Dialing in your tone

[Gorilla Monsoon]

My PF-50T into a Genzler BA12-3 dialed B/M/T to 6, Gain, Vol, and Mid selector at 3, Low in, High out sounded immediately terrific.

I dialed the gain down a hair.
Next, dialed the bass up to the room.
Boosted volume a hair to fit the practice room.
Adjusted treble down a notch.

From there, I asked where I didn't want my sonic footprint (e.g. overlapping the vocals) and dialed the mids appropriately (boosting mid gain to 7, and mid selector to match the music and the bass)

^^^This is pretty close to what I’m doing...

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

If I'm reading right, you're slightly boosting the very highest mids. You might want to experiment with leaving everything else as it is, but dialing down the mid frequency. That can make a big difference.

^^^Ive done this very thing and it works with the Smith...

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Realize this is wide open, but how do you get the tone you want out of your rig? I’m currently running an Ampeg PF50T into a Bergantino CL212, and am switching between three fretless instruments. My personal preference is to start with everything flat, setting my midrange frequency switch to the highest selection- affecting the 3kh range, and slightly boosting the amp bass and midrange while slightly dropping the treble on the amp. In essence, I’m boosting the mids, cutting the treble and just slightly boosting the amp bass control. I start with all controls on the instrument set flat as well. There’s no real issue here, but of the three basses in the room, the one I’m having trouble with dialing in is a Ken Smith. I’ll get it right eventually, as this was my fav to play over phones, but this is the only instrument with a midrange knob. I’ve seen some UTube examples of this same head with some crazy different variations in amp tone controls, and I get the idea that different strokes for different folks, but how do you guys tackle a new setup in terms of what YOU boost and/or cut? I don’t feel like this is necessarily limited to any head/cabinet setup, and is purely personal preference, but am curious as to how others look at tone. I feel like the midrange is the best tone control to start with, as its effect is global.

Don't ever touch the mid range knob on your bass.
Just say no.

So, you like bass guitar treble. Try switching your mid knob to 800 (position 3), and setting it to 10ish o'clock. Set treble knob to 2 o clock.

If you're sounding a little washy/mushy, set mid knob to position 1, and turn it to 10 o'clock. It cleans up your low end. Boosting 2 fattens your high strings. Position 3 removes honk. Position 4 adds twang. Position 5 makes you sound like you're using a pick/or smooths out your plucking if you cut it.

I also like treble flat, bass cut to 11 o'clock, mid boosted to 2 o'clock (position 2), and ultra low engaged.

 

[skwee]

I look up what adjustments I need to make on my amp in order to flatten out whatever factory curves are there, mark them with tape, and then make adjustments until I like the sound. I'm not sure I have "a sound", because I have to play so many styles that I need to adjust all the time.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

^^^This is pretty close to what I’m doing...

I'll add that a Darkglass Harmonic Booster works well in front of this amp and greatly widens your tonal palette across instruments with sweepable mids and character. You can boost in more grit, or even reign in the amp's natural tendency to break up.
Only a handful of additional knobs, one on/off switch, and shares a similar aesthetic.

 

[MichelD]

I played out for the first time in years on November 25 at a charity benefit with a folk group. Trayor SB500 H head with a home-made cab with a 12" speaker. Hard-wall space in a community centre.

I thought I was too bassy with my basement music room amp setting but one of the other musicians on that night was in the front row so I asked his advice and he said tone was good and only asked me to turn down a hair. No complaints but compliments after.

 

[Levent]

I start flat than I match my volume to drummer, than I boost my bass a little over kicks

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

I'll add that a Darkglass Harmonic Booster works well in front of this amp and greatly widens your tonal palette across instruments with sweepable mids and character. You can boost in more grit, or even reign in the amp's natural tendency to break up.
Only a handful of additional knobs, one on/off switch, and shares a similar aesthetic.

I feel like I should be able to get a proper tone going straight into the amp, just using my fingers. It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian. I like the possibilities though- thank you- the guy I bought the cabinet from mentioned the Darkglass, though, and he’s a much better player than I am- I’m guessing ALL you guys are.

