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fdecks HPF, Part II

#382
Forgive my ignorance, I'm a 4 string electric bassist (standard tuning), I use a Boss GT10B, and it's 4 band semi-parametric eq has a low cut option that cuts anywhere from 55Hz - 800Hz, I've attempted to use this setting it to cut at 55Hz and have had unsuccessfully results as it effects my overall tone.

Is the low cut filter on the gt10b and the fdeck hpf the same or similar?
 
#383
Janforth said:
Forgive my ignorance, I'm a 4 string electric bassist (standard tuning), I use a Boss GT10B, and it's 4 band semi-parametric eq has a low cut option that cuts anywhere from 55Hz - 800Hz, I've attempted to use this setting it to cut at 55Hz and have had unsuccessfully results as it effects my overall tone.

Is the low cut filter on the gt10b and the fdeck hpf the same or similar?
Click to expand...

The only similarity between the two is that the HPF-3 is sweepable from 35Hz to 140Hz, so there's some overlapping range. You'd gain the ability to select a lower cut-off point with the fdeck device.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1412085791.701450.jpg
 
#386
Janforth said:
Forgive my ignorance, I'm a 4 string electric bassist (standard tuning), I use a Boss GT10B, and it's 4 band semi-parametric eq has a low cut option that cuts anywhere from 55Hz - 800Hz, I've attempted to use this setting it to cut at 55Hz and have had unsuccessfully results as it effects my overall tone.

Is the low cut filter on the gt10b and the fdeck hpf the same or similar?
Click to expand...

Its difficult to compare the two since the manual for the Boss doesn't list any specs such as 'slope' for the Low Cut filter. But keep in mind the Boss is a Swiss Army Knife processor, whereas the HPF3 is dedicated solely to the Low Cut function and actually has two filters that work in conjunction for very 'surgical' low cut.
 
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#387
Everyone will experience their own unique results. It depends on your amp, cab, bass, strings, playing style, etc. The sweepable feature allows for individual customization to suit your exact needs. If it effects your tone, it is set too high, so back off a bit until it doesn't effect your tone or is barely noticeable. If you are controlling room boom, then sure, it will have to be higher to control some of the boom, and you may notice it effecting your tone, but dealing with the boom is more important in that regard.
 
#389
Just to clarify, certain room issues are best handled by a parametric eq. IOW, you need a tool to 'notch' out the defect. If the boom is centered around 100Hz, the Fdeck may not be the right tool, as dialing the Fdeck up to 100Hz may indeed cut out way too much of your tone as the Fdeck is a shelving tool, not a notching tool. For that 100Hz boom, a parametric eq with a high Q is the way to go in that regard. A Q of 14 is about 1/10 octave, a pretty tight slice, and will knock out most issues without effecting your tone too much. IMO, a Q that is lower than 14 will be too wide and cut out too much tone.

Very few pedal Parametric EQ's can control an octave that tight. Everyone's favorite, the Empress Para EQ, has an adjustable Q that goes from 1~4, meaning it will control 1.5 octaves down to .3 octaves. Not very tight if you need to notch out room boom, resonances, etc. You end up taking out too much good stuff with the bad. The TC Electronic DPE (discontinued) has a Q range of 1.4~14 (1 octave ~.1 octave) and the WMD Utility EQ has a Q range of .1~30 (6.5 octaves ~.05 octave)

If you need to compare pedals, here is a handy site with a table to convert Q to octaves. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#391
The F-Deck isn't a parametric and doesn't act like one. It is very effective at what it does, filter the deep lows with a very steep slope. Unless I'm having room trouble mine is set at -24db per octave 35hz, and in general my band, the soundguy, whoever, has no idea its even there, although it's removing a lot of unproductive content below 35hz. No one perceives my tone as being less 'bass heavy' in the least...but all the washy non-musical subsonic stuff is gone, as is any extreme and unnecessary speaker excursion .
 
#392
Janforth said:
Thank you, that's a good thing for sure, when I've cut mine at 55Hz I lost alot of my tone, when you've rolled the fdeck off around 40Hz did you find that effects the overall tone?
Click to expand...

Great info above.

Tone is unchanged but I certainly detect the increase in clarity. I set it differently for different basses, cabinets, rooms. I literally sweep it to find the best sound once I'm in a particular scenario.
 
#394
Janforth said:
Forgive my ignorance, I'm a 4 string electric bassist (standard tuning), I use a Boss GT10B, and it's 4 band semi-parametric eq has a low cut option that cuts anywhere from 55Hz - 800Hz, I've attempted to use this setting it to cut at 55Hz and have had unsuccessfully results as it effects my overall tone.
Click to expand...

I just looked at the manual; the GT10B EQ actually features two bands of fully parametric EQ, two bands of shelving bass/treble EQ that appear to be fixed frequency, and separate low cut and high cut filters of unspecified slope. The wide range for the low cut filter suggests that it's intended for a much broader effect than the Fdeck, as you seem to have experienced.

I've been playing around with my own HPF design for a while now, which is pretty similar to Francis' implementation in some ways. I find that actual effective low end is often increased when using it, because it allows substantial boosting of my bass control that would otherwise make a real mess.
 
#395
Yes the low cut on the gt10b seems to be a wider range and it really does not work for me at all, I've tried to look up what the specific frequency the bass is set at and came up empty on that quest.
 
#397
Janforth said:
Agreed, all great info, are any or all of you using this with a 4 string bass in standard tuning?
Click to expand...
I've used it with 4-string (EADG) and a Mesa Walkabout and noticed more available headroom with that head. Before that, I was using the lowest of the Walkabout's semi-parametric EQ bands (and I think that amp's got a great EQ section) with a slight cut set pretty low (probably 35-45 Hz) and it was effective, but the fDeck was more effective and freed up that lowest band for tone-shaping. I was still able to boost bass and get a nice, fat tone.

I don't always feel the need to use the HPF, and I do think that there's a slight change in tone having it in the signal chain, even dialed down to 35 Hz, but I notice a slight change in tone putting a single, true bypass tuner pedal in the signal chain, or using different cables -- in other words, it's small, and not necessarily negative. Might be perceived as positive in some cases. Definitely helps the Walkabout stay tighter at volume.
 
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#399
Sure. My guess is that a lot of the subsonic stuff isn't necessarily the result of having/not having a B-string, but body vibrations from thumps, bumps, and the percussive components of playing (even fingerstyle), which is why it can help yet with a four string. Then, the 41 Hz fundamental of E is still below the tuning frequency of a lot of cabs, so that could make a difference, too. In any case, it helped the Walkabout get some more headroom with my 2x12 in a loud environment.
 

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