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Empress ParaEQ Bass!?


Empress effects posted a blog for the filter cutoff frequencies for the Para Eq mkii stating the frequencies for each dot on the face of the pedal for both HPF and LPF see link
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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Is there a chart like this one for the Bass Para Eq?
 
I played a gig in a barn that had a WICKED resonance on my A string (or 5th fret E etc) - moving even a half-step off of A either up/down was better, a full step and the resonance was gone. Could the Para EQ have helped attenuate this narrow resonance? If so, what would be the on-the-fly steps to nail this? Thank you!
 
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I bought my Empress Bass Para Eq a
few months ago from Sweetwater Sound. I use it on my Ampeg baby bass, which has a relatively weak pickup overall, and on my bass, a weak E string response. I tune the Empress for a narrow boost in the 40 to maybe 50, 60? hertz range. This works very well. I also use the overall boost function to get more gain going into the preamp section of whatever amp I’m using.
It has a nice, natural sound, and I recommend trying this if you have similar issues.
 
I played a gig in a barn that had a WICKED resonance on my A string (or 5th fret E etc) - moving even a half-step off of A either up/down was better, a full step and the resonance was gone. Could the Para EQ have helped attenuate this narrow resonance? If so, what would be the on-the-fly steps to nail this? Thank you!
Absolutely. This is one of the main purposes of the Empress ParaEq pedals, to identify and get rid of specific unwanted frequencies.

I would set the Q to thin on either the low or mid EQ band, set the gain fully clockwise, and then turn the Frequency control until you find that squealing unpleasant frequency. Then pull the gain back below noon so it is cutting instead of boosting, and finally set the Q to taste (likely somewhere between noon and CW).
 
Hi Team..... new owner of Empress Bass ParaEQ based on recommendations from TB'ers I trust. After a couple of day, liking it. Couple of basic questions.

I don't have a lot of board space (Mono Lite+ 18"), so the ParaEq is going last and I want to use the balanced out for the DI using a conversion cable. Is that legit? Last in chain? and use as a DI?

Post #22 discusses the mic vs instrument level. So, if I plug into the FOH's XLR cable and tell them I'm coming out at line level, that should work? Or do I need a separate DI box?
 
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Hi Team..... new owner of Empress Bass ParaEQ based on recommendations from TB'ers I trust. After a couple of day, liking it. Couple of basic questions.

I don't have a lot of board space (Mono Lite+ 18"), so the ParaEq is going last and I want to use the balanced out for the DI using a conversion cable. Is that legit? Last in chain? and use as a DI?

Post #22 discusses the mic vs instrument level. So, if I plug into the FOH's XLR cable and tell them I'm coming out at line level, that should work? Or do I need a separate DI box?

Yeah, that checks out to me. Balanced is balanced.

And yeah fair warning to the FOH that you're coming in hotter than normal.
 
I know they're not strictly the same thing, but has anybody replaced a DCX Bass with one of these? There is a lot of overlap in terms of my needs but while the DCX Bass is exceptional for electric bass, it doesn't make me especially happy on upright bass and I'm considering getting rid of it for one of these. I barely use the drive feature on the DCX Bass.
 
I know they're not strictly the same thing, but has anybody replaced a DCX Bass with one of these? There is a lot of overlap in terms of my needs but while the DCX Bass is exceptional for electric bass, it doesn't make me especially happy on upright bass and I'm considering getting rid of it for one of these. I barely use the drive feature on the DCX Bass.
The DCX did NOTHING for me at any instrument, but both the ParaEQ Deluxe and the ParaEQ Bass tick all my boxes for "end-of-pedalboard-always-on-pedal.
 
I have both on my board and there's overlapping only in sense that they can both change the EQ, but in a completely different manner.
Their purpose is not the same: Empress EQ is powerful and transparent EQ, while the DCX Bass is a tone enhancer.
 
I know they're not strictly the same thing, but has anybody replaced a DCX Bass with one of these? There is a lot of overlap in terms of my needs but while the DCX Bass is exceptional for electric bass, it doesn't make me especially happy on upright bass and I'm considering getting rid of it for one of these. I barely use the drive feature on the DCX Bass.
Like @goran I also have both on my board, always on, and use them in a similar manner.

The DCX is up front, EQ mode HF maxed and the gain set high enough to drive when I'm digging in, but otherwise clean. It sets the 'base tone' for the board, and plays really well with the rest of my drives since it adds so much harmonic content.

The BassPara is at the end reinforcing the lows, and sculpting the tone with a notch or two and the filters.

I'd say try reducing the gain on the DCX and compensate with the vol to minimize the saturation/drive - listen and feel if you're missing any "sweetness" or "je ne sais quoi" compared to your normal settings.

I don't know what the rest of your board looks like, but you might be able to make up some of that saturation elsewhere if you're missing it. My board (and almost any board I'll probably build moving forward) would be anchored with the BassPara & SushiBox Finally as a solid EQ/Saturation/DI combo.
 
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Empress effects posted a blog for the filter cutoff frequencies for the Para Eq mkii stating the frequencies for each dot on the face of the pedal for both HPF and LPF see link
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
View attachment 7316125
Is there a chart like this one for the Bass Para Eq?
@Mike_Empress did a chart like this ever get created? Also curious about the approximate freq values for each dot :)
 
@Mike_Empress did a chart like this ever get created? Also curious about the approximate freq values for each dot :)
Last I heard after some testing we had decided to remove that OG article and not publish the frequencies per dot for the new ParaEq pedals (MKII, MKII Deluxe, and Bass) due to potentiometer and capacitor tolerance variations, which causes the frequencies to slightly differ from unit to unit.

During testing, we do not let anything pass that falls outside of 10% tolerances to try to mitigate this as much as possible. Unfortunately that's the nature of analog electronics.

To map out the frequencies of your particular unit, you can run it into a spectrum analyzer. Many DAWs have built in spectrum analyzers, otherwise you can check out: ARTA.
 
A few nighty I did something stupid during a gig. Short version: my bass cable messed up my settings on the ParaEQ2 Deluxe.
Is there anyone (preferably in Europe) who does deck savers for the ParaEQDeluxe and/or the BassEQDEluxe?

There is a guy in Scotland, UK, who does for some Tech21 and Origin Effects pedals, but he doesn't own a Para ....
Shipping and returning my pedals to the UK would include taxes TWICE, so that is not really an option.

I don't want to turn to a digital programmable solution.
 
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