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How to get more punch?

K

Katamari

Sep 11, 2011
4
0
#1
Playing live and loud, I get a lot of punch out of my bass. The tone is awesome and I want to have it all the time. But when I turn the volume down to play at home or at practice, I don't get that same punch, and I can't seem to get it back with any EQ tweaks.

Is this kind of punch just a result of playing at high volumes, or have sound guys been using some sort of secret magic on my tone?

I've thought that it might also be the difference in acoustics between playing outside and playing in a medium sized room, but you folks all seem to know what you're talking about more than I do, so I ask you.
 
#2
High volume definitely helps! Also, some amps have a more aggressive/driven sound when you crank them loudly. At low volume, you might like a driven-amp simulator pedal like the Tech21 VT, or you might like a compressor. Another thing is you may just be playing with more energy when playing live and loud, and your touch just isn't packing the same punch at home.
 
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#3
When you say "punch", what do you mean? Some bass players refer to the low end content as punch when in reality - it's the midrange frequencies.

If you want your bass notes to have body and "punch" through the mix, boost around the 200hz section.

What rig do you have and what are the EQ settings you are using live? Are you playing PA supported shows? What settings are you using on your bass.
 
#5
I'm not quite sure how to describe it other than punch, and it's an audible difference from highs to lows in my ears. Every time I've played live and not set everything up myself, I've had that punch, so I'm obviously doing something wrong.

I generally play a Stingray fingerstyle with roundwounds (which I tend to dig into playing live or by myself) with the tone knobs flat through a 180W Ashdown tube combo amp, with lows and highs boosted a little, and mids cut down to half, with a little compression. Not much of a rig, but at said venues I've been DI'd into a mixer and my amp has been mic'd, with most of my sound coming from massive cabinets that did not belong to me.
 
#7
Katamari said:
...at said venues I've been DI'd into a mixer and my amp has been mic'd, with most of my sound coming from massive cabinets that did not belong to me.
Click to expand...
Could this be it, you're hearing the headroom difference between a big rig and your smaller tube amp?

Tube bass rigs of less than SVT stature are known for being fat and squishy, not hard and punchy.
 
#8
walterw said:
Could this be it, you're hearing the headroom difference between a big rig and your smaller tube amp?
Click to expand...

I think this is the key to your mystery. The notes are much louder and will "hit" you in your back when you play with bigger cabinets, especially when they are stacked and up towards your ears. Your combo amp is not going to do that, ever.

Get a bigger cabinet - try some out and go from there.
 
#10
Katamari said:
Playing live and loud, I get a lot of punch out of my bass. The tone is awesome and I want to have it all the time. But when I turn the volume down to play at home or at practice, I don't get that same punch, and I can't seem to get it back with any EQ tweaks.

Is this kind of punch just a result of playing at high volumes, or have sound guys been using some sort of secret magic on my tone?

I've thought that it might also be the difference in acoustics between playing outside and playing in a medium sized room, but you folks all seem to know what you're talking about more than I do, so I ask you.
Click to expand...
Why do you care? When you are practicing, practice your parts. Get your rocks off on stage.
 
#11
Could be the sound guy, amongst other things, is turning the trim knob on your channel to clipping, the distortion of which could add some punch to the bass, and a bass drum, as well.

Some guys doing sound are afraid of clipping the pre on the mixer, usually for good reason (sounds like crap on most things), but it could be used to good effect in an instance like this, and won’t really hurt anything.
 
#14
Got to be careful with punch. Those 200Hz punch frequencies turn to boom frequencies if you don't control your sustain. Control your sustain (by muting or using a foam mute) and you will sound punchier. Rocco sounds punchy just from his technique, no matter what his actual settings might be.
 
#15
Duh! Just turn up the PUNCH knob. Done!

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#17
I've never really figured out for sure what "punch" means. For me it means the ability to punch through in the mix which would imply more mids. A sort of punch in the face. Listening to others it seems like it's a way of feeling the tone, a kind of low end that you feel as well as hear, that would actually be sort of "below" the mix, the punch of a kick drum. This seems to be what the OP means. Sort of like the "bass boost" on a portable stereo maybe.

That would be about headroom wouldn't it? A "bass boost" with appropriate headroom at low volume? Just guessing. I don't even know what punch means.
 

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