "warm"...these babys run very cool....

I am gonna like this little guy...I can tell...
 
#16
fishtx said:
I just got my Schuttle today, and played my first gig with it tonight,,,and WOW, I'm impressed!

For settings...I think I messed with it for an hour or so, then when we started the first set, I had it looking about like this:
Gain=11:00
Volume = 2:00
Bass = 12:00
Mid = 11:30
Mid Freq = 12:30
Treble = 1:00
Master = 1:00

The Schuttle sounded amazingly tight and articulate (running through an 8 ohm aggie 2x10 cab...and could get plenty loud!..I was getting complements from everyone in the band all night...

I brought the schuttle to the gig in a Laptop computer bag (it fit perfectly, along with a couple of boss size pedals...and there was room for cables and accessories in the bag pocket as well...very cool...

I plugged this head up during soundcheck, and left it on the rest of the night (just muting in between sets...after the gig was over, I picked this head up, and it wasn't even "warm"...these babys run very cool....

I am gonna like this little guy...I can tell...
Click to expand...

I'm glad Frank get the head to you Gerry. One thing on the mids- for tight, loud, punch, try putting the mid freq. knob at around 9:00 and the mid level at 1-2:00.

Also, you already know our eq sections are powerful....so, a couple of clicks goes a long way.
 
#17
jokerjkny said:
have you tried cutting or boosting the mid knob, then literally sweeping thru the entire range of mid freq knob?
Click to expand...

+1. This is what I do ...going from venue to venue. I always use my mid section to boost the lower mids.

I start by taking the mid level control and cranking it. Then, like you said, I sweep the frequency control until I find the "punch factor" I'm looking for for that particular room. Then, I go back to the level control and adjust it back to taste. ....usually around 2:00.
 
#18
hasbeen said:
I'm glad Frank get the head to you Gerry. One thing on the mids- for tight, loud, punch, try putting the mid freq. knob at around 9:00 and the mid level at 1-2:00.

Also, you already know our eq sections are powerful....so, a couple of clicks goes a long way.
Click to expand...

Thanks Roger...we have another gig tonight, nd I'll play around with that!
 
#19
hasbeen said:
+1. This is what I do ...going from venue to venue. I always use my mid section to boost the lower mids.

I start by taking the mid level control and cranking it. Then, like you said, I sweep the frequency control until I find the "punch factor" I'm looking for for that particular room. Then, I go back to the level control and adjust it back to taste. ....usually around 2:00.
Click to expand...

helpful for finding the sweet spot in rental cabs, too.

in SWR's, there's always this weird honk i'm trying to dial out. w/ ampeg cabs, i find myself trying to cut thru its thick sound. and w/ hartke's, i like a thicker middier sound, etc.
 

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