How much do you fiddle with your bass's EQ?

[erikbojerik]

Players - I'm interested to find out if you guys use the tone controls on your bass on a regular basis - or rely instead on the amp/pedalboard for everyday EQing.

When you're doing your soundcheck, what do you dial in? Do you ever use your bass's tone on-the-fly in the middle of a set to correct something you hear that's not quite right? Do you set your tone controls to a fixed position and never move them, or do you twiddle with them between/during songs?

Choose all of the above options that apply - you don't have to pick just one. But pick only the ones you actually use on a regular basis. And post if you like.

 

[iriegnome]

Once my sound is set, it is done. No adjusting needed.

 

[AlembicPlayer]

in most cases EQ is used for correction. Depending on the bass and gear used how much "correction" is needed is usually to taste. Most bass amps I have used with my Alembic Series bass have a huge upper mid hump. I usually have to cut the high mids on most rigs while keeping most of the other setting flat. any other fine adjustments will come from my bass. These days I have my rig pretty much tuned to my bass. I don't worry about EQ'ing for the room, that is the job for the PA

 

[Jehos]

I use the amp's EQ to correct for the room, but for the most part it's "set and forget".

 

[kesslari]

I use the amp's EQ to correct for the room,

I do that too. Then I use the EQ on the bass to change tones for particular songs.

 

[Jake of Bass]

I do that too. Then I use the EQ on the bass to change tones for particular songs.

+1

Usually run my amp flat and adjust from my bass for certain tones, usually adding a bit more low end towards the end of the set

 

[Valerus]

Bass EQ, but I don't really mess with it much

 

[RicPlaya]

Got a jazz with S1 switch, so i fiddle with it depending on the tune. If I want a old school P tone I engage the parallel switch and roll off the tome knob. Want the jazz tones I go back to the two sperate pick up config. I run my head somewhat flat so I do most of my switching on the bass.

 

[bigblondeafro87]

The way I see it, onboard EQ's are for on the fly adjustments in the middle of a song because you don't have time to run to your amp and push a slider for the right eq. After the song is over I'll set my bass flat again and boost/cut the exact freqs I want, not just 'bass' or 'treble'.

But I only tweak when I feel the sound could be better, which is usually only the beginning of a set

 

[Craig_S]

I normally set my rig flat. I'll adjust for the room if needed, then leave it. I adjust the tone control and/or pickup selection/blend on my basses, as well as change my right hand position (or pick position) to get the sound I'm looking for.

 

[JPaulGeddy]

I have an EMG pre- onboard. Crank the bass, back off the treble a bit, and adjust the mids as needed through the nite (more/less bite).

Don't fiddle much in general. Will change the pickup blend more than the EQ, depending on the song/tone I'm looking for.

 

[xgator4u]

I normally set my rig flat. I'll adjust for the room if needed, then leave it. I adjust the tone control and/or pickup selection/blend on my basses, as well as change my right hand position (or pick position) to get the sound I'm looking for.

Yup amp EQ from venue to venue with the bass tone @ flat. then adjust tone and hand position from song to song

 

[hbarcat]

I disabled or removed the tone controls on all of my basses. I do all my EQing with the amp and I am obsessive about it. My amp has multiple presets and a foot controller so that I can change to multiple preset tones on the fly. I usually switch between two different basses during shows.

 

[erikbojerik]

Interesting - given how many options there are on the market for active bass preamps, 2-band 3-band 4-band Zmode blah blah blah, I would have thought the on-board EQ would have gotten many more votes.

I asked this same question on a guitar forum, and the guitards actually use their on-board controls more than you guys.

 

[Sundogue]

I use my bass's EQ only for minor adjustments during soundcheck.

We run our own PA from onstage and we use wireless to check out front during soundcheck and occasionally during the sets (nice excuse to dance with the ladies a bit and no one knows we are also checking out the PA at that time too).

After the drums soundcheck, during my part of soundcheck, I set my bass EQ the way I want it tonally. However all of my tone is set by my bass and then through a Zoom B2 pedal before it goes to my amp. I only use the EQ on my amp to fit the the room's stage area mainly (controlling boomy, thin or weird overtones caused by the room itself onstage). Then I also check my volume and sound with the drummer so we have a good balance and EQ accordingly onstage.

I send a direct signal from my bass to the board using the amp's DI (set to PRE EQ) so that the PA controls what goes out front (though it is getting my bass tone via my Zoom B2, so whatever presets I use are sent to the PA as well as my onstage rig). So basically I don't touch the bass's EQ settings once my personal onstage sound is set. The only EQ'ing we do for my bass in the PA is through the PA's EQ system.

Any tone control with my bass, after we are done with soundcheck, is simply how and where I play on the strings. Since I already have my tone established with my bass, the Zoom B2 and my hands, I think any fiddling with EQ for tone is a waste of time. Besides, if I change the EQ on my active bass for sound onstage, then the EQ out front is altered as well. So I have the EQ on my amphead for onstage use, and the PA's EQ for the PA only. I use an EQ only to control frequencies within the environment I play in, not as tone controls.

 

[Chinguschild]

I use a combonation of the bass eq and my amps to get the sound i want

 

[embellisher]

I use an amp that has modelling. Whatever preset I am using has my 'basic' sound. Sometimes I switch to a different preset for a specific sound. For fine adjustments, I fiddle with the EQ on my bass, and/or move my plucking hand to a different spot.

 

[kamakiriad7]

I get made fun of a lot around town because I play active basses but never touch onboard eq (I always leave it flat). In rock gigs, leave it flat, and let the amp do the eq job; for jazz and other music, I often change it on the bass on the fly.

 

[Nidan]

I set my basic tone up at the pre-amp/amp and use the onboard EQ ( 2 band Bart) to adjust while playing to suit the song.

 

[Sundogue]

I'm curious about those of you that adjust your bass's EQ on the fly and how you feel about it affecting your sound out front (which may be completely different than what you hear onstage)?

I know that I get the stage sound I like, but that is seldom what works best coming out front through the PA. After soundcheck, any changes I make to my amp only affects my sound onstage and has no effect on my sound through the PA. Any changes I make to either my bass or my Zoom B2 will affect it though (as I run my bass into my Zoom B2 pedal and then run that into my amp, but I send the signal out through my amp's DI - Pre EQ, so no amp settings are passed onto the board). While onstage changes to my bass or pedal may sound good onstage, it may not out front.

I can understand using the bass's EQ for tone control while playing onstage (much easier). Many of you may not be going through a PA either. I'm just curious how this works for you.