Cranking The Bass Knob

[RickyWoo]

Talk about bum cakes, my gal's got'em

 

[Manticore]

Of course, as soon as the rest of the band joined in my sound lost all definition and punch, just turned into a wooly woofy bowel-rattling subsonic throb with a lot of metallic zing on top.

So you have empirical evidence of the substantial difference between good "bedroom" tone (or solo tone) and good "gig" tone. Thank you for your post!

 

[BJMtz]

Nah, I don't use the ultra-low. That's more of a mid scoop button on Ampegs.

Not to get too off topic but I have a SVT 7 Pro and I always keep the ultra hi and ultra lo engaged. As I'm sure you know, the hi boosts 8kHz and the lo boosts 40Hz and cuts 500Hz. So why does this sound different than leaving those switches unengaged and just tweaking the frequency knobs to reflect those same settings? The ultra switches (at least to me) give the amp a much better sound that's not as sterile.

Back to topic, I also like cranking my bass knob. Not too extreme but I have a cab that can take it (SVT HLF610). I do have to rein it in depending on the room and stage but I love some deep low end.

Edit: just realized the treble knob controls 4kHz so the ultra hi get you something different that not available with eq controls.

 

[MCS4]

I like the sound of cranked bass, but it makes it harder for me to get the definition I want on more intricate rock/metal riffs and can give me problems with clipping at gig volume (solid state amp) that are much reduced if I keep the bass EQ at average levels.

 

[JimiLL]

I find it tricky to boost the more pleasant mid bass frequencies, like 60-100 hz. A lot of amps have a 40hz and 100hz adjustment, which misses the real sweet spot

 

[pfschim]

to be fair, besides saying that you "have to be judicious" about drasticly twisting the bass knob ... JimmyM has made a ton of other very reasonable qualifying statements about this subject. I also don't think that JimmyM plays at very serious volume levels, he has certainly said as much about his Bowzer gigs where the BL pretty much does not want to hear very much bass at all. So, in his case, it would be somewhat analogous to the Marantz loudness thing .. more bass at lower volumes is cool, but I doubt that a cranked SVT rig with its bass contol dimed would be very good sounding. In fact, having heard this more than once in 45 years of gigging, I know it does not sound very good. - pretty much a big mushy, undefined pile of carp

Also, some of you are talking about "loving the thump" .. but it's pretty clear that thump really does not live in the 40-80hz range... plenty of hum and rumble though. As some have already pointed out, thump lives much more in the low mids EQ range.

of course, all of this is IMO/IME .. so grain of salt as always

 

[PullThePlug]

Cranking the bass knob is fun at home, but I haven't found a piratical use for it in a live situation. Usually, cranking leads to interfering with the drummer and other instruments.

I've had great success with cutting the treble knob, even up to -9db. My cabs and ears like that more than a cranked bass knob.

To each their own, but sounds like it's time for me to experiment again.

 

[J.Wolf]

I always add some bass on the onboard preamp, provided that its voiced in a way that adds bigness and not boxy woof.

Re: "yeah thats a good idea on the bass but not the amp"... Every amp (and onboard pre for that matter) has a different freq point, Q and db of boost so its not really helpful or accurate to say this. Some amps I can dime the bass and it sounds great. Others its a mess. Same goes for onboard EQ on basses.

 

[bass71]

Cranking the bass knob is fun at home, but I haven't found a piratical use for it in a live situation. Usually, cranking leads to interfering with the drummer and other instruments.

Kinda agree. Just fitted an Eminence 3015 and do I love cranking the bass at home, so full but ballsy too...but do it in front of an audience and all their getting is boom...not so good.

 

[pigpen1]

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'm with you. Of course you have to be reasonable with it, but I've always been confused how a site full of bass players can almost universally be opposed to big low end.

On my Mesa d800+ rather an the use the deep switch I usually just boots the bass knob, sense it is shelf, and then bring up the HFP to make a nice little round-sounding notch from about 50-80hz while running the voicing at about 2:00. Same sound can be found by running the deep switch, backing the voicing down a little, and running the bass flat and HPF about about noon, but its a little less defined.

 

[davegt666]

I guess you can say I do that. My EQ settings are kind of out there. They work for my band and the GK Eq is very responsive. It usually changes a little depending on the venue, but it starts here.

