Your Sound

what do you mean?

if you're talking about developing a sound for a band context.

the ONLY way to do this is with the band

 

OMG, Then I broke out in tears.
actually, bass plays a pretty big role in my band, and its seems to work with what ever we do .. metal and whatnot!

 

+1. I've spent quite a few years playing with various types of bands (original, cover, sideman gigs) as well as recording sessions (as both "myself" as well as "ghosting") and the only true way to dial yourself in the mix is to work it out with all the other instrumentation. I've also done a few solo gigs, and even those you can't dial in your tone at home - you never know what the room is going to sound like and even if you get a soundcheck, when people fill up a space the acoustics change fast.

I'm not saying quit and don't spend any time on "your sound", because I also think it's a major part of finding that part of your side as a musician and frankly, who wants to practice to lousy tone? Just don't fall in love with that sound, because it will change much more likely than not. Also knowing the basics of frequencies and what instrument takes up what areas in the spectrum is an immensely valuable skill to have.

 

No clue. It worked fine.

 

I can relate to your post. I bought a Roscoe LG 3005 bass which I love because of the quality and tone of the instrument. I brought it to practice one night along with my Lakland Bob Glaub P-bass. The Roscoe has a very mid range sound and the band hated it. They made me put it up and get the Lakland out to get that warm thick tone. We play a lot of Classic Rock, Funk, and a little Country. I see why one is more appropriate than the other. The Roscoe was meant for other types of music, not classic rock, trust me.

 

I've found that when I practice my sound has a lot more bottom end, but when I'm in a band setting I'm dialing out more lows and dialing in more mids. I wouldn't want to practice with my band tone - too trebly.

 

I turned both SVTs up and there I was

 

I don't even bother screwing around trying to find "the sound" with a bass, untill I've played it with the band. Normaly doens't take more than a few minutes to dial a new one in. The hardest one was my Epi Jack Casady. That one took about a half hour before I figured out the best e.q. with the band.

 

What sounds good to me in a practice scenario will likely stink live. I like that fat sound in practice...live, it turns to 'mud' out in the room. It has taken years for me to accept that in a 'band context' if I don't sound 'thin' on stage, then I am too muddy out in the room.

kim

 

i think i know what you mean and i think you may want to try and start jamming with some other people who are into your sound.

i play in a primarily originals band and i'm extremely fortunate to play with musicians that i respect and am a fan of who happen to give me a lot of creative freedom to experiment with my instrument and even effects. in addition to being extremely tolerant to my experimental nature, they also are not affraid to offer constructive criticism whenever they see fit. i encourage them to do so and everyone benefits.

that being said, i've stepped out of the circle before and have played with others where it simply did not work since they were looking for a sound that i wasn't looking to have.

 

It took me years to realize that the killer tone I dial in when playing alone might not work well in the mix. Now, all I care about is how I sound in the mix. I can usually get a tone that works well solo and in the mix, but the mix comes first.

 

What did I do? I dialed in a sound that worked.

 

Let me just add that I can't stress enough that being flexible to your environment is one of the top jobs of being a bass player. Some bands I've played in, I need a crystal clear top-end sound with a lot of brightness, some required a more middy sound, some required that I turn off all the highs and only have lows. And some bands required that I did all three depending on the song we were doing.

And now I play in a band where I travel a lot and I have to rent amps, and as a result, I have to try to find a sound in whatever POS amp they give me because I don't have enough clout to demand one certain kind of amp everywhere I go. So my advice would be to never be married to one certain sound, especially if you're trying to get that sound at home without benefit of a band. Room acoustics can especially play havoc with that sound. And if you insist on using YOUR sound, the end result could be that nobody can hear you even if you're on 10.