You do it for you and your band mates and the crowd. You always feel better when you got a nice Bass sound that you like to hear when your playing songs.
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Nobody cares about your tone....
- Thread starter JSandbloom
- Start date
Well I can't speak for anyone else here. But the last time i bought an amp an cab it had hardly nothing to do with tone and more to do with portability and reliability.
That said tone is also a part of being able to hear the bass. I've seen countless shows where bass players use rediculous rigs even 2 810 cabs and they still get drowned out by the rest of the band because their tone doesn't cut at all.
With so many things, there is a balance to strike. I was on vacation in the Caribbean a few weeks back. They had bands play by the pool every night. One band was just a two piece with a keyboardist and bassist triggering drum samples. They both sang. The bassist ran straight into a mediocre PA. not even sure if he had a direct box. He played a jazz bass over the bridge pickup most of the night a la Jaco. His tone wasn't good and he clipped the input on his channel quite a bit. I'll tell you though, I'll never forget this guy's playing. He absolutely killed it all night long. So much great technique and groove, not so great tone. He left an impression on me for sure.
In conclusion... to-may-to, to-mah-to. Tone matters except for when it doesn't.
In conclusion... to-may-to, to-mah-to. Tone matters except for when it doesn't.
we want to sound good, tone wise , for ourselves ... !
the audience = mostly dolts .... but they make the cash register ring , therefore , they pay the bills .. !!
the audience = mostly dolts .... but they make the cash register ring , therefore , they pay the bills .. !!
Another true story...
I was playing a gig where three bands were on the bill and we were all helping each other out. There was no sound man, but the PA gear was accessible. While one of the other bands was playing I thought I would adjust the room EQ. I went back and forth from the gear to the middle of the room, tweaking this and that slider and listening for the effect of my changes. I was convinced that I heard them, but then I realized that the EQ was bypassed. Then I did something REALLY stupid. Without thinking (d'oh!) I punched the EQ in. The PA immediately leapt into roaring feedback from all my "improvements" to the sound.
Luckily, I fixed it quickly (punch the EQ back out, set all the sliders flat and the gain to unity, punch it back in and start over), and just as luckily, the rest of the players had a sense of humor about it.
It was a quick and obvious lesson on the Subjectivity of Hearing.
I agree. Excluding musicians, As long as they hear you they don't care. Same goes for the instrument, amp and related gear...they don't know and don't care what you're playing or playing through. Example: My wife likes, "the red one". And she's my best critic.
I think we may be underestimating our audience. Sure, they can't express the nuances of tone they way we do. We are very practiced at that. They are not. But that does not mean they can't hear it.
They sense it, for sure, but even I sometimes don't clearly hear exactly what some bass players are playing, unless they hit a clam.
Not really. Only necessary for those who seek approval for what they're doing.Yes, the audience is a necessary evil.
I went to a gallery last weekend to see an exposition of a contemporary artist. Some guests stopped by and made adequate comments pertaining to his artwork while others rushed to wine bar. Art is not as universal as we think it might be.
the higher the frequency (guitar players), the more important it is to have a good sound. last year, I was playing with a guitarist who had such a horrible sound; he obviously had no ear for good tone and I wasn't about to teach him. if everyone within a band would just take responsibility for their sound and use their ears, the group environment would sound so much sweeter.
with my playing, the more in-your-face the tone is, the better the chance of hearing mistakes etc. I guess the introvert in me likes to hide and blend within a band and never be in the front. because of this, I tend to err on the conservative side of tone/sound. if you are going to have an articulate sound, you better be executing your lines really well.
with my playing, the more in-your-face the tone is, the better the chance of hearing mistakes etc. I guess the introvert in me likes to hide and blend within a band and never be in the front. because of this, I tend to err on the conservative side of tone/sound. if you are going to have an articulate sound, you better be executing your lines really well.
It would be nice to hear yourself out in the room and adjust when not using support but then once folks fill in it probably alters it. I have to work at not letting myself go overboard. My amp sounds different to me from right in front and slightly to either side.
I've even practiced and left my bass in the stand leaving thinking my bass sounded ..... "Fill in blank"... Only to come back later in the day and think "wow, this bass sounds good" with no changes to tone made. Weird .
If that happens to other folks not just me, what do you use as a reference point to get a good judge?
My personal formula is a little thin onstage usually makes just right in the house. I'm always a little worried if my sound is too fat onstage, even if it is very satisfying.
The real point to be made is that we're hardly ever in control of the tone the audiences hear. Either a zealous FOH guy or some audio engineer is going to do what they think needs done with it most of the time. So it may be better not to obsess to the point where we can't operate without the tone being just-so. I probably do anyway.
