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Gig last night ruined me.

#121
Bass + amp + pedal + player = what you heard. Change any of the above variables and you’ll get a different sound.

I doubt a Sansamp was the magic sauce even if that guy maintains it was. Or even if it is that it will do exactly the same for your sound.

Check out the story told at the beginning of this video. I think it really says it all:

 
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#124
Sansamp :smug:! Plug it in to any amp and turn the blend all the way up (only the sansamp) Turn the pedal off...bass sounds like a rubber band without it.
I've gotten some of the most massive rock sounds ever recording bass through a sansamp. Bass and treble all the way up, blend all the way up and play with the presence and distortion.

Here's a modulus played with a pick through a sansamp pedal only
 
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#125
five7 said:
We played last night and I brought my mesa 800+ and my markbass cl 108. Plugged my bongo 5HH into my vt bass and had volume that made me happy.
Next band goes on and bass player rolls out a small ampeg cab and sets a rack on it containing an aguilar 751. Plugs in his precision and has the best tone I have heard at this venue, I have done 100's of shows there.
Afterwords I go talk to him about it and he tells me it is the sansamp pedal he is running into the aggy. The 751 is set flat. I have used sansamp before at church gigs but I have never had a tone like that.
As soon as I woke up this morning and 4 hours later I am haunted by that tone. I don't know what to do.
It's got to be the 751, right?
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Sans Amps actually work really well with PA systems. I used the rbi rack version for about a decade. Originally gave it a shot because every national band we opened for was using some type of sans amp. I only recently got away from using sans Amps and am currently using a Darkglass pedals and Avalon u5 setup
 
#126
pbassnut said:
The Aguilar DB 751 head is one of the best amps on the planet (IMHO) so with or without the sansamp, it's got a leg up on most anything. More likely though, is that the owner of the Aguilar just has a great touch. I have some bass player friends and guitar players I play with who double on bass who can play circles around me and when they play my basses through my amps, they are able to get a noticeably better tone than I can. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it is what it is. I still strive to play through the best gear I can afford (cuz I love this stuff!), but try to keep it reasonable and not go crazy on all kinds of pricey boutique gear because _I_ am always going to be the limiting factor in the tone equation.
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This and the thing is....a rich lush tone on stage sounds like mush out in the audience...thin and aneamic on stage...hard hittting out in the audience.
 
#127
five7 said:
I don't know how he had the pedal patched in, wasn't a rackmount one. The cab looked like a single 15 or 18?
He was playing with a pick and his band is a ramones tribute band, he complimented my playing but I suck.
If I see him again I will ask more questions.
He was plugged into the PA but I was standing directly in front of his rig and it sounded the same thru out the room.
Yes I would love to own a 751.
My markbass 102 cabinets I owned at one time did suck, this 108 sounds better than the svt 8-10 and the aguilar GS410 I owned.
The mesa 800 sounds better than the tone hammer 500 I had.
Maybe it was the wig he was wearing.
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Did he have the same Sansamp model you are using?
Brent
 
#128
I have to agree with those who've said that what you hear on stage is not what you hear out in the audience. If there's a way to hear your rig from the audience's perspective, you definitely should. Years ago, I was the sound guy/roadie/ substitute bass player for a GI band. We were multi-talented enough that every body got the chance (well, I made them do it, actually) to be the audience for a song or two. And, the "Holy S@#t, that's not how I sound on stage.." reactions were predictable - and pretty funny. Pretty much put an end to arguing with me about how to set the sound up, too.. But, if you want new gear, hey... this is TB; no need to justify your GAS here...:thumbsup:
 
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#131
Something that helped me find a tone I like and can reproduce in different scenarios, was going wireless. You gain valuable info on what's happening with your sound. What sounds good on stage, might not sound good at the first row of seats or tables. So while your doing sound check walk around and listen,spend time in at least 2 or 3 spots. The rooms sound will also change on and off through show. When the dance floor is full it really can alter the sound of the band.While I'm not the showman type, for the most part people really seem to like it when you go out and walk around ,sit down at a table or two,smile like your enjoying yourself. But I use this to listen to what the audience is hearing. You have jumped the first hurdle,you actualy have heard a bass tone that flips your personal switch. Instead of "Gig last night ruined me "may be you should be saying "Gig last night helped me". Man,there is so much gear out there that can help you sound anyway you want to! But, memory is quick to fade, so I would suggest you get busy! This has been a public service announcement!
 
