How to eq my Stingray to fit my Precision?

[gillento]

My main bass is my passive Nordy VP5 with a Big Split in the bridge position.
Usually I run the blend between 80 and 100% P.
My main sound shaper is a VTBass pedal in this case (always on)

Now, at times I like to use my MM SR5 equipped with a Nordstrand mm5.2 PU and a Nordstrand mm 2 band preamp and a passive treble cut ( so more of a vintage MM sound) to offer a slightly different sound.
BUT the MM is too different from the VP.
At my disposal I have a Source Audio programmable eq, the Empress 3 band semi-paraetric eq, an Xotic Bass RC and the RMI Classic Boost.
What eq bands am I looking at to tame the nasal (plasticy as I tend to call them) MM mids and bring it slightly closer to the warm P mids, but not too close?
Rehearsal time is rather limited with the band, so I can't really waste a lot if band rehearsal time sweeping thru eq bands.

 

[mdogs]

And why do you need to do this?

 

[P. Aaron]

FWIW, I play a MIA Precision V and/or a MM Big Al 5 s-s-s. I enjoy both basses but they are both very different. The BA5 gets a close Precision sound but not really. The Precision is a good one and my favorite of the 2.

I just switch basses every couple of weeks. IME, there was no sense trying to get them similar as it's really about persuing Young Country bass tones. Rock the Ray for what it is, an awesome machine and enjoy your Precision for what it is.

You could try raising the action of the 'Ray ever so slightly to subdue that buzz character. Both are used heavily in professional pop music for a reason.

 

[Happynoj]

If the MM doesn't sound right and the Nordy does, why not just use the Nordy?

 

[gillento]

If the MM doesn't sound right and the Nordy does, why not just use the Nordy?

And why do you need to do this?

These are the sort of comments that make me want to leave this forum at times.
Believe me, I've done my home work and read thru similar threads but did not manage to find a satisfying answer.

I am NOT trying to get a P sound from y MM......

I am just trying to get a warmer sound from my Ray. So I can use both basses on the same gig having different sounds BUT not scaring the FOH tech and my band mates entirely.
Something in the lines of of :"lower a few dbs at x khz and/or boost some dbs at y hz" would be a nice start....

 

[ggunn]

These are the sort of comments that make me want to leave this forum at times.
Believe me, I've done my home work and read thru similar threads but did not manage to find a satisfying answer.

I am NOT trying to get a P sound from y MM......

I am just trying to get a warmer sound from my Ray. So I can use both basses on the same gig having different sounds BUT not scaring the FOH tech and my band mates entirely.
Something in the lines of of :"lower a few dbs at x khz and/or boost some dbs at y hz" would be a nice start....

Well, to begin with, other posters in here cannot read your mind. We don't know what homework you have done and what you have tried. When I read your post it certainly came across to me as if you were trying to make the MM sound more like a P bass. And lastly, what does "warm" mean, exactly? How does one measure the warmth of a sound?

I don't see any reason to get pissy. People are just trying to help.

 

[Dave W]

IME you're not going to get a MM to sound like a P. They are very different basses. That's probably why you haven't found a satisfying answer.

 

[mdogs]

These are the sort of comments that make me want to leave this forum at times.
Believe me, I've done my home work and read thru similar threads but did not manage to find a satisfying answer.

I am NOT trying to get a P sound from y MM......

I am just trying to get a warmer sound from my Ray. So I can use both basses on the same gig having different sounds BUT not scaring the FOH tech and my band mates entirely.
Something in the lines of of :"lower a few dbs at x khz and/or boost some dbs at y hz" would be a nice start....

My advice would be to leave then. You are trying to get an active bass and a passive bass to have a "slightly different sound." I would say your best bet would be to turn the amp off...

 

[aparker82]

Try throwing some GHS Pressurewound strings on it, set it to series with a filter, back the treble almost all the way off boost the scoop the mid slightly and boost the bass, would this be the sound you are looking for?

 

[Iridescentone]

My main bass is my passive Nordy VP5 with a Big Split in the bridge position.
Usually I run the blend between 80 and 100% P.
My main sound shaper is a VTBass pedal in this case (always on)

Now, at times I like to use my MM SR5 equipped with a Nordstrand mm5.2 PU and a Nordstrand mm 2 band preamp and a passive treble cut ( so more of a vintage MM sound) to offer a slightly different sound.
BUT the MM is too different from the VP.
At my disposal I have a Source Audio programmable eq, the Empress 3 band semi-paraetric eq, an Xotic Bass RC and the RMI Classic Boost.
What eq bands am I looking at to tame the nasal (plasticy as I tend to call them) MM mids and bring it slightly closer to the warm P mids, but not too close?
Rehearsal time is rather limited with the band, so I can't really waste a lot if band rehearsal time sweeping thru eq bands.

I don't have an answer, but it seems like a reasonable question to me.

(something tells me your ignore list just got a little longer)

 

[tastybasslines]

Well, to begin with, other posters in here cannot read your mind. We don't know what homework you have done and what you have tried. When I read your post it certainly came across to me as if you were trying to make the MM sound more like a P bass. And lastly, what does "warm" mean, exactly? How does one measure the warmth of a sound?

I don't see any reason to get pissy. People are just trying to help.

+1

If you want to make your MM sound warmer then say that. You basically asked how to get your MM to sound like a P.

