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Double Bass Eden CXC Combo and Realist - how to improve tone

Cairobill

Cairobill

Dec 15, 2003
187
32
London
#1
Hi

I have a fully carved Bryant bass that i've been using acoustically for just over a year. It sounds great unamplified.

Anyway, I purchased a Realist, had it installed and have experimented running it through my Eden CXC-400 (4X10) combo (which sounds very good indeed with my electric basses).

It sounds...erm...uninspiring. The Realist sounds microphonic, clanky and just very 'piezo' like. Sort of all thump, microphonic elements and...yuck...

Does anyone out there use a Realist with an Eden combo or head? Any eq-ing suggestions? Or should I just get another combo that is more suited to the task at hand?

Alternatively, maybe this is what it's 'supposed' to sound like and I should just get used to it or buy a different mic/amp system?

Any help much appreciated.

Cairo:confused:

P.S. Of course, I might just be doing entirely the wrong thing! Ha ha
 
#2
I have a realist on my bass, and own a CXC210 . . . however, I never put the two together. As I was saving money to get a more acoustic friendly amp, I was forced to use the eden and did not like it at all. I will agree that it sounds GREAT with electric, but the sound I was getting with the db is similar to the tone you are describing. I would recommend trying some more "transparent" amps -- Eden has a great sound, but it is the "Eden" sound, not necissarily your bass's sound. I have no advice for eq because i tried them all, and nothing worked. That being said, never assume that your bass and pickup are a perfect match and that its the amp's fault. Your bass may react better with another pickup . . . and maybe another pickup would do better with the Eden.
 
#4
You could consider borrowing an external preamp that better matches the Realist and plugging it into the effects return, potentially avoiding the first stage of the Eden. I'm not familiar with this particular Eden amp, but looked it up and note that the effects loop is pre-EQ, so it may not be as easy to bypass the "Eden sound", but it's worth an experiment if you can borrow a preamp-- and I see there's a tone bypass switch; I'd mess with it to determine its effect as well. I'd also dial down the enhance knob and muck with the mid-shift control. The warm switch/pot is another candidate for twisting.
 

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