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What's missing?

A

adece

Sep 24, 2013
68
28
41
Lima, Peru
#1
OK, I'm in a typical 3 piece of drums, bass, guitar and 2 vocals (me and guitar).

I run effects like this:

Bass -> MB Compressore (all settings around 12; always on) -> MXR M80 DI+ (Effect always on; clean volume around 1 or 3) -> EQD Dispatch Master (not always on; usually with several repeats, low delay time and medium mix) -> Ampeg BA-110 (old model)

Guitarist runs like this:

Guitar -> EQD White Light (with medium settings, always on) -> Boss DS-2 (loud, not always on) -> EQD Orbital.. (very light) -> Boss Flanger (usually off) -> Boss DD-3 (not always on) -> 35 Watt Orange Combo with some effects and OD (usually off)

Anyway, I'm having trouble at making my distortion noticeable. Normally I go with light settings but even when I set the volume, gain and blend high all I can hear in the mix is the low end, not the dist/OD from the MXR.

What is it that I'm missing?

- Adjusting EQ in the MXR and amp? I usually go with bass at 3, mids at 2 and treble at 12 on both MXR and amp.
- Higher volume? Although sometimes I do put a bit more volume and drummer and guitarist say I'm "eating everything else".
- A better distortion or fuzz?
- Better amp?
- Something else?

BTW, we practice in the drummer's room which is around 3 by 5 meters and obviously has no kind of acoustic preparation.

Any help would be appreciated. I don't even know if it's the right forum. If not, sorry.
 
#2
Are you using the color switch on the MXR? Try turning that on or off. Also try boosting your mids and possibly highs a little more. Looks like you're trying to compensate for a 10" speaker by dialing in a pretty dark sound. You may need to even things out as they get louder. Also, more speakers might help.
 
#3
Based on your EQ settings, I would guess your bass sound is very thin - no body and no definition.

I would dial back the highs, and go heavier on the mids - those are the frequencies that help you punch through and carve your own space.

In addition - and this is a personal choice - I would get rid of the compressor for a few jams and see how that affects your sound. I don't know the Compressore at all, so it's hard to say, but I've seen it on many occasions where the compressor was sucking all the life out of a bassist's or guitarist's sound.

Do you have a quick recording of your band sound or even your bass sound? What style of music do you guys typically play?
 
#4
Try bumping the mids up on the MXR to around 3 o'clock or so. If you're using the distortion effect from that preamp, the color function is automagically on, it can't be turned off, and it scoops the mids. Dial some more in on the pedal and maybe try dialing some mids in on your amp and ease up on the bass boosting, that'll leave you more headroom on the amp and it should cut thru the mix without getting muddy.
 
#8
You know I had focused on the effects chain more than the amps. I am amazed that a Ba-110 can keep up with a drummer. 1 10" speaker seems like nothing.

Plus those orange 35 watt combos are loud as &$*€ - if I were you I would check out another amp. Those brand new Fender rumbles with the 15" speakers look pretty great for combos.
 
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#10
I agree with Mosfed. Not to knock your setup now, but that kind of gear just isnt suited for live performance or jamming really. Maybe without a drummer. But yeah, I would look at a bigger amp/combo before I started wondering about why I wasnt able to cut through in the mix with a dist pedal. Dist can and will bury at some points. You need some power to really get it out there and cutting. Thats the way I look at it anyway and IME. My very first jam was with a two guitar and drummer band and it was hard rock. I had my trustee ol' Ampeg B50R (which I still have love and use to this day) and my Squier P (which I still have, have modded, use and love to this day). I was almost always buried. And those are powerful little combos. But not for what I was trying to accomplish and in that setting. If I added dist or OD to that, I was all but lost. Just a thought....
 
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#11
I have to agree with the above rule of 3x. I have an older SVT and a Fender Blues Deluxe where I changed the speaker to a JBL K-120. The SVT is 300 watts of tube awesomeness and the Fender is 40 watts.

There is NO QUESTION that the Fender dimed is louder than the SVT. No question.

Surprising I know.
 
#12
I went to the local Fender dealer here yesterday and saw they had very few bass amps: some big Fenders cabs and heads, some Peavey combos. Nothing practical that I can carry in the trunk of my car along with my bass which is what I want . I asked about the new Rumble that came out this year and all I got was a strange look from the goy as if he had no idea what I was talking about. I didn't want to believe they had no idea.
I barely go past 2 on the volume with the current amp. Maybe I'll try going a little further for now while I look for options.

Brands that I have access here are Fender (if I get the dealer to import new gear), Peavey, Ampeg, Markbass (but too expensive anyway), Eden, Hartke, Orange (but the 100W combo is too big for what I'm looking), Laney and maybe some others that fly below the radar. Of those I've been looking at the Eden EC15 or EC210 and the new Fender Rumble 100. Edens are the front runners now since they are sold by an online retailer I trust (I actually bought the MXR there).

For reference: the guitar amp is [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
 
#13
+1 to what everyone else has already said. A 30W SS combo amp is just not an ideal amp for a band situation. I can't believe the drummer and guitarist would ever say you would be "eating everything else"

That being said if you can surprisingly even get that loud. I would boost your mids and cut the bass a bit and see if that pushes your distortion through.
 
#14
Also I am assuming everyone plays very quiet in a bedroom given all the info you have mentioned. I can guarantee you if you guys ever play a show your bass will not only get lost in the mix it will probably be inaudible unless you can run it through a PA that has a lot more power than your amp. Good luck in your search! Gear is a rabbit hole you may never climb out of.
 
#15
If you can get Fender, the maybe your dealers can help you find some of the Genz Benz stuff before it's completely gone. Or I bet you can get a music shop in the US to ship one to Peru.

Things like the Shuttle 6.2 would be perfect for you. Powerful enough and you can grow into it as you can add bigger cabs later etc. 300w into 8ohms, 600 into 4ohms. The 12" speaker combo they make can hang with a drummer but it really shines when you add a larger cab.
 
#17
Yeah the GB seems nice, but it's near impossible for me to get it here without paying a lot for it. I know that at some point I will stop being a valve virgin but I don't have the cash to spent for it right now. Unless I can get good and cheap head/cab I will stick to a combo for now.

I need small and loud, not necessarily low.

I need to wait until the weekend to go and check out stores on the other side of the city to really know what it is available besides what I already know.

PS: The thread has shifted to discussing amps. Maybe this should be in the Amps section.
 

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