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Need sound tips

R

Rakkanick

Nov 9, 2008
11
0
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.myspace.com
#1
Alright this is my first thread on this forum so I hope Im in the right section + I really suck at writing in english... Here's the topic. I play in a 5 piece Hardcore/Death metal band that plays in Droped B. Both guitars have Mesa dual rect heads on top of a marshall 1960 cabs. I play with a SVT-810E ampeg cab with a SVT-3 Pro head and my bass is a ESP LTD B-404 SM. My gear never sounds how I'd like it to sound for some reasons even if I paly around with my EQ, I'd want a pretty well defined / clear sound that has a good amount of bass in it. No matter how I set things it always sound cheezy. So I just need to know what do I need to adjust on my head's EQ, what frequencies to boost and wich to lower, shoud I play more with the neck pickup or the bridge pickup, all sorts of tips so my sound can get pretty sharp and be heard through all of the guitars noise..

Hope everything sounds clear.
 
#3
I wish my English was as "bad" as yours.

My first reaction - boosting the mids are your key to sonic happiness. That said, if you can give us some more information, that would help. How are you EQ'ing the bass now? Where is the pickup blend set? How about the amp? Is it always difficult to find your sound, or only in certain rooms?

Whenever I have EQ issues I start by setting everything flat. Then, on the amp, I boost or cut whatever happens to hit my ears first, building from there to find an ideal sound. I generally use the instrument EQ for fine-tuning. This may or may not work for you, and I'm sure you'll get some terrific advice from others.

Finally, especially in high-volume settings, what sounds great out there may not sound so good right in front of your rig. Also, a tone that cuts through the mix doesn't always equal a tone that is pleasing to your ears. If you can record the band from various vantage points, that my help you tailor your sound. Good luck!
 
#4
For the pickup blend I think I'm on 75% neck 25% bridge. My head graphic EQ is set to some ''new age'' smiley setting since it's not Exactly a smiley, gain is prolly around 60%, bass is at like 75%, middle at 40-50%, the treeble at like 40-50% and my tube gain is at 65%. I also have the Ultra High and Ultra Low buttons on. For the bass EQ The bass is at 100%, the mid is probably around 40-50% and tone / treeble / whatever is around 50-60%. And I have the same sound issue in every room I try. Hope that gives the info you need.
 
#5
Again, this will be subjective, but here's what I'd start with.

Set the pickup blend to 50/50. See what happens. That might actually be enough. If you feel like you've lost some low end, add a bit more on the amp. If you're still not getting the cut, add some more mids, both on the bass and the amp. Honestly though, I wouldn't be surprised if the change in blend settings does it for you. Good luck...
 
#6
There's two settings that I try using to cut through a thick wall of guitar with the Ampeg Pro series.

1) Everything flat. EQ on the bass, three-band on the head, graphic on the head, EVERYTHING flattened out to noon.

If that still doesn't cut through, I proceed to this one...

2) Exact same as setting 1, except Mid Tone Control set to notch 2, and Mids up at about 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock.

If you want it sharper, play around with the Mid Tone Control - notch 4 and 5 are good for that snarly, snappy sound that seems to be so common in brutal death nowadays, while notch 1 and 2 are great for a huge, fat low-mids hump.

Use that graphic EQ to correct any room oddities, and leave the EQ on the bass flat. The less crud you're using to mess up your signal, the more pure and less "cheesy" it will sound.

PS: This will sound like wet cardboard in your bedroom. What sounds good with the band sounds like butthole at home, and vice versa.
 
#9
It sounds like you're eq'ing the signal to death. So, as others have suggested, start with setting everything flat on your bass and amp (including setting those ultra buttons off). Disconnect eventual effects.

When you're boosting the bass a lot as you seem to do, you lose the mids and highs that gives the sound its definition. With everything set flat , boost the volume/gain to the level you want, and work from there using small changes. Try doing this at a rehearsal, because a flatter sound might sound crappy to your ears as such, but may well be the sound that suits the mix the best.

Btw, what exactly is Drop-B tuning? BEAD, BF#BE, or something else? That's pretty vital information needed to be able recommend string gauge for you.

Your English is fine, just a couple of typos. Mine's not perfect either, but I've stopped excusing myself for it... ;) It would be nice if you filled in your location in the profile though so we see in which part of the world you live. :)
 
#11
Well you could try something like this set: Invalid Link Removed

These strings might be a little bit too thick for your tuning, but could work. There's probably other manufacturers of similar sets as well you could check out. I'm not a fan of Warwick strings myself...
 

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