MIDS!!! How do YOU treat yours?

[Standalone]

I play a rig with a naturally mid forward character and let this sound speak naturally with not much tweaking to my four band EQ. The bass knob can vary between 11 and 1 depending on the venue and the vibe. Mostly everything else stays at noon.

 

[spiritbass]

Also critical are an HPF and LPF.

Along with rolling back the bass control, judicial use of a HPF is great for shaping the mid-range response.

 

[kbarboza4]

A wide variety of genre's but more rock and blues than anything else. One of the bands I played with was primarily a 3-pc. a blues band although we also did some rock songs.

The other band was a 5-pc. band - 2 guitars, keys, bass and drims (later a 4-pc. with just 1 guitar) and we did rock from the 60.'s 70's, a lot of 80's, also 90's. So mostly classic rock. Did songs by Beatles and Stones, Chuck Berry, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Moody Blues, Chicago, Billy Idol, The Who, the Doors, 3 Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, Cream, Doobie Brothers, Radiohead, the Pretenders, the Cars, Steely Dan, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Fleetwood Mac, The Church, Georgia Satellites, Blondie, Eagles, Depeche Mode, Head East, The Cure, Katrina and the Waves, Madonna, AC/DC, Tom Petty, ZZ Top, Green Day, Alice in Chains, Amy Winehouse, Collective Soul, Stone Temple pilots, Foo-Fighters, Bruno Mars, 5-Finger Death Punch. There's probably more but that's a good chunk of them.

Awesome. I can almost "feel" that Eden kicking you from behind on those types of gigs (similar to what I often play)

 

[kbarboza4]

Along with rolling back the bass control, judicial use of a HPF is great for shaping the mid-range response.

So interesting! I've gigged for over twenty years and never even thought about hpf's (or heard much about them outside of engineers). Very cool to hear other people's takes! Thanks man!

 

[kbarboza4]

I traded for this and have only had it for a couple of days, but it's going to be a game-changer for me, as much for an educational tool for me as a pre-amp/DI.

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Enjoy that new gear man!

 

[4StringDave]

Passive Jazz bass and Markbass CMD112p.

I usually play with the eq flat. Maybe a touch of VLE.

Fender 9050L flatwounds for the Classic Rock/Blues band, and played-in nickel rounds for the 90s style Country band....

 

[Standalone]

Yeah, good point. I also think if you're playing with "overdriven power chords" on guitar, that 150-250 hz range (which is not as low as a lot of people think) is where those chords live. With a low mid bump against that it sounds like oil and water to me...the bass is very present, but separate...which can sound good, but I tend to like to envelope the guitar sound a little more.

I’ve always wondered why the “carving space” EQ approach never made complete sense to my ears. I think that there are synergies when there are natural overlaps. So on stage and in my
Recording studio I do less EQ magic than others who I’ve seen work.

Maybe it’s my personal taste. Maybe I’m lazy. Who knows!

 

[Standalone]

3) It gives me a lot more colour to play with. I'm a pretty busy bassist who sees the purpose of the instrument in an ensemble to create counter-melodies that outline the chord progression, elevate the melody, and weld the drums in, rather than an "effect" that follows the kick and plays root notes (though sometimes, this is what the music calls for).

So many FOH engineers mix the bass as though it’s meant to be the latter. I play as you do, with similar goals. When I lock to the kick (and snare, I play fifths on the snare hits and roots with the kick) I want the sound to sort of thin out and make room for the guitarist to do his thing (on the mic too)

 

[Frank77]

This "dumb" solution just works for me. The bass block into an AK Hathor just has the sound with just maybe a touch of bass cut in most venues. Love to Duke, and may his orders open back up so more people can just live the life. I went from active basses, a pedal board eq, and my amp eq that I needed to spend time dialing in to just a P into the amp and let the cab just do its thing. Sweetness. People ask me every show how I modded my p bass (I didn't), but the secret sauce is the cab.

I truly believe the original Bass Block and Duke's cabs are a perfect match. That sweet spot for me is always within 1 or 2 clicks either way from flat on the mids and bass knobs. Easiest setup to dial in for any room.

 

[spiritbass]

This "dumb" solution just works for me. The bass block into an AK Hathor just has the sound with just maybe a touch of bass cut in most venues. Love to Duke, and may his orders open back up so more people can just live the life. I went from active basses, a pedal board eq, and my amp eq that I needed to spend time dialing in to just a P into the amp and let the cab just do its thing. Sweetness. People ask me every show how I modded my p bass (I didn't), but the secret sauce is the cab.