 

[jim nolte]

My main bass is my passive Nordy VP5 with a Big Split in the bridge position.
Usually I run the blend between 80 and 100% P.
My main sound shaper is a VTBass pedal in this case (always on)

Now, at times I like to use my MM SR5 equipped with a Nordstrand mm5.2 PU and a Nordstrand mm 2 band preamp and a passive treble cut ( so more of a vintage MM sound) to offer a slightly different sound.
BUT the MM is too different from the VP.
At my disposal I have a Source Audio programmable eq, the Empress 3 band semi-paraetric eq, an Xotic Bass RC and the RMI Classic Boost.
What eq bands am I looking at to tame the nasal (plasticy as I tend to call them) MM mids and bring it slightly closer to the warm P mids, but not too close?
Rehearsal time is rather limited with the band, so I can't really waste a lot if band rehearsal time sweeping thru eq bands.

For the 5 years I rocked my SR5 I almost always had it in series mode, more warmer sound, not a P but going in that direction with a little more bite to my ears. Jim

 

[lowphatbass]

Probably your best bet would be to figure out a slick way to attenuate the level of the MM to more closely match with the P.
Your MM is hitting your signal chain harder which is reacting differently and opening up a whole big can of worms besides the difference in tone. If you can pad the level on the front end it's going to make things easier.

Personally, with all the processing you have at your disposal I would think using one bass would make more sense, then you have your "spice rack" to mix in the flavors. If you're dead set on using both basses you've either got to match the outputs more closely or really do the work with all the knobs and processing, being conscious of both the signal into your amp and the signal your sending to the FOH.

 

[gillento]

+1

If you want to make your MM sound warmer then say that. You basically asked how to get your MM to sound like a P.

this is part of my original post:

....

Now, at times I like to use my MM SR5 equipped with a Nordstrand mm5.2 PU and a Nordstrand mm 2 band preamp and a passive treble cut ( so more of a vintage MM sound) to offer a slightly different sound.
BUT the MM is too different from the VP....
What eq bands am I looking at to tame the nasal (plasticy as I tend to call them) MM mids and bring it slightly closer to the warm P mids, but not too close?
...

Thanks to any one else really trying to give advice.

It seems to me anytime the MM and the P are mentionned in the same context, some people just tend to over generalize

 

[Ballin'bass]

I had the same problem with my ebmm sterling and trying to get it to get closer to sounding like my active jazz bass. I like my jazz bass so much more, tone wise but my sterling plays so smoothly it's just the most comfortable bass ever, so I wanted to be able to get its tone to somehow keep up with the jazz bass. Unfortunately I eventually realized after a long, arduous, period of research and trying different things that the musicman tone is meant to be distinctive. Although it's fairly versatile, it can only really ever sound like different versions of a musicman. Now I bet there are ways you could try tweaking eq to make certain aspects fatter or thinner but... not like a jazz or p bass. I think your best best would be to find a setting that allows the music man to cut through the mix well and sound fat (which music man's definitely do) just embrace the musicman tone. If it still doesn't meet your needs for the band you're in, then you maybe should consider that the music man may just not be the bass for this particular project.

Just my 0.02

 

[Happynoj]

I had the same problem with my ebmm sterling and trying to get it to get closer to sounding like my active jazz bass. I like my jazz bass so much more, tone wise but my sterling plays so smoothly it's just the most comfortable bass ever, so I wanted to be able to get its tone to somehow keep up with the jazz bass. Unfortunately I eventually realized after a long, arduous, period of research and trying different things that the musicman tone is meant to be distinctive. Although it's fairly versatile, it can only really ever sound like different versions of a musicman. Now I bet there are ways you could try tweaking eq to make certain aspects fatter or thinner but... not like a jazz or p bass. I think your best best would be to find a setting that allows the music man to cut through the mix well and sound fat (which music man's definitely do) just embrace the musicman tone. If it still doesn't meet your needs for the band you're in, then you maybe should consider that the music man may just not be the bass for this particular project.

Just my 0.02

This is what I was trying to say, but slightly less bluntly. There's only so much you are going to be able to do with EQ. If you've played with your EQ and still can't find the answer, maybe it's because there isn't one.

 

[Happynoj]

This is what I was trying to say, but slightly less bluntly. There's only so much you are going to be able to do with EQ. If you've played with your EQ and still can't find the answer, maybe it's because there isn't one.

In fact, I'm just assuming that you've played with the EQ. You don't actually say what you've tried. If you haven't tried anything then I suggest you go and play with your selection of EQ pedals/the EQ on your amp/the MM onboard EQ and see what you can achieve. If the Stingray still isn't providing the 'different' sound you are looking for, maybe you need to be looking for a bass that sounds the way you want it to, rather than trying to force the one you've got to fit.

 

[Ballin'bass]

Pickup type and placement is super huge IMO.

 

[P. Aaron]

I would recommend trying a tube amp or some kind of tube stomp box that gives that near middle warmth. That's one thing I get from both the Big Al and the Precision via my LH1000 is a nice low-mid comfort zone of fatness without crowding everyone else out. If you want to keep it an inexpensive experiment, see if you can borrow one or try the lesser expensive LH500. Same pre-amp setup.

W/o changing out basses, something tube oriented may get you closer to that warm tone.