Rex Brown EQ

[Kipw901]

I recently purchased an SVT-3 Pro and a 410HLF cab. I’m running a Spector Legend 4 (with active EMGs) and a Sansamp + compression. I’m struggling to get a punchy low end while maintaining presence in the mix.

Does anyone know a good 9-band eq setting to achieve a similar tone to Rex Brown? Here’s an isolated track for reference:

Thanks!

 

[Kipw901]

 

[Gearhead17]

Rex Brown is one my favorites! Big influence on me when I started out. With all the gear you have, I am going to suggest taking out the Sansamp and the compression pedal. Focus solely on your bass, 3 PRO, and the cabinet. Next thing, don't try to dial in exactly what Rex Brown was doing on that track. That recorded tone worked for THAT MIX. Not your band situation, or what your bedroom sounds like. You will not achieve what he got, but you can definitely get close to it.

I am taking a guess you have a bunch of gear connected, and the resulting tone is less than stellar. In addition, the Sansamp is likely scooping out a lot of midrange and you are having a hard time hearing yourself at shows. Am I on the right track? Here are some suggestions to fix that:

3PRO - Don't use the Ultra Low button, Set the Gain knob so the red light flashes often. Put all knobs at noon, EQ sliders should be in the middle. Turn the Tube Gain knob to noon or all the way to the right. Start boosting around 1khz to 3khz for the high end (just a little) and see what sounds you can achieve.

Your bass - Don't boost the low end or high end, put those knobs in the middle. Turn your volume all the way up. Turn the pickup balancer to whatever sounds good to you and start playing.

The key - Get your bass tone and the simple settings sounding close to what you want, THEN add more gear to it. Many players, including the past version of me, would simply start combining effects and wonder why it sounded so terrible. Too often, none of us try to learn how each piece of gear works INDIVIDUALLY. That is the key to everything.

To my ears, Rex's tone is coming from a Stingray 4 or 5, roundwound strings, pick, and a small amount of overdrive. Dial the clean version of this tone with just the amp and bass - you will be on your way from there.

Once the amp and bass are sounding good, then add the Sansamp (I am assuming the Bass Driver DI). The Sansamp is powerful and can take over the sound of anything you plug into. If you lower the Blend knob to the 9 o'clock position and simply dial in some overdrive, it will be much more usable in achieving Rex's tone. Higher Blend settings will give you a more scooped tone. Any time you raise the Bass or Treble knobs on that pedal, the midrange response will decrease.

What Compressor pedal are you using? What are the settings? I will recommend keeping this pedal out of the loop right now.

Do you have the SVT 410hlf or the Heritage version of that cabinet? If you have the SVT version, roll the slider on the 3 PRO at 33hz down about 25%. This will cut some of the extreme low end and help you hear yourself.

Start there and report back.

Some helpful advice: SVT 3 Pro settings tutorial thread - please contribute your knowledge!

 

[Kipw901]

Really appreciate the detailed reply. That was just one example I pulled up from the isolated bass tracks on YouTube.

You’re right on about the Sansamp - I have the blend between 9-10 o’clock with the drive set around 2-3 with the sole purpose of adding some dirt.

Rex Brown is one my favorites! Big influence on me when I started out. With all the gear you have, I am going to suggest taking out the Sansamp and the compression pedal. Focus solely on your bass, 3 PRO, and the cabinet. Next thing, don't try to dial in exactly what Rex Brown was doing on that track. That recorded tone worked for THAT MIX. Not your band situation, or what your bedroom sounds like. You will not achieve what he got, but you can definitely get close to it.

I am taking a guess you have a bunch of gear connected, and the resulting tone is less than stellar. In addition, the Sansamp is likely scooping out a lot of midrange and you are having a hard time hearing yourself at shows. Am I on the right track? Here are some suggestions to fix that:

3PRO - Don't use the Ultra Low button, Set the Gain knob so the red light flashes often. Put all knobs at noon, EQ sliders should be in the middle. Turn the Tube Gain knob to noon or all the way to the right. Start boosting around 1khz to 3khz for the high end (just a little) and see what sounds you can achieve.

Your bass - Don't boost the low end or high end, put those knobs in the middle. Turn your volume all the way up. Turn the pickup balancer to whatever sounds good to you and start playing.

The key - Get your bass tone and the simple settings sounding close to what you want, THEN add more gear to it. Many players, including the past version of me, would simply start combining effects and wonder why it sounded so terrible. Too often, none of us try to learn how each piece of gear works INDIVIDUALLY. That is the key to everything.

To my ears, Rex's tone is coming from a Stingray 4 or 5, roundwound strings, pick, and a small amount of overdrive. Dial the clean version of this tone with just the amp and bass - you will be on your way from there.

Once the amp and bass are sounding good, then add the Sansamp (I am assuming the Bass Driver DI). The Sansamp is powerful and can take over the sound of anything you plug into. If you lower the Blend knob to the 9 o'clock position and simply dial in some overdrive, it will be much more usable in achieving Rex's tone. Higher Blend settings will give you a more scooped tone. Any time you raise the Bass or Treble knobs on that pedal, the midrange response will decrease.

What Compressor pedal are you using? What are the settings? I will recommend keeping this pedal out of the loop right now.

Do you have the SVT 410hlf or the Heritage version of that cabinet? If you have the SVT version, roll the slider on the 3 PRO at 33hz down about 25%. This will cut some of the extreme low end and help you hear yourself.

Start there and report back.

Some helpful advice: SVT 3 Pro settings tutorial thread - please contribute your knowledge!

 

[Gearhead17]

I see the Ultra Low is pushed in, leave it out! It may sound weird to have the midrange in your tone, but in a band mix, that is how you hear yourself! If you want, a little decrease at 500-600hz on the EQ slider will likely make you happier.

Why do you have the -15db switch pushed in? You only need to use this switch if the signal from your bass is overdriving the input. Based on your gain knob setting, I don't think your bass signal is super strong.

I find it odd that you are reducing the high frequencies of your bass tone. If you like it though, rock on!

 

[Kipw901]

I was running the amp into recording software via xlr without the 410 and needed boost the gain in this instance.. so the gain:master ratio in this picture isn’t accurate.
My bass runs hot with active EMGs and clips if the pad isn’t engaged. I did have to have the bias adjusted when it arrived so I’m hoping there’s not anything else wrong.

This is a brand new setup and I’m taking it to first live practice setting next week so I’ll experiment with the Ultra Low out instead of in. As you said, sounds great in the room until you’re muddy in the mix. Appreciate the tips!

I see the Ultra Low is pushed in, leave it out! It may sound weird to have the midrange in your tone, but in a band mix, that is how you hear yourself! If you want, a little decrease at 500-600hz on the EQ slider will likely make you happier.

Why do you have the -15db switch pushed in? You only need to use this switch if the signal from your bass is overdriving the input. Based on your gain knob setting, I don't think your bass signal is super strong.

I find it odd that you are reducing the high frequencies of your bass tone. If you like it though, rock on!