Lower and upper mids question

[the low one]

I have a Trace Elliot Commando amp which has a simple EQ layout, bass middle and treble.

There is a bass boost which boosts bass and treble, and cuts the mids a little,
and a treble boost which boosts treble,
but the button I’m interested in is the mid shift button which changes the frequency of the mids from around 450 hz to 1k hz.

How does that work exactly, is it moving the mids from “lower mids” to “upper mids” ? What is this doing to the mids eq curve ?

How would you use is on a P bass and Fretless Jazz ?

 

[KJung]

I have a Trace Elliot Commando amp which has a simple EQ layout, bass middle and treble.

There is a bass boost which boosts bass and treble, and cuts the mids a little,
and a treble boost which boosts treble,
but the button I’m interested in is the mid shift button which changes the frequency of the mids from around 450 hz to 1k hz.

How does that work exactly, is it moving the mids from “lower mids” to “upper mids” ? What is this doing to the mids eq curve ?

How would you use is on a P bass and Fretless Jazz ?

+1 That is kind of a 'poor man' execution of a semi-parametric mid control, which two fixed center points versus a continuously variable center point for the mid control.

That's a nice design, and it should be very easy to hear the difference. The 1K setting is great for either cutting the 'gank' (that upper mid harshness) in a bright cab or bass, or for dialing in what many of us call 'grind' in a darker voiced cab or bass. The 450 level is too high for what most would describe as low mid punchy (which lives, to my ear, around 200hz), but is great for either cutting some of the 'nasal' character in some cabs, especially if you slap (this is around the mid area that those 'enhance controls' typically impact), or adding some mid definition if your cab or bass has a bit of a scoop to it (it's also a good frequency for adding that 'mwah' sound to a fretless bass.

IMO!

 

[the low one]

+1 That is kind of a 'poor man' execution of a semi-parametric mid control, which two fixed center points versus a continuously variable center point for the mid control.

That's a nice design, and it should be very easy to hear the difference. The 1K setting is great for either cutting the 'gank' (that upper mid harshness) in a bright cab or bass, or for dialing in what many of us call 'grind' in a darker voiced cab or bass. The 450 level is too high for what most would describe as low mid punchy (which lives, to my ear, around 200hz), but is great for either cutting some of the 'nasal' character in some cabs, especially if you slap (this is around the mid area that those 'enhance controls' typically impact), or adding some mid definition if your cab or bass has a bit of a scoop to it (it's also a good frequency for adding that 'mwah' sound to a fretless bass.

IMO!

Thanks KJung. You’re quite right, it is easy to hear the difference. I do find the 1k mids a little nasal and tend to stay around the 450 mark. It just sounds more natural there.

 

[KJung]

Thanks KJung. You’re quite right, it is easy to hear the difference. I do find the 1k mids a little nasal and tend to stay around the 450 mark. It just sounds more natural there.

So much depends on the voicing of the amp/cab/bass, and how they interact. For example, I need to cut around that 800hz/1K level when playing my very bright ash/maple Jazz type bass into a modern voiced cab like the Bergantino AE, with lot's going on in the upper mids.

However, with my Rob Allen Mouse, I tend to boost down in the lower mids and cut the deep bass, to bring out that woody fretless type tone.

 

[Son of Bovril]

yeah as the guys said it is really a matter of what other gear u are using in conjunction with it and what kind of sound you are going for as to how it will be used best for you, but essentially it just moves the frequency point you are adjusting the mids at... a very powerful little switch that will change the sound of your tone quite drastically by boosting or cutting at either setting

 

[the low one]

yeah as the guys said it is really a matter of what other gear u are using in conjunction with it and what kind of sound you are going for as to how it will be used best for you, but essentially it just moves the frequency point you are adjusting the mids at... a very powerful little switch that will change the sound of your tone quite drastically by boosting or cutting at either setting

Thanks.

I'm using it with a P bass and a fretless Jazz. As the Commando doesn't have a DI out I use an MXR M80 in front too. For me I find using the mid shift which puts the mids at 1k make it sound too nasal so I don't use it, leaving the mids at 450.

 

[KJung]

Thanks.

I'm using it with a P bass and a fretless Jazz. As the Commando doesn't have a DI out I use an MXR M80 in front too. For me I find using the mid shift which puts the mids at 1k make it sound too nasal so I don't use it, leaving the mids at 450.

+1 Usually the 1K setting is used to cut, not to boost.