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muddy live sound...

O

Oreobass

Jul 16, 2012
43
0
#1
Many places tell me it the bass sounds muddy. Now granted, it is the bass because this is either if I run DI or through my SVT PRO 3 with 4x10 I think cab. The bass is a Ibanez SDGR 5 string. It has a pick up pan and 3 band Eq and volume. Please some advice on how to help this situation. It's discouraging as a musician, but isn't entirely my fault. I can't afford a new bass now so something in a budget of buying a multifx processor or teaching me something I don't know to fix this. It's a very bottom heavy (sound wise) bass. Thanks for your help! :-)

EDIT: SVT PRO 3, NOT 2
 
#3
ForumRunner_20120904_020941.png I have tried that. :/
 
#4
Are you using fairly new strings? Are you over EQing your on board preamp? Try starting with flat settings and add some treble and mids first. Are those passive pickups? Are they too close to the strings? Many things can contribute to mud probably a combination of things. Is it a passive on board preamp or active? Is the battery newer? Try steel strings round wound?
 
#6
The strings at this point do need to be changed so that part of it is my fault. I take care of them with Lem oil frequently. But I used didario (botched that spelling) and at first sound great but they wear pretty quick compared to the more expensive but worth while DRs. The pups are active and the battery is brand new. The strings are about 2-3 months old btw. I don't gig often but try to practice often so that contributed to the wear. I do have the bass cut on the bass' eq and mids and treble jacked. I love the warm sound of a bass not overly bright and obviously too muddy but its difficult to get that with it either being one extreme or the other due to natural sound or over compensating so it isn't muddy. I've used this bass for 3 years but I don't know much about gear which is why I am asking basic questions but know a little bit about my petiticular set up. When I do gig with the amp, I have bass basically flat, treble and mids around 2 o' clock. Now I am not very familier with the difference between gain and tube gain which my amp has both and as to if that will effect the mud. It also has a frequency bar and I am a little aware on how to use it but not much. I keep the lower frequencies flat and boost the higher ones but that is common sense to me and I may very well be wrong. Does playing with a pick effect mud or is it purely style? I know the sound changes a little but is it enough to compensate? What are steel strings round wound? And I play at churches so anyone who has done that knows you can play different places with experts or just people that happen to be there but no idea what they're doing. I am just trying to see what I can do on my end and be more of an expert at my craft. Thanks for your help everyone :)
 
#7
The 410hlf is a low end powerhouse without boosting anything below 150hz. Keep your bass controls flat - put the pickup balance knob towards the bridge a little bit and play in the middle of the pickups to start.

The 3 PRO should NOT have any of the special switches depressed and most of all not the -15db button. The gain should be set so the Gain LED is flashing a lot in the red. The EQ between 33hz and 150hz should be gradually decreased. Around -5db at each slider.

Try turning the Tube Gain all the way to the left for a little less mud too. You also do not need to boost more highs on the EQ unless the tone controls are not enough. With a reduction in the low end world, your high end should come out more along with a less muddy tone.
 
#8
Dude thanks so much!!! I should be bringing it home so ill definitely do this stuff. Do you have a mini definition as to what each frequency does? And also why DO I want the red LED to flash? I always thought it was peaking and saw it was bad.
 
#9
Good suggestions above. Muddiness can also be caused/solved right-hand technique. This is something a good teacher can help you with.

First you want to make sure you are muting all unplayed strings. If you don't have good muting then you will get sympathetic vibration of the open strings, which might be described as a "muddy" sound.

Second you can control your tone by the position of where you pluck the strings. Plucking closer to the bridge will give a brighter, tighter sound, and closer to the neck for a looser, boomier sound.
 
#10
Yeah I always play by the bridge deliberately for that reason. I taught myself technique and for about a year it was horrible and uncomfortable, and I figured out the floating thumb. I found Adam Nitti (and later others) demonstrating that technique and saw I was doing it right. Although obviously technique varies and I've always tried to mimic the technique of the player I learn from (expert). I do Jaco's anchor sometimes and sometimes I do floating but in either case I am aware of ringing strings. I sometimes even resort to using a pick to use a brighter tone. :/ I like the sound of a pick for certain songs sure, but some songs you just need your fingers and that feel but its discouraging because you know that its muddy so although it feels better, there is no distinction in the notes.
 
#12
One thing that hasn't been discussed, what tuning are you using? If it's standard B.. it could just be the string ringing out whenever you don't want it to causing extra thump in the sound which is just something to work on. If you are using some dropped tuning, you could be venturing into subsonic territory with your low string which usually will make a sound man tear their hair out. I have a 5 string I struggle with using for these reasons. If I tune down, it sounds more like thuds than notes without serious eqing. There are a few options for subsonic filtering to help with that issue such as a vt bass, bddi, or thumpinator, however I'm not sure if that's your problem or not. Just a thought.
 
#13
I don't think its possible, that I know of, for it to be muddy without being plugged in to some type of amplification. Now if what you meant was buzz, no there is no unusual buzz. The neck is a bit messed up so I have to compromise by playing way lighter (something I enjoy learning to do) in order to have a closer action but it doesnt buzz unless I really hit it.

I am in standard tuning always. Never did an alternate tuning with this bass. I don't use the low B that much considering the place and music I usually play but when I do, I understand the frequency is low and it would be less distinguished than other notes. I play that B to feel it in the gut. Ha. :D
 
#14
So you're saying the bass sounds good unplugged, you do not have the muddiness? That's a good start.

My recommended next step is to play through a good set of headphones, this will expose a lot of details of your sound. If you can bypass the active preamp in the bass, even better. The idea is to get as accurate a reproduction as possible so you know whether the muddiness is coming from the bass or is introduced later in the signal chain. If your neck is "a bit messed up" then that could explain it right there.

By the way, if you have not done so already, I recommend spending many hours practicing unplugged in a quiet room. It is one of the single best exercises I've stumbled upon. :)
 
#16
Mushroo,
I have been practicing unplugged for the last couple of months! At first I didnt like that the bass was virtually mute but then I realized what an advantage that is! I can do anything and practice at the same time without the interuption of the sound. I got it from a YouTube video by Robert "Bubby" Lewis. He was watching star wars in the background and I thought that was awesome ha.

I've considered something external to help the sound. The amp has a built in EQ but in situations without the amp (DI box) a pedal or something would be helpful. I've thought about maybe a Pod, and I stumbled upon the Zoom B3 and it seems like an option that's affordable but I'm not sure if its built to do what I'm looking for. I need a bass of mine own but I'm looking for a fix until I can afford the one I really want. Dealing with what I got is included in that fix because there is a lot I don't know about gear. I just hear the song and try and learn it and exercise and change strings.
 
#17
No no no, you are completely missing the point of the exercise! :) Practicing unplugged is not so you can watch TV at the same time, it is so you can be very quiet and really focus in on the acoustic sound of the instrument. If that's not happening, then buying a "pod" (whatever that is) will not fix it.
 
#18
This is what I use. It's to keep the fret board oiled good so it doesnt dry up, but I also spray it on a cloth and wipe the entire string with it to keep it clean and fresh for as long as possible. Feels good right before you play too! Nice and smooth.

ForumRunner_20120906_011647.png

I understand what you're saying, but I do pay attention to my attack, and I do practice with a tiny amp often too. I just practice without one and watch tv or something to be a little more social and not make it feel so boring as an exercise. I focus on strengthing left hand more while attack with the right being a lot lighter. There's been improvment but of course when you're with a band in the moment, you can get carried away lol.
 

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