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Changing EQ During a Gig

BJMtz

BJMtz

Oct 18, 2010
540
404
Columbus, OH
#1
In my cover band I generally try to capture a similar tone to the recording of the songs we play. We play 90s alt/rock with some newer and older tunes thrown in. Generally my tone is low mids heavy, on my SVT 7PRO the bass is at 5 (0-10 scale) mids at about 7, mid selector on 220hz, and treble at 5. Great tone for most songs, especially the heavier ones that helps me to cut through.
On some songs though I want to have a less middy and more scooped tone. Rolling off the tone knob on my P bass doesn't get me the tone I'm looking for. Last night at practice I starting messing with the EQ on my amp, which I don't usually do during practice or gigs. I cut the mids to about 2 and the tone was great for those songs. It did significantly affect my volume and mid songs I was fiddling with the knobs on my amp to get me at the right volume. When I went back to my normal mid heavy tone had to adjust the volume again.
Now to the question: does anyone do this during a gig and how do you do it in a way that doesn't affect the volume you disabled in at sound check? We don't usually have PA support so there's not a sound guy I would be pissing off by changing my settings, but I don't want to turn one knob during a gig and mess up the volume. Would an EQ pedal be the way to go here?
 
#2
An EQ pedal might be worth it to you as they have a volume on them too, so you get one tone/volume you like, and the EQ pedal to be the other. I'm a bit lazy so I don't often screw around anymore besides minor adjustments to fit the tune. Even then I usually just tweak it early for the whole band and then leave it - so I'd rather not have a(n other) pedal in my chain I have to make sure is connected/working, has a good patch cable that isn't sucking tone or adding noise, etc.
 
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#3
One other thought - when I saw Stanley Clarke, he adjusted knobs conatantly! I was shocked. He sounded great but he kept at it to make sure it always did without assuming or hoping it he could leave it as it was for wherever he'd been the night before. I didn't notice any pedals though - just 2 or 3 basses straight into his amp. Mostly he'd use the knobs on the basses, but there was once or twice I saw him adjust at the amp.
 
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#4
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#7
EQ Pedal with a volume knob. Empress Para EQ with the added boost function is a good one. Pricey, but really nice. Keep in mind that at high volumes, a small decrease or increase in a frequency will result in an audible tone difference. You don't need to reduce the mid knob to nothing for one song. You can simply put the selector on 450hz and set to 3/10. That should do the trick while still leaving some of the midrange still there.
 
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#10
The old Trace Elliot floor Eq is wonderful if you can find one... Fantastic audio quality and it has some flexibility for multiple sounds in it. After that I'd be looking at some form of programmable EQ. Source Audio maybe ? no experience with their stuff but ot looks nicely done.

You could also get there with a Zoom B3 and set up multiple EQ's as simple patches. Plus you get a host of cool effects to leverage or ignore at your leisure... The B3 is getting old but it's still a great and simple to work with box. Mine is still in use and it ran a bunch of expensive stomps out of the house...

I personally would not go the tech 21 route, you're already running an amp with the Ampeg sound baked in, the SA is just going to overly Ampeg the thing and probably muddy things up IMO. Then again I have never been a fan of the BDDI thing anyway. The ParaDriver is a great box, not applicable to what you're doing though...
 
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#11
4Mal said:
I personally would not go the tech 21 route, you're already running an amp with the Ampeg sound baked in, the SA is just going to overly Ampeg the thing and probably muddy things up IMO.
Click to expand...
I've run very Ampeg-sounding pedals into my Ampeg rigs to change the sound and never had this problem. I would probably go with an EQ pedal for this particular situation, though.
 
#12
I guess that if you cut yourself shaving these days you bleed Ampeg but if it works for you, fantastic...

Another option I forgot about is the old Korg Pitch Black Deluxe. It AB's 2 basses as a tuner. Multiple setting for each channel. I have one on my bench setup as Guitar on channel A and bass on channel B. Not sure if they make an equivalent today its a real useful device.

I've also put it in front of my bassbone. Put 2 Lakland 44-01's on it (rounds and flats) and either a f'less or Kala UBass on the other channel of the Bassbone. I try like heck not to carry 3 basses though...
 
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#13
How about using the Ultra Low button on the amp. This scoops at 500hz, and boosts slightly at 40hz to compensate for drop in volume. It may give you the tone you're looking for without volume issues.

Otherwise, I concur with the others regarding an EQ pedal. I do exactly this. I have my main 'mid punch/rock tone' dialled into my amp, and switch to a slightly scooped tone with and eq pedal (patch on my MS-60b) when needed for less agressive, poppier, polished tones, or when I use a plectrum - great tone for 80s rock!
 
#14
4Mal said:
I guess that if you cut yourself shaving these days you bleed Ampeg but if it works for you, fantastic...
Click to expand...
Listen, I get that not everyone likes Ampeg, but your comment sounds more like someone who's never tried to run an Ampeg-sounding pedal into an Ampeg. Meanwhile, I've done it a million times, and never got mud. I would like to think that most people are giving advice based on experience.
 
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