Cranking The Bass Knob

[BurningSkies]

Some of us are using a HPF so that you can sculpt a bump in the lows and not extend into the infrasonic area.

 

[SactoBass]

TB got me into a bad habit of only wanting to use an amp with the controls set flat/noon with only modest changes. Once I broke that habit my tone immediately improved. As they say, use your ears.

^^^THIS!!!

There's a reason amplifiers come with knobs! Turn them until you like the sound!

 

[otp57]

I am going to admit something that may get me raked over the coals...I love cranking the bass knob! Didn't always...took me a long time to warm up to the idea. But now I'll turn the bass up all the way if I need to. Gotta be judicious about it sometimes...don't want to overcrank the lows in a dark sounding room with a lot of natural reverb or anything dumb like that. And mids are still important if you want some note definition as well. But over the past years, I've gotten less shy about warming up the room real good, and I think it's working out great, and I don't get why so many people on here tell bass players not to do it. The lows are what people mostly hear out of your bass in a mix. Might as well let them have it.

There. I said it. I do something considered wrong by conventional TB wisdom, and I do so unapologetically. Take that.

The low is what BASS is so let it rip.

 

[JimmyM]

Disagree. What hear are not the sub 40hz that you get generate cranking the bass. In order to hear those frequencies, it has disproportionately high and will tend to make your sound, as well as the band sound muddy. If you want to sit well and or have a better presence in the mix, try boosting the low mids 70-120hz.

You must have missed my post addressing that issue, but TLDR, a 40 hz bass knob rarely affects only those sub lows and quite often affects frequencies in that low mid range.

A further problem by cranking the super low frequencies is it is h*ll on your speakers, and stresses your amp. It takes much more of your usable power to generate rock bottom lows which will in turn effect reduce what you need to hear.

That would be a problem only if you're so loud that you're on the verge of blowing your speakers to begin with, which I am never in that position.

 

[madbass6]

I am going to admit something that may get me raked over the coals...I love cranking the bass knob! Didn't always...took me a long time to warm up to the idea. But now I'll turn the bass up all the way if I need to. Gotta be judicious about it sometimes...don't want to overcrank the lows in a dark sounding room with a lot of natural reverb or anything dumb like that. And mids are still important if you want some note definition as well. But over the past years, I've gotten less shy about warming up the room real good, and I think it's working out great, and I don't get why so many people on here tell bass players not to do it. The lows are what people mostly hear out of your bass in a mix. Might as well let them have it.

There. I said it. I do something considered wrong by conventional TB wisdom, and I do so unapologetically. Take that

.

hey your bass ,your knob
just remember audience opinion does matter,..

 

[JimmyM]

hey your bass ,your knob
just remember audience opinion does matter,..

Nobody is complaining.

 

[Treebeard]

Some basses just need it in some applications!

 

[Liam Wald]

I am going to admit something that may get me raked over the coals...I love cranking the bass knob! Didn't always...took me a long time to warm up to the idea. But now I'll turn the bass up all the way if I need to. Gotta be judicious about it sometimes...don't want to overcrank the lows in a dark sounding room with a lot of natural reverb or anything dumb like that. And mids are still important if you want some note definition as well. But over the past years, I've gotten less shy about warming up the room real good, and I think it's working out great, and I don't get why so many people on here tell bass players not to do it. The lows are what people mostly hear out of your bass in a mix. Might as well let them have it.

There. I said it. I do something considered wrong by conventional TB wisdom, and I do so unapologetically. Take that.

I don't think that I am on the same page. Not that I disagree. I am just not sure what the hell you are saying.
"crank the bass knob"?
Is that the knob on a one knob bass? is that the tone control knob on a two knob bass? is that the bass pot on the amp or pre-amp? is that the "knob" way out there on the end of the pointy thing take makes the string go up in pitch.
No offense implied, but could it be the "knob" who is actually playing the bass?
I did a Google search for bass knob and found no sense of clarity there either.
Maybe I am just a knob and can't see the forest for all the... err, knobs.

 

[JimmyM]

I don't think that I am on the same page. Not that I disagree. I am just not sure what the hell you are saying.
"crank the bass knob"?
Is that the knob on a one knob bass? is that the tone control knob on a two knob bass? is that the bass pot on the amp or pre-amp? is that the "knob" way out there on the end of the pointy thing take makes the string go up in pitch.
No offense implied, but could it be the "knob" who is actually playing the bass?
I did a Google search for bass knob and found no sense of clarity there either.
Maybe I am just a knob and can't see the forest for all the... err, knobs.

I got a knob for ya

 

[Liam Wald]

I got a knob for ya

Kinky.

 

[pglaser01]

Kinky.

These have knobs right?

 

[Downunderwonder]

Some of us are using a HPF so that you can sculpt a bump in the lows and not extend into the infrasonic area.

Even JimmyM is doing that.

 

[pbass2]

One of my ways to approach certain roots/Americana styles is to go for a really bassy sound--some might even call it "muddy"--and tuck myself well behind the kick drum in the mix, a little lower than one might expect. Creates a cool "atmospheric cushion" kind of vibe. I'm talking 4-stringer with old flats here, usually with a foam mute too. Then it's all about note length and swinging behind the kick. Runs up the neck still seem....low
I remember somewhere reading an interview with Don Was, who said something to the effect of "sometimes you want the bass to be an almost indistinct blur...". Or something like that. Depends on the music of course!

 

[LiquidMidnight]

IME, many amps are a bit too thin with the bass set flat. I found that when I was doing a lot of gigs without PA support, the lows were almost always what needed to be boosted. The key is when we are on top of our amps on stage, it sounds like we have massive low-end; unfortunately, a lot of that gets lost out in the room, so we need to boost. Unfortunately, those are the frequencies that eat up the most headroom and speaker excursion.

 

[jamro217]

For shame!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

You must have missed my post addressing that issue, but TLDR, a 40 hz bass knob rarely affects only those sub lows and quite often affects frequencies in that low mid range.


That would be a problem only if you're so loud that you're on the verge of blowing your speakers to begin with, which I am never in that position.

I responded to your original post. I’ll stand on my response based on what you posted. If the shoe doesn’t fit, that’s fine too. Cheers.

 

[REMBO]

I crank mine on my 1969 Ampeg SVT all the time

 

[beans-on-toast]

For many people who indulge in the low end, this may not be a problem. But...

Musicians are more susceptable to hearing loss. Not just high frequency but low frequency as well. Cranking the low end could be a sign of a hearing issue.

 

[basscooker]

I always took the "rule" to be circumstantial. When someone shows up with a thread about farting cabs, not cutting through with a great rig, or blown drivers; well turn down your bass eq and up the mids.

I find that the better low end extension your cab(s) have the less desirable the tone gets at volume with much boosting down low, not to mention the more likely you are to damage stuff when turning up. The more astute players obviously understand where the limits of their cabs are... It's just solid advice to not try it until you know where your gear's limits are at band volume.

 

[JimmyM]

For many people who indulge in the low end, this may not be a problem. But...

Musicians are more susceptable to hearing loss. Not just high frequency but low frequency as well. Cranking the low end could be a sign of a hearing issue.

Lost a little high end over the decades but I can still hear down to 20 hz no problem