Flat -> Meaning

[billfitzmaurice]

Flat in general terms means everything set to the mid point. Nothing boosted or cut. All amp knobs set to 12 o clock, all eq set to zero.

That's not flat, that's only where the knobs are set. And since you can't count on any particular knob setting to be flat what's the difference? Shut up and play yer guit...bass.

 

[Mushroo]

A headphone amp and good headphones can be a real eye-opener and a valuable practice tool.

 

[gbarchus]

I have a spectrum analyzer with mic and have used it on my stereo. Even though it's fairly expensive, I don't think it's capable of making enough EQ correction to make a room flat. But, I think the concept of flat is a good place to start, acknowledging that it may not be achievable in a practical sense. I can't imagine that any of my bass rigs come close to being flat and I've had some expensive three-way systems. As others have stated, once you're in another room, you start over again.

Having gone that route, I now find myself learning to appreciate what makes an individual rig sound good and it's NOT in its capability of being flat. I think if I were to play through a favorite rig with an EQ that satisfies me, that it would be far from flat.

So, for that reason I believe what is important is that I listen enough to determine what my rig is capable of, AND what it's not. And, using that experience to find the best tone I can get in all possible environments. With time, I have discovered that I don't use much EQ, or at least change the knobs, in any of the rooms I play.

More and more I think it's all in the hands and the ears.

Gale

 

[Infidelity]

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[will33]

That's not flat, that's only where the knobs are set. And since you can't count on any particular knob setting to be flat what's the difference? Shut up and play yer guit...bass.

This is probably the best advice along with Jimmy's play bass, get chicks and go home.

Flat means even representation of all frequencies which is almost never the case. Forget about your labeled knobs, it's for the most part meaningless. I could pull a knob off your amp, turn it one or two notches on the spline shaft and put it back on and you wouldn't notice. When you put them all "in the middle" it may be less flat or it maybe more but it won't be flat and it never was.

Listen to your bass in a controlled environmemt where it really is flat and you probably won't like what you hear.

 

[seamonkey]

You can pick up one of many PC apps that let you measure frequency response.
Hook it up and turn the knobs until the frequency response is flat, or as flat as you can get it.

The pull off the knobs and push them back on so they all point straight up.

 

[will33]

+1

Any progressional fade....pfft, sorry, where's my *!@%*#! beer?....ah....
Any proffesional grade poweramp plays flat within the realm of human hearing meaning it takes whatever's coming in the front, makes it louder and sends it out the back without altering it. That means that one piece in the chain is flat. Everything from your strings, playing position, pickups, preamps and effects all change the sound coming in the front. Your speakers, where they are positioned in the room, the room itself and where the listener is positioned in that room all affect it coming out the back. The flat poweramp is only eliminating one of a great many variables. This doesn't even begin to take into account the distortion effects present at every step along the way, (even so-called clean sounds have some level of distortion, it's just lesser and sounds musical).

Basically there is no flat and if there was it would be boring and lifeless.