Cranking The Bass Knob

[Roxbororob]

HAD as in past tense? Why? Your only defenses are fire, flood or theft

The loudness button was magic. If well implemented, like in the Marantz amps, it only boosted the bass at lower volumes to compensate for our hearing. It was good on all the medium priced gear, Pioneer, Sansui, etc. etc...

+1. Mine is still smooth as silk (well... a couple of caps later)

 

[Roxbororob]

back on topic... I love what your saying Jimmy but I just cant get away with it on my old SM400 (even with my HPF). Bass knob is past noon though and boosted in the EQ (just not fully cranked).


Edit: Mind you doing just that (bass crank) woke up my old Dynachord the other day.

 

[sharkbait130]

Yeah , I've been cranking the bottom end a bit lately too. 2 or 3 o'clock on my PF 500. Not so much if i'm running the ol' Classic though.

 

[RickyWoo]

I like to bust out the generic "rock" setting on my SVT Classic whenever I can get away with it. Sooooo Lowwwww....

 

[bolophonic]

I always use as much low end as feasibly possible under any circumstance.

 

[MJ_Sotti]

Hit it Jim. We fill it out. I’ve been using the ultra low all the time.

Pump it,

 

[Blaze Barlow]

If you're talking about the bass on the amp, which I assume you are cuz I'm pretty certain you play mostly a P, I honestly don't know how that's possible. I never tried it, but there ain't no way that's happening on my amp. If I push the bass past 1:00 it starts getting boomy as all hell. I've played through a lot of Ampegs too, and almost always have to dial back the bass.

I believe you, but I think I'm missing something somehow.

This is from a while ago, but it's the only vid I have of me playing through an Ampeg. I used to keep my Bongo set pretty flat, and I know I had that amp set flat or less than. I can't imagine what the bass would sound like if I turned the lows on that amp to 10.

And thanks, cuz I now have a reason to post this video . Which I like, and never really get a good reason to post. I only played with this band for about a year.

Bass all the way up on the amp is no problem..the reason why is because a lot of the better amps still have a gain and a master volume knob..and then you still have the volume and tone knobs on the instrument..its sort of like amps in the house PA..you always have the volume on those amps all the way up..the true levels are coming from the combination of the console..EQ..and gain on the compressor..I remember reading the life story of Hendrix..on his amps (marshall)..he turned the low..mid..and high all the way up..and many times the volume too..but not the gain..and he controlled everything from his instrument..he said he wanted to get the maximum sound frequencies..as best he could..from the amps..thats why his left hand was always so busy..he was constantly playing with the volume and tone knobs on the instrument..I always turn the bass up to max on my ampeg amp..but I run through a tech 21 RPM preamp before the amp head..I usually set the preamp bass knob at about 40%..lately I have been playing through 16 ten inch cones..with 2 bass heads..2200 watts continous..the cabs are 4 ohms..

 

[40Hz]

Sure. Why not? I’ve cranked the bass knob and and also hit the ultra Hi and Lo switches just for good measure, and it was all to good effect.

The old Acoustic 360 head I had sounded amazing when the bass knob was dialed up to 80% or better. Wouldn’t want that particular vibe going all the time. But there’s moments when it really is “all about that bass.” And when that moment has arrived my feeling is: indulge.

 

[Blaze Barlow]

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.

well..I have been doing the same thing..bass knob on the amp all the way up..and as I was mentioning to Joe..there is still the gain and the master volume knobs on the amp..and volume and tone knobs on the instrument..so there is plenty of room for adjustment..I am also running through a tech 21 RPM preamp..and there..I keep the bass knob at about 40%..I mentioned that when I was reading the life story of Hendrix..he said he wanted maximum frequency volume from his amps..so he turned the lows..mids ..and highs all the way up..and sometimes the volume too..but not the gain..and he controlled it all right there at his instrument..thats why his left hand was always so busy..he was constantly playing with the knobs to get the sounds he wanted..he was all over that instrument..including the headstock and the bridge..and the wooden body..sometimes he would pound the instrument as he was playing it..he was unreal..one of the greatest ever..

 

[Ed Byrnes]

Wow! I thought I was the only one! Love the big bottom and also play heavy gauge strings. On my Micro VR through 2x 210av I'll crank it all the way with the mids flat and the treble between 1 and 2pm. With the V-4b, I can get to about 3pm before the backline cabs in the clubs we play start to rattle and break up.

 

[Ant Illington]

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.

It took you "a long time to warm up to the idea" so it isn't odd that most people haven't arrived there yet given that one must be "judicious" about it in the first place.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Use it when I need it. Don't when I don't. Totally depends on the room and sound reinforcement. I've never really had to process it too deeply....

 

[RickyWoo]

Use it when I need it. Don't when I don't. Totally depends on the room and sound reinforcement. I've never really had to process it too deeply....

I think it's a question of wants overruling needs, to be fair to the OP. (I think)

 

[guy n. cognito]

I think it's a question of wants overruling needs, to be fair to the OP. (I think)

Well, I WANT to turn up the knob when I NEED to turn up the knob, if that works for you.....

 

[chadds]

Yeah, but you have ears engaged and mostly use a relatively small amp. Some kids might think they can just crank their lows willy nilly, blow their poppies to kingdom come. Think of the kids. Spare the poppies.

Poppies? Original plant form grown in Afghanistan for example? Could you mean poopies? Original form that come out when....you know. Could you mean the affectionate term for Grandfather?

Just want to be clear going forward if this is a DEA staff party gig, Hazmat suit gig, hug with some grumpy ole farts gig over at Seizure World or just jeans and T shirt? I hate to be over or under dressed.

 

[Lesgo]

This thread is stressing me out! I had no idea this many talkbassers were so rash!

 

[HolmeBass]

I never crank it all the way up, but it is the control I boost the most as a default tone. Then the room will drive me to change things.

Played a really boomy room, I had the bass control cut quite a bit. I was freaking out about it actually, but it only helped a little bit, the sound was still boomy but I was losing too much volume around low C and D on the A string to cut any more. Low G, F, and E were still thunderous.

After the show the soundman shows how he was cranking the low end on the bass, kick, and toms through the sub with his EQ. Nothing like cross-EQing in a loud boomy room. Oh well.

 

[Sparkl]

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.

F you man. I just started turning the bass knob down from a flat position in order to spare the speakers when playing louder and accounting for stage volume. Now you got me thinking again.

But then again, in loud situations I found bass knob to only add muddines in low end which significantly decreases bass clarity (edit: actually the whole band mix clarity). Through years I found that having a healthy amount of bass around 50hz+ and a nice low mid there is planty low end happening for most music.

Could see why someone playing dub or similar genres would want that giant pillow low end down there though.

 

[PWRL]

I'm a bass-cranker, myself. I eq it to cut through when I need to, but I try to keep as much low end as I can. I have to keep the twangyness at bay.

 

[PDGood]

And thanks, cuz I now have a reason to post this video . Which I like, and never really get a good reason to post. I only played with this band for about a year.

Interesting. I've never heard an SG sound anything like that - a totally distinctive guitar tone.