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Do I hate my amp?
- Thread starter BarkerBass
- Start date
I would shoot for a flat response then experiment with pulling back the eq sliders one at at ime from 340 on down. Waht we often perceive as boominess is usually midbass or low mids. So likely candidates are 100 and 180hz. Some bassists go the opposite way and emphasize low mids then roll off lows. The tirck with either approach is to find one that can sound consistent with your rig from rehearsal to gig.
Wow thanks guys that's some serious help, I'm very very grateful.
You guessed correctly, I do have the GP7SM (although I couldn't have told you that without a google search).
The point about the trace's natural preset when eq is flat is very interesting and will go along way to explaining what I perceived to be boominess. I'll also try standing a lot further away next week at rehearsal.
I'm sorry I won't be able to respond to you guys til this time next week but I will respond when I can.
Cutting low mids and boosting highs slightly at specific frequencies sounds like a hopeful solution.
Cheers again, BB
You guessed correctly, I do have the GP7SM (although I couldn't have told you that without a google search).
The point about the trace's natural preset when eq is flat is very interesting and will go along way to explaining what I perceived to be boominess. I'll also try standing a lot further away next week at rehearsal.
I'm sorry I won't be able to respond to you guys til this time next week but I will respond when I can.
Cutting low mids and boosting highs slightly at specific frequencies sounds like a hopeful solution.
Cheers again, BB
Just in case...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] is a .pdf of Trace's general owner's manual for the GP7SM preamp.
Also, does your have a knob labeled 'EQ Balance?' That's another tone shaper you should be aware of.
And in general, Trace amps are really versatile...your tone is in there somewhere.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] is a .pdf of Trace's general owner's manual for the GP7SM preamp.
Also, does your have a knob labeled 'EQ Balance?' That's another tone shaper you should be aware of.
And in general, Trace amps are really versatile...your tone is in there somewhere.
Hey guys who might still be watching.
Tonight was another practice with this amp and bass combo.
Now I'm aware that I'm playing a dark sounding bass through a dark sounding amp and so wanting a brighter sound is gonna be harder to find but I think I (with your help) did it!
This is a photo of the eq settings I used. I should also point out that my multi effect eq was set to enhance the 8k range by about 8db since the amp eq doesn't go that high so overall it was quite a dramatic eq curve with lots of high end boost and just a little low mid cut but all in all it created quite a nice punchy tone with some high end clank. I know clank isn't the best type of high end but it was enough to cut through and when soloing pickups gave a good aggressive edge to the tone.
I actually found myself using the tone roll off once or twice, something this particular bass never needs lol
Over all the tone might be described as slightly sloppy, partly this is because the bass is set up for a very low action and so fret buzz enters into the equation as well as artificially boosting the high end is bound to enhance certain unsavory parts of those frequencies but it had enough punch and depth that I was felt and enough treble that I could hear the techniques I was using and had far more definition than previously.
I will also say that putting the amp slightly further away on a table, angled ever so slightly up towards me was also an improvement, if only in meaning it didn't need to be quite so loud for me to hear it, obviously the clearer tone played a huge part in this too.
Just wanted to say a huge thank to all involved and that Duff2's advice and insight into the sound curves of the trace elliot amps was invaluable and highly appreciated.
Cheers for teaching an amp noob that not all "flat" positions are even close!
God bless,
BB
Tonight was another practice with this amp and bass combo.
Now I'm aware that I'm playing a dark sounding bass through a dark sounding amp and so wanting a brighter sound is gonna be harder to find but I think I (with your help) did it!
This is a photo of the eq settings I used. I should also point out that my multi effect eq was set to enhance the 8k range by about 8db since the amp eq doesn't go that high so overall it was quite a dramatic eq curve with lots of high end boost and just a little low mid cut but all in all it created quite a nice punchy tone with some high end clank. I know clank isn't the best type of high end but it was enough to cut through and when soloing pickups gave a good aggressive edge to the tone.
I actually found myself using the tone roll off once or twice, something this particular bass never needs lol
Over all the tone might be described as slightly sloppy, partly this is because the bass is set up for a very low action and so fret buzz enters into the equation as well as artificially boosting the high end is bound to enhance certain unsavory parts of those frequencies but it had enough punch and depth that I was felt and enough treble that I could hear the techniques I was using and had far more definition than previously.
I will also say that putting the amp slightly further away on a table, angled ever so slightly up towards me was also an improvement, if only in meaning it didn't need to be quite so loud for me to hear it, obviously the clearer tone played a huge part in this too.
Just wanted to say a huge thank to all involved and that Duff2's advice and insight into the sound curves of the trace elliot amps was invaluable and highly appreciated.
Cheers for teaching an amp noob that not all "flat" positions are even close!
God bless,
BB