 

[TonyP-]

My PF-50T into a Genzler BA12-3 dialed B/M/T to 6, Gain, Vol, and Mid selector at 3, Low in, High out sounded immediately terrific.

I dialed the gain down a hair.
Next, dialed the bass up to the room.
Boosted volume a hair to fit the practice room.
Adjusted treble down a notch.

From there, I asked where I didn't want my sonic footprint (e.g. overlapping the vocals) and dialed the mids appropriately (boosting mid gain to 7, and mid selector to match the music and the bass)

I didn't read all the responses, but I'm glad you mentioned the 'room'.

To me, I change the EQ from flat on my GKs to whatever the room is dictating.
It does not happen every time, but for sure in an old auditorium with a high wooden hallow stage is going to sound very different then the cement half shell outside.

I see some crazy EQ settings for some players in their 'day to day' and I'm like "What do you do if trying to get 'your sound' with that exaggerated setting in a foreign environment that you are not used to playing? I think it much easier to find the rig you love as flat as possible and then work from there based on the environment you are in.

 

[db59]

I'm still dialing!!

 

[pingvuiini]

Ever since I got my GR Bass 212 Slim combo I have been very happy just using the 'Pure' switch which bypasses all tone controls, leaving only gain and master volume (essentially just a power amp). I then dial in the tone using only the controls on my fretless basses and I can get a good sound. With my fretted bass I turn the amp tone controls back on to get a more trebly tone for slapping.

 

[Baker69]

I don't tend to mess with my settings at all in a gig situation, with IEM's nothing much is going to alter and my backline amp is only on a fairly low stage volume, I leave it in the hands of our engineer to get it right out front.

 

[deff]

So, you like every bass you have through the amp with the settings you have arrived at but the Ken Smith. The KS sounds great through headphones, but not through the amp and sounds different than all of the other basses.

I get that you probably paid a decent price for the KS. You want it to work, but if it doesn't, it just isn't the bass for you. Move on. It's a tool. A pretty and probably nice playing tool, but it isn't doing what you want. I mean no offense, but the answer here is pretty obvious.

 

[HelpImaRock]

^^^Ive done this very thing and it works with the Smith...

This tells me the answer is you have to amend your approach with this bass compared to the others. It's normal to have different amp settings for each instrument. Sometimes they can be wildly different. If you take the time, I'm sure you'll be rewarded.

 

[Eidolon0274]

Lots of great comprehensive methods here that cover it.

I would add that in a live situation you should be dialing in your sound and tone in the mix using a cable long enough to get you at least as far as the singers position on stage, if not into the first row.

During the show I stand near or over my Amp to feel the punch of the note and no matter what tone I get 30 feet in front of my Amp, it will sound dark to me (unless I'm using a cab tall enough to hear clearly)

 

[SoCal80s]

Start with everything flat. Adjust at the amp first. The secret sauce is in the mids, get the mids right and you can almost leave the bass and treble alone. Try cutting things first, and only boost in small amounts if needed.

 

[Tom Magri]

Lock in with the drummer, play the right notes, groove and your tone will most likely be just fine. I am not at the point in my playing ability where focusing much on tone is the main thing I can do to improve my playing. I find focusing on the first three has a much greater impact.

 

[tvbop]

I practise/mess around in the lounge on a P bass with the tone knob rolled back, dead flats and my little BA108 combo flat with the bass rolled back a bit. This gives me a dull dry burp.....it's the exact tone I use live and it cuts beautifully with massive heft. In other words live tone is all about the mid range and variations of which actually out in the audience isnt really noticed.

 

[Jev1]

When I'm dialing in a tone, I often default to a looper pedal (TC Looper in my case). I play a bassline that uses a lot of range and put it on a loop. Then I go to my amp or pedal board and start to dial in the tone I want with that, and that's my main tone with that bass, (or those effects). Once I hit a live scenario, I make slight tweaks to the tone based on feedback from the FOH sound guy or my bandmates.. but that's usually kind of tweak and go and then tweak some more. Plus.. my solo practice tone is completely different from my rehearsal (full band) tone. But I have a practice amp set up for that.

 

[moreblues]

A lot of great advice above, so explore all of it...but most important...
Trim your finger nails then let your Heart and Soul flow through your Fingers...