Checking an amp's EQ with a piano

[Jeff Bonny]

I recently bought a Korg SV1 electric piano which I've been spending a lot of time with. Playing the piano has a lot of positive impacts on playing the bass but one that never occurred to me is using it to better understand a bass amp. Plugging it into a Markbass CMD 121P and messing around with the EQ I was kinda blown away at how much more detailed and obvious the EQ curves, cut-off points and filters sound over the range of the piano. Afterward plugging the bass into it I had much deeper understanding of what the amp could do with the bass.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Sounds like a win, win to me. I've always played some keyboard and I've always used my bass amps to amplify it. But, I will say I've never studied my understanding of EQ in regards to the keyboard into a bass amp. Interesting, I'll have to listen with an ear tuned to this in the future.

 

[MarkA]

I'd also say "win-win". Spent just a little time the last few days playing music (notably Andrew Bird's Tiny Desk Concert on NPR) through an amp and cab and messing with EQ. Not saying I'd always EQ my electric bass the way I would a recording of an acoustic concert, but hearing how the voice, fiddle, Doublebass, etc., were affected by EQ changes was instructive.