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The truth about your tone and what affects it.

#23
VWbug08' said:
Eating The Blue M&Ms will give you the best tone.

The green ones give an acceptable tone.

The brown ones insure muddy indistinct
Tone with notes that are not clear and focused.

Red ones are just too clanky!

:)
Click to expand...

So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong all these years!

After reading your message, I grabbed three blue ones and chowed them down, grabbed my bass, and BINGO, it was like a blanket was lifted from the front of my amp.
 
#25
Kwesi said:
I've discovered and proven that without a doubt, air, specifically the chemical composition of air in the immediate vicinity of a bass will drastically alter it's tone.

The air in our atmosphere is primarily made up of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide and cat hair. That, however, varies depending on exactly where you are. The CO2 content will be higher in the chimney of a factory than the top of Mt. Everest. The cat hair content will be higher in a pet shelter than in your freezer. But, until now no one has actually attempted to see how those differences could affect tone!

For the first test I left my car running in the garage and played through my Fender FMT through my Markbass/Bergantino rig. Admittedly, this wasn't the safest method in the world but I think mitigated most harmful effects by tying a tshirt across my face. For the second, I took my rig to a hotel and played on the roof. Granted these were only two environments but I think the results were significant enough to leave it there. In the garage my tone almost sounded like it was choking. It had a very muted high end and the upper midrange sounded strained. Really, only the lows and low-mids were present which made for a very tumpy sound without much definition. I would have continued my test but I think I passed out. On top of the hotel my tone sound much more open across all frequencies. Nothing was particularly emphasized or defeated. It sounded like a much more accurate representation of the bass itself.

I hope this helps you all in decided where you play your gigs and what to expect of your tone in different atmospheric conditions.
Click to expand...
Yes! Yes! You're right! Our pet Rabbit, Jack (Roger Rabbit's Cousin) has free run of the house during the day. The tone of my bass definitely changes if I close the door to reduce the concentration of bunny fur. This is especially true in Spring & Fall when Jack is shedding & the windows are open to let in a strong dose of inner city air.

This is revolutionary. It's earthshaking! Think of all the people on TB who can now shortcut their heroic qwest (sic) for tone. Think of the joyful threads about finding tone. Please think of a way to filter them out of my new posts search. 8-)
 
#26
Kwesi said:
I've discovered and proven that without a doubt, air, specifically the chemical composition of air in the immediate vicinity of a bass will drastically alter it's tone.

The air in our atmosphere is primarily made up of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide and cat hair. That, however, varies depending on exactly where you are. The CO2 content will be higher in the chimney of a factory than the top of Mt. Everest. The cat hair content will be higher in a pet shelter than in your freezer. But, until now no one has actually attempted to see how those differences could affect tone!

For the first test I left my car running in the garage and played through my Fender FMT through my Markbass/Bergantino rig. Admittedly, this wasn't the safest method in the world but I think mitigated most harmful effects by tying a tshirt across my face. For the second, I took my rig to a hotel and played on the roof. Granted these were only two environments but I think the results were significant enough to leave it there. In the garage my tone almost sounded like it was choking. It had a very muted high end and the upper midrange sounded strained. Really, only the lows and low-mids were present which made for a very tumpy sound without much definition. I would have continued my test but I think I passed out. On top of the hotel my tone sound much more open across all frequencies. Nothing was particularly emphasized or defeated. It sounded like a much more accurate representation of the bass itself.

I hope this helps you all in decided where you play your gigs and what to expect of your tone in different atmospheric conditions.
Click to expand...

Now Kwesi!!!!!!
 
#29
I do believe that temp and humidity play a part in how we hear. This, IMO, is why there are days everything sounds off, or like crap, no matter what you do.
There are times when my instruments or amp just sound thin, or everything sounds slightly out of tune. Doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. it's as good a theory as any.
 
#32
The principal factor in my perception of my tone is ear fatigue. The rig and bass sound entirely differently at the end of the gig than at the beginning. Ears acclimate and become desensitized. I do not change ANY setting after the inevitable trim that occurs during the first set. Otherwise everything gets too loud and not an ounce better.

So as long as the relative amount of cat hair in the local air remains the same, the main things that affect my tone are the aforementioned ear fatigue and the amount of alcohol present in my circulation, which cleverly mimics ear fatigue.
 
#33
LMAO. Now someone is gonna have an excuse for selling the "wonder air tone restorer generator". Just your normal air cleaner ionizer, but hyped for tone in guitars, pianos, even home stereo system!!!!!!! Yes folks with our wonder air ionizer and cleaner, which also cools the air a little, for that kewler hipper tone, your gonna enjoy listenoing to music more. And musicians sound wont suck so much, cause the negative ions generated by the wonder air tone filtertron air cleaner, will attack the nasty sound molecules like a rabid pit bull, leaving only the pleasant parts of your playing to be heard. Buy within the next five minutes and get a min i unit for use in the shower. Yoiur singing in shower never sounded so good!. Available in standard rich black or the new tort finish!! But wait thats not all. Buy in the next 3 minutes and we will include free of charge the wonder air ionizer nose ring. Now when you go to your fave concert, the musicians will sound better then ever.
 
#35
Do you think the fact that you played in a cramped space and open air had any difference? I think that lower frequencies would bounce around much more in a cramped space, giving you that boomy sound. Whereas in open air, you have a much more, well, open sound that is even across the board.

I doubt air composition has a major effect on tone, but maybe if you play in an all hydrogen (lighter than air) atmosphere, your tone would be very different than playing in a all Xenon (heavier than air) atmosphere.
 
#39
SactoBass said:
So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong all these years!

After reading your message, I grabbed three blue ones and chowed them down, grabbed my bass, and BINGO, it was like a blanket was lifted from the front of my amp.
Click to expand...

Got you covered Bro!

I must warn you though. I have not conducted research on the Dark Chocalate M&Ms But I am fairly sure they will only enhance the basic findings.

I don't play well enough to try out the Mint Christmas M&Ms.

I might hurt myself.......:D
 

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