Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Looking for a 'tighter' sound live , especially low end
- Thread starter pbass888
- Start date
Nice thread. It's an old problem, too much low low at high volume. There are those bands where, if you are standing in the back of the crowd, all you hear is the bass in a non descript booming hum.
I don't understand the advice to turn up the mids, unless you want to sound like Chris Squire, or a guitar. I think you need to EQ somewhere in the system, less in the low low bass 50 Hz, more high bass 150 Hz or so. Then maybe turn down the volume a bit.
As others have said!
I don't understand the advice to turn up the mids, unless you want to sound like Chris Squire, or a guitar. I think you need to EQ somewhere in the system, less in the low low bass 50 Hz, more high bass 150 Hz or so. Then maybe turn down the volume a bit.
As others have said!
I had the same problem to find a nice sound, full of good lows. I've tried several amps & pedal, but always had muddy sounds in the low freqs. Now, I've the good clean lows, with full of harmonics, and never "muddy". The other musiciens love my sounds, and can hear me much more ! What do I change ? I've change my old Trace Elliot GP12SMX for a full tube 300watts Trace Elliot V6 (6x KT88), (and have the 2x10" & 1x15 TE cabs). And for the recordings, the DI out (xlr on the face) is amazing ! The only pedal I add is an old boss bass limiter/enhancer, to have more hi-mids and hi freq. withe the enhancer.
I'll confess I did not read every thread here, but I scanned them and didn't see anyone suggest this. I have to play through provided backline often and in a variety of venues. After a lot of experimenting what I found to be the best solution is: Set the amp tone controls flat; Plug in and stand WHERE I EXPECT TO BE MOST OF THE GIG, then dial in my EQ there (I use an active bass, but you can do the same thing with an outboard EQ unit or pedal) The amount of low end you hear can vary widely depending on where you stand relative to the amp. This way you will be hearing what your tone is like in the "combat zone" and get it sounding right to you. That's really all you can do. If you're running through a house system the sound man will deal with the FOH sound.
The thing about the 'mids up' tactic on bass. We as bassplayers are probably drawn to this instrument because we like low end. We like having large bass rigs that can bulldoze through guitars and drums. We like ratttling things off of club furniture and smile when they fall to the ground.
But the massive low end thing isn't always the best sounding thing for the band.
Especially in the context of current popular musical tastes. If you compare popular stuff from the last ten or so years with oldies from the 50's and 60's, stuff today is much more toppy. Less low end and even less low mid.
now the other thing about bass guitars. Even voiced flat, they still sound lower than guitars and other instruments. The formants of a bass guitar, it's speaking voice. Implies low end, even when it isn't putting out a lot of energy in that bottom octave.
You can roll off that sucker at 100hz or so, and just ladle on the 150-450hz. This is actually an area that sound engineers tend to carve out of vocals, guitars, drums etc. So you have plenty of room to bloom there.
Listen to some old Motown, Muscle Shoals etc stuff. The bass is just dominating that area. Give it a shot.
But the massive low end thing isn't always the best sounding thing for the band.
Especially in the context of current popular musical tastes. If you compare popular stuff from the last ten or so years with oldies from the 50's and 60's, stuff today is much more toppy. Less low end and even less low mid.
now the other thing about bass guitars. Even voiced flat, they still sound lower than guitars and other instruments. The formants of a bass guitar, it's speaking voice. Implies low end, even when it isn't putting out a lot of energy in that bottom octave.
You can roll off that sucker at 100hz or so, and just ladle on the 150-450hz. This is actually an area that sound engineers tend to carve out of vocals, guitars, drums etc. So you have plenty of room to bloom there.
Listen to some old Motown, Muscle Shoals etc stuff. The bass is just dominating that area. Give it a shot.
We hear that stuff better because it was done on a Precision. No downtuning, no ERB’s, probably no Jazz's either.
yeah, but it's a precision, through a very simple preamp, with probably a simple as heck inductor based EQ. Some limiting on the front by a tube unit most likely. As well as good old tape compression reining in any overexcursion or enthusiastic fingers. Finally, when that tape got to the mastering joint, they will chop off most low end below 40hz if not higher. That is a simple fact of mastering for vinyl. You simply can't go too low or the needle will hop out of the track.
Recording and mixing guys back then knew their mixes would get castrated at the mastering house. So they would add a little tap to the kick drum with the right mic placement. And they would EQ the bass into place.
Recording and mixing guys back then knew their mixes would get castrated at the mastering house. So they would add a little tap to the kick drum with the right mic placement. And they would EQ the bass into place.
We have a "jam" band and use studios with a backline when we get together so the amp provided always changes.
I usually leave the amp set where I find it and use my active bass to control volume and eq. Works every time.
I always found going louder on stage, bigger stages, bigger PA's does change the way Bass Cabinets perform. At lower volumes the tone is more focussed and controlled. When I went to louder volumes, the cab would become mushy and less controlled.
The fdeck will tame those lower frequencies for most stages, allowing the cones to perform better, getting use to hearing MORE PA is a thing too. Try no to compete with it and keep your volume reasonable (which also means getting the band to keep their Volumes in check) and stand closer to your cab, if possible. Lots of great advice from earlier posts. Cheers
The fdeck will tame those lower frequencies for most stages, allowing the cones to perform better, getting use to hearing MORE PA is a thing too. Try no to compete with it and keep your volume reasonable (which also means getting the band to keep their Volumes in check) and stand closer to your cab, if possible. Lots of great advice from earlier posts. Cheers
