He truly loves this bass and I understand why! This is a whole lot of tone for the money.
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The Maestro explains how to EQ his modded Sadowsky Metro Express
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
He truly loves this bass and I understand why! This is a whole lot of tone for the money.
He is saying that he added the VTC correct? What do you think of his settings? He has found a Cirrus like setting and a Smith like setting.
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He is running through a. Very nice preamp and amp too. That, plus his skill, it giving a very rich tone.
I think he got rid of the MX preamp, which has cheaper pots and wiring, and simply bought the preamp that is in the Metroline and NYC basses. The VTC is standard in the higher end preamps.
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The VTC preamp, ( also available with a 500K+10db mid boost option) adds the vTC, which enables you to roll back the highs, which the non VTC pre DOES NOT. Sadowsky pre's are BOOST ONLY, so you can never reduce the highs in either a specific frequency or a broad range of frequencies ( like a trad tone pot) without the VTC. This drastically limits the ability to warm up the bass.
Another important issue is the body & neck woods used on the chinese units ( Okoume' & Torrified maple) are a brighter recipe than say, an ash/maple or Alder/Rosewood NON roasted wood. Also the chinese electrics do use a lower quality POT, BUT the circuit board itself is identical to the more expensive models. the pickups are the chinese made versions of the US/EU models.
Ive added the VTC+mid bump pre & US/EU Soapbars to this bass, and the results are extraordinary.
I'm a huge fan of the Modern, and feel its the best model in the lineup. The closer you can get to the complete electronics upgrade, the better off Modern owners will be. And yes, they do work really well in other basses too.
Another important issue is the body & neck woods used on the chinese units ( Okoume' & Torrified maple) are a brighter recipe than say, an ash/maple or Alder/Rosewood NON roasted wood. Also the chinese electrics do use a lower quality POT, BUT the circuit board itself is identical to the more expensive models. the pickups are the chinese made versions of the US/EU models.
Ive added the VTC+mid bump pre & US/EU Soapbars to this bass, and the results are extraordinary.
I'm a huge fan of the Modern, and feel its the best model in the lineup. The closer you can get to the complete electronics upgrade, the better off Modern owners will be. And yes, they do work really well in other basses too.
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My NYC has an okoume body and maple neck. I don't think I've ever turned up the treble and bass more than 30-40%. I usually run it about 20-25%
I am in the minority: played passive P basses from 1975 to 2013 and 99% of time tone control was full up
I was fortunate to have a friend who owned a nice Music Shop and got to play in his store a few Sadowsky's (and other great basses) before Roger added VTC to his preamp and they sounded fantastic never entered my mind 'Only if they had a tone control this would be a great Bass'
PS: I saw a video a good while back with Roger basically saying he didn't add VTC because he thought it made his preamp better but was a 'Business' decision based on customer and potential customer request
I was fortunate to have a friend who owned a nice Music Shop and got to play in his store a few Sadowsky's (and other great basses) before Roger added VTC to his preamp and they sounded fantastic never entered my mind 'Only if they had a tone control this would be a great Bass'
PS: I saw a video a good while back with Roger basically saying he didn't add VTC because he thought it made his preamp better but was a 'Business' decision based on customer and potential customer request
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I am in the minority: played passive P basses from 1975 to 2013 and 99% of time tone control was full up
I was fortunate to have a friend who owned a nice Music Shop and got to play in his store a few Sadowsky's (and other great basses) before Roger added VTC to his preamp and they sounded fantastic never entered my mind 'Only if they had a tone control this would be a great Bass'
PS: I saw a video a good while back with Roger basically saying he didn't add VTC because he thought it made his preamp better but was a 'Business' decision based on customer and potential customer request
Giving customers useful options should be good business 101.
Yes that may be true and Roger seems to have warmed to the Idea
now adding Mid boost
Sterling Ball hasn't but I am fine with that and my Stingray Special sounding the way EBMM wants it to and having boost/cut EQ for me no need for Passive/Active with tone
I know many say tone works better than EQ on amp or bass for treble adjustment but even with my P bass using technique mostly and amp got treble to my satisfaction never liked what tone control did to overall sound and musicality of my tone
Yes that is a product of personal taste and perception
now adding Mid boost
Sterling Ball hasn't but I am fine with that and my Stingray Special sounding the way EBMM wants it to and having boost/cut EQ for me no need for Passive/Active with tone
I know many say tone works better than EQ on amp or bass for treble adjustment but even with my P bass using technique mostly and amp got treble to my satisfaction never liked what tone control did to overall sound and musicality of my tone
Yes that is a product of personal taste and perception
I have a MetroLine Modern which, as I recall, has only a 2-band active EQ (plus VTC). What is this "mid bump/mid/boost" of which I hear?
It is brand new: Roger posted video on YouTube
It is 10db at 500hz using a switch and easy drop in for all Sadowskys and available for other basses
No mention if they are going to add it to external pre
Curious about the mid boost option on a Sadowsky, have never played one with it. While I absolutely rely on the pre/VTC combo to get where I need, I basically just boost bass and treble a little less to get a more midrange, less "Sadowsky", tone (my PJ5 has some fairly mid-forward Nordies in it as well). That said, color me intrigued....
The mid boost is dramatic. I had used the standard VTC preamp in many metro express instruments as an upgrade. The mid boost version is superior. Flipping that switch creates a usable difference. Not something you would use all the time. But very usable in situations where a bit of a bump is required. Very handy. Very straightforward. Highly recommended.
My opinion on the VTC requirement is more toward the metro express line. In 2008 I own a modern that did not have a VTC, and really did not need it. But that was a Japan Ash/Maple unit. I stated before, Okuma and roasted maple are simply brighter. Roasted maple on its own is a bright tone, Wood.I am in the minority: played passive P basses from 1975 to 2013 and 99% of time tone control was full up
I was fortunate to have a friend who owned a nice Music Shop and got to play in his store a few Sadowsky's (and other great basses) before Roger added VTC to his preamp and they sounded fantastic never entered my mind 'Only if they had a tone control this would be a great Bass'
PS: I saw a video a good while back with Roger basically saying he didn't add VTC because he thought it made his preamp better but was a 'Business' decision based on customer and potential customer request
That's amazing! My ME Modern (stock) is no slouch but it doesn't sound as good as his. I had the VTC installed on my Sadowsky Metro Modern but it never blew me away.
He has a fancy outboard preamp and amp that I suspect makes a big difference.
As do new strings.
I bought a MetroExpress Vintage JJ 5-string this fall. I assume it comes with the same strings as the Modern. They are ok, but swapping them out made a significant difference to my ears.
I need to put some lighter gauge steel strings on my Modern. I will probably change them tomorrow after work.
That must be it. His Roscoe SKB sounds better than mine too!
I've read a few comments on his channel about how his outboard equipment heavily changes the sound on the basses he features . Some have said it is misleading . Im
Not sure if he puts everything in his video descriptions. But it seems to me his main agenda is production/ recording and not playing in a live setting. It might not hurt to ask what he is using to record the videos and if he plays live and what he uses. Seems to me his channel is about set ups, preamp swaps, and recording .