#132
chris_b said:
I always sound different on stage when playing my gear to listening from off-stage to another bassist playing his gear.

Your comparison is not apples and apples.
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We recently did a music event at my house. My buddy Brian brought his Lakland 55-02 and shared it out of laziness for the day. I played it through a blue rat fur Yorkville 200. We played a set where i played guitar and he played bass. Next up we swapped. Drummer from another band i am in afterwards complained that I was too loud compared to Brian although we used identical equipment and hadn’t touched a thing. Fact is he has a much lighter touch. I can definitely tell my playing and the way I attack the strings versus the way he does. Plus he plucks in a different area than i do which affects tone. Even if we played the same riffs on the same equipment. Completely different tone. Same amp, same settings. I will have to remember to turn down next time.
 
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#133
Bad azz tone said:
Something that helped me find a tone I like and can reproduce in different scenarios, was going wireless. You gain valuable info on what's happening with your sound. What sounds good on stage, might not sound good at the first row of seats or tables. So while your doing sound check walk around and listen,spend time in at least 2 or 3 spots. The rooms sound will also change on and off through show. When the dance floor is full it really can alter the sound of the band.While I'm not the showman type, for the most part people really seem to like it when you go out and walk around ,sit down at a table or two,smile like your enjoying yourself. But I use this to listen to what the audience is hearing. You have jumped the first hurdle,you actualy have heard a bass tone that flips your personal switch. Instead of "Gig last night ruined me "may be you should be saying "Gig last night helped me". Man,there is so much gear out there that can help you sound anyway you want to! But, memory is quick to fade, so I would suggest you get busy! This has been a public service announcement!
Click to expand...
Most gigs we do don't have a sound check and never have gotten along with wireless. Going to demo a 751 next week with my bass and cab.
 
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#135
Linnin said:
Bingo-Zingo! Tone's in the fingers and soul of the musician. No amount of $$$ & equipment can buy it.
Admit it. You've been outplayed and out classed. Happens all the time. Welcome to reality.
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I hear this all of the time especially at guitar forums....ive seen MANY talented players with crap live tone........its because many of these players are switching up gear on their search which is fine.
 
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#136
Tone is a combination of many things. Its not all in the gear or the hands alone. Stage size,what the stage is made of ,how its made,where you are on the stage,where your amp is on the stage,how tall the ceiling is above the stage,what's the stage covered in,are there curtains around the stage and thats just the Stage! Then you add your style of playing,fingers,pick,play at the bridge? Play over the pup's? Play up at the neck? Do you tickle the strings? Or do you punish the strings? How about your fret hand? Light pressure on the strings? Lots of pressure? Imho,all you can reasonably do is find a tone you like through trial and error.once you do ,be aware of all the environmental factors ,and learn to control the ones you can control. And it really does not matter if its a small club or a big show,sound tech or not the principles are the same. You heard something you really liked ,do your best to recreate it . I wish you the best in your endeavor.
 
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#137
bloobass said:
Not sure I've seen anybody hate on anything the way people around here hate on Markbass stuff. I get liking or not liking certain brands, but there're a few guys that get so...we'll say passionate about it, it makes me wonder what's up.

Also makes me wonder what everybody hated on before Markbass came along...

maybe worth adding that I've owned Trace Elliott, Hartke, Fender, Ampeg and now Markbass. I get more compliments on my sound now more than ever...and at less than 1/2 the weight.

Didn't mean to derail, if I did.
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I don't get why anyone hates on ANY brand. I just think arrogant and amateur when I hear this kind of ragging on gear from someone. There is a difference between that and just saying you don't care for a certain brand or piece of equipment through personal experience. I've played through amps and basses before that weren't for me, but I'd never call that gear bad, unless it was just falling apart and undependable. Usually it is just a feel or tone thing that may be great for some, but just not for me.
 
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