• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Focus users, EQ question

Nuno A.

Nuno A.

Velvet Strings Customer Service
Jul 9, 2001
656
3
53
SWITZERLAND
Visit site
#1
Im really thinking of buying a Focus (i have an Iamp 500 that i love but i need 2 channels and phantom power) .
my question is, usually when eq my sound, in all amps that i owned, i always turn almost completely off the high mids and set the low mids at 12 o'clock, i really feel that the low mids help my sound while the high mids just contribute for a sharp, brittle sound , noise finger that i dont like. So, what are you guys doing with the Focus? im kind of afraid of spending $1500 in the Focus and thinking that i might not be able to eq a sound that i like. (thats the great thing about the iamp 500, i can always eq a sound that i can use).
Honestly i never owned an amp only with mids, they all had low mids and hi mids, thats my problem. i own a Wizzy 12 and im thinking of buying a Wizzy 10 that from the comments tonewise, its already mid -heavy
thanks in advance

Nuno
 
#2
I hear what you're sayin'. It looks like the Mid EQ on the Series III amps is centered at 650 Hz. I don't know how big (or small) the Q is. I could be wrong, but I think that's more in the region of "hi-mids". To counter that though, I think the Wizzy 12 you already have adds emphasis in the low-mids.

OTOH, the Wizzy 10 it seems emphasizes more of the hi-mids, from what I've gathered, with a sound that is not quite as warm as the 12 and is more "forward". I have not heard one in person yet though.

As a very broad generalization, I would think w/ an AI head and a Wizzy 12, you could get a nice warm sound w/out much EQing at all, depending on your bass, strings, and pickup(s). I have an iAMP 200 and a Focus 2R, and I run the EQs flat on both units.

Would you be able to boost the low-mids and tame the high-mids at the same time to your liking? The EQ is certainly not as flexible as your iAMP, but ... like I said, the Focus sounds good to me with the EQ flat, and the high pass filter at about 70 Hz. YMMV, etc., etc.

[ Edit - At lower volumes, the p/u all by itself (Rev Solo II) sounds great to me. But as the volume goes up, I find that I really need to blend in more of my mic signal to warm up the sound and take some of the edge off. ]
 
#3
I've used a GK 700RB in the past and now use a Clarus (series III) with a Wizzy 12.

I think you'll find the Clarus to a lot warmer in the upper mids than the GK amps, at least compared to the 700RB's sound.

Given that, I wouldn't worry about lacking the upper mid control. I usually dial in a little mids and highs and cut the lows a little on the Clarus.
 
#5
wiro said:
I guess the solution for you issue is in the Notch Filter. >-18dB sweepable from 30 to 800 Hz. This is quite a powerfull tool to change the character of the tone.

I got the AI Focus III for a few years now and it's usable in almost any situation for any kind of music.
Click to expand...
Bingo. Forgot about that notch filter for taming the hi-mids. Great point.

But I am addicted to the high pass filter on the Focus for my piezo pickup now - and you can't use the notch and the high pass at the same time.

I guess you could use an HPF-Pre from fdeck for the high pass, and the notch on the AI. More boxes, more cables, but ... might work well together. I have not tried this combination myself (yet), but the HPF-Pre works as advertised IMO, and is priced very reasonably.
 
#6
bolo said:
I guess you could use an HPF-Pre from fdeck for the high pass, and the notch on the AI. More boxes, more cables, but ... might work well together. I have not tried this combination myself (yet), but the HPF-Pre works as advertised IMO, and is priced very reasonably.
Click to expand...

I did just that and it worked quite well...just be sure what the phase switch is doing on the HPF-Pre since the notch on the AI already reverses phase.
 
#7
Relying on EQ to shape a tone usually indicates to me an inappropriate mix of transducers, both pickup and speakers. My best results come from pickup/speaker combinations that are compatible enough so I get my desired tone without radical EQ curves.

The Focus is a darker sounding amp overall which I find pleasing. That emphasis is subtle for sure and I'd say it's the most transparent sounding amp I've used thus far.

String changes have led to far more amplified sound changes than EQ or any other electrical device.

In all my experiments with strings, pickups and speakers I use no EQ at all. I tend to avoid using EQ to a fault. I'd rather try to work on speaker placement and other things before I grab a knob. The exception to that is the high pass filter and the phase switch.

Having said that the Focus EQ is terrible for DB and I wouldn't rely on it for anything. If you have to find your sound through EQ I'd use an outboard EQ or some other amp.
 
#8
I've really been enjoying the Clarus/w10 combo. I've found I have to adjust the EQ ever so slightly depending on the room. Being that every bass and every bass player is different, I don't think you'll dislike the AI heads, whether it be the Focus or the Clarus. I'd emphasize that the amps really are transparent.

I think I'm going to start a thread to see who dislikes their AI amps and why . . . just to see if we can counter the praise they've gotten.

oh yes, and another thing: I'm always a little nervous i'm going to blow up the little w10 putting so many watts through it. Beware of cone excursion!
 
#10
UT -- after reading your post on this in another thread last week, I pushed mine pretty hard this past weekend and . . . . it didn't blow up! It sounded quite nice, as usual. A bassplayer at this dance we played Sat night paid high compliments to my sound, which was nice.

The whole wattage rating thing still makes me nervous though. Maybe I just need a vacation.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back