 

[stringthrough]

I EQ an uneven smile. Boost the lows, scoop the mids and modestly boost the highs. This way I get a lot of bottom with a little "crackle" on top.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Hey, it works for Tony Levin and Gail Ann Dorsey. Both crank the bass knob on their MusicMan basses most of the time.

It's not always the right thing, but it's often not the wrong thing, either. A lot of factors to consider.

 

[Vintage Guy]

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.

 

[KickingBass]

Had a bassist crank the bass knob while playing through my rig at church while I was singing in front of him. I heard my Barefaced start farting out and immediately got worried. I turned around mid song and checked his settings on the bass. The 20hz were cranked all the way. I immediately turned them down and made other adjustments. A few moments later and I hear the farting again! I turn around and he had cranked them back up! I immediately turned it back down and made the mid knob his low knob and told him not to use the bass knob anymore (in his defense it was not his bass and he is about at beginner/intermediate level on bass). I asked him if he couldn’t hear himself or something and he said that the pastor was signalling to him to play louder and he couldn’t hear himself. I told him I’d raise him in the PA but that he was going to blow my speakers (my expensive speakers...) I saw him later crouching next to the amp trying to hear himself. Sorry man, I just can’t have my speakers blown and idk how an 800 watt amp through a barefaced isn’t enough for people. In the end it was all for naught too because I have a high pass filter on the mixer that keeps those 20hz frequencies out anyways. Hopefully my speakers haven’t been permanently damaged yeah I don’t like cranking the lows @JimmyM sorry.

 

[bassdude51]

Put these on your bass and literally "crank it!"

 

[diegom]

I love cranking the bass knob!

The instrument we play is called "BASS" for a reason! It's not like we say, "Hi!, I play the LowMids!" or "Nice to make your acquaintance, I perform on the ReverseSmileyCurve Low Guitar!". It is DA BASS!!!

Crank that BASS UP, I say!!!

 

[zon6c-f]

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.

Just when I was really getting to play bass my guitar buddies told me to study
Jack Casady n Entwistle. Then this Squire guy comes along and I was all Ric n Pick n Rounds for decades.

I listen to radio n TV jingles. Even today with exception of old Ram commercial with distortion the basses typically sound like a bass not a treble and those are the real players

Regardless I tend to set my tone and choice of fingers or pick for the tune

Oh I’ve been told by those who “knew better” that I should always only use a pick to cut through the mix live or studio or Always use your fingers because....

Now that I allegedly know a little more I listen to young or beginner bassists and tell them there’s no Best way to play or sound as long as it works

Same for tone controls. They aren’t locked in one position .....

 

[JKB1957]

James Jamerson used to dime the bass and go half way on the treble on his Ampeg B-15N. I think you're in good company. Keep the groove.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

First off, let me say, do as you like. It's your bass and your sound. Do what makes you happy.

Personally, I actually hate that muddy, indistinct, boomy, "who knows what notes those were", crappy sound you hear when someone drives up next to you in their car with their music cranked and their "super-tube subs" turned all the way up. That sound is just a mess of boomy, muddy harmonics with no discernible fundamental or definition and I hate it. Also, if you go out on the dance floor all you'll hear is "WHHHHOOOOOOOO, WHHHHOOOOOOOO, as the bass drum just owns the lows in the mix - no way around that. Those low-mids (around 250Hz) are what gives you that thump in the chest and that's what I want.

So I leave my bass EQ flat unless the room is reinforcing or sucking out the lowest frequencies and then I'll adjust it from there. Usually that Bass EQ is a shelving control centered around 30Hz, which is slightly below the lowest note on a 5-string bass (30.8Hz)

Below is a video clip where the bass player for Shinedown is using a P-bass and doesn't necessarily have the Bass EQ dimed, but he's very indistinct. I cued it up right before he makes an octave run and you can't tell what notes he's playing. It's all a blurry sound. A little farther on the camera comes in on it and you can see, for just a flash, what he's doing. Looks like he's moving a LOT more than what you hear and even with that the bass drum covers him up every time the bass drum hits. In my opinion this is poor mixing on the sound engineers part but hey, it was a major hit.

So overall it had to be good - right? Just wasn't what I wanted to hear as a bass player. Played this song in a group I was in at the time and it was very difficult to figure out what he was doing because the recording of the bass was so indistinct. Outside of that one run he does, he's just hanging back and playing root notes, which works fine for the song.