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Who believes that its all about the tone?

#21
Also to the "my tone" kids.. buy a cheap wireless.. then have your guitard help you set tone from mid room.... bass tone doesn't blossom from 3 inches from your SVT.

"cut through the mix" is my favorite chuckle hint that someone forgets the bass role.

I've yet to be tipped for my tone.. I've yet to be paid extra for playing a $12,000 rig (yes have gigged bars with a $12k setup)... I have seen the band (or duo) tipped for being entertaining and being fun to be around... a true pro can make this happen with a Sears Catalog rig. I've gotten prominent gigs playing a $50 garage sale bass and $20 DI box.

Folks forget Bass is very low in the band mix spectrum list of priorities.

IF your sound guy can't dial in bass.. good luck --- they're probably having bigger issues with telecasters and twins... or snares and cymbols.

Timmy
 
#23
MNAirHead said:
get a better sound guy .. or buy him/her a Yamaha book
Click to expand...

75% of the time, the "sound guy" is just a friend of the bar/promoter that claims to know about sound, but really just sucks.

Yeah- I'm a fanatic about good tone. Why? It makes me happy. I'll give the sound guy pre-eq to do his thing, but I will dial in what I choose on stage. I think I've been playing long enough to know what sounds good and what doesn't.

I also think that you are seriously underestimating your audience if you think they can't pick up on tone. Yeah, they're probably not going to know all the little details about your tone, but they can pick a good one from a bad one IME. It's just good policy to give the audience the best quality you can give, tone included.

EDIT: The wireless is a great idea, I just need to find one that I really like (I have yet to try the X2).
 
#24
MNAirHead said:
Also to the "my tone" kids.. buy a cheap wireless.. then have your guitard help you set tone from mid room.... bass tone doesn't blossom from 3 inches from your SVT.

"cut through the mix" is my favorite chuckle hint that someone forgets the bass role.

I've yet to be tipped for my tone.. I've yet to be paid extra for playing a $12,000 rig (yes have gigged bars with a $12k setup)... I have seen the band (or duo) tipped for being entertaining and being fun to be around... a true pro can make this happen with a Sears Catalog rig. I've gotten prominent gigs playing a $50 garage sale bass and $20 DI box.

Folks forget Bass is very low in the band mix spectrum list of priorities.

IF your sound guy can't dial in bass.. good luck --- they're probably having bigger issues with telecasters and twins... or snares and cymbols.

Timmy
Click to expand...
timmy timmy timmy...
 
#25
CapnSev said:
75% of the time, the "sound guy" is just a friend of the bar/promoter that claims to know about sound, but really just sucks.

Yeah- I'm a fanatic about good tone. Why? It makes me happy. I'll give the sound guy pre-eq to do his thing, but I will dial in what I choose on stage. I think I've been playing long enough to know what sounds good and what doesn't.

I also think that you are seriously underestimating your audience if you think they can't pick up on tone. Yeah, they're probably not going to know all the little details about your tone, but they can pick a good one from a bad one IME. It's just good policy to give the audience the best quality you can give, tone included.

EDIT: The wireless is a great idea, I just need to find one that I really like (I have yet to try the X2).
Click to expand...
line 6/x2 wirelesses are fantastic.

and you are absolutely right. musicians are very fond of underestimating the sophistication of their audiences. and they're flat out wrong.
 
#26
Rico_2212 said:
The best tone in the world is no good if it can't hold it's own within the context of a band.:bassist:
Click to expand...
+1, but that by definition would not be a good tone.

also +1 to the idea that while the chicks in the crowd may not care specifically about your raging bass tone, if the band sounds deep and room-filling, but clear and intelligible (i.e., if they want to dance to it but can still hear the words), then the crowd will respond, and a good bass tone is a big part of that (along with a good guitar tone, good drum tone, good singers and a good mix).
 
#27
CapnSev said:
75% of the time, the "sound guy" is just a friend of the bar/promoter that claims to know about sound, but really just sucks.

Yeah- I'm a fanatic about good tone. Why? It makes me happy. I'll give the sound guy pre-eq to do his thing, but I will dial in what I choose on stage. I think I've been playing long enough to know what sounds good and what doesn't.

I also think that you are seriously underestimating your audience if you think they can't pick up on tone. Yeah, they're probably not going to know all the little details about your tone, but they can pick a good one from a bad one IME. It's just good policy to give the audience the best quality you can give, tone included.

EDIT: The wireless is a great idea, I just need to find one that I really like (I have yet to try the X2).
Click to expand...

I don't underestimate tone.. I put it into perspective. I'm the freak who understands 5 dirt balls in dirty jeans do not "sound as good" as a well presented band.

Most posts are revolving around "my tone" vs "our tone"

There are tons of small wireless units (or get a long cord... I have purchased a bunch hand have them all over the place. We set the band mix - then go to cords.

Try tipping the sound guy.. then asking assistance and help dialing in a good band spectrum mix --- it will get you tons farther than fighting about DI boxes, Mikes, "cutting through" and other nutty dribble.



Tim
 
#29
3506....

you're right.. for a tenured band.

it's amazing how some tenured folks auto-blend after 3 minutes to levels and tones... without dorking boxes and making poopy face at the sound guy.

Tone is in the eyes.. a well presented band with good presence will beat out bands that have a 4 hour sound check.

Bass tone really can't be dialed in from stage.
 
#31
Lol I have to agree that between my basses, one having flatwound strings and the other being roundwound strings, that when I play the flatwound, I'm most likely to keep it simple and play boring bass parts. Yet, with the roundwound strings, I'm really aggressive and anxious to create something that sounds great.

Regarding the tone itself, I feel like it makes me sound better if I use a nice quality pedal like my VT Bass, even if the distortion is turned really low. I just feel like I have studio quality tone read to record that moment even if I don't have my bass lines down yet. :P
 
#33
FunkMetalBass said:
I was about to agree that it's all about the tone, and then I noticed that this was posted in the "Live Sound" subforum.

Live, tone is worthless. Unless you've got an amazing sound guy, a phenomenal sound system, and a perfect blend of tones among the rest of the band, it's pointless.
Click to expand...
no it's not. every little bit helps.
 
#36
I think about half of the posters here get what the OP was driving at, and half missed the point.

A good tone is an element of good playing, as are technique, tempo, intonation, stage presence, etc. How high on our list a good tone is will be different for each person.

BUT the rest of the picture is that when we are happy with our own stage tone we play better. AND that translates to the audience even if they don't know why.
 
#37
Bob C said:
I think about half of the posters here get what the OP was driving at, and half missed the point.

A good tone is an element of good playing, as are technique, tempo, intonation, stage presence, etc. How high on our list a good tone is will be different for each person.

BUT the rest of the picture is that when we are happy with our own stage tone we play better. AND that translates to the audience even if they don't know why.
Click to expand...

Now that's what I call "in the pocket"!
 
#38
FunkMetalBass said:
Live, tone is worthless. Unless you've got an amazing sound guy, a phenomenal sound system, and a perfect blend of tones among the rest of the band, it's pointless.
Click to expand...
+1

"a perfect blend of tones among the rest of the band"
and good arrangements to make those tones shine.

To the OP ; if you like your tone , you've achieve something that is a life's quest for others. Be happy.
 

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