Less “bass”

i use a hpf (at 70-80 hz) and a compressor and it is a day and night difference.
cleaner, but at the same time muuch fatter...

 

Sounds familiar for sure. My amp has a built in adjustable HPF and I pretty much leave it in the 40-50Hz range. It helps keep the bottom end clean and tight without being too boomy. I’m a fan of a rather authoritative low end with well pronounced mids and an HPF has proven to be invaluable.

 

I'm in your boat, just discovered that too. Subbed to learn.

Have you waded thru this one yet?
High Pass Filter (HPF) and Low Pass Filter (LPF) Mega Thread

If @Stumbo wanders over here, he might have something to say on the subject

 

No worries. I own a Mesa WD800 and it has an adjustable HPF built in. Funny enough, I had played for 22 years without even hearing the term High Pass Filter. But after purchasing my first Mesa D-800+ and now moving on to the WD800 a few months ago, not sure I can live without it.

 

Best rig I’ve ever owned that’s for sure.

 

I just found the joys of the HPF in my rig and wow, it really made a difference in clarity and punch. I am loving it, never go back.

 

This is a good thread. Most players use (IMHO) too much bass and then they wonder why they can't be heard.

 

If you can achieve it with your knobs you don't need a hpf, do you?

 

@Stumbo Mr HPF>

 

That’s true. However there is some magic in the Bass and midrange boost with an HPF engaged that can’t be quantified. I still don’t think I’ve ever “needed” it, but it’s a very helpful tool now that I have one and know how to use it.

 

I see your point. I'm more like getting just the tools that are absolutely neccessary.

 

Open the attached file, scroll down to page 2, and view the cone displacement graph. Notice that cone movement decreases as the frequency approaches the port tuning frequency (Fb), which is 47hz. Basically as the driver begins to cut off, the port starts producing sound.

As the frequency goes lower below Fb, the cone displacement increases quite fast. But if you look at the amplitude response graphs on page 1, you see that the output of the system is dropping really fast as well. So when you put a lot of energy into the driver below the port cutoff, the energy is wasted and the excessive cone movement degrades how well the driver can produce sound at higher frequencies. I believe it's fairly common to place the HPF no lower the the system's F6 (F6 is the -6dB point). I believe in this tuning, F6 is somewhere around 40hz. Note in the cone displacement graph, the driver reaches Xmax with 125W at about 40hz.

You can run the HPF higher if you like as well. I believe the driver output is more controlled and well damped than the port output. Keep in mind the electric bass does not produce a very strong fundamental frequency, so there is not really a lot of musical information in that frequency range to begin with. Most of what we perceive as fat is above 60hz.

Regarding the distribution of energy in the bass guitar's output, you may find this thread illuminating: Bass frequency/waterfall plots: what they mean to rigs

If you want to see what happens with a sealed cab, take a look at the second tuning in the attached document that starts on page 3.

 

The guy who runs our FOH board has a 80Hz HPF on the bass and it works a treat.

 

Check out the HPF/LPF pedals from Broughton Audio. There are a few more pedal builders who do this type of stuff. I just built a Vong filter from a kit by Schalltechnik_04. It’s a really good adjustable HPF and LPF + clean boost and DI. Very affordable if you know your way around a soldering iron.

 

I love using an HPF and a compressor to reduce absolute thump and create more presence but I don’t think that the eq adjustments you are making are akin to the results of an HPF. An HPF will reduce much lower frequencies than what you are playing with. Honestly I would suggest getting a Preamp with both like the Broughton Messenger. HPF, lpf, 4 band parametric eq, Boost etc