Duke was heavily involved in designing the crossover in my reference cab, a MAS Flex 110. Those two 5.5" Beyma drivers bring some beautiful mids. IIRC, they carry everything from 300 hz up.

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[Frank77]

Duke was heavily involved in designing the crossover in my reference cab, a MAS Flex 110. Those two 5.5" Beyma drivers bring some beautiful mids. IIRC, they carry everything from 300 hz up.

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When it comes to Duke's cabs, my only regret is that I bought only one. Do I really need another, volume-wise? Not at all. Still kicking myself though. I hope I get to order the second half of an absolute rig of doom eventually.

 

[Wasnex]

I don't go nuts cranking the mid control(s) on my amps. I tend to like a bit of boost around 800hz and a bit of a cut in the low mids and high mids.

However, I also tend to run fairly lean lows, which will further emphasize the mids.

For the low end I essentially strike a compromise. I choose a tone that is clear and more focused over having a lot of fat, thump, or bloom. It's not that I don't like fat, thump, or bloom, but in a live setting emphasizing them too much much tends to cause the lows to mask the mids and thus reduce clarity and focus.

I guess the point is my approach is about trying to find the tonal balance that gets as close to my desired sound a possible, but I prioritize clear mids over big and fat.

I am not a set it and forget type. I make adjustments every time I set up my rig.

 

[spiritbass]

I don't go nuts cranking the mid control(s) on my amps. I tend to like a bit of boost around 800hz and a bit of a cut in the low mids and high mids.

However, I also tend to run fairly lean lows, which will further emphasize the mids.

For the low end I essentially strike a compromise. I choose a tone that is clear and more focused over having a lot of fat, thump, or bloom. It's not that I don't like fat, thump, or bloom, but in a live setting emphasizing them too much much tends to cause the lows to mask the mids and thus reduce clarity and focus.

I guess the point is my approach is about trying to find the tonal balance that gets as close to my desired sound a possible, but I prioritize clear mids over big and fat.

I am not a set it and forget type. I make adjustments every time I set up my rig.

You have described my own approach, but more eloquently than I could have.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Awesome. I can almost "feel" that Eden kicking you from behind on those types of gigs (similar to what I often play)

Yeah, that's why I use those settings. My bass just sounds great that way.

 

[socialleper]

I also tend to cut a little low mid on my B7k Ultra and boost the high mids. Then on my DB751 I boost the highs and mids just a little.
Then, sometimes live I give it a little extra treble and mids on the preamp in the bass if I feel like I need to cut more.

 

[kbarboza4]

I’ve always wondered why the “carving space” EQ approach never made complete sense to my ears. I think that there are synergies when there are natural overlaps. So on stage and in my
Recording studio I do less EQ magic than others who I’ve seen work.

Maybe it’s my personal taste. Maybe I’m lazy. Who knows!

It's all taste! There's no wrong answer (as I'm sure you would agree). Some of my favorite rock bassists (flea, P-Nut, a lot of those 90's/00's funky players) are very middy, and really separate themselves from the guitar and bass drum. I love that sound. Newer rock players have tended to have a "gooier" sound on records, with lots of body and warmth (I'm thinking young the giant, for example). I like that too! My sound tends to be somewhere in between, and tends to showcase where I like to make my mark sonically: I love accents and want to be able to play fat and even, and also snap my accents.

 

[Koshchei]

So many FOH engineers mix the bass as though it’s meant to be the latter. I play as you do, with similar goals. When I lock to the kick (and snare, I play fifths on the snare hits and roots with the kick) I want the sound to sort of thin out and make room for the guitarist to do his thing (on the mic too)

It's a stretch to call them "engineers", honestly. Probably better is "half deaf and phoning it in".

 

[Standalone]

It's a stretch to call them "engineers", honestly. Probably better is "half deaf and phoning it in".

We run into some great guys in our circuit.
Especially the jam band scene festivals. They know to not do the generic pop cover band mix.

I think our afternoon set jam here that starts around 5m45 or 6m (guitarist rips at 6:30) got the lights guy fired up. The visuals come on and then they fire up the smoke machine around 7m30. Our poor drummer….

 

[scott sinner]

I sweep low and high mids to have little pockets around my drummers kick and snare.

 

[Egg250]

I prefer a slight cut to the low mids, that's where the mud is. I will give a slight boost to the high mids, because that's where the killer tone is and how the bass can be heard in the mix.