Why does your bass sound like that?

[Johnny Crab]

No flack but sometimes odd looks.
Only DI's for me and they are sent out of 2nd channel in a dbx 166xL so the sound guy is told when he is passing out XLR's for mics and DI's "I have a fast compressor/limiter on your signal already if you want to save one of yours for something else". They usually appreciate the gear, glance at my settings, smile and say "thanks!", and use my straight signal. Using the 2nd channel also allows me to increase or decrease what the sound guy gets. I've had both "Can you send me a little less, I got you padded and it's still too hot" and "Can you send me a little more, I've got you wide open and can barely hear you". Useful.

I do make it a point when the sound guy says "Ok bass, let's hear something" to start with my plain Jane, close-to-normal sounding patch and step up to my vocal mike and say "I have these other sounds that I use and here they are" and rotate QUICKLY through about 12 patches. I have two that are more cut through the mix and louder and save those for last saying "These last two are louder and more trebley on purpose because of the songs they are used in" and then play a couple of notes on each one.

Works for me.

 

[clintotron]

Buy a microphone w/stand and a wireless instrument set. Sound check AT the board WITH the sound guy and be a reasonable human being.

 

[David Jayne]

my DI is post eq, post gain structure, etc. It's more hifi than if I mic-ed my cab, but still, it's pretty dirty

This is almost always a bad idea, for the reasons already mentioned. Works in the studio, doesn't work live. You should mic your cab instead, as well as sending a Pre EQ DI to the house.

 

[Stumbo]

I would think that a decent sound guy would hear what I'm sending him post-EQ and just tweak it for his purposes rather than trying to change it just for the sake of his/her preference.

IME, a good sound guy mixes for the venue/room and all it's sonic strengths/weaknesses.

I've often wished that I could detach myself from my body during soundcheck to hear what's really going on out there.

IMO, going wireless is best for allowing one to go FOH during sound